F1: Sebastian Vettel takes his 6th Win in Valencia

Sebastian Vettel is on a roll and no one seems able to stop him and his Red Bull from adding a second Formula 1 championship to their trophy list. This was confirmed once again today in the European Grand Prix in Valencia, in the eighth race of the 2011, where Vettel took his sixth win of the season. The German world champion started from the pole position and was never challenged during the race as he cruised to another win.

The only driver to even come close was Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso who started from fourth place and, like his team-mate Felipe Massa, made a terrific start. Alonso had a fight with the Red Bull of Mark Webber who, despite starting from the front row, eventually lost out to the Spaniard who finished the race second, more than 10 seconds behind Vettel.

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Lotus Aims to Better Ferrari’s 458 Italia and McLaren’s MP4-12C with New Esprit

Lotus has lofty aspirations for its all-new supercar, the Esprit, which was presented as a concept at last year’s Paris motor show along with four other concepts. According to the company’s CEO, Dany Bahar, the new supercar will be launched in 2013 and will offer a “more authentic driving experience than both the Ferrari 458 Italia and the McLaren MP4-12C”.

Bahar revealed that development of the the new Esprit is already under way, with prototypes up and running.

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Join Mercedes GP or Team Lotus for a Day

British fans are getting ready for their National Motorsport Week, and two UK-based Formula 1 teams are each giving two members of the public the unique opportunity to join their pit crews for a day.

Mercedes Petronas GP will randomly select two winners from those who will enter an online competition. The window of opportunity opens today, Monday 20 June, and will close at midnight on Thursday 23 June.

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Silverstone Organisers Ask: What is the Best British Sports Car of All Time?

The fifteen finalists in the Silverstone Classic’s, “Best British Sports Car of All Time” vote-in have been announced, and boy is there some choice picks. Before we get to that though, can I just point out a misnomer in using the, “of All Time” qualifier?

This assumes (prophetically?) that Britain will not be making any more sports cars in the future, whereas, “Best British Sports Car So Far” would be a far more accurate description. But enough with semantics: who are our lucky finalists? Read on….

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Lotus to Kill Elise and Exige for North America in August

If you’re a fan of the lightweight sports cars from Lotus, namely the Elise and its closed-top sibling, the Exige, and live in North America, then you’d better hurry up before the well dries up. That’s because production of the North American spec model will end in August according to a report from Autoblog.

The reasons behind this decision lie in the lack of “smart” airbags, which are now mandatory in the US, along with Toyota’s decision to stop production of its 2ZZ 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder engine that powers US-spec models. The Elise and the Exige will continue to be sold in Europe, as they’re equipped with a new 1.6-liter four-cylinder unit.

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Lotus Elise Club Racer

Lotus has introduced a slightly lighter, slightly cheaper version of its Elise.



Aimed directly at track day enthusiasts, the Elise Club Racer sheds 24 kg (52 lbs) thanks mainly to the loss of sound insulation and the fitment of a special motorsport-derived battery. Tipping the scales at 852 kg (1,878 lb), it certainly follows the traditional Lotus ethos of minimising weight to maximise performance.

The Club Racer is based on the 134 bhp (100 kW / 136 PS) 1.6 Elise, meaning it enjoys CO2 emissions of just 149 g/km. In line with its circuit-orientated role, changes to the chassis include retuned suspension settings and an adjustable front anti-roll bar.



Additionally, the Dynamic Performance Management system - which, among other things, controls the electronic differential, cornering brake control and traction control - comes with a Sport setting, and it can also be turned off completely.



Lotus has priced the Elise Club Racer at £27,500 in the UK and €34,450 in the Eurozone (depending on local taxes). Buyers will be able to choose from Matt Black, Sky Blue, Carbon Grey, Ardent Red, Aspen White or Saffron Yellow paint finishes.



Related post:

Lotus Elise facelift

Lotus Elise Club Racer

Lotus has introduced a slightly lighter, slightly cheaper version of its Elise.



