The Lotus Evija: Is it a true Lotus?

"Corkscrew'd" (corkscrewd) 07/17/2019 at 14:55 • Filed to: LOTUS, EVIJA, ELECTRIC, HYPERCARS, ELECTRIC CARS, OPINION, NEWS, BLOG, BLOGGING, COOL STUFF

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Originally posted on Corkscrewd.blog

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The 2020 Lotus Evija. Photo © 2019 Lotus Cars.

Ok, so it’s a 2000 hp 1680 kg beast of a car that looks great and has some cool features. What I’m primarily concerned with though is this: Is it a true Lotus? I mean, can a $2 million hypercar even be considered a Lotus?

I’m kind of on the fence about it. Here’s an excerpt from my latest blog post:

 !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I claimed that such a car flies in the face of Colin Chapman’s ideals of what made a great sports car. The creed “Simplify, then add lightness” was more than a mantra; it was the formula for what made a Lotus, a Lotus. You don’t need massive amounts of power and displacement to make an engaging car. You just need a lightweight reinforced chassis and great suspension tuning. The Evora is probably the best car I’ve ever driven thanks to its incredibly stiff chassis and excellent suspension.

On the other hand, Lotus has always been introducing innovative technologies. In the 70s, Lotus dominated Formula 1 thanks to its adoption of ground effects. When Lotus was involved in sports car racing in the 60s, cars like the Lotus 23B were miles ahead of the competition thanks to Lotus’ innovative use of fiberglass and other lightweight materials. For Lotus to find a way to develop a lighter-weight, denser battery pack, they could potentially lead the way in making actual lightweight, electric sports cars for the masses.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I have to hope that if this car is successful, some of that technology could trickle down to their more “pedestrian offerings”. Imagine an electric Evora with a similar drivetrain or even an Elise.

What does Oppo think? Am I wrong about thinking that a Lotus shouldn’t cost the price of a nice house near San Francisco?

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Corkscrew'd 07/17/2019 at 15:18

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Colin Chapman’s idea of what a lotus is is not possible now

Unless you sell kit cars

PS9 > Corkscrew'd 07/17/2019 at 15:31

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Here’s how to figure out if this is a true Lotus.

1) Lotus making it?

2) If someone else is making it, do they have lotus’ official approval, or are acting in official capacity?

3) Is Lotus operating some kind of deception? For example, did they take something someone else made and just rebrand it without that other person’s knowledge?

If the answers to all three of these is ‘no’, then this is not a true Lotus. Otherwise, it is. 

way2blu does a rev update > Corkscrew'd 07/17/2019 at 15:34

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Know what this is? Why it’s significant?

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No?

It’s the Subaru Forester XT, an AWD, 5-seater crossover. It’s 300 lbs lighter than the so-called “Lotus” Evija.

The Evija has a LOT to prove before it should be considered a proper Lotus.

way2blu does a rev update > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 07/17/2019 at 15:42

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I scrolled through photos on my phone for 10 solid minutes just so I could find this:

Modern manufacturing is too precise; it’s be impossible to replicate such build quality today.

Discerning > Corkscrew'd 07/17/2019 at 15:53

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I’ve been contemplating something similar. I get why they are doing it. It will put them in the spot light and maybe move more Evora’s but it isn’t the Lotus I think of or the one I want (not that I could afford it, regardless)

Hopefully it leads to a lightweight car between an exige and an evora that is hybrid and weighs less than a Cayman. That would be neat and in true lotus fashion.

Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast > way2blu does a rev update 07/17/2019 at 15:54

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Was going to say something similar.

It may be a Lotus, but it’s not the same Lotus.

This represents a whole new direction for them. Which may or may not be a good thing. 

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > way2blu does a rev update 07/17/2019 at 15:54

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Haha oh that’s a thing of beauty

Now I want one even more

BeaterGT > way2blu does a rev update 07/17/2019 at 15:54

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They’re both abominations relative to their predecessors? 

