Lotus simplifies a concept that reduces the number of parts to the absolute minimum

It is always a pleasure to read what comes from Lotus Engineering, considering that today, it is one of the engineering divisions that is ahead of several brands. On this occasion they draw on all their experience with lightweight sports cars and present a concept that uses the smallest possible number of parts that make up the vehicle, precisely to achieve a lower weight.

And the fact is that current models of Lotus will not be as powerful as a Ferrari, but power and aerodynamics are not everything. Lotus has established itself as a sports car manufacturer by using a tactic that has always worked for it: developing cars with engines that are not very powerful in HP, but highly manoeuvrable and with low fuel consumption.

And this is where this concept comes into play, built from the Toyota Venza SUV: Lotus Engineering has shown that a car can be built lighter, using materials already known, and this can achieve a car that is cheaper to produce.

To do so, they have developed two prototypes that in theory would be unveiled in 2017 and 2020. In the first, the weight reduction achieved was 21% less weight, and its production would cost 2% less than a standard Venza. In the second, the weight reduction achieved was 38%, with an increase in cost of just 3%. The 2020 vehicle could be manufactured in the future, using materials that will be available in the near future.

And as proof, the numbers: the 2020 experimental model used 211 parts, compared with the current Venza, which has more than 400. Of those parts, the prototype used 37% aluminium, 30% magnesium, 21% various composites and 7% traditional materials. In the current Venza model, the use of traditional steel-derived materials reaches 100%. The conclusion is simple: lower weight, lower consumption and a manufacturing cost that is lower or equal. It is estimated that the 2020 model would reduce consumption by 23%.

Source | Autocar