Lotus has been a little rocky lately and, with exception of the Evija, it hasn’t had a new model in quite some time. Back in mid-2019, we reported that a new sports car was coming for 2020, but as you know, that didn’t happen. Later that year, it was believed that Lotus was planning to revive the Elan name and that it would arrive by 2021 or later. Then in June of this year, we heard that Lotus was going to go all-electric by 2021, which kind of put a damper on previous news. As it turns out, though, a new Lotus sports car is coming for 2021, and it’s a bigger surprise than you might think.
Introducing the Lotus Type 131
A new report from Auto Express claims that the Lotus Type 131 will be rooted deep within the company’s roots and heritage, and it should be the model that kick’s off the brand’s range rejuvenation that starts in 2021. claims that the Lotus Type 131 will be rooted deep within the company’s roots and heritage, and it should be the model that kick’s off the brand’s range rejuvenation that starts in 2021.}} Of course, it won’t be known as the Type 131 publicly, as that name is owned by Fiat, but if rumors about the Elan name coming back are true, this could very well be the new Elan.
Lotus was pretty clear that it was hoping to go all-electric by 2021, a business move that would be solidified by the limited-edition and all-electric Evija. This new sports car, however, will be one exception as it will apparently forgo any form of electrification whatsoever. The report claims that it will be powered by nothing more than a gasoline-burning engine, however what size engine – as in four- or six-cylinders or displacement – as yet to be revealed.
If all of this is, in fact, true, then Lotus is planning to share some new information with us in the next few months, which makes sense if the car is expected to launch in 2021. Logic tells us that it will likely feature a turbocharged four-cylinder, but a supercharged engine is also on the table, albeit less likely. We really wouldn’t hold out hope for a naturally aspirated six-cylinder, but at this point, just about anything can happen. Word has it that the Type 131 will slot between the Exige and Evora, as opposed to replacing either. The later delivers as much as 416 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque while the former is capable of 370 horsepower and 302 pound-feet of torque. Pricing for the Exige comes in at $139,500 for 2020, while the Evora commands just $96,950 as of the time of this writing. So, we’re probably looking at a sports car with around 390 horsepower and sticker pricing in the $115,000 range.
Looking forward, not a lot is known about Lotus’ plans; however, there’s a lot of speculation that the brand is working on its first-ever SUV. This move makes a lot of sense; however, it has yet to be confirmed by the company. That model has yet to receive even an internal designation but could ride on a Geely-source platform like Volvo’s CMA architecture. Its emphasis will be on performance, and while a lot of people will complain, it’ll likely end up being the brand’s best-selling model. Given the popularity of SUVs and crossovers, I would suspect that the SUV will be relatively quick to follow the Type 131, whatever it’ll end up being called.