New Lotus Elise 1.6 Club Racer Sheds 24 kg / 53 Pounds

True to its heritage, Lotus has unwrapped a new lighter version of its entry-level Elise 1.6 called the Club Racer. Even in stock form, the Elise is one of the lightest production sports cars in the market tipping the scales at just 876 kg or 1,931 pounds, but the company's engineers put the open top model on a crash diet and managed to shed a further 24 kg or 53 lbs. Lotus says the engineers

New Photo Gallery of Lotus' Future Sports Car Lineup

You may have to ask a second time for their name and you probably need to take more than a couple of looks to tell them apart, but that doesn't mean we're not impressed by the next generation of Lotus sports cars.

Unveiled for the first time as concept studies at the Paris Motor Show in October, with the North American debut taking place at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, the new Elise, Esprit, Elite, Elan are a wild bunch. And while we don't have anything new to add about the four sports coupes, Lotus has unleashed a beautiful photo gallery shot in Hollywood, which you can enjoy in high-resolution quality right after the jump.

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New Photo Gallery of Lotus' Future Sports Car Lineup

You may have to ask a second time for their name and you probably need to take more than a couple of looks to tell them apart, but that doesn't mean we're not impressed by the next generation of Lotus sports cars.

Unveiled for the first time as concept studies at the Paris Motor Show in October, with the North American debut taking place at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, the new Elise, Esprit, Elite, Elan are a wild bunch. And while we don't have anything new to add about the four sports coupes, Lotus has unleashed a beautiful photo gallery shot in Hollywood, which you can enjoy in high-resolution quality right after the jump.

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VIDEO: R&T Takes Hennessey's Venom GT Out on the Track

Remember Hennessey’s barnstorming, 1,200 hp (895 kW) Venom GT? Well its back and the journalistic titans at Road & Track have driven it. And there’s a video, to boot. Weighing in at a lithe 2,685 lbs (1,218 kg), the phenomenal Venom GT builds on Hennessey’s experience with tuning the Viper, 5th generation Camaro and various Cadillacs, among many others. It’s a simple formula, really. Big power + light weight = big fun.

Hennessey first takes a Lotus Elise, arguably one of the best mass produced, lightweight track cars ever made. They strip it down the chassis, lengthen it and rebuild it with a slippery, restyled body that offers the right mix of down force and engine cooling. Then they swap out the Elise’s 1.8 L turbocharged four-pot for a twin-turbo variant of Chevrolet’s 6.9 L LS9 V8, add carbon ceramic brakes and a KW adjustable suspension setup and et voila, the Hennessey Venom GT.

So what’s the verdict? Well, you’ll have to watch the video and make up your own mind. A small hint, but that’s all I’m giving away: the GT is capable of doing 135 mph (217 km/h) in 3rd gear. If that doesn’t make your automotive blood boil, then nothing will.

Hennessey intends to build just 29 of the cars over three years, with a price topping US$600,000 (€455,373). If this were any other car by any other tuner, I’d call that outrageous, but this is a Hennessey and the culmination of all their engineering knowhow. Believe the hype: there’s a new king and his name is Venom GT.

By Tristan Hankins

Via: R&T

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VIDEO: R&T Takes Hennessey's Venom GT Out on the Track

Remember Hennessey’s barnstorming, 1,200 hp (895 kW) Venom GT? Well its back and the journalistic titans at Road & Track have driven it. And there’s a video, to boot. Weighing in at a lithe 2,685 lbs (1,218 kg), the phenomenal Venom GT builds on Hennessey’s experience with tuning the Viper, 5th generation Camaro and various Cadillacs, among many others. It’s a simple formula, really. Big power + light weight = big fun.

Hennessey first takes a Lotus Elise, arguably one of the best mass produced, lightweight track cars ever made. They strip it down the chassis, lengthen it and rebuild it with a slippery, restyled body that offers the right mix of down force and engine cooling. Then they swap out the Elise’s 1.8 L turbocharged four-pot for a twin-turbo variant of Chevrolet’s 6.9 L LS9 V8, add carbon ceramic brakes and a KW adjustable suspension setup and et voila, the Hennessey Venom GT.

