Lotus Gets Charged Up
Getting a boost in the Lotus lineup is the superlight Elise sports car. Called the Elise SC, it is fitted with a supercharged version of the Toyota 1.8-liter engine, that was displayed for the first time.
A newly developed unit for the Elise, this isn’t simply a duplicate of the supercharged powerplant in the Exige. Much of the supercharger design is new, but the biggest difference is the lack of an intercooler, for which there was no space in the Elise’s small engine compartment. Despite that, at 220PS (217 hp), it’s only 20PS (19 hp) short of the Exige unit’s output, and can still get the 903-kg (1987 lbs) Elise to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. Thanks to that typical Lotus lightness, it’s also capable of 31 mpg.
Externally, the Elise SC is distinguished from standard Elises by its new trunk spoiler and unique alloy wheels. Other aspects of the car, such as the throttle response and suspension set-up are optimized to make the Elise SC more pleasant to drive on the open road.
But if what you really want is not a road car but a supreme track car, then Lotus has the answer in form of the 2-Eleven, which also makes its Japanese premiere. This no-frills racer is more demanding and rewarding for the track-day enthusiast. In this installation, the supercharged Toyota engine gets 252PS (248 hp) for a 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds.
Also on display was the Europa S LX, the Lotus for customers who need just a touch more practicality that the Elise, with its lunchbox-size luggage compartment, can manage.
A simplification of the option packages range, new instrument panels, and standard airbags are among other upgrades and revisions for the company’s 2008 model year range.
Meanwhile, for the more well-heeled client, Lotus plans to add an upscale supercar-class model as a successor to the temperamental but much lusted-after Esprit of the 1970s and 1980s. Expect to see it in around 12-18 months from now.
It was a case of déjà vu at the Alfa Romeo stand when the Italian company’s CEO, Antonio Baravalle introduced the black 8C Competizione that has toured the world’s auto shows.The presentation was identical to that delivered in Frankfurt a month or so ago, to the point that English speaking journalists were told to download a press pack from the Frankfurt show Web site.
However, there was one difference in that Baravalle made an interesting announcement about future developments that shows the company is changing strategy by entering two new model segments.
Saying the Competizione is the “source of inspiration” for future Alfa cars, he went on to outline five new models to be launched between now and 2010. The company is aiming to sell 300,000 units by 2010 through a strategy of new launches and opportunities for customers to personalize their cars.
In the second half of 2008 the company will launch a compact car, entering a totally new segment for Alfa. The car, said Baravalle, will offer a combination of “image and cutting-edge performance.”
In 2009 consumers will see two new models; the replacement for the 147 and a limited-edition Spider (convertible) version of the Competizione. The company will enter a further new segment in 2010 with the launch of a crossover vehicle that will be a mixture of SUV and Coupe. This will be followed by the launch of a new flagship 169 sports sedan offered with V6 diesel and gasoline engines.
The concept by designer Takanori Aoki was unveiled in a ceremony that would only make any sense to a Japanese national. The veiled sports car was serenaded by two excessively trendy musicians — one playing a violin and the other a selection of flutes to a heavy base background.
The marsh brown sports car beneath sneered out with a face that looks like it had been sucking lemons. It could have come straight off the set of the “Cars” movie — and we wouldn’t have been at all surprised if it had started talking.
If possible, the presentation became even more bizarre when Takanori came on stage to explain his concept. He was the splitting image of a thin Elvis, with wild gelled hair and a velvet black suit. His presentation delivery was equally unorthodox — short sentences shouted in a machine gun like staccato bursts with gaps of several minutes in between.We were unable to gleam a single fact about the car from the press release — but it did provide us with a lot of entertainment. Here are a few quotes from four pages that read exactly like this all the way through.
Car enthusiasts may have already known about the Nissan Skyline GT-R but its popularity really took off after starring in Sony’s Gran Turismo driving game in the late 1990s.With all-around excellent performance and all-wheel drive, it really was a Japanese muscle car. Many American sports car enthusiasts have lusted over the Skyline and wished it would come to the States. The wish has finally came true with the debut of the all-new GT-R in Tokyo.
