British automaker Lotus is best known for their high-performance sports cars. A favourite among car enthusiasts, Lotus vehicles combine lightweight construction, eye-catching design and state-of-the-art engineering. Plus, they have a reputation for pure driving enjoyment. Fairly rare on Canadian roads, Lotus sports coupes and convertibles offer drivers exclusivity. Considering a Lotus? You may also be interested in sports cars from McLaren, Jaguar or Aston Martin.
Lotus history
The Lotus Engineering Company was established in 1952 as a racecar manufacturer. The company founder, Colin Chapman, first made a name for himself in the British racing world with a pair of modified Austin Seven cars: the 1948 Lotus Mark 1 and 1949 Lotus Mark II. The first Lotus production car, the Lotus Elite, debuted in 1957. Featuring a fibreglass body and frame, the lightweight coupe weighed in at only 1,705 lbs. Through the '60s and '70s, Lotus continued to build both their racing and production divisions with cars like the Lotus Elan and Lotus Esprit. When Chapman died in 1982, the company experienced a period of upheaval with ownership passing to GM in 1986, Bugatti in 1993 and then to Malaysian automaker Proton in 1996. In 2017, Lotus was acquired by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, which also owns Volvo and Smart.
Popular Lotus models
Produced from 2009 to 2021, the Lotus Evora is a sleek sports car equipped with a powerful Toyota engine. The 2021 Lotus Evora GT features a 416-horsepower supercharged V6 paired to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. It's available as a two-seater or four-seater. The optional backseat is fairly tight and may be best suited as extra cargo space. Comfort aside, the Lotus Evora GT receives rave reviews for its responsive handling and power. Looking for a convertible sports car? The fun-to-drive Lotus Elise is a diminutive two-seat roadster that offers rear-wheel drive, a lightweight aluminum frame and a minimalist interior.
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