Aimed directly at track day enthusiasts, the Elise Club Racer sheds 24 kg (52 lbs) thanks mainly to the loss of sound insulation and the fitment of a special motorsport-derived battery. Tipping the scales at 852 kg (1,878 lb), it certainly follows the traditional Lotus ethos of minimising weight to maximise performance.

The Club Racer is based on the 134 bhp (100 kW / 136 PS) 1.6 Elise, meaning it enjoys CO2 emissions of just 149 g/km. In line with its circuit-orientated role, changes to the chassis include retuned suspension settings and an adjustable front anti-roll bar.



Additionally, the Dynamic Performance Management system - which, among other things, controls the electronic differential, cornering brake control and traction control - comes with a Sport setting, and it can also be turned off completely.



Lotus has priced the Elise Club Racer at £27,500 in the UK and €34,450 in the Eurozone (depending on local taxes). Buyers will be able to choose from Matt Black, Sky Blue, Carbon Grey, Ardent Red, Aspen White or Saffron Yellow paint finishes.



Related post:

Lotus Elise facelift

Team Lotus reveals T128

Team Lotus - not to be confused with the Lotus Renault GP Team - has unveiled its 2011 Formula 1 car.

Even if that naming clash is still to be dragged through the courts, thankfully the team has decided not to swap last season’s green and yellow colour scheme for a gold and black one. At least that means spectators will be able to tell the numerous Lotuses apart.



The big changes are under the paintjob, though. Gone are 2010’s Cosworth engines, replaced by motors from Renault which have been combined with gearboxes and hydraulics systems courtesy of Red Bull Technologies.

Together with more aggressive aerodynamics and revised suspension, the Norfolk-based team seems confident that the improved package will be good enough to let drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli score some points in 2011.



Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer, said: ‘I think that basically this car looks like a front-running car in every area. We said very clearly that we want to start challenging the established teams and I think that's very achievable.’ Fighting talk indeed.



Related post:

Two Lotus teams in F1?

Team Lotus reveals T128

Team Lotus - not to be confused with the Lotus Renault GP Team - has unveiled its 2011 Formula 1 car.

Even if that naming clash is still to be dragged through the courts, thankfully the team has decided not to swap last season’s green and yellow colour scheme for a gold and black one. At least that means spectators will be able to tell the numerous Lotuses apart.



The big changes are under the paintjob, though. Gone are 2010’s Cosworth engines, replaced by motors from Renault which have been combined with gearboxes and hydraulics systems courtesy of Red Bull Technologies.

Together with more aggressive aerodynamics and revised suspension, the Norfolk-based team seems confident that the improved package will be good enough to let drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli score some points in 2011.



Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer, said: ‘I think that basically this car looks like a front-running car in every area. We said very clearly that we want to start challenging the established teams and I think that's very achievable.’ Fighting talk indeed.



Related post:

Two Lotus teams in F1?

2010 New Lotus Sports Cars Exige S240

British performance sports car manufacturer Lotus has officially unveiled their 2010 Lotus Exige S240. While Lotus fans will recognize this as a very subtle update, the grille and rear wing facelift is a step forward for the mark. The exciting new 2010 Lotus Exige S240 enters the United States and Canadian markets in the fall of 2009 with new front styling, a new rear wing and the same rare

2010 Naomi for Haiti Lotus Evora Sports Cars

In response to the horrific natural disaster that has crippled the nation of Haiti, Naomi Campbell together with Lotus Cars will be auctioning eight special edition "Naomi for Haiti" Lotus Evora sports cars, with the proceeds from the auction going to help the relief effort in Haiti on 12th of January 2010.2010 Naomi for Haiti Lotus Evora Sports CarsThe Lotus Evora Naomi for Haiti has to be one

Lotus Sports Cars Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar

Proton-owned and British-based sports car maker Lotus has announced the Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar (pronounced One Twenty Four). Based on the Evora road car, it is powered by a mid-mounted Toyota V6 powerplant. The engine is race-tuned and can output over 400PS, depending on race regulations. The power unit is linked to a 6 speed sequential transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle

Two Lotus teams in F1?

The 2011 Formula 1 season could see the bizarre sight of two Lotus-branded teams on the grid.



