The Porsche Boxster Spyder borrows design elements from a bygone era.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
Sport car companies enjoy the luxury of pushing design to the extreme, putting issues such as passenger comfort and cargo area aside. At the Los Angeles Auto Show we found a selection of new car designs that are as beautiful as they are impractical. Porsche showed up with a convertible that makes it more difficult to lower the top than in its other models. Lotus' newest car may be more accessible than its previous models, but you will still need the moves of a break-dancer to get inside. And the second generation of the Spyker C8 Aileron takes car design into the world of art.
Check out all these cars, and a special eco convertible, in our slideshow.
Yesterday I posted up a clip produced by Edmunds.com's Inside Line series that ran down bite-size highlights of a few of the new cars being paraded at the still-in-effect Tokyo Auto Show. Of course, there are many more vehicles making their debuts at this automotive fest, including this sports car--it's the newest edition of the bad-ass Lotus Scura. And ladies and gentlemen, this may be the most intimidating Scura ever produced.
Check it out--matte black paint, black stripes, black wheels--it screams darkness and evil; the headlights even seem to stare at you with a sinister gaze. The Stealth is not gonna be a soccer mom fave, but it'll definitely appease the inner goth in you as your push over 150 mph while blasting your favorite metal album (I'd recommend some Slayer or Marduk myself). This new Scura will be known as "Stealth" in some markets and "Exige" in other countries...not that many countries will even get to see this Scura as it's been reported that its production numbers will be extremely minute. Do I even need to tell you how expensive this studmobile is gonna be? Lotus dealers be on the lookout...Batman's gonna be making a trade-in when this baby comes out.
The Lotus Exige Scura: Why you'd give an Italian name to a British sports car is beyond me.
(Credit: Lotus)Spectators at the Tokyo Motor Show could be forgiven for missing this stealthy special edition of the Lotus Exige, dubbed the Exige Scura (sold in Japan as the Exige Stealth). "Scura" means "dark" in Italian, a fitting monikers as the tiny track star is covered from bumper to bumper in matte black paint.
Contrasting with the matte-finish are high gloss "Phantom Black" triple stripes running the length of the car and glossy carbon fiber parts (including a front splitter, oil cooler inlet vanes, side air scoops, and the rear spoiler). The black on black color scheme lends an ominous look the already insect-like Exige that we really like. If a standard Exige is a like a samurai on the track, the Scura is definitely a sneaky, sneaky ninja.
Although you'll pay extra for the matte-finish on this special edition, the dull finish is a fragile one. Reading the fine print at the bottom of the news release, we noticed that Lotus is only offering a 12-month, 12,000-mile warranty on the finish, so you'll need to be careful.
Inside, the Scura continues the dark theme with extensive use of glossy carbon fiber, anodized anthracite metal finishes, and dark fabrics.
The Scura features extensive carbon fiber in the cabin, but that's almost to be expected from a Lotus.
(Credit: Lotus)
Standard on all Exiges is the near-total obliteration of rearward visibility.
(Credit: Lotus)Aside from fancy paint, the Exige Scura also benefits from the addition of launch control, variable slip traction control, and Ohlins two-way adjustable dampers. So, there's some additional performance to be wrung from this premium priced edition.
Thanks to the Exige's low weight, metrics such as 256 supercharged horsepower and 4.1 seconds to 62 mph can live in harmony with figures such as 27.6 mpg (EU cycle) and 199 grams per kilometer of CO2.
The Lotus Exige Scura will be unveiled at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show and will be available for order in Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Indonesia, and Malaysia as early as in October 21, 2009. Pricing will vary from market to market, ranging from $76,000 to $92,000.
Lotus launches a new Exige S240 for 2010.
(Credit: Lotus)
As uncompromisingly engineered as it already is, Lotus found further enhancements to make to its Exige S240 model. Although the actual changes are few for the 2010 model year--the car uses the same power train as the 2009 model--it should its enhance performance while making cosmetic changes that will show the 2010 as a distinct update. New air vents at the front of the car increase air flow to radiator and oil coolers, while a bigger wing on the back increased downforce.
From Lotus Engineering, the consulting arm of the automaker, comes a concept for an engine to be used as a range extender on series hybrid cars. The new design maximizes efficiency for an engine that will only function as a generator.
This three cylinder engine would work as a generator in series hybrid cars.
(Credit: Lotus)Series hybrid cars, such as the upcoming Chevy Volt, use electric motors to drive the wheels, with electricity sourced from a battery pack and generator. This type of car operates as a pure electric vehicle up to the maximum range afforded by its batteries, typically under 100 miles with current technology. To go further, an onboard generator produces electricity to drive the motors. Although some concepts have used fuel cells to generate this additional electricity, the first production series hybrid car will likely use a small gasoline engine.
