Lotus Promises a Sharp Hybrid in 2014

Wednesday, 22 September 2010 14:00

Lotus Promises a Sharp Hybrid in 2014

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Lotus is rolling into the Paris auto show with a sharp new model called the Elite, a V8-powered touring car with a folding hard top and — get this — an optional hybrid powertrain.

Lotus has long been dabbling in green(er) motoring, building everything from engines that run on

almost anything to an eco-chic Elise made with sustainable materials. And it wowed us with the Evora 414E range-extended hybrid at the Geneva auto show in March. But so far all we’ve seen are cool concepts and wild ideas. The hybrid Elite is the real deal.

The 2+2 gets a 5.0-liter gasoline good for 612 horsepower and 531 pound feet of torque. Mighty appealing numbers, those, even in a car weighing 1,650 kilograms. They’re enough to propel the car from zero to 100 km/hr in 3.5 to 3.7 seconds. Top speed is a claimed 195 mph.

The hybrid adds an electric motor and a kinetic energy recovery system similar to what we’ve seen in Formula 1. No word yet on the hybrid’s specs or fuel economy or what it will do to the car’s performance, but Lotus will certainly have more to say in Paris.

Image: Lotus. More after the jump

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