Lotus Elite set for Paris Motor Show debut

At the upcoming Paris Motor Show, Lotus is set to debut an all new 2+2-seater GT packing a 5.0-litre V8 capable of churning out 612hp and 720Nm of torque. Such monstrous amounts of power are uncommon for a Lotus car, though the firm iterates that its new product, the Elite, is set to herald ‘the dawn of Lotus’ new era’.

Unlike products like the Elise and the Exige, the Elite is described by Lotus as being a highly elegant and refined product that continues to keep in touch with the core values of Lotus. Past Lotus cars follow simple formulae in their construction, but the Elite is a bit more elaborate – it features hybrid technology and KERS – a very un-Lotus approach indeed.

The 5.0-litre V8 revs to 8,500rpm and along the way, it can pull the 1,650kg Elite to the 100kph mark from rest somewhere between 3.5 and 3.7 seconds. Claimed top speed is 315kph and CO₂ emissions, using the optional hybrid system is listed as 215 g/km.

Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus said: “There’s no denying that the Elite is breathtakingly beautiful to look at but it’s so much more than that, it’s a car that over delivers in all other aspects as well. One could say it’s a car of perfect contradictions, it’s compact yet spacious, high performing yet low emitting, lightweight yet still reassuringly solid. It’s a car that we are exceptionally proud of at Lotus and we truly believe that there is nothing else like it out there both in terms of styling and performance.

“Make no mistake, there’s a definite market requirement for the Elite – it’s the ultimate sports car feel with comfort and space. There will always be those who believe that Lotus should stick to small sports cars but we didn’t take the decision to design something like the Elite lightly, it’s based on months of careful research and planning. It’s worth noting this sector has been very successful for us in the past and now the Elite raises the benchmark higher still,” he added.

It’s not production ready yet, however. Lotus projects the start of production to take place in early 2014, with first delivers set to take place in the same year. An indicative price of £115,000 inclusive of 17.5% VAT for the UK market is being mooted, but the disclaimer on the press release also states that any product information remains subject to change.

KON