Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales recently confirmed the
company was working on two new sports cars and it appears we’ll learn a lot
more about them this summer.
Speaking with Auto News Europe, Gales said Geely has
approved the models and “We will tell you what they are in five months, but
both will come in 2020.” He went on to say they will be the first all-new
models since the company introduced the Evora in 2009.
Gales wouldn’t be drawn into specifics but he did
suggest the cars will set a benchmark in terms of “handling, aerodynamics and
lightweight.” That’s not much to go on but Gales has previously said one of the
models will replace an existing vehicle such as the Elise, Exige or Evora. A
new Elise is considered the most likely option and a 2020 launch was mooted in
the past.
The other model is a bit more mysterious but reports
have suggested it will be a track-focused car that will replace the 3-Eleven.
Besides the two new sports cars, Gales confirmed they are working on a
crossover but it won’t arrive for “about four years.” The executive said the
design hasn’t been finalized but he hinted it should be recognizable as a Lotus
even though the company “can’t use the same design language as a sports car.”
Gales went on to suggest the crossover will be about
the same size as either the Porsche Macan or Cayenne. He also noted the company
will use a “mix of new and proven Geely family modules and combine them to
create an aesthetically beautiful performance crossover.”
The executive suggested the crossover could be built
in two different locations and one of them will likely be in China as it “makes
the most sense” given the size of the market.