Group Lotus - the Proton-owned manufacturer of Lotus road cars - has just bought a stake in the former Renault F1 Team, also becoming title sponsor in the process. The move coincides with Renault selling its share in the outfit, although the French firm will continue to supply engines to the newly renamed Lotus Renault GP Team.

Lotus Renault GP Team - 2011 Livery

A black and gold livery has been revealed too, which harks back to the cigarette-sponsored Lotus F1 cars of the 1970s and 1980s. It might look striking, but why the team would want to give free subliminal advertising to a tobacco company is anyone’s guess.



Confusingly Lotus Racing, which competed for the first time during 2010 but is nothing to do with Group Lotus, has already announced a couple of significant changes for next season: not only will it be switching from Cosworth to Renault power, but it will also be painting its cars black and gold. What a coincidence.



To make matters even more complicated Lotus Racing has, according to the official FIA 2011 Formula 1 entry list, now rebranded itself as Team Lotus and intends to race under the Lotus Renault name.



However, Group Lotus is claiming that Lotus Racing / Team Lotus / Lotus Renault (take your pick) was only using the Lotus moniker under licence this year, but that licence has now been revoked.



Consequently Team Lotus and Group Lotus are now involved in an escalating battle for the right to continue using the name. But with neither side looking likely to back down, the dispute will probably end up being resolved by the UK High Court sometime in the new year.

Two Lotus teams in F1?

The 2011 Formula 1 season could see the bizarre sight of two Lotus-branded teams on the grid.



Group Lotus - the Proton-owned manufacturer of Lotus road cars - has just bought a stake in the former Renault F1 Team, also becoming title sponsor in the process. The move coincides with Renault selling its share in the outfit, although the French firm will continue to supply engines to the newly renamed Lotus Renault GP Team.

Lotus Renault GP Team - 2011 Livery

A black and gold livery has been revealed too, which harks back to the cigarette-sponsored Lotus F1 cars of the 1970s and 1980s. It might look striking, but why the team would want to give free subliminal advertising to a tobacco company is anyone’s guess.



Confusingly Lotus Racing, which competed for the first time during 2010 but is nothing to do with Group Lotus, has already announced a couple of significant changes for next season: not only will it be switching from Cosworth to Renault power, but it will also be painting its cars black and gold. What a coincidence.



To make matters even more complicated Lotus Racing has, according to the official FIA 2011 Formula 1 entry list, now rebranded itself as Team Lotus and intends to race under the Lotus Renault name.



However, Group Lotus is claiming that Lotus Racing / Team Lotus / Lotus Renault (take your pick) was only using the Lotus moniker under licence this year, but that licence has now been revoked.



Consequently Team Lotus and Group Lotus are now involved in an escalating battle for the right to continue using the name. But with neither side looking likely to back down, the dispute will probably end up being resolved by the UK High Court sometime in the new year.

2015 Lotus Eterne

Of the five sports cars that Lotus displayed at the Paris Motor Show, the Eterne represents the biggest departure.

Setting aside collaborative projects such as the Lotus Carlton / Omega from the early 1990s, it’ll be the first four-door saloon that Lotus has produced. Nevertheless, the firm is convinced that there’s a market for it.



It’s also saying the Eterne is ‘… not an evolution of an existing two-door model, it's a deliberate and considered stand-alone creation’, although it looks suspiciously like a four-door version of the 2014 Lotus Elite. Both cars certainly use the same engine, a 5.0 litre V8 that will first appear in the 2013 Esprit.

At an estimated £120,000, the Eterne will undercut competitors such as the Aston Martin Rapide, but it will cost more than cars such as the Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte.

2015 Lotus Eterne Concept Specification
Layout	4 seats, front-engined
Engine	Petrol, 5.0 litre V8
Hybrid technology	Optional, incl. KERS
Power	611 bhp / 456 kW / 620 PS
Torque	720 Nm
0-62 mph (0-100 km/h)	4.0 seconds
Top speed	195 mph (315 km/h)
Weight	1,800 kg
Transmission	Full hybrid
Drive	Rear-wheel drive, optional all-wheel drive
Production starts	Early 2015
On sale	Spring 2015
Price	Around £120,000

Related posts:

Five new Lotus sports cars

2013 Lotus Esprit

2013 Lotus Elan

2014 Lotus Elite

2015 Lotus Elise

2015 Lotus Eterne

Of the five sports cars that Lotus displayed at the Paris Motor Show, the Eterne represents the biggest departure.

