Lotus

Good vibrations: Lotus leaf's secrets revealed

By Jeff Salton

23:13 October 25, 2009 PDT

The ancient lotus leaf has natural properties that scientists believe could prove beneficial in today's modern world. Already Gizmag has featured articles about the lotus leaf surface, including a self-cleaning cup and a transparent coating for space suits. Recently, though, in an effort to improve the efficiency of modern engineering systems, such as power plants and some electronic equipment that must be cooled by removing heat through water evaporation and condensation, engineers at Duke University have been studying the lotus leaf. Using an ultra high-speed camera, a powerful microscope and an audio speaker, scientists were able to observe water as it condensed on the leaf's surface, and more importantly, how the water condensate disappeared. Read More

MAX: An almost Lotus that runs on vegetable oil

By Paul Ridden

05:05 October 7, 2009 PDT

Even before entering the Progressive Automotive X-Prize competition, Jack McCornack had started to pull together all the things needed to knock out a sporty two-seater car capable of achieving 100 miles per gallon. Fueled by the desire to make his creation a template for others to repeat and determined to bring it together within a strict budget, the race was on to bring MAX into the world - a Lotus Seven replica which just happens to run on vegetable oil. Paul Ridden traces the history of this fascinating project. Read More

Test drive: the all-electric Tesla Roadster

By Dave Weinstein

11:55 October 5, 2009 PDT

While the big news recently from Tesla has been its Model S vehicle, U.S. government loans to the company, and a plan for using the Model S platform for several new products including a minivan, crossover vehicle, and a utility van, we decided it was worth a closer look at the Tesla vehicle that you can buy now. Dave Weinstein climbs aboard the Roadster for a test drive. Read More

Lotus leaf inspires dust-busting shield for space gear

By Paul Lester

16:56 September 27, 2009 PDT

Finding inspiration from nature in order to refine and advance modern technologies is nothing new; Mercedes’ bionic car was an interesting example and we’ve also seen a new ‘smart fabric’ based on the design of pine cones. Perhaps one of the most inspiring species, certainly in the plant world, is the lotus, which has already contributed to the development of fog-free windscreens and other surfaces along with improving the efficiency of solar cells. Now NASA is looking to the Lotus Leaf to develop a non-stick surface for use on spaceflight equipment. Read More

Lotus announces purpose-built Range Extender Engine

By Gizmag Team

21:27 September 15, 2009 PDT

Designed specifically for the new breed of highly efficient series hybrid vehicles, Lotus Engineering’s Range Extender engine was shown for the first time at the 63rd Frankfurt International Motor Show. In a series hybrid vehicle, the Range Extender engine is attached to an electricity generator and provides a highly efficient source of energy to power the electric motor directly or charge the vehicle's battery. The three-cylinder 1.2 liter Range Extender engine is optimized between two power generation points, giving 15 kW of electrical power at 1,500 rpm and 35 kW at 3,500 rpm via the integrated electrical generator. The battery can also power the electric motor which enables the design of a drivetrain with low emissions, optimized performance and acceptable range. Read More

The world's best sports car show

By Gizmag Team

20:19 August 20, 2009 PDT

Imagine a sports car show held not in an exhibition center, but at the safest racetrack in the world, so the cars can be appreciated in their natural surroundings, without speed limits. The first “International GT & Supercar Show” will be held at Circuit Paul Ricard in the South of France on September 26 and 27. Exhibitors include Ferrari, Gumpert, Koenigsegg, Ad Tramontana, Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, F&M, Morgan, Audi Wiesmann, Spyker, Mosler, Pagani, Porsche, Saleen, TVR, Yes, Venturi, Alfa Romeo Zagato, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Mercedes, Castagna Milano, Maserati, Lotus, Lightning and Tesla. Read More

Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder prototype let loose

By Jeff Salton

23:18 August 16, 2009 PDT

Spyker Cars may not have impressed in its F1 venture, but it certainly has made up for it off the track. The exclusive sportscar-maker has kept true to its promise made in March at the Geneva Auto Show by debuting the first prototype of the Spyder version of its second-generation Spyker C8 Aileron. The 300kmh open-top model is scheduled to go into production in the first half of 2010. Read More

