Lotus Elite
Of all the cars Lotus unveiled (see our separate news piece for more), the Elite feels closest to production. It targets the Ferrari California market and, given that the Elite shares the same folding hard top format, one of the most impressive aspects of the design is the way it avoids the long deck lid, which so often creates a proportional imbalance in cars of this type.
However, it was telling that the only images Lotus showed of the car with its hard top folded were computer renderings and more than one member of the CDN team highlighted the lack of shutlines in the large rear screen. We'll reserve full judgment until we've seen the roof in action.
Overall, the Elite is a relatively generic sports car design. Its DRG is indistinct, although it does at least avoid overt aggression in the process of its move away from the traditional Lotus grille unlike the smaller Elan and Elise. One characteristic it is unfortunate enough to share is an execution that looks rushed.
For example the front fenders apex behind the front axle line, rather than directly above, before diving below the A-pillars, which contributes to an area where a number of surfaces twist into one another in uneasy (dis)harmony at the hood/fender/A-pillar intersection. Similarly, the diving shoulder line creates a strange highlight, which twists about its surface as it moves from the broad rear haunch into the door. The rocker treatment and lower light catcher don't help, creating an area behind the front wheel where the surface almost appears concave and weak.
Inside, the derivative nature continues; the centre console architecture is reminiscent of Audi's R8, while the Ferrari background of Lotus's new management is given away by Ferrari 458-style indicator switches on the steering wheel.
Not content with brown leather, suede-like Dinamica fabric, aluminum, carbon fiber and wood (in a Lotus!) there's a further material used in the seat centers, center console and around the binnacle. It features a repeat motif of the Lotus insignia and reminds us of the material used on certain ‘upmarket' handbags - yet like some of those products, it feels crassly nouveau riche.
Based on what was shown here, Lotus may be about to repeat some of the mistakes of its past, once again calling into question the future of the company.
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Of all the cars Lotus unveiled (see our separate news piece for more), the Elite feels closest to production. It targets the Ferrari California market and, given that the Elite shares the same folding hard top format, one of the most impressive aspects of the design is the way it avoids the long deck lid, which so often creates a proportional imbalance in cars of this type.
However, it was telling that the only images Lotus showed of the car with its hard top folded were computer renderings and more than one member of the CDN team highlighted the lack of shutlines in the large rear screen. We'll reserve full judgment until we've seen the roof in action.
Overall, the Elite is a relatively generic sports car design. Its DRG is indistinct, although it does at least avoid overt aggression in the process of its move away from the traditional Lotus grille unlike the smaller Elan and Elise. One characteristic it is unfortunate enough to share is an execution that looks rushed.
For example the front fenders apex behind the front axle line, rather than directly above, before diving below the A-pillars, which contributes to an area where a number of surfaces twist into one another in uneasy (dis)harmony at the hood/fender/A-pillar intersection. Similarly, the diving shoulder line creates a strange highlight, which twists about its surface as it moves from the broad rear haunch into the door. The rocker treatment and lower light catcher don't help, creating an area behind the front wheel where the surface almost appears concave and weak.
Inside, the derivative nature continues; the centre console architecture is reminiscent of Audi's R8, while the Ferrari background of Lotus's new management is given away by Ferrari 458-style indicator switches on the steering wheel.
Not content with brown leather, suede-like Dinamica fabric, aluminum, carbon fiber and wood (in a Lotus!) there's a further material used in the seat centers, center console and around the binnacle. It features a repeat motif of the Lotus insignia and reminds us of the material used on certain ‘upmarket' handbags - yet like some of those products, it feels crassly nouveau riche.
Based on what was shown here, Lotus may be about to repeat some of the mistakes of its past, once again calling into question the future of the company.
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