Setting aside collaborative projects such as the Lotus Carlton / Omega from the early 1990s, it’ll be the first four-door saloon that Lotus has produced. Nevertheless, the firm is convinced that there’s a market for it.



It’s also saying the Eterne is ‘… not an evolution of an existing two-door model, it's a deliberate and considered stand-alone creation’, although it looks suspiciously like a four-door version of the 2014 Lotus Elite. Both cars certainly use the same engine, a 5.0 litre V8 that will first appear in the 2013 Esprit.

At an estimated £120,000, the Eterne will undercut competitors such as the Aston Martin Rapide, but it will cost more than cars such as the Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte.

2015 Lotus Eterne Concept Specification
Layout	4 seats, front-engined
Engine	Petrol, 5.0 litre V8
Hybrid technology	Optional, incl. KERS
Power	611 bhp / 456 kW / 620 PS
Torque	720 Nm
0-62 mph (0-100 km/h)	4.0 seconds
Top speed	195 mph (315 km/h)
Weight	1,800 kg
Transmission	Full hybrid
Drive	Rear-wheel drive, optional all-wheel drive
Production starts	Early 2015
On sale	Spring 2015
Price	Around £120,000

Related posts:

Five new Lotus sports cars

2013 Lotus Esprit

2013 Lotus Elan

2014 Lotus Elite

2015 Lotus Elise

2015 Lotus Elise

By the time the 2015 Elise arrives in the showrooms the current car will be nineteen years old, and so arguably overdue for replacement.

The next generation model revealed at the Paris Motor Show gains a bit of weight, but it also gets extra power to compensate. That comes courtesy of a four-cylinder 2.0 litre engine, which will be available with an optional start-stop system to improve fuel economy and cut down on emissions.

The styling is said to be ‘young, strong, confident [and] verging on ruthless’, but Lotus is also emphasising that the 2015 Elise will be more practical and much easier to get in and out of. Of course 2015 is a long way off, and so some of the design details included on the Paris concept are bound to change.



An estimated price of £35,000 puts it on a par with the top end of today’s Elise range. However, that’s still quite a jump from today’s entry-level 1.6, which in basic form costs nearer to £27,000. Clear evidence of the Lotus desire to shift upmarket then, but it could alienate some existing customers.

2015 Lotus Elise Concept Specification
Layout	2 seats, mid-engined
Engine	Petrol, 2.0 litre I4
Hybrid technology	Optional stop-start
Power	315 bhp / 235 kW / 320 PS
Torque	330 Nm
0-62 mph (0-100 km/h)	4.3 seconds
Top speed	167 mph (270 km/h)
Weight	1,095 kg
Transmission	6 Speed manual, optional DCT
Drive	Rear-wheel drive
Production starts	Early 2015
On sale	Spring 2015
Price	Around £35,000

Related posts:

Five new Lotus sports cars

2013 Lotus Esprit

2013 Lotus Elan

2014 Lotus Elite

2015 Lotus Eterne

2015 Lotus Elise

By the time the 2015 Elise arrives in the showrooms the current car will be nineteen years old, and so arguably overdue for replacement.

The next generation model revealed at the Paris Motor Show gains a bit of weight, but it also gets extra power to compensate. That comes courtesy of a four-cylinder 2.0 litre engine, which will be available with an optional start-stop system to improve fuel economy and cut down on emissions.

The styling is said to be ‘young, strong, confident [and] verging on ruthless’, but Lotus is also emphasising that the 2015 Elise will be more practical and much easier to get in and out of. Of course 2015 is a long way off, and so some of the design details included on the Paris concept are bound to change.