Lotus’ patented Active Noise Control technologies poised to make motoring more comfortable

By Darren Quick

17:52 April 18, 2009 PDT

Although the environmental benefits of hybrid vehicles are well known, their near silent operation when running off batteries does pose a danger to pedestrians who are used to the rumble of an engine to alert them to oncoming vehicles. Active Noise Control technologies from Lotus Engineering address this problem by projecting engine sounds externally to improve pedestrian safety, while also employing noise-canceling technology internally to reduce unwanted cabin noise. Read More

P1-E electric car with a McLaren F1 beating 0-60 in 2.9 sec

By Paul Evans

23:09 January 27, 2009 PST

From the country with more cottage industry sports car manufactures per capita than anywhere else in the world, the British are at it again. No sooner has the much publicized British Lightning GT - an all electric Aston Martin look-a-like with four wheel motors - vanished from sight following wheel motor manufactures PML flight link being put into administration another previously unknown British sports car hopeful has announced an all electric sports car. Former McLaren employee Jim Dowle whose company JJAD first released details about his P1 sports car in February 2008 has now announced the P1-E. The P1 was originally conceived as a 200hp 870 kg petrol powered challenger to the Lotus Exige but Dowle has obviously seen the writing on the wall and the P1 has now been reincarnated as an All Wheel Drive battery electric sports car. Read More

IBM introduces Linux-based Virtual Desktop

By Darren Quick

03:32 December 8, 2008 PST

While Linux erosion of Microsoft’s desktop dominance hasn’t really reached the mainstream yet, the popularity of the open source operating system has seen a steady increase as variations become more user friendly. Recognizing that rise in popularity IBM, along with its business partners, Virtual Bridges and Canonical has released a Linux-desktop solution that is designed to drive significant savings compared with Microsoft-desktop software by amplifying Lotus collaboration software and Ubuntu to a larger user base through virtualization. Read More

James Bond's aqua-car up for sale

By Noel McKeegan

23:13 November 19, 2008 PST

November 20, 2008 The release of Bond film number 22 - Quantum of Solace - has again made the uber-cool British secret agent the flavor of the month, but of all the iconic scenes from the long running series, the sight of Roger Moore as 007 navigating the briny deep in his white Lotus Esprit come submarine in the 1977 flick The Spy Who Loved Me must rate as one of the most memorable. Now the car in question is set to cross the block in London where auctioneer Bonhams expect it to fetch upwards of £100,000. Read More

The Climax bioethanol-powered supercar

By Darren Quick

23:36 October 19, 2008 PDT

Greener motoring doesn't usually mean high-performance, but bio-ethanol powered sports cars like the Lotus Exige 265E and Aston Martin's Vantage GT2 have shown that the two terms aren't always mutually exclusive. Now another British company is joining the ranks with the Climax mid-engine open-top two seater. Read More

Lotus to develop Omnivore Research Engine for bio fuels

By Mike Hanlon

20:41 August 18, 2008 PDT

World-renowned Lotus Engineering has entered into a collaboration with Queen’s University Belfast and Jaguar Cars to develop an engine which maximizes fuel efficiency when running on renewable fuels. The OMNIVORE concept will employ novel engine architecture to achieve a high thermal efficiency when fuelled on any alcohols or gasoline. ideally suited to flex-fuel operation, the design features an innovative variable compression ratio system and uses a two-stroke operating cycle with direct fuel injection. Read More

Lotus shows hemp-based Eco Elise

By Loz Blain

23:24 July 9, 2008 PDT

Lotus has taken a different approach to 'green' car building with the announcement of its Eco Elise - featuring hemp-based bodywork and other renewable materials. Taking the position that too many 'green' cars concentrate solely on CO2 emissions at the tailpipe, Lotus has overhauled its entire manufacturing process to reduce energy and water usage, boost recycling, use locally-sourced, renewable and carbon-neutral materials, and provide dash instrumentation to encourage greener driving habits. It's an unique 'holistic' approach to environmentally friendly car building - and the stunning Eco Elise should make at least two sales when the news reaches Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. Read More