So what’s the verdict? Well, you’ll have to watch the video and make up your own mind. A small hint, but that’s all I’m giving away: the GT is capable of doing 135 mph (217 km/h) in 3rd gear. If that doesn’t make your automotive blood boil, then nothing will.

Hennessey intends to build just 29 of the cars over three years, with a price topping US$600,000 (€455,373). If this were any other car by any other tuner, I’d call that outrageous, but this is a Hennessey and the culmination of all their engineering knowhow. Believe the hype: there’s a new king and his name is Venom GT.

By Tristan Hankins

Via: R&T

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2015 Lotus Elise Wallpaper

2015 Lotus Elise Wallpaper

2015 Lotus Elise Wallpaper

2015 Lotus Elise Wallpaper

The 2011 Lotus Elise that was unveiled in Geneva earlier this year powered by Toyota’s new Valvematic engines will continue to soldier on until 2015 where it will be replaced with the above model – a new Elise that’s said to have ‘grown up’.

It’s certainly grown heavier – at the preliminary 1,095kg quoted curb weight that’s about 200kg heavier than the current Elise which weighs only about 900kg depending on trim level. The new Elise promises to be much more cosseting to its driver though – less awkward to get in and get out – the press release by Lotus specifically says no more acrobatics!

“The Elise you can buy now is still a fantastic car, make no mistake, Lotus remain very proud of it, but this is a natural progression for us moving forward. The Elise 2015 will also be class-leading in terms of performance and efficiency but it will do more than that it will take the Elise model to the forefront of its class across the board,” said Lotus CEO Dany Bahar.

To push around the extra weight, the Elise’s engine has grown to a 2.0 liter force inducted motor making 320 PS and 330Nm of torque. It will remain mid-engined and rear wheel driven like the current Elise, and the spec sheet even lists an optional Dual Clutch Transmission, taking the burden of shifting off the driver to help him focus more on the actual corners.

I think it would make sense if once this new Elise is launched, Lotus continued to offer the Elise in its current form as some kind of “Elise Classic” for those who really still want a machine minimum mobile.

Paris 2010 : 2015 Lotus Elise Concept Wallpaper


Paris 2010 : 2015 Lotus Elise Concept Wallpaper

2015 Lotus Elise Wallpaper

2015 Lotus Elise Wallpaper

2015 Lotus Elise Wallpaper

2015 Lotus Elise Wallpaper

The 2011 Lotus Elise that was unveiled in Geneva earlier this year powered by Toyota’s new Valvematic engines will continue to soldier on until 2015 where it will be replaced with the above model – a new Elise that’s said to have ‘grown up’.

It’s certainly grown heavier – at the preliminary 1,095kg quoted curb weight that’s about 200kg heavier than the current Elise which weighs only about 900kg depending on trim level. The new Elise promises to be much more cosseting to its driver though – less awkward to get in and get out – the press release by Lotus specifically says no more acrobatics!

“The Elise you can buy now is still a fantastic car, make no mistake, Lotus remain very proud of it, but this is a natural progression for us moving forward. The Elise 2015 will also be class-leading in terms of performance and efficiency but it will do more than that it will take the Elise model to the forefront of its class across the board,” said Lotus CEO Dany Bahar.

To push around the extra weight, the Elise’s engine has grown to a 2.0 liter force inducted motor making 320 PS and 330Nm of torque. It will remain mid-engined and rear wheel driven like the current Elise, and the spec sheet even lists an optional Dual Clutch Transmission, taking the burden of shifting off the driver to help him focus more on the actual corners.

I think it would make sense if once this new Elise is launched, Lotus continued to offer the Elise in its current form as some kind of “Elise Classic” for those who really still want a machine minimum mobile.

Paris 2010 : 2015 Lotus Elise Concept Wallpaper


Paris 2010 : 2015 Lotus Elise Concept Wallpaper