An estimated price of £35,000 puts it on a par with the top end of today’s Elise range. However, that’s still quite a jump from today’s entry-level 1.6, which in basic form costs nearer to £27,000. Clear evidence of the Lotus desire to shift upmarket then, but it could alienate some existing customers.

2015 Lotus Elise Concept Specification
Layout	2 seats, mid-engined
Engine	Petrol, 2.0 litre I4
Hybrid technology	Optional stop-start
Power	315 bhp / 235 kW / 320 PS
Torque	330 Nm
0-62 mph (0-100 km/h)	4.3 seconds
Top speed	167 mph (270 km/h)
Weight	1,095 kg
Transmission	6 Speed manual, optional DCT
Drive	Rear-wheel drive
Production starts	Early 2015
On sale	Spring 2015
Price	Around £35,000

Related posts:

Five new Lotus sports cars

2013 Lotus Esprit

2013 Lotus Elan

2014 Lotus Elite

2015 Lotus Eterne

2014 Lotus Elite

The third new Lotus to arrive will be the Elite, in Spring 2014.

Like the two previous incarnations that wore the Elite badge, this version will also be front engined and have rear-wheel drive. But that’s just about where the similarities end.



Power will come from the same engine that the 2013 Esprit will be using, a 5.0 litre V8. Hybrid technology, including a gearbox with integrated electric motors and a Formula 1 style Kinetic Energy Recovery System, will be optional.

From a styling perspective, the Elite is perhaps the best looking of the sports car quintet that Lotus unveiled at Paris. A retractable roof is a key feature of the compact design which, at 4.60 metres in length, is about the same as a BMW 3 Series Coupe.



With a projected price of close to £115,000 though, the 3 Series won’t be the Elite’s competition. That job will go to more rarefied contenders, such as the Aston Martin DB9 and Bentley Continental GT Coupe.

2014 Lotus Elite Concept Specification
Layout	2+2 seats, front-engined
Engine	Petrol, 5.0 litre V8
Hybrid technology	Optional, incl. KERS
Power	611 bhp / 456 kW / 620 PS
Torque	720 Nm
0-62 mph (0-100 km/h)	3.5 to 3.7 seconds
Top speed	195 mph (315 km/h)
Weight	1,650 kg
Transmission	Full hybrid
Drive	Rear-wheel drive
Production starts	Early 2014
On sale	Spring 2014
Price	Around £115,000

Related posts:

Five new Lotus sports cars

2013 Lotus Esprit

2013 Lotus Elan

2015 Lotus Elise

2015 Lotus Eterne

2014 Lotus Elite

The third new Lotus to arrive will be the Elite, in Spring 2014.

Like the two previous incarnations that wore the Elite badge, this version will also be front engined and have rear-wheel drive. But that’s just about where the similarities end.



Power will come from the same engine that the 2013 Esprit will be using, a 5.0 litre V8. Hybrid technology, including a gearbox with integrated electric motors and a Formula 1 style Kinetic Energy Recovery System, will be optional.

From a styling perspective, the Elite is perhaps the best looking of the sports car quintet that Lotus unveiled at Paris. A retractable roof is a key feature of the compact design which, at 4.60 metres in length, is about the same as a BMW 3 Series Coupe.



With a projected price of close to £115,000 though, the 3 Series won’t be the Elite’s competition. That job will go to more rarefied contenders, such as the Aston Martin DB9 and Bentley Continental GT Coupe.

2014 Lotus Elite Concept Specification
Layout	2+2 seats, front-engined
Engine	Petrol, 5.0 litre V8
Hybrid technology	Optional, incl. KERS
Power	611 bhp / 456 kW / 620 PS
Torque	720 Nm
0-62 mph (0-100 km/h)	3.5 to 3.7 seconds
Top speed	195 mph (315 km/h)
Weight	1,650 kg
Transmission	Full hybrid
Drive	Rear-wheel drive
Production starts	Early 2014
On sale	Spring 2014
Price	Around £115,000

Related posts:

Five new Lotus sports cars

2013 Lotus Esprit

2013 Lotus Elan

2015 Lotus Elise

2015 Lotus Eterne