Check out the Lotus Type 130 — 217mph powerful all-electric hypercar with 1,950 horsepower
I’VE never written much about Lotus on these pages – for your benefit. I knew it would make you sad.
But today I bring good news. Lotus is BACK, swimming in cash — and getting ready to give us the world’s most powerful road car.
I repeat. More powerful than anything we’ve seen from Aston Martin, Mercedes, Pininfarina, Bugatti and so on.
So, please be upstanding for the Lotus Type 130, an all-electric hypercar which produces an incredible 1,950 horsepower. What? That’s hilarious. My brain can’t even compute that sort of performance.
That’ll make it as fast as an F1 car around Silverstone with the option of driving it home afterwards. Expected top speed 217mph+. Expected price tag £2.5million+.
So very exclusive.
I can also confirm Lotus will produce an all-new sports car next year too, a baby Type 130 with a petrol engine, that you and I might be able to afford.
But let’s start with a little bit of history. Lotus under the recent directorship of Proton was, frankly, embarrassing. There’s no other way to describe it.
Just a one-trick pony that was treating us to small power hikes on ageing sports cars.
They promised all sorts of new models — but delivered none.
It seemed the days when Lotus heaped glory on Britain — dominating F1 in the Sixties and Seventies, providing James Bond with a submarine Esprit — were well and truly over.
But now Lotus is bankrolled by Chinese giant Geely, the same firm that transformed Volvo, and it’s game on.
Lotus boss Phil Popham, speaking at the Shanghai Motor Show, said: “We have the opportunity to take a famous brand and not just rejuvenate it but to take it beyond what it was in the past. It’s not just tens of millions of investment supporting this, it’s billions.
“Volvo has had nine years of phenomenal success with Geely. We have the opportunity to do something similar with our DNA.
Under Proton, Lotus had become a one-trick pony that was treating us to small power hikes on ageing sports cars“We have already started on a new platform for sports cars but the ground is strong enough to take us beyond sports cars.”
Obvious question alert. An SUV?
“That’s one opportunity. We believe we can go into a number of segments as long as they justify the badge on the front.
“We are all about the driver and our lightweight DNA and handling will stay whichever sector we go to.
“You’ll see multiple offerings from us but we won’t be putting them all on a show stand.”
And electrification?
“The new sports car won’t be electrified but after that all our cars will offer electric propulsion. Some fully electric.
“Geely is like a sweet shop and all options are available to us.”
As part of Popham’s five-year plan, Lotus will build two factories — one in China, one possibly in the UK.
They will also open a showroom and museum at the Hethel HQ in Norfolk featuring founder Colin Chapman’s office.
Popham said: “We will need manufacturing facilities outside of Hethel. We will exceed capacity in Norfolk. We are looking in the UK and everywhere else.” Lotus also wants to return to motorsport — hence the Evora GT4 race car also revealed in Shanghai.
Now let’s finish where we started with the Type 130 hypercar, the first new Lotus for 12 years. Type 130 is a codename.
The real name is likely to start with an E, like other family names Evora, Exige, Elise, Elan and Esprit. It will be strictly limited in numbers.
Williams Advanced Engineering is providing the battery tech but the aero and downforce is all Lotus and the car will be built at Hethel.
A Lotus insider said: “It’s going to be mind-blowing.
“Pininfarina are quoting 1,900hp for the Battista. We will beat it.”
The car will be revealed in London this summer and hit the road within a year.
Happy days. We can finally cherish Lotus again.
Shanghai Motor Show round-up
YOU’D get locked up for growing plants in the loft round my way. Yet here’s a baby Audi with a pergola above the driver’s bonce.
I’m not making this up.
As well as real plants, the self-driving, all-electric, on-demand Audi AI:ME concept has VR goggles and motion sensors to play games on the move.
It reminded me of Spike in Notting Hill.
Back in reality, this is our first glimpse of an electric A2.
Please lose the pergola. But please, please keep the magnetic cup holders.
QUIZ time. What comes after A but before C? Correct.
So, no prizes for guessing the name of Merc’s next small SUV which slots between the GLA and GLC.
I like it. It’s more rugged and square-edged than a GLC – and more practical with 5+2 seats. Good school run car, then. Expect prices from £32,000 when it hits the road early next year.
AH, yes, Aston Martin. Think cool, think fast, think loud . . . no wait, sorry, scrap loud.
This is Aston’s first all-electric car, the Rapide E.
The usual 6-litre V12 has been replaced by a battery pack and two rear-mounted motors producing 610hp of silent thrust. 0-60mph: Under 4 secs. Top speed 155mph. Range: 200 miles. Price: £200,000+.
Limited to 155 cars. The first Aston to built at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan.
VOLKSWAGEN. Please STOP. You’ve now shown us SIX members of the ID electric car family that we still can’t buy. The latest revealed in Shanghai is Roomzz, a seven-seat luxury SUV.
It follows the ID hatchback, Buzz, Crozz, Vizzion and Buggy. All very good, but hurry up.
VERY Good Friday. Highways England is lifting 459 miles of roadworks from tomorrow until Tuesday – the equivalent of Brighton to Edinburgh. As long as no muppets have a drama, you’ll be golden.
Corsa weight loss
WE all feel better after losing a bit of timber, right? Well, it’s the same for cars. Vauxhall has shed 108kg on the new Corsa, a ten per cent weight loss. That is significant because it means it will be more fuel efficient, faster and better handling, as well as reducing brake wear. The lightest model will tip the scales at just 980kg.The new Corsa line-up, including a 50kWh pure electric version, will be revealed in June and go on sale before the end of the year.
Father’s Day get out of jail
PSSST! Father’s Day is on June 16. How about a personalised Haynes manual of his favourite car? You can put his name, message and photo on the front cover. It costs £35 inc P&P and can be ordered at www.cpiyourway.co.uk
FREEBIE alert
Take your motor to Vauxhall for a £29 health check – including fluid top ups – and choose from a free Chilly’s bottle afternoon tea for two, or five tubs of Hotel Chocolat ice cream. Yes please.