Lotus Exige S Police Car boosts road safety

By Noel McKeegan

20:47 November 1, 2007 PDT

November 2, 2007 Police in East Sussex have added a Lotus Exige S to their arsenal as part of a campaign to promote road safety. The fully liveried Lotus police car has proved an ideal ice-breaker in opening up lines of communication and educating drivers in the high-risk group 17-25 age group. Read More

Hot Wheels Designer’s Challenge: leading automotive manufacturers come out to play

By Noel McKeegan

18:00 October 30, 2007 PDT

October 31, 2007 Major automotive manufacturers recently showcased their visions for the automobile of the future as part of the LA Auto Show Design Challenge, but now comes a competition of a very different kind. Clean fuel and artificial intelligence take a back seat as speed, power, performance and attitude become the key criteria in Mattel’s 40th anniversary Designer’s Challenge™ in which leading manufacturers were invited to create an original vehicle for the company’s die-cast Hot Wheels® toy range… but there is one special requirement: each vehicle must be able to perform a loop on classic Hot Wheels® orange track. Read More

Exclusive 240hp track-focused Lotus Exige Sport

By Loz Blain

17:45 August 27, 2007 PDT

August 28, 2007 Although Australian performance cars have tended to have a reputation for tyre-shredding hooliganism at the cost of outright speed, Lotus Australia is releasing a souped-up Aussie-exclusive Exige aimed squarely at delivering maximum racetrack speed and handling without any sideways action. The Lotus Sport 240 will feature a supercharged engine capable of feeding 240 horsepower to the tarmac through sophisticated adjustable traction control and launch control systems that should see the AU$149,990 roadster tearing up more expensive competition on the racetrack as well as the road. Read More

Proton unveils prototype Hybrid Car Developed In Collaboration With Lotus

By Mike Hanlon

April 16, 2007 Malaysia’s National auto manufacturer Proton has unveiled its first Hybrid prototype, designed in collaboration with Lotus Engineering. It is just over two decades since the company bolted together its first cars from Mitsubishi parts imported from Japan, but as the company has grown in strength, it has acquired considerable engineering design, development and manufacturing expertise, pulling off a major coup with its acquisition of Lotus in 1996. The 'EVE Hybrid' (Efficient, Viable, Environmental) research and development project was a collaboration of Proton and Lotus and EVE sports some impressive vital statistics. EVE has a 1.6litre petrol engine, which uses a 'micro-hybrid' start-stop system, a full parallel hybrid drive and a continuously variable transmission to achieve fuel economy of 5.6 litres/100km. maximum torque of whopping 233Nm at 1500rpm and maximum power of 105kW at 5500rpm enabling the car to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds with a top speed of 188.8 km/h. Read More

Lotus Exige Police Car

By Mike Hanlon

February 16, 2007 Lotus Cars Australia has donated a special new recruit to the NSW Police Bankstown Local Area Command with the arrival of a high performance Lotus Exige. The lightweight, high performance Lotus Exige sports car will be used by Bankstown Local Area Command for a number of community policing roles over the next six months, including most importantly, helping to build better relations between police and local performance car enthusiasts and youth. The precedent for this co-operation with the police was set in the UK where Lotus forged a similar relationship with the Norfolk Constabulary lending the force a Lotus Elise to achieve similar goals. “Following the success of the co-operation with Norfolk Police we saw the chance to link up with NSW Police to help it achieve similar goals,” said Lotus’ Jon Stretton. “The Norfolk Police had similar challenges to Bankstown Local Area Command with performance car enthusiasts and in establishing stronger relations to help prevent unacceptable behaviour.” Read More

