Report: More details on future Lotus plans and models surface

Lotus has come under fire over the past several years for a lack of direction and focus, but if Top Gear’s recent sit down with new CEO Jean Marc-Gales is an indication of things to come, there’s no need for skepticism.

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Unsurprisingly, the Elise, Exige, and Evora will form the basis of Lotus’ three-pronged attack for the foreseeable future, with many variants being introduced down the line, including an Evora Roadster. Gales also confirmed that the updated 3.5-liter supercharged V6 powering the new Evora 400 will find its way into other ranges, including the Exige and – this is the real exciting piece of news – a new 2-Eleven.

The original 2-Eleven had the same engine as the Exige S from a couple years back, but weighed just shy of 1,500 lbs. According to Gales, we’ll see that car’s successor within the next two years. With the addition of the Evora 400’s supercharged six under a targeted curb weight of 2,000 lbs., Lotus’ boss expects it to be fastest around the Nordschliefe; a bold claim indeed. But then perhaps the house-that-Chapman-built is allowed to make a bold claim every now and again, so long as it isn’t planning six new cars.

Gales, who previously spent careers at Volkswagen, Mercedes, and Peugeot, said what surprised him most when arriving at Lotus was “the lack of process.” Inexplicably, Norfolk didn’t even have a customer database when he stepped in, a glaring oversight that the CEO assures has since been corrected. Rather than trying to flip the market upside down, he seems intent on perfecting the fundamentals. So far, it’s paying dividends – Evora sales recently spiked by over 50 percent, Gales says, and the new 400 hasn’t even been seen in the flesh yet.

– By: Adam Ismail

Source: TopGear