Lotus unveils its Elite coupe

The Elite shows off Lotus' new face. Photo / Supplied

Lotus has unveiled its new go-fast Elite coupe almost three years before the car goes on sale, a move timed to allow its revitalised worldwide sales network to tune into the company's product-led expansion strategy.

Dany Bahar, CEO of the Malysian-owned British carmaker, is expected to announce details of the strategy and the new global distribution set-up at the Paris motor show next week.

It is part of plans to overhaul the entire company within the next five years. Lotus' entire sales network was told in July that current contracts will end in July 2012, after which dealers can apply for a new contract.

Lotus was apparently legally required to give its dealers two years' notice. The Lotus factory is officially represented in New Zealand and Australia by Sydney-based Lotus Cars and Proton Cars. Malaysian carmaker Proton owns Lotus.

Lotus Cars NZ is the unofficial distributor on this side of the Tasman. Director Roger Phillips says that whatever the new dealer regime, he will continue to support Lotus owners here.

Reports across the ditch say the distribution contract for Lotus in this part of the world ends in March. Lotus Cars and Proton Cars managing director John Startari wouldn't comment on the marque's future Downunder. But he told Australian reporters that the Elite was destined for worldwide markets.

"At this stage we're waiting for all to be revealed at the Paris show. Paris represents a new beginning for Lotus, which wouldn't release any new model if it wasn't destined for global markets."

The Elite is the first of an all-new Lotus sports car range and is aimed at the likes of Porsche, Aston Martin and Ferrari. Price in Britain is listed at £115,000 ($246,000).

It is 4600mm long (about 100mm shorter than the Aston Martin DB9), 1900mm wide and 1320mm high - and weighs 1650kg.

Bahar said the decision to build the bigger, heavier Elite - which flies in the face of Lotus founder Colin Chapman's lightweight, minimalist ethos - was difficult. But he pointed out that the front-engined 2+2 Elite will enter a market segment that accounted for around 20 per cent of Lotus production until 1996, when the Elise became the company's only model.

"In the past, the 2+2 market has been very successful for us, and now the Elite raises the benchmark higher still."

Elite resurrects the famous Lotus badge from the 1970s and, like its predecessor, is a four-seater, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive coupe.

But that's where the similarities end. The new model has a folding hard-top roof and gets its power from a boosted 5-litre V8 from engine partner Toyota.

It is understood to be based on the Lexus LS600hL but reworked to rev to 8500rpm. Two tune options will be available, both using a supercharger or turbocharger.

The "standard" car will deliver 402kW and a go-faster "R" version around 456kW and 720Nm. Lotus claims that the Elite will be able to sprint from zero to 100km/h in around 3.5 seconds and top out at 315km/h.

It will get a twin-clutch semi-automatic gearbox and hybrid drive, featuring electric motors and a front-mounted Formula One-style Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), which gives an extra 37kW via a "boost" button on the steering wheel.

Aluminium and carbon fibre, along with the firm's variable vehicle architecture chassis - complete with double-wishbone suspension - will feature. Together with hybrid technology, the company claims CO2 exhaust emissions of 215 grams per kilometre. The Elite shows off Lotus' new face, styled by chief designer Donato Coco and borrowing cues from the original Lotus Seven.