Lotus teases a new electric sports car with major Esprit vibes
We're still years away from this car reaching production, but Lotus wants to give us a taste of what's to come.
So far so good.
Lotus has a busy decade on deck and here's our first taste of a new sports car to come. Not just any sports car, but the firm's first electric sports car. The company on Friday issued a single image of the new car as it announced a memorandum of understanding with Britishvolt to develop next-generation EV technology.
We'll get to the company's new buddy in a moment, but first, let's talk about the sports car. If you're getting massive Esprit vibes, you're not alone. The teaser portrays a surprising wedge shape not unlike the Giugiaro-designed Esprit of the 1970s and 1980s. Hopefully, we're in for a modern take on this classic shape. If Lamborghini can do it with a new Countach, Lotus certainly can.
The new car is part of Lotus' pivot to become something of a British Porsche challenger while embracing battery-electric cars in the process. While the firm launches its final sports car with an internal-combustion engine, Emira, everything going forward will boast batteries and electric motors. Things kick into high gear this year with an electric SUV codenamed the Type 132, which marks an extreme departure from the cars Lotus is best known for building. Following the SUV will come an electric four-door coupe model in 2023 codenamed Type 133 before another electric SUV, the Type 134, arrives before 2025, the brand said in a business update last year.
Unless this sports car is something different entirely, this should be what Lotus codenamed the Type 135. It's slated for a 2026 introduction to give Lotus a swath of new cars before the company's 80th birthday in 2028. We can't forget the upcoming Evija supercar, either.
As for Lotus' new development friend, Britishvolt will work with the company to specifically create battery cells and other technologies for the sports car. Along the way, Lotus and Britishvolt also hope to advance fast charging technologies and work on making batteries lighter for sports car applications.
