2010 Paris Preview Lotus unveils hybrid Elite

Another car added in the list of vehicles unveiled before their debut at 2010 Paris Motor Show is Lotus Elite. The hybrid car has a 2+2 seating arrangement and is equipped with monster 5.0 liter V8 engine producing a mammoth 620 PS and 720 Nm of torque, reminding us of Aston Martin’s DB9. The car is able to sprint from 0-100km/h in 3.5 to 3.7 seconds with its top speed locked at 315km/h.

Lotus’s elite is a hybrid car (optional) linked to a hybrid transmission comprising two electric motors and an epicyclic gearbox and is directly aimed at challenging Porsche, Ferrari and Aston Martin brigade with a price tag touching the £100,000-plus sector. The rear wheel drive weighs 1650kg and has a 215 g/km CO2 emissions level. If we compare these figures to DB9, they are 80kg and 40% less respectively.

Featuring a front mid mounted engine structure, Lotus Elite measures 4.60m in length (10cm less than DB9), 1.90m in width and 1.32m in height. The vehicle will feature Lotus’s own-design touch-screen for all major functions and is expected to be released in the spring of 2014. The hybrid vehicle will be made both as a fixed-head coupe and with a retractable hard-top. No word on whether there will be a full convertible or not.