Based on the crush of journalists that packed into the Nissan stand, it's not just America that's excited about the new GT-R.
But before the GT-R was driven on stage by Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn, a video was shown on the big screen for 7:38.54. This is how long it took to show footage of the new GT-R completing one lap of the famed Nürburgring circuit in Germany. This is slightly faster than the Porsche Carrera GT, placing the it squarely into supercar territory.
And the specs and stats further reinforce the new GT-R's supercar status. Under the long hood is a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine that was specially developed for the GT-R. With 480 horses on tap, this sleek sports car can reach 62 mph in just 3.6 seconds on its way to a top speed approaching 200 mph.
Teamed with the potent powerplant is a new paddle-shift twin-clutch 6-speed transmission. Similar to Audi's DSG, there is a separate clutch for gears 1,3,5 and 2,4,6, making shifts extremely quick.
Of course, all that power is no good if the car can't handle it. We haven't had a chance to take a test drive yet, but on paper, it appears the GT-R can handle its power just fine.
Power is sent to the pavement via what Nissan calls the "most advanced four-wheel drive system on a road car ever used." That's quite a claim, but the ATTESA E-TS system does constantly vary the torque from rear to front based on various sensors reporting speed, lateral and transverse acceleration, steering angles, tire slip and yaw rate. An additional sensor measures the difference between the target yaw rate calculated from the steering angle, the actual yaw rate detected by the yaw-rate sensor and G sensor.
The all-wheel-drive system also incorporates Nissan's Vehicle Dynamic Control to further stabilize the car's operation. And with any supercar, braking is almost as important as acceleration. Capable of stopping from 62 mph in just 121 feet (37 meters), the GT-R is shod with huge front and rear Brembo brakes with ventilated discs and six-piston calipers in front, four piston calipers in the rear.Three different suspension settings are available: R (high performance), Sports (the normal setting) and Comfort (for city driving to absorb road bumps).
As the car was driven onto the stage, the lineage from the GT-R Proto shown on the same stand two years ago was quite obvious. Looking unlike anything else on the road, the GT-R has both sharp edges and smooth curves with a wide stance and large fender flares. With a Cd of just 0.27, the GT-R is one of the most aerodynamic cars on the road.
On sale in Japan shortly, the GT-R comes to America next June, and the rest of the world shortly after that. Pricing outside of Japan has not yet been announced, but based on the price in Yen, the GT-R could likely be priced below $80,000. Not bad for a supercar.
The Lexus LF-Xh SUV concept takes the L-finesse design language with a powerful and dynamic exterior design, combined with an elegant interior and the latest hybrid technology for outstanding performance — both driving performance and environmental performance.
Powered a V6 gasoline engine and a high-output electric motor hybrid system with all-wheel drive, the LF-Xh provides what Lexus calls "a sophisticated fusion of superior environmental and power performance" to achieve quiet operation, high fuel efficiency and low emissions.
Earlier in 2007 the automaker launched the LS 600h and LS 600hL in Japan as the top of the line Lexus brand and shows the direction for future premium vehicles. With the LF-Xh, it offers a look at the future of other premium SUVs from Lexus.
With obvious ties to current Lexus SUVs, the L-finesse design gives the LF-Xh a very dramatic and aggressive look that is still elegant and refined. The shoulder line is high and combined with the long, sweeping roofline that leads to a narrow and long side glass. The C-pillar flows to the edge of the liftgate and the roofline ends with a spoiler above the steeply raked rear glass. The headlights and the taillights both add dramatic design elements and the upper edges of the grille flare into the headlights.
It's interesting to compare the design of the LF-Xh with the latest version of the LF-A, the two-seat sports car concept from Lexus that was also displayed in Tokyo. While the LF-Xh looks like an SUV, you see design elements from the LF-A sports car and recognize the LF-Xh as a different type of vehicle from the same family. Powered by a potent V10 engine, the LF-A promises a level of performance and driving excitement that has never been offered by Lexus.
The first Lexus "F" premium sports car is the IS F, launched for the Japanese market at the Tokyo Motor Show. A high-performance version of the IS series, the IS F is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 engine that produces 417 horsepower with an 8-speed Sport Direct Shift transmission.
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