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New Lotus Eagle!


Guest RHDSupra203

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Guest RHDSupra203

I've always been a fan of the Elise from the first moment I saw it in GT3 on PS2. Being from the states it wasn't until few years ago they even brought the Elise as a production vehicle. My friend Eric that works for Has Motorsports as well as owning his own company 666 Fabrications he CUSTOM makes turbo manifolds for these Lotus Elise. I got to drive a boosted Elise at 6lbs and was blown away at the wholeshot.

Now news is Lotus is gearing up for its most important product launch since he Elise bowed 13 years ago at the 1995 Frankfurt show. Codenamed "Eagle" Lotus' new sports car will be unveiled at the London Motor Show in late July. It will feature a unique aluminum chassis with a bonded one-piece carbon-fiber roof including the "A" posts and cantrails - that has torsional rigidity of 26,000 Nm per degree. That's slightly more than a Lamborghini Gallardo!

Taking lessons from the Elise's aluminum chassis, the Eagle's version has lower-profile side members to ease ingress and exit from cabin and, although it uses the same materials and bonding process as the Elise, its modular structure means it can be stretched up to 2.4 inches wider than what's planned for the Eagle, with a wheel varying from 95 inches to 118 inches. This chassis will also form the basis of a future supercar challenger from Lotus.

Power for the Eagle is rumored to come from Toyota's Camry V-6 3.3L and 3.5L forms, producing 210 - 268 bhp, respectively, in standard tune. Howe ever, there could be as many as seven variants in the car's lifetime, including 2-seaters, 2+2s and convertibles. And with Lotus engineering's engine expertise, the Toyota engine is likely to be in for some innovative tuning and turbocharging to boost maximum power to at least 300 bhp.

At the Geneva auto show, Lotus displayed the Eagle's front section that sported aluminum wishbones (amazingly, the first for a production Lotus!), which are interchangeable from side to side at minimize cost.

The mid-engine sports car will boast traditional Lotus traits of light weight and nimble handling, but so far artists' impressions showing Lamborghini Gallardo-like styling are believed to be wide of the mark. Imagine instead a larger, more grown-up version of the Elise/Exige, though far more stylized then a Europe S from 2006.

So I am counting on all you brits here on MKivSupra.net on this, whoever is going to the London Auto Show needs to snap some pictures or get some info on this baby. If I wasn't in Iraq I’d be flying to London just to get a peek at this baby. :search:

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Guest RHDSupra203
It will probably die a death at the 11th hour like virtually every other Lotus product.

 

I've only seen one Europa on the road too.

 

Not likely this car is SET to be released on US & UK soil in 2010. :eyebrows:

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Guest RHDSupra203
Still a bit of work to do yet

 

:lol: noooo silly

here are some spy shots of the 2010 Lotus Eagle

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_510/car_photo_255429_25.jpg

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_510/car_photo_255423_25.jpg

http://images.cardomain.net/sites/cardomain/features/lotus-eagle/004.jpg

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They need to stop faffing around with yet more Elise derivitives and get on with the new Esprit already I reckon.

 

This bit made me laugh though:

 

And with Lotus engineering's engine expertise, the Toyota engine is likely to be in for some innovative tuning and turbocharging to boost maximum power to at least 300 bhp.

 

Their engine expertise? What expertise is that exactly, head gasket failure?

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Guest RHDSupra203
They need to stop faffing around with yet more Elise derivitives and get on with the new Esprit already I reckon.

 

This bit made me laugh though:

 

 

 

Their engine expertise? What expertise is that exactly, head gasket failure?

 

:goodpost: :banghead: :lol:

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Guest RHDSupra203
I'll reserve judgement until I see the "unwrapped" version, but it looks promising.

 

A picture of a "unwrapped" Lotus Eagle:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/2008/W17/042520082137108221.jpg

:thumbs: :drool: :eyebrows:

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Guest RHDSupra203
So, pray tell me, is this, without being rude, just a wider Elise, with a big heavy engine, iffy styling and easier access for portly Yanks?

 

It would seem to be that way, cheers! :p

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So, pray tell me, is this, without being rude, just a wider Elise, with a big heavy engine, iffy styling and easier access for portly Yanks?

 

It's not meant to be a proper race car, more a track-day car. I think it's about 730kg so similar to an S1 elise, which is not bad considering it's got a Toyota supercharged engine. Portly Yanks have to step over the sides as it has no doors :)

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