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Lotus in America
By admin | April 22, 2009
There are many automakers whose models are considered rare or elite in the United States. Among them are MG, MINI, and Lotus. Of the three, Lotus is probably the least well known and the most appreciated by aficionados of the marque.
Brief History of Lotus
Lotus was originally formed by engineer Colin Chapman in 1952, as Lotus Engineering, Ltd. It’s first factory was in an old stable behind the Railway Hotel in Hornsey, England and in 1954 Team Lotus was split off from the original company to focus on Formula One racing, where it excelled from 1958 – 1994.
In 1959, Lotus Cars, Ltd. and Lotus Components, Ltd., which focused on road car and competition car production, respectively moved to a factory in Cheshunt. In 1966, the company moved into a more modern factory with a road test facility in Hethel, at the former RAF Hethel base, where it has remaind ever since.
In 1971, Lotus Components, Ltd. became Lotus Racing Limited, but it ceased operations the same year.
In 1986, Lotus Cars, Ltd. was purchased by General Motors which ran it until 1993, when it was sold for £30 million to A.C.B.N. Holdings S. A. of Luxembourg, a company controlled by the Italian businessman Romano Artioli, also the owner of Bugatti Automobili SpA. Three years later Lotus was sold again, this time to Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (aka Proton) a Malaysian car company operating on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange.
In addition to manufacturing Lotus cars, the company also acts as an engineering consultancy providing engineering development, especially suspension systems, for other carmakers. It also has a lesser-known powertrain department which is responsible for the design and development of the same 4-cylinder engine used by GM’s Vauxhall, Opel, Saab and likely some Saturn cars, though the current models of the Lotus Elise and Exige use the 1.8-Liter VVTL-I I4 previously used in the Toyota Celica GT-S and the Matrix XRS.
Currently, the company is referred to as Group Lotus, and is divided into Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering, and though many rumors abound, there are no plans to re-enter Formula One racing with a company team.
Current Models
Current Lotus models include:
- Elise – This car incorporates several engineering innovations including an aluminum extrusion frame and a composite body shell, and has spawned many racing models, including the exotic limited-edition 340R. In the United States, the Elise is sold with a Toyota engine in order to pass stricter emissions laws and auto insurance standards, though it also has a Lotus ECU with its own fuel mapping.
- Eco Elise – A special Elise model that incorporates solar panels and a roof made from hemp.
- Exige and Exige-S – Elise models that have been redesigned to provide additional downforce and a hard top. The S-model is supercharged and has an engine that provides 220 hp, while the standard Exige tops out at 190 hp.
- Evora – Launched last July, and code-named Project Eagle while it was in development, this is a 2+2 sports car with a mid-mounted, transverse, 3.5-liter V6 engine. A new model is planned for 2010.
Lotus in America
While Lotus is not exactly a household name in the United States, it enjoys a small but fierce following. The largest North American owners club is Lotus, Ltd, which boasts more than 1500 members, hosts the annual Lotus Exige 260 Cup, and has member groups in sixteen states and Washington, DC. They also have an extensive website at www.lotuscarclub.org, and publish a regular newsletter called the Remarque.
Other Lotus clubs are smaller, and exist in twenty-one states and Washington, DC. Most are linked to the official American site for Lotus cars: www.lotuscars.com.
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