Motorsport - MotoGP in 2011 & The Need For Change

MotoGP in 2011 & The Need For Change

I got into motorbikes several years ago, and being an avid motorsport fan, inevitably I take an interest in bike racing. My motorsport interests start with Formula 1, for several reasons.

Firstly, as a form of prototype racing it’s considered the pinnacle of four wheel racing. And secondly, it’s by far the most accessible form of racing available.

MotoGP occupies a similar position within motorcycle racing. The bikes are absolute prototypes, bearing little resemblance to the bikes road users buy. As with Formula 1, the races are broadcast by terrestrial channels, making them convenient for viewers.

And like Formula 1, MotoGP has flaws. Prototype racing is notoriously expensive to enter and develop for, the machines has so little resemblance to road going or even homologated racing machines that every part has to be developed from scratch.

This is where the first problem arrises for MotoGP.

Casey Stoner's 2011 Honda RC212V

With a reported cost of around $46 million for a two bike team, with the bikes alone costing up to around $5 million, the rewards for the company competing have to be well worth the effort. And unfortunately it just isn’t. MotoGP just doesn’t have the financial rewards to make it worth developing for. The sign of this is the lack of privateer development in the sport.

MotoGP has a total of four bikes: The Honda RC212V, Yamaha YZR-M1, Ducati GP12 and the Suzuki GSV-R and the entire grid is made up of just 17 riders and 9 teams, four of which are factory teams.

Formula 1 on the other hand has 12 different cars, developed by 12 different teams, made up of a mix of house-hold names and self-sustaining privateers and 24 drivers.

The ‘satellite teams’ exist purely to race in MotoGP, there is none of the engineering development work that Formula 1 teams like Williams F1 and engine developers Cosworth are involved in. It means that MotoGP relies on MotoGP to bring in new money, new personnel and as it’s status as the premier form of motorcycle racing is eaten up by the advancement toward prototype racing by World Superbikes, MotoGP is struggling more and more to stay alive.

However, this is not really a problem. Prototype racing has been around as long as the respective machines have existed, Formula 1 has been a constructors championship since 1958! Indeed, Formula 1 teams enjoyed record pay outs in 2010, with the 12 teams earning a share of $685 million, the sport certainly isn’t lacking financial worth. And that’s due to being a sport that's pulling in viewers and fans. If the racing is exciting enough, people will go to watch it, buy the merchandise and pay to be involved in the sport.

And there lies MotoGP’s potentially fatal problem. The racing is not exciting.

Races generally start well, places juggling, some frankly brilliant and extremely brave overtaking manoeuvres being made for the first four or five laps, but then everything settles down and the race is more or less over aside from crashes.

This means the viewer experience is reduced to a background watch; the viewer doesn’t need to give the race their full attention, which in turn reduces the interest in it. The BBC coverage currently only covers a few minutes prior to race, the race itself and then the podium presentation. This meant the coverage of the Spanish GP at Catalunya was around 90 minutes long. Total.

In contrast the Formula 1 coverage of the Canadian GP ran for five hours and even switched channels, running from 5pm till gone 10pm, taking the full prime time slot for Sunday.

But why is this? What is it that Formula 1 is doing that MotoGP isn’t? To work that out you simply have to look back just a few years into Formula 1’s past. Prior to the introduction of the 2.4 litre V8 engines in 2006, the engines were 950 bhp V10’s. The power and performance these engines made the cars essentially undriveable. This meant the cars needed traction control and driver aids in order for the drivers simply to get the cars around a track without crashing at every corner, and in turn, the cars were equalled out and the demand on driver skill diminished.

Formula 1 needed to make changes. Viewer interest was falling, sponsors were concerned over the amount of money they were being asked to invest and manufacturers were debating whether the sport was worth competing in. Sounding familiar MotoGP fans?

The sport took drastic action, dumping the massive V10’s, much to the sadness and in some cases anger from fans, in favour of the smaller V8, cutting nearly 25% of the power, with the 2006 Williams developed just 740 bhp. As well this, in 2008, Traction Control was banned and a standardised ECU was created.

Formula 1 hasn’t been afraid to adopt changes and major shake-ups to increase the competitiveness of the cars. The speed and number of changes being pushed through are a subject of debate among fans, but the changes do have noticeable positive effects on the quality of racing.

The rest is mere history, the racing has generally got more and more exciting. The pinnacle of this advance is the fact that the 2011 Turkish Grand Prix set a new record for the number of overtakes in a single race. The sport has a healthy smattering of privateers competing along with big name manufacturers. Indeed, the current Constructers Champion is a privateer team, funded to a large extent by the Red Bull drinks company.

So what does MotoGP do? Well it currently has the problems Formula 1 had back in 2006, the engines are far too powerful and the bikes are almost impossible to control without substantial rider aids such as Traction Control and wheel spin detection. This is due to the bikes having a 240 bhp engine from an 800cc four cylinder engine.

That sounds pathetic compared to the 950 and 740 bhp figures Formula 1 sports, but then the cars must not weigh less than 640 kg, compared to the 150kg for a bike with a four cylinder engine.

Formula 1 realised being the most powerful racing cars did not make them the best, and now you get road going hyper cars which have much more than a Formula 1 car. MotoGP has yet to realise this, take the 1000cc road going sports bikes, with the most powerful of which, the 2011 Kawasaki ZX10R weighs in with around 197 bhp. That’s 40 bhp less while weighing a massive 50kg more! And this is  taking the most powerful 1000cc sportsbike, which are designed to be excellent track bikes themselves!

And if you compare with a road car... The 2005 VW Golf GTi, not a slow car and conveniently also with 197 bhp, but needs a 2000cc turbo charged engine to get it. With this much power and performance on tap, the bikes try to wheelie almost every time the rider goes near the throttle.

This brings up another, this time unique, problem for MotoGP in that the racing is so much more dangerous. Formula 1 has been on a totally purposeful drive towards complete safety, with the last death in the sport being Aryton Senna back in 1994. MotoGP on the other hand suffered it’s last death in 2003.

So what should MotoGP do? Well to start with, they need to make the bikes usable without too many rider aids. This means the rider has to be able to control wheel spin and the front wheel lift, in the exact same way a Formula 1 driver able control the wheel spin and over steer. The problem is that the manufacturers always find ways of keeping the power right up.

So the solution for MotoGP is to force the teams. This process is already in place, by forcing the teams to use just six engines per rider each season, so why no take this further. In fact, why not aid development of litre-class engines that kick out 197 bhp for example and still demand that a rider uses no more than six per season. Prototype racing should contribute to their respective road vehicles by creating new solutions.

Formula 1 has brought in a vast list of things that are great fuel saving measures; moveable/adjustable aerodynamics and a brake energy harvesting system used to supplement the engine for example are the main rule changes for the 2011 season, and what systems are being implemented on more and more road cars... So if MotoGP contributes to motorcycling in general, then it’s net worth increases and that will bring viewers and investors back to the sport.

The issue for motorcycles at the moment is that the relentless pursuit of power and performance has meant fuel economy has stagnated and a £10k car is often far more efficient than a £10k motorbike, negating the point of having a motorbike for a lot of riders.

So if the FIM (International Motorcycling Federation) demanded in the rules that the 1000cc engines that MotoGP will be using from the 2012 onwards had no more than 200 bhp, a rider used no more than six, or even less, per season and the bikes had to achieve a minimum season average fuel economy of say 45 miles per gallon, with the bikes still needing to touch 180/190 mph and adjusted the maximum allowed size of the fuel tanks to ensure this, the bikes would be far more controllable and useable for the poor sod who climbs on the thing and forces the manufacturers who produce the engines for racing and road going bikes to make ones that are capable of returning decent fuel economy, this mindset of fast AND efficient motorcycles will quickly filter down to the average rider, improving the whole of motorcycling, from the must humble 125cc scooters to the mind-numbingly fast sports bikes. And all of this will because the manufacturers were racing in MotoGP.

It’s not all bad news for MotoGP. The riders are undisputedly the best group of individuals to take to two wheels on a track, it’s not hard to appreciate the amount of skill involved in controlling 240bhp worth of motorcycle and achieving lean angles of 60⁰ requires not just jaw-dropping levels of skill but also an incredible amount of bravery as well. And with a strong collection of supremely talented rookies and young riders keeping the experienced old hands honest, MotoGP could have a very bright future indeed.

And while I’m well aware this isn’t easy, or cheap and it does shake up not only MotoGP, but the attitudes of sports bikes to the very core. The idea of reducing power for greater improvements in fuel economy would be considered obscene by the people who buy these bikes, but with the average age of the UK biker rising all the time and interest in MotoGP falling, it seems motorcycling is actually dying out before our eyes.

And if Formula 1 could transform itself from a massively expensive, scandal-filled collection of boring, processional races into the glittering, bright star of gloriously entertaining competition with the ability to recognise the need to contribute new technologies and financial responsibility, surely MotoGP can too, and give motorcycling a reason to keep the champagne flowing?

MD

Review - Nissan Almera 1.5 E

Nissan Almera 1.5E

  

Nissan sports cars hold an enviable reputation for awesome performance, fantastic handling and a tuning ability that rivals any manufacturer. Their more conventional cars, such as the Almera, do not hold such a reputation. In fact much the opposite.

However, they do share the reputation for reliability and build quality on which Nissan also prides itself and this mentality is at the centre of cars like the Almera.

This, the second generation of Almera bares the code ‘N16’, following the ‘N15’ Mk I Almera. It also came with a whole new generation of engines, including a 2.2l and 1.5l Diesel, borrowed from Renault, and a 1.8l petrol and the 1.5l petrol featured here.

The car was based on Nissan’s MS-Platform, which was co-developed with Renault and also underpinned the Mondeo-sized Primera saloon and Almera Tino MPV.

The range of the Almera featured a large array of trim levels with Air Conditioning available in all trim levels except the ‘E’ base trim level, which we are featuring in this review. However, back in 2000, the base car; the 1.5 l ‘E’ model was available for just £9,269.

The engine in our car is the QG15DE engine was new and used Aluminium for the cylinder block as well as the cylinder head. Originally, the engine used a mechanically operated throttle, although this was updated to use an electronic, fly-by-wire throttle. Despite this older throttle control system, the engine is very modern in design. As well as an all-Aluminium construction, it also features variable valve timing, as well as direct injection, a system currently being implemented by many manufacturers in 2011, as it’s seen as a necessity to improve engine efficiencies.

The engine we have is a 1497cc, 16v DOHC, four cylinder engine originally developed 88bhp at 5,600 rpm and 94 lb/ft at 2,800 rpm, however the engine update, increased power to 98 bhp at an improved 4,400 rpm and 105 lb/ft of torque at 6,000 rpm. This is the engine in our test car here.

These figures allowed the 1265kg Almera to reach 62mph in 13.8 seconds and can reach a top speed of 107mph, putting the 10 year old Almera on par with the £10,000 1.2l small car that is standard fare in 2011. Despite these ordinary figures, the 1.5l engine pulls well, with the VVTi system giving the engine a decently flat torque curve, and making the engine feel far more muscular than it is. Both engines are good, but the more powerful revision definitely the better choice.

As we’ve mentioned before, a sign of a low tuned, but refined engine is a high torque to power ratio, and in the case of the Almera, with more torque than power, the engine is very refined, with a good throttle response, even on the old, mechanically throttle controlled engine.

Looks wise, the Mk II Almera is quite a decent looking car, even our Bottom-Feeder gets the same body kit as the top model. The flat hatchback and the three doors make the bonnet seem longer than it is, while the wrap around headlights make the front look pointed. The lower air dam looks like a proper sports car splitter, although serves no performance purpose, and the fog light positions are well designed into the bumper.

The rear bumper is less interesting, but the whole rear end is well designed, the light clusters fit well with the shape of boot lid and the trapezoid shape of the hatch window combining to give the car a wide, low appearance as well as good visibility. The only real let down is the steel wheels, with alloy wheels only available from the ‘Hurricane’ trim level, 4 above the base ‘E’ trim. This car is the epitome of our declaration that every five door car looks so much better as a three door.

On the handling front the Almera is inoffensive and competent, a typical characteristic for a car like this. It uses MacPherson struts at the rear and Multi-Link independent rear suspension, and with the 2003 facelift, Nissan revised the damper settings and spring rates to improve the handling at the limit while maintaining the refinement level at normal speeds.

