Lotus has unveiled the Concept 1 electrical supercar idea, ushering in a brand new chapter of design, efficiency, and expertise for the storied sports activities automotive model.
Arguably, Lotus’ most iconic designs herald from the Seventies and 80s with their dramatic wedge shapes and angular styling. The Lotus Concept 1 seems to be to capitalize on these historic design attributes, arriving with loads of creases and onerous angles. The general form harkens again to the legendary Esprit S1 from 1977, one of many model’s most well-known designs, with an up to date model of its traditional wedge form.
The entrance of the Lotus Concept 1 contains a refinement of the face launched on the latest Eletre SUV with squinty headlights and a menacing entrance bumper design. The rear contains a simplified, extra linear tackle the themes offered within the Evija supercar with a full-width lightbar that includes the Lotus emblem within the center adorning the duck-tail rear design. Butterfly doorways that swing up and again make for a suitably fanciful ingress and egress.
Lotus’s efficiency philosophy has lengthy been to “simplify and add lightness.” That’s been a tough factor to do in an more and more EV/tech-focused world the place the load of batteries is one thing that have to be contented with. To this finish, Lotus has leaned closely into carbon fiber, with an all-carbon physique that helps the Concept 1 tip the scales at simply 3,520 lbs, gentle for an electrical supercar.
After all, all this lightness is meaningless with no severe powertrain, and the Lotus Concept 1 delivers with a dual-motor AWD system that makes a whopping 986 hp. This powertrain permits it to dash to 62 mph in simply 2.5 seconds and attain a 199 mph high velocity (sort of makes you surprise why they couldn’t push it to 200).
A 70 kWh battery pack delivers an estimated 250-mile vary, although, with all that energy, your real-world mileage could range. The Lotus Concept 1 contains a new steer-by-wire system with the power to regulate the steering really feel and ratio on the fly, which the corporate assures has been expertly tuned to ship as a lot pure steering really feel as attainable.
The Lotus Concept 1’s inside is maybe its most concept-car-like facet. A 3-seat configuration with a centrally mounted driver seat flanked by a passenger seat on both facet instantly conjures pictures of the McLaren F1. Like the outside, carbon fiber abounds, as does tech with a head-up show and screens on both pillar within the place of bodily facet mirrors. Elaborate-looking audio system embedded into the headrests of all three seats characteristic intricate 3D-printed covers.
Drivers may also discover a new system that options inflatable pods embedded within the cloth on the seats, door panels, and steering wheel with the power to offer the motive force with haptic suggestions. Lotus used the instance of the system tapping you on the shoulder when somebody is making an attempt to go you or presenting you with a disappearing cellphone button when getting a name. Once more, fairly wild stuff.
With the Lotus Concept 1 being very a lot an idea automotive, don’t count on to see it hit the street in its present kind any time quickly. As a substitute, this idea ought to function a preview of design parts that may finally make their method onto future Lotus fashions and appears to sign the model isn’t abandoning the 2 door sports activities automotive market that earned them their identify, to start with. Solely time will inform.