Lotus Type 131 Series to Replace Elise, Exige, and Evora

An all-new Lotus, the Type 131 series, is confirmed. The with prototype production will commence this year at the Lotus facility in Hethel, Norfolk.

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This new manufacturing investment is part of Lotus’ Vision80 strategy, which bring together all Lotus sub-assembly facilities into one place in Norwich city, and will support higher volumes.

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ABOVE: Lotus type 131 Teaser and other Lotus Models

The £100-million-plus Hethel’s facility will provide jobs for 250 new employees in addition to the 670 Lotus people joining since September 2017. In 2017 Geely and Etika took ownership Lotus.

Lotus will hire for roles in engineering and manufacturing for both Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering, which opens its Advanced Technology Centre in Warwick later this year.

Lotus has released an teaser that hints at the new generation of products that will follow Elise, Exige and Evora, which are in their final year of production.

The Lotus Elise was unveiled in 1995, and revolutionised boutique sports car industry. It pioneered the use of extruded and bonded aluminium, and high-tech composites with its lightweight knowhow.

The came Exige, in 2000, which quickly became the epitome of the ‘race car for the road’.  The Exige had a rare ability to give the driver an involving experience on the road, while being a super-fast track car.

Evora followed in 2008, and returned Lotus to the super-sports car sector as an award-winning and versatile road car that was more driver-focused than its peers. Evora was successful in motorsport too, winning national GT championships including Le Mans.

Future Lotus cars are taking these lessons further by developing Lotus DNA, while keeping the focus ‘For The Drivers’.

Phil Popham, CEO, Lotus Cars, said: “This year will be hugely significant for Lotus with new facilities coming on stream, a new sports car entering production and new levels of efficiency and quality that only a new car design and factory can deliver. Despite the continuing global challenges, Lotus has emerged from 2020 strong and on track in the delivery of our Vision80 business plan.”

He added: “As our Vision80 strategy illustrates, Lotus is all about looking forward, and our future is full of continuous innovation. In 2021, however, we will be reflecting on the legacy of our current range, starting with the Elise, a sports car that genuinely revolutionised the automotive industry, not only because it is a legend-in-its-own-lifetime but also for its impact on car design and technology.”

Matt Windle, Lotus’ Executive Director, Engineering, said: “Our renowned team of engineers, designers and technicians who are working on the new cars are acutely aware of the legacy from the Elise, Exige and Evora.  Indeed, many were around when Elise was being developed. Members of our team, old and new, are now busy blending the learnings of the past with the innovations of today and tomorrow, to ensure our future cars truly move the game on but remain firmly committed to Lotus values.”

The Elise, Exige and Evora have contributed greatly to the Lotus business over the years, and by the time the last of these models leaves the assembly line, they will have sold a combined circa 55,000 units.

Lotus has created multiple automotive legends over the last 73 years, and with the Evija hypercar and new Type 131 sports car, a new dawn of innovation and legend-making is breaking over Hethel.