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Lotus’ plan of reinventing its brand after years of mediocrity is looking less and less like wishful thinking after the company officially released initial details of their future hybrid supercar, the 2014 Elite. It’s been widely known that the British sports car maker is aggressively pushing to remake their entire portfolio to cater to a more upper echelon consumer base and if everything goes according to plan, the 2014 Elite should be the first of many aggressively designed sports cars the company is looking to introduce to the market. Word has it that the Elite will be powered by a 5.0-liter V8 engine that produces around 500-plus horsepower with a 0-60 mph time of around 3.5 seconds and a top speed of just under 200 mph at 196 mph. If these numbers are anywhere close to what the production version of the Elite will be capable of, then you can expect the supercar, with the aggressive backing of the company, to be a player in a market long dominated by the likes of Aston Martin, Audi and Porsche. Even the car’s expected price tag - £115,000 – is right up there with the Porsches of the world. As for the new – and aggressive – design of the car, the man behind it, designer Donato Coco, left no stones unturned in giving the Elite a more aggressive approach by adding some depth to the car’s front fascia. As somebody who noted the two-dimensional looks of prior Lotus vehicles, Coco’s design of the Elite is about as good as it can get for a brand looking to be edgier and more upscale that what its previous reputation suggests. Updated 10/13/2010: Lotus revealed today new images of the future Elite sports car. Check them out! Updated 12/22/2010: Lotus has revealed some new studio photos of the Elite. Check them out in the gallery! Press Release after the jump Press release Ten days ahead of the official unveil at the Paris Motor Show the sun starts to rise for the dawn of Lotus’ new era - the Elite will redefine “modern classic”. The ground-breaking new Elite is exactly that. It’s compact yet chic body is elegance incarnate. It’s not only exquisitely elegant, in keeping with Lotus’ core values, it’s a car of substance incorporating some of the very latest technological innovations Lotus has to offer. The slick retractable hard top version and the optional use of hybrid technology with KERS are typical examples of Lotus tailoring technology to deliver perfect performance.   Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus said: “There’s no denying that the Elite is breathtakingly beautiful to look at but it’s so much more than that, it’s a car that over delivers in all other aspects as well. One could say it’s a car of perfect contradictions, it’s compact yet spacious, high performing yet low emitting, lightweight yet still reassuringly solid. It’s a car that we are exceptionally proud of at Lotus and we truly believe that there is nothing else like it out there both in terms of styling and performance. 36 comments: Lotus Elite Sorry to say that I’m not really impressed with this Elite, but surely it can catch lots of attention, and it will stand out among the rest.
 This kind of car is really an eye catcher. To be honest, I barely see platform design like on Elite. I love also the metallic paint that they use.
 The platform of their project eagle and this elite is I think almost the same, especially with the front and the wheels, but still it is quite impressive for me.
 The two are almost the same, but the fact that they are both from Lotus. I think I would love those both as much as possible!  I bet everyone will get so excited about this one.
 It is a very attractive concept, just still not getting use to this is a Lotus yet. However, it is exciting to see the company can finally starches it wings.
 Yeah! However, I must say that Elite looks better than with Elise. The aggressiveness of its appearance is just enough on it unlike with Elise. Anyway, it’s a good thing as well that it has a powerful engine.
 This kind of car is really an eye catcher. To be honest, I barely see platform design like on Elite that’s why it is also kind of unique to me. I as well have to agree that its metallic paint already looks great on it.
 The platform of their project eagle and this elite is I think almost the same, especially with the front and the wheels, but still it is quite impressive for me. Good thing as well that it has an efficient engine that only suited for it.
 I love the angst on its front headlamps! Well, this Elite doesn’t need lots of style or detailing for it to be looked more fabulous because it is already the best on its official appearance.
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Posted on
01.5.2012 @ 23:58