Lotus is embarking on a product push, and one of the
resulting projects could be an all-new Elan. Citing company insiders, Autocar
is reporting the model could be launched in the “next few years” as a two-seat
roadster that would rival the Porsche 718 Boxster.
Little is known about the car, but it would
reportedly be positioned above the Elise. Given its mission of battling
Porsche, the Elan would likely be more comfortable, spacious and refined than
its smaller sibling. Despite being easier to live with than the spartan Elise, the Elan
would still be quite hardcore. Lotus is, reportedly, targeting the lowest
weight as well as the best driving dynamics in its class.
Unfortunately, the model is still several years off
– assuming it arrives at all. Like many of Lotus’ future vehicles, the Elan is
slated to ride on an all-new platform that is still under development. The
architecture is reportedly two years away from completion, but it’s rumored to
be lightweight, highly flexible and quicker to build. Besides the rumored Elan, the
platform could underpin an assortment of other vehicles including an all-new
Evora and Esprit, while a crossover and a new Elite or Europa are also on the
table.
Those models are still some way into the future,
though, so the British automaker will reportedly use the Evora’s platform for
its next sports car. The model is slated to be introduced late next year and be
a “driver-focused” car that features improved ergonomics as well as better
entry and egress. A lot of questions remain about Lotus’ future lineup, but the company
has already hinted they’ll be dropping the Toyota-sourced engines they’re
currently using. Last month, Volvo and Geely announced plans to merge their
engine operations and this new business unit will eventually supply engines to
Lotus as well as Geely, Proton, LEVC and Lynk & Co.
