Lotus rebirths GT-inspired two-seater Europa

The light weight of the Europa S is significant in reducing occupant injury. By being so light, there is less energy to dissipate in the event of a crash, when compared to a much heavier sportscar.

But of course the best way to remain unhurt in an accident is to avoid the accident in the first place. Like all Lotus cars, the Europa S has high levels of grip, predictable, responsive handling, incredible ABS-assisted braking performance and almost peerless feedback to the driver about how the car is behaving in a variety of driving conditions.

Styling

Russell Carr, Chief of Design for Lotus led the design team in producing an elegant, beautiful and sophisticated GT-inspired car. It was important that the essence of current and classic Lotus products be captured in the design of the Europa S. Describing the Europa S, Russell Carr, Chief of Design for Lotus says: "The form of a design should reflect the spirit of the car, and the Europa S is no different. Where the rebellious track-focused personality of the Exige is characterised by shrink-wrapped athletic forms communicating agility and power, the Europa S has a more fluid, understated language reflecting its more sophisticated persona."

Carr continues: "The Europa from the late 1960s and early 1970s was a great design in its own right - elegant, purposeful and effective. However, we did not set out to bring the classic Europa design up to date, but instead started with a clean sheet to produce a characterful car worthy of being called a Lotus."

Engine and powertrain

The new mid-engine coupe will deliver high levels of performance from a high torque (263 Nm or 194 lbft at 4200 rpm) Ecotec Z20LER 2.0-litre (1998 cc) turbocharged engine producing 149 kW (200 hp or 203 PS) at 5400rpm. A bespoke engine management system completes the engine unit.

The Lotus Europa S achieves around 90% of its maximum torque at only 2000 rpm to give class-leading levels of acceleration from low engine speeds, propelling the car from 0 - 96 km/h (60 mph) in around 5.5 seconds, and 160 km/h (100 mph) in around 14 seconds. Maximum speed is 230 km/h (143 mph). Being a Lotus, the Europa S has a competitive power to weight ratio of 201 hp / tonne (204 PS / tonne, 6.68 kg/kW) An aluminium 6-Speed gearbox joins the engine to an open differential.

...continued