Lotus points out that most engines proposed for series hybrid cars are existing car engines retuned for electricity generation. The Lotus engine has been designed from the ground-up for its purpose. The design was greatly simplified by casting the engine block, cylinder heads, and exhaust manifold as one piece, making production less costly and eliminating the need for some parts, such as the head gasket, which require regular maintenance.
The three cylinder engine displaces 1.2-liters and only uses two valves per cylinder, actuated by a belt-driven single overhead cam. The design includes a generator directly coupled to the engine. The engine can operate in two modes, with outputs of 15 kilowatts or 35 kilowatts. Lotus doesn't mention fuel consumption, a number that wouldn't be particularly relevant anyway without information what sort of car it would be mounted in.
The Lotus Evora, equipped for endurance racing.
(Credit: CNET)When Lotus launched its Evora last year, it seemed the company gave in to the need for a mass-market car. Unlike the Elise, the Evora has four seats. The cabin isn't stripped bare, but sports modern electronics. And the engine is a big--a Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V-6. But lest we think this extra tonnage makes the Evora any less sporty than the Elise, Lotus intends to take a race-equipped Evora to the Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race.
The Evora's brakes have been upgraded to six-piston calipers front and back.
(Credit: CNET)Lotus had its Evora endurance racer on display at the Frankfurt auto show. Externally, the car shows few modifications from a standard Evora, although its big carbon fiber wing stands out. Other aerodynamic components include a diffuser and splitter. For endurance racing, the Evora also gets a 31.7-gallon fuel tank, roll cage, and fire suppression system. But even with this extra equipment, Lotus engineers managed to shave 441 pounds off it versus a standard Evora, for a total weight of 2,646 pounds.
The Evora endurance racer retains the 3.5-liter V-6, although in this application it has been tuned up to 395 horsepower, which likely means a supercharger. The standard transmission has been replaced with a sequential six-speed paddle-shifted gearbox.
With its power-to-weight ratio, good aerodynamics, and Lotus-engineered handling, the Evora should prove itself a contender. But the tough nature of endurance racing will reveal any faults Lotus engineers might have overlooked.
Sky Blue is one of the four colors for the Lotus Club Racer.
(Credit: Lotus)When Lotus announced it would debut a Club Racer version of its Elise S at the upcoming Frankfurt auto show, we were excited. Club Racers are stripped-down versions of existing cars, lightened up for weekend track events. And Lotus models are already so light, and have so much grip, a Club Racer model would really push the limits.
Interior design elements mark the Club Racer.
(Credit: Lotus)But as we started reading through the press release, it only spoke of body colors derived from classic Lotus cars of the 1960s. The interior design was touted for its CR logo and anthracite shifter knob and handbrake. The only real performance-related aspect is the wheels and tires, the former six spoke alloys and the latter Yokohama AD07 LTS.
The car that the Club Racer is based on, the Lotus Elise S, is a European spec car with only 134 horsepower. The base Lotus Elise available in the U.S. makes 198 horsepower, with acceleration to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. Until there is a U.S. spec Club Racer, Lotus cars here will smoke the European model in all but style.
Tramontana showed off this tandem two-seater at Pebble Beach.
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)
Last weekend's Concours focused on vintage cars from Porsche, but also showed an array of rare cars from other manufacturers in pristine shape. Because of the well-heeled crowd that attends the Concours, including Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld, luxury automakers show off some of their newest cars and concepts. This year saw entrants from Lotus, Mercedes-Benz, Tramontana, and even Lincoln.
Check out photos of the newest cars from the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
Tesla Motors has launched a safety recall covering all 345 Tesla Roadsters manufactured before April 22.
Tesla says it will make house calls to inspect the rear, inner hub flange bolts on several Roadsters after one owner reported uncharacteristic handling. After a root-cause analysis, Tesla determined that the rear, inner hub flange bolts on a small percentage of Roadster vehicles were improperly torqued during assembly by Lotus, the contract manufacturer of the Roadster chassis. Lotus is conducting a similar recall on some Lotus Elise and Exige vehicles.
No accidents have been reported as a result of this manufacturing issue, which is unrelated to the Roadster's all-electric powertrain.
Customers will not be charged for the inspection and software upgrade.
I hope you've enjoyed all of this week's video of amazing World Rally Championship racing. I thought a good way to close this series would be this tribute video dedicated to the history of WRC and how it's changed throughout the years--how the cars have changed, and it even includes historical data at the end detailing what cars have won the title and in which year. It's great for knowledge hounds as well as anybody who just wants to see some fine automobiles kickin' up dust and sliding on the asphalt.
