Lotus to unveil all-new sports car next year

British sports car manufacturer Lotus will introduce an all-new sports car in 2021. The car is yet to be named. Lotus currently has three models in its stable which comprise the Evora, Exige, and Elise.

Lotus regional director (Asia Pacific and China), David McIntyre, confirmed to the media about the new sports car. Lotus sold 1,519 cars globally in 2019 and McIntyre admitted that the company needs to boost its sales to become a profitable business.

McIntyre said that 1,519 is a very small number which doesn’t allow the company to attain the economies of scale, which is important to sustain as an independent business. The company, he said, will venture into new segments.

On whether there are plans to come up with a sports utility vehicle (SUV), McIntyre said that the new Lotus model will stick close to the company’s core aesthetics of sports cars. He, however, confirmed that the next Lotus sports car would be hauled by an internal combustion engine (ICE).

McIntyre said that they have to usher in new technologies to revive the brand. The all-electric Evija, introduced in July, shows the company’s intent in this regard. While Lotus has the infrastructure to manufacture a hypercar, it’s not going to deliver the volumes, he added.

There were earlier unconfirmed reports that Lotus may revive the Elan series as a two-seat convertible, positioned above the Elise. The latter, ironically, replaced the Elan in 1995. The all-new Elan is supposed to be built on a lightweight, new rivet-bonded alloy core platform.

The all-electric Lotus Evija, the 1,470kW hypercar which is priced around $3 million, is expected to be delivered to the first customers later this year. 

Also read: Lotus introduces 2020 Evora GT410