Lotus Europa S: First Look

Motoring Channel Staff - 7/12/2005

Lotus has finally released images and info concerning its brand new vehicle after months of speculation about the up-and-coming sports car, showcasing its new vehicle at the most fashionable motor show in Europe - Geneva.

Originally expected to be a 2+2 coupe, the third vehicle in the Lotus range, alongside the Elise and Exige, is strictly a 2-seat proposition, and derives power from a General Motors/Opel powerplant.

Created to provide Lotus customers with a more practical vehicle than the cramped Elise-based models, the new Europa S will commence production in the UK in July 2006, and is expected to be priced at £33,000, which is about €49,000 or about $77,000 in Australian currency.

Lotus has revealed that it will sell the car in all markets it already has a foothold in, but that no plans have been made to sell the car in Canada or the United States of America.

As Lotus explains, the new Europa S is a grand tourer (GT) inspired 2-seater that will give Lotus customers more scope to drive in everyday conditions without compromising comfort, ride and interior space. This is a Lotus sports car built for touring and cruising, rather than the out-and-out track work that the Elise and Exige are best suited to.

Describing the Europa S, Russell Carr, chief of design for Lotus had this to say: "The form of a design should reflect the spirit of the car, and the Lotus Europa S is no different.

"Where the rebellious track-focused personality of the Exige is characterised by shrink-wrapped athletic forms communicating agility and power, the Europa S has a more fluid, understated language reflecting its more sophisticated persona," expounded Carr.

It's a longer Lotus than its entrenched siblings, and the styling is quite showy. Bulging front wheel flares and a gaping front air dam flanked by stylish fog light openings give the vehicle a touch of exotic flair, while the air intakes sculpted into the doors explain where the engine lives.

The rear end has a touch of American supercar brand Saleen to it (the horizontal strakes), and centrally mounted exhaust outlets give it a touch of individuality. The Editor thinks it sits too high off the ground to be a real Lotus, but this is partly an optical illusion due to the large wheels.

Tony Shute, who is the head of products development at Lotus Cars, explains the concept behind the new product: "The Lotus Europa S has allowed Lotus to exploit its extensive capabilities in developing a sophisticated GT car which successfully complements the range of existing cars.

"The 'Grand Tourer' concept underpinning the Europa S provides the driver with a refined environment, incorporating innovative styling features which do not compromise the superior performance and handling that is synonymous with the Lotus marque," said Shute.

The Europa S has been designed to be more user friendly, ergonomic and practical than the company's other vehicles, and is expected to boost sales significantly for the Proton-owned company. Lotus has been frequently using the catch-cry "Business Class" when describing the new Europa S. Yet it is a Lotus after all, so high levels of performance are essential.

Powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine supplied by Opel, Lotus has released predicted performance figures for the Europa S, which will hit the marketplace later in 2006:

0 to 96km/h (60mph): 5.5 seconds
0 to 160km/h (100mph): 14.0 seconds
Maximum speed: 225km/h (140mph)

Located behind the driver in the mid-mount position (like all good Lotus cars), the 2.0-litre engine generates 263Nm @ 4200rpm and 149kW (200hp) @ 5400rpm.

The forced induction nature of the engine means big torque from low revs - 90% @ 2000rpm - and the sports car performance figures appear more than believable when the car's weight is taken into account: it tips the scales at just 995kg. As a result of this low weight the Europa S has a phenomenal power to weight ratio of 201hp/tonne or 6.68kg/kW.

The introduction of a GT car represents both an important and unique addition to the Lotus product range, as Clive Dopson, the managing director of Lotus Cars, explains: "The launch of the Europa S reaffirms our position as an innovative player in the highly competitive sportscar marketplace. It allows Lotus to extend its product appeal beyond our traditional customer base, and provides yet another demonstration of the key Lotus brand attributes and high levels of quality for which we are particularly proud."

Lotus explains that when compared to the award winning Lotus Elise, the Europa S has a larger boot/luggage compartment and easier cabin access, resulting from lower chassis sides and a higher roof line. Coupled with luxuries such as full leather interior, driver and passenger airbags and carpets all as standard, the new Lotus is a more accommodating vehicle than its smaller brethren. Interestingly, the Europa S is not a derivative of the Elise or the Exige and has been allocated a separate Lotus type number of Type 121 - the Elise and Exige are both Type 111.

Lotus has gone on the record to say that production of the Lotus Europa S is scheduled to commence in July 2006 at the Lotus manufacturing facility at the Lotus Headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk, UK. It is also understood that the Europa S will be sold in all markets where the Lotus brand is present, except for the USA and Canada.

The Europa S will provide drivers with higher levels of practicality and refinement to complement the hard-edged focus of the Lotus Elise and Exige models and will be a key part of an evolving Lotus range in the future.