Lotus plans its future: base hybrid models and sports cars in the old style

Lotus has unveiled its future plan in grand style, which includes the arrival of hybrid models exclusive to the entry-level variants and models with petrol engines only for the top-of-the-range versions, though with the brand’s ever-present philosophy. This is what Dany Bahar revealed, stating that this philosophy will be applied to all future Lotus models from 2012 onwards.

The above would also apply to the Lotus Esprit, which will make its debut next year at the Geneva show, with a significant reduction in weight, thanks to the removal of the electric motor and the use of lighter materials. In addition, the sports versions will not boast overly elaborate finishes or anything unnecessary, as they will be spartan versions with only the bare essentials but aimed at delivering good performance.

Regarding the Lotus Esprit, the brand’s next major launch, Dany Bahar also anticipated that there will be an R version, as well as an even more sporty version that will be positioned above it. The “hardcore” version would be called GT3, although this designation for now corresponds to an internal code name of the brand.

Among other things, the urban car Ethos has been confirmed, together with the Evora GTE and a series of improvements aimed at the future Elise, which would arrive around 2015.

Via | Piston Heads