zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
Dead: Lotus’s Entire Current Lineup
Dead: Lotus’s Entire Current Lineup-July 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:29

From left to right: Lotus Exige, Evora and Elise

It’s been more than a decade in the making, but it seems like we may finally get a new before 2021 is out. The company is putting the finishing touches on its , which is planned to debut in the summer, before production ramps up in 2022. Exciting times, indeed.

On the flip side, every Lotus currently on sale will be discontinued this year. Say farewell to the Elise, Exige and Evora — a trio that carried the British manufacturer for far longer than they were expected or deserved to. The news was today.

The Evora entered production in 2009 and is notably the only current Lotus model you can still legally purchase in the U.S. The Elise, of course, has been around much longer. The “Series 3” Elise — the latest one — emerged in 2010. Though under the slightly facelifted skin, the Series 3 is really just the second-generation Elise that harks back to 2001. Hell, it even spawned I totally forgot about until just now.

Mind you, Lotus’ inability to move on from the Elise, Exige and Evora didn’t stem from a lack of effort. There was that time the automaker turned up to the 2010 Paris Motor Show with five proposals for new performance cars, and (or “City Car” if you look at the license plate).

At the time, Lotus was under Proton leadership, and no part of that vision of the brand’s future came to pass. Then-CEO Dany Bahar was ousted two years later, reportedly due to misusing company funds, and Proton was swallowed up by Malaysian manufacturing conglomerate DRB-Hicom.

Significantly brightened  for visibility by yours truly

Nothing really began to change until 2017, when Geely acquired a majority stake in Lotus. The 2,000-horsepower Evija hypercar was the first product of Lotus’ next era to break cover — you see it at the right there in the shadowy photo above — and those three shrouded cars will supposedly replace the ones leaving this year. Per the press release:

To acknowledge the forthcoming family of performance cars, Lotus has released an image that hints at the new generation of products that will follow Elise, Exige and Evora, which have entered their final year of production in 2021.

Under one of those covers is presumably that new pure internal-combustion model, which will supposedly start at about $75,000. Lotus CEO Phil Popham has teased that this vehicle will have “a real focus on usability,” and that it’s been designed so owners “can live with it on a day-to-day basis.”

Then there’s the car mentioned in this release, codenamed Type 131. This appears to be different from the aforementioned $75,000 Lotus; seems to think the Type 131 is the spiritual successor to the Esprit, which will be powered by a V6 hybrid powertrain and begin at a “price set in the low six figures,” placing it above the Evora in the pecking order. Don’t forget about that long-rumored SUV either, which wasn’t included in this family photo op.

Geely has grown Lotus substantially over the past four years to rise to these challenges. The British automaker reports that 670 employees have joined its ranks since it fell under new corporate ownership, and it plans to add another 250 people in the coming years. If there was ever a time for Lotus to change, it’s right now.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
Volkswagen Will Enter ID.4 In NORRA Mexican 1000 Off Road Race
Volkswagen Will Enter ID.4 In NORRA Mexican 1000 Off Road Race
The ID.4 is a huge deal for Volkswagen as it looks to electrify its lineup. Now, the company is aiming to see how the ID.4 will handle off-road racing with its entrance in the , scheduled to take place in Baja, California, Mexico. This won’t be just your standard...
Jul 21, 2025
I Guess Watch This Awful Person Lie About Being Hit By A Car To Cops To Save A Parking Spot
I Guess Watch This Awful Person Lie About Being Hit By A Car To Cops To Save A Parking Spot
I’ll admit I feel a little dirty for writing about this but it is automotive-life related and I can’t deny the lurid fascination of watching a really miserable person behave really miserably. If you’re harboring any latent misanthropy this isn’t going to help, at all. It’s a tiny, infuriating...
Jul 21, 2025
Turtles Keep Flying Through The Windshields Of Unsuspecting Motorists
Turtles Keep Flying Through The Windshields Of Unsuspecting Motorists
It’s noteworthy but not unprecedented that a 71-year-old woman was injured by an object crashing through the windshield of her car as she drove down a Florida interstate this week. What was remarkable about this incident was the projectile in question. A turtle. It’s a scene that reminds me...
Jul 21, 2025
One Southern California Region's Air Quality Is Being Affected By Amazon's Shipping And Warehouse Expansion
One Southern California Region's Air Quality Is Being Affected By Amazon's Shipping And Warehouse Expansion
At nearly 30,000 square miles, with a population of nearly five million and a 2019 GDP of just under $200 billion, Southern California’s Inland Empire is not the boondocks region many people in LA think it is. The last few years have seen global online giant Amazon set its...
Jul 21, 2025
Raising The Gas Tax Is Back In The Conversation
Raising The Gas Tax Is Back In The Conversation
The federal gas tax was last raised in 1993 and, anytime anyone , it goes nowhere. A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Washington now say it is at least time to think about it. Raising the gas tax is not as radical an idea you might think, with one...
Jul 21, 2025
What's Your Stupidest Car Dream?
What's Your Stupidest Car Dream?
For years, I’ve had this vague dream that, one day, I will own several very obnoxious cars. I don’t mean a loud-engined beast that will annoy my old neighbors or a Subaru painted bright green. I mean a car that’s so awful—so absolutely egregious—that it will be collectively hated...
Jul 21, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved