Life as a low-volume car manufacturer is a combustible cocktail of joy, anxiety, and murky futures.
You will find few better examples of this than Lotus, a British brand that exclusively makes track-focused sports cars.
New safety regulations, expired exemptions, and outdated airbags have pushed many of Lotus’ prized models out of the U.S. market recently, so the brand desperately needs momentum.
A new model might be just the ticket for that type of turnaround. The Norfolk-based automaker has announced that “an exciting new car” is headed for the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.
Lotus didn’t reveal any details about the vehicle, only saying, “The product will remain true to its core pillars of lightness, performance and driving purity by embodying all of them in a most desirable package.”
Industry rumors, however, point toward an Evora-based crossover.
As we reported in December, Lotus may lean on the profitable SUV market to boost company revenues, similar to how Porsche’s Cayenne helps finance the German brand’s low-volume models.
The manufacturer will reportedly build the crossover off the current Evora platform (shown), adding more ground clearance and beefier proportions to the coupe. Whether or not the powertrain layout or two-door layout will change is unknown, but the vehicle a celebration (and hopeful continuation) of the automaker’s short-term success. Lotus has posted a 54-percent increase in global sales over the first nine months of the financial year.
As far as the normal Evora is concerned, a refreshed 2016 version is expected grace exhibition halls in Geneva.
Wearing new safety updates, tweaked styling, and a lighter overall package, the Evora will again be available to purchase in the U.S. The current iteration weighs just over 3,000 pounds and offers two V6 options: a 3.5-liter, 276-horsepower unit and a supercharged, 345-hp version in Evora S guise.
The 2015 Geneva Motor Show commences on March 5th.