British Racing (Very) Green Lotus

By Mike Hanlon

August 24, 2006 Lotus has always danced to a different drum. When the rest of the world was building muscle cars in the sixties and seventies, it went the other way. Light weight, superb handling, miniscule frontal areas and svelte aerodynamic efficiency became the hallmarks of Lotus roadsters which always did more with less. Now the Lotus brand is further extending its values towards the responsible use of resources with the Lotus Exige 265E which runs on environmentally friendly bio-ethanol E85 - 85% ethanol alcohol and 15% petrol! As the Exige uses a supercharged and intercooled engine, Lotus engineers saw the opportunity to prove the point that green sportscars can offer high performance by exploiting the performance characteristics of ethanol. Ethanol has a high octane rating, which allows an optimum timing for engine ignition and has a fast flame speed in the combustion chamber, so the fuel burns faster, increasing the efficiency of the engine. Ethanol has less stored energy per unit volume than gasoline so the fuel economy is less, however as E85 ethanol is 85% sourced from renewable bio matter, there is a net reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2). The beauty of using ethanol though, is its ability to produce more power in the engine than with conventional petrol and the Exige 265E is the most powerful road Exige ever. The Exige 265E now produces 264 bhp at 8000 rpm (up 21% over the petrol Exige S), and 184 lbft of torque at 5500 rpm (up 16%). The performance figures are pretty healthy for a green machine: 0-60 mph in 3.88 seconds, 0-100 mph in 9.2 seconds and a top speed of 158 mph! Read More

The Lotus Type 119c soapbox racer

By Mike Hanlon

The rise in popularity of gravity (aka soapbox) racing has been spectacular in recent years, and one of the most successful teams has been the Lotus team from the famous motorsport constructor and design studio. Now the team is heading for a showdown at the Brooklands Museum Soapbox Derby on 16 July, 2006. The Lotus Type 119c soapbox racer is the reigning Goodwood Festival of Speed Gravity Racing champion and record holder, beating Bentley and B.A.R in the final event held in 2004. Following the omission of the downhill event from the crowded Goodwood Festival of Speed line-up, attention has turned to the Extreme Gravity Racing (XGR) Series in the USA, and the UK-based Brooklands Soapbox Derby which ran for the first time last year, being won by the gravity racer of another famous motorsport group – Lola. Accordingly, two unbeaten cars will face off for the Brooklands title. The closed-cockpit Lotus Type 119c "streamliner" features an aerodynamically-efficient ultra-light carbon-fibre monocoque, remaining true to the "performance through light weight" philosophy of Lotus founder Colin Chapman. It will be lining up once again against familiar automotive constructors such as Lola, Vauxhall and Ford as well as entries from schools, colleges and privateers. Excellent image library with this story.

We have previously covered several extreme gravity racing stories such as Motorsport without the motor, the design of the Volvo Extreme Gravity Car and The billycart goes (WAY) upmarket! Read More

Lotus rebirths GT-inspired two-seater Europa

By Mike Hanlon

February 24, 2006 Lotus is preparing to launch its new Grand Tourer, the Lotus Europa S (bottom right), at next week’s Geneva Motor Show. Code-named Sepang during its development, the new GT signals the re-birth of the Europa model name, last used by Lotus in the early 1970s (top right). No longer will the outrageous fun and exhilaration of driving a true Lotus require Lotus customers to make such significant compromises when it comes to the practicality of living with their 'pride and joy' on a daily basis. The purity and simplicity of the Lotus Elise and Exige ranges is now perfectly complemented with the arrival of the new Europa S - a car which stays true to the Lotus philosophy of 'Performance through light weight', but recognises that for some, the Elise and Exige experience may sometimes prove just a little too 'extreme'!". Read More

The Type 1 Lotus Watch

By Mike Hanlon

February 2, 2006 The Type 1 Lotus Watch is the first wrist watch to be created by Lotus Design, the design studio responsible for all Lotus current and future products, as well as numerous client programmes. The bespoke timepiece which is infused with Lotus core values through its appearance which is highly technical, yet clean, stylish and elegant. However, the Type 1 Lotus watch is not a mere branding exercise; it was designed by Lotus Design, and boasts beautifully crafted components. These include an orange anodised aluminium crown guard mounted on a black dial with the Lotus roundel, taking inspiration from precision automotive and race parts used in the modern day Lotus sports car. Read More