AN ICONIC maker of sports car has unveiled a teaser image of their upcoming model – which will have a curious nameplate.
Lotus will unveil their new sporty motor next week and we can already tell it will boast an aggressive-looking rear spoiler.
5
Strangely, though, the new car will be called the Theory 1.
The brand’s marketing chief, Qiao Xinyu, made the announcement on Chinese social media last week and posted a close-up teaser image of the rear end and spoiler.
Autocar suggests that the car will likely not be put into production – but is instead merely a forward-thinking concept.
That’s because, with the exception of the track-focused 2-Eleven and 3-Eleven, Lotus have named all of their road cars words beginning with the letter ‘E’ – ever since the Elite was released in 1958.
That means if the Theory 1 was to be released as a road car, that would end some 65 years of tradition.
One possibility is that the Theory 1 will serve as a preview to the brand’s upcoming all-electric sports car known as the Type 135, their replacement for the Emira and the long-term successor to the much-loved Elise.
So far, little is known about the car that is set to go on sale in 2027 other than it could be priced from around £75,000.
Lotus recently hinted that this release date could even be pushed back until battery tech catches up with their ambitions for a smaller, lightweight EV in the same essence of the Elise.
The Elise is considered a modern classic by petrolheads in 2024, and is today one of the most desired second-hand sports cars money can buy.
Earlier this year, we asked expert James Russell to name the quintessential modern classic and he instantly picked the British icon.
He said: “For me, it’s the Lotus Elise S2 – it pops into my brain I think because they were so iconic in their era.
“And now they’re snowballing into excellence, I think they are so underappreciated, particularly if you want to get a decent 111S.”
Only a handful of top brands have released mass produced smaller-sized EV sports cars so far – including MG with their recent Cyberster and even Tesla with their 2011 Roadster.
Elsewhere, Honda recently revealed plans for sporty model with a nameplate they discontinued 23 years ago – with an elegant new look.
And a rarely seen motor that was once hugely popular in the UK can now be yours for a bargain price.
5
5
5