Discerning > way2blu does a rev update 07/17/2019 at 15:57

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I believe that’s more of a product of having a foldable fabric targa top. The removable hard top doesn’t encounter any weather sealing issues. That's said, the fabric top does a good job in the rain too from what I've read.

Discerning > PS9 07/17/2019 at 15:58

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It is definitely a lotus. It’s not what I think of when I think of Lotus, but that doesn’t change what the title says or what badge they’ll put on it.

way2blu does a rev update > Discerning 07/17/2019 at 16:02

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I just like that they include a disclaimer. Very in-character for a British marque.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Corkscrew'd 07/17/2019 at 16:05

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Does the roof leak?

Textured Soy Protein > Corkscrew'd 07/17/2019 at 16:07

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It weighs that much because it’s electric. As electric cars go, it’s relatively light weight, and with 2000 h p who cares? It’s fine.

punkgoose17 > Corkscrew'd 07/17/2019 at 16:10

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The Ev ija is surprisingly small. They wasted no space for things like luggage. It seems very Lotus to me. Looking at the cost and their manufacturing capability it probably made the most sense for them to add a little bit of weight and up the power and battery capacity a lot, and therefore up the performance a lot. I am hoping they make a lot of money from these, so they can use it on thier lower priced cars.

Corkscrew'd > Discerning 07/17/2019 at 16:22

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Yeah, I’m leaning that way. I might be a little biased because I’m friends with a lot of people who own a Lotus. They have a quirkiness to them.

Corkscrew'd > BeaterGT 07/17/2019 at 16:23

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Corkscrew'd > way2blu does a rev update 07/17/2019 at 16:29

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I chuckled HARD.

I think it’s pretty impressive that the car is supposedly lighter than the Nio EP9. If the battery pack is the densest lightweight battery pack available right now, then that gives me a little hope that later Lotus cars would still strive for lightness.

Corkscrew'd > Discerning 07/17/2019 at 16:30

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Right!? I’d love to see something li ke that later on.

Corkscrew'd > Textured Soy Protein 07/17/2019 at 16:31

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That price tag isn’t lol

Corkscrew'd > punkgoose17 07/17/2019 at 16:35

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That’s what I think is likely going to happen. I was reading on Engadget that there’s hope that this h alo car would bring more attention to the brand and hope that the technology would trickle down to their other models.

I’d love to see the Evora replacement use a hybrid drivetrain or something.

Kailand09 > Corkscrew'd 07/17/2019 at 18:30

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Until I hear about handling, you can’t say for sure if it encapsulates the lotus mantra.

Assuming chassis tuning is spot on ( I think a safe assumption), then yes.

This is pretty much the lightest all electric car out there, and seems to maintain the simplistic nature of a lotus on the interior.

Much like Tommy Bahama sporting Corvette owners failing to get with the times on a rear mid engine Corvette , lotus fans must embrace the future. Especially one that is more likely to provide the company success than it has seen in recent memory.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Corkscrew'd 07/17/2019 at 18:32

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It’s a Lotus. It’s small , it’s expensive and (for an electric car) it’s lightweight.

Let’s face it - the carbon fibre tub chassis under that thing only weighs 128 kilograms.

And when it's all said and done they are only making 130 of them.

way2blu does a rev update > BeaterGT 07/17/2019 at 19:13

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I can’t speak for the original Forester XT, but I’ve driven the latest generation and it’s not a Bad Car, even with the CVT. Deserves a stick shift for sure but plenty of fun otherwise.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > way2blu does a rev update 07/18/2019 at 00:58

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That is a completely ridiculous comparison.

Not apples vs. oranges, that is apples vs. ball bearings.

Batteries weigh 10 times what fuel and a tank weighs, far overshadowing the electric drivetrain in leu of an engine and gearbox.

Compare any battery electric vehicle to an ICE vehicle in the same body type and size class, and the electric car will have hundreds, if not a thousand pounds more due to batteries.