As you might expect for a car with a Multi-Link, rather than Torsion Beam, rear suspension set-up, the Almera is surprisingly agile. Like the engine, what seems an ordinary and uninspiring set-up is actually rather good. We discovered this same thing with the Micra road test as well, and many of its characteristics are present in the Almera.

The power steering system does have a numbness that afflicts electrically assisted units, but is reasonably direct and the car does go where you point it, giving a feeling of agility, accuracy and confidence inspiring. While it is far from being a class leader, even when it was new, it at least offers enough competence to allow it to be competitive with new cars. The ride is good too, although high frequency bumps do unsettle the ride to a fair extent, but for the most part it remains smooth and competent.

There is a degree of engine noise that penetrates the cabin, but the engine note is smooth enough that it provides information rather than irritation. The same can be said of wind noise, which again penetrates the cabin to a level that is no worse than a minor annoyance at worst.

The interior is the area where the Almera let’s itself down. That said, the car was released 10 years ago, with even the face lifted models now up to seven years old, and it isn’t the build quality that’s a problem, it is the design of the interior that is shabby.

While the materials are the traditional, ugly, hard grey/black plastics, they aren’t flimsy or of a poor quality, something that is reassuring, even on our 51-Plate car that is now nine years old, implying that the interior will survive as long as the mechanicals of the car.

The dash is clear and concise, with the Speedo the largest dial in the centre, the rev counter to the left and the fuel & temperature gauges to the right with warning lights and trip computer below them. Sat-Nav equipped, high end models get a different, far better looking dash than the lower models.

The steering wheel is a fairly large but inoffensive item, comfortable to grip and hold but mostly only for ordinary driving. The centre console is the let down here, showing the age of its design, however it is a decently laid out arrangement, with the Nissan customary storage bin at the top of the centre console, replaced in top-end models with the LCD display for the Sat-Nav, with the unbranded radio-cassette unit and heating/ventilation controls just above a small cubby hole and 12V supply.

The front seats are fairly comfortable, with no outstanding areas of support. They’ll provide plenty enough support for the average journey but are not made for high performance driving. There is a good amount of adjustment on both the seats and the steering wheel and the controls for seat adjustment are easy to get hold of.

The pedals are reasonably well placed, mainly for comfort and the clutch is light and predictable making it good for traffic use. The gear stick has a fairly long throw on it and the occasional missed gear will result if you’re going for fast changes.

The rear is somewhere that might draw complaint as the seats are only one step up from a slightly contoured bench and can cause a fair amount of discomfort if used for long periods. Leg room can also be a problem if the people in the front & rear seats are six footers, but for the most part, the Almera is a decent sized car for passengers. The doors are enlarged over the five door variant and while getting in and out of the rear is more of a chore, it is perfectly acceptable and far from being the worst three door variant ever created.

The boot doesn’t suffer either, able to contain 355 litres of luggage, making it slightly larger than an equivalent age Focus and not a huge amount smaller than a similarly aged Astra. There are some fairly sizable wheel arch intrusions, but the boot lip obscures them to some extent and cargo nets are available which allow the boot space to be maximised. The seats also split fold 60:40 though not fully flat.

On the kit front, our car really shows its status as the Bottom Feeder of the range, with no Air-Con or alloy wheels available, not even as a cost option. Paint options were the only real choice you had to make, with ABS listed as optional, it was worth spec-ing if just to help second hand values.

The standard kit includes power steering, electric windows, 4 or 6 speaker system, radio/cassette which was upgraded to a single CD-Changer in 2002, steering wheel audio controls, a second 12V socket for the rear passengers, a single driver airbag, remote central locking and a full size spare wheel. If you want Air-Con, as we mentioned, that’s the next spec level up.

As you might guess, for a car that was under £10k a decade ago, the Almera ‘E’ can be picked up for a pittance today. However there aren’t as many around as you might expect, for the 2003 face-lift, the ‘E’ trim was dropped from the range, making Air-Con a standard fitment for the entire range, however a high mileage or poorer condition example can be had for under £1,000 or even lower than £900, although as you can imagine these are risky propositions.

A 2002 registration year example with low mileage will cost no more than £3,000, likely to be just short of that, these will have the electronic throttle control and power increase while 2000 & most 2001 models with have the 88 bhp, mechanical throttle engine. Both engines will get the job done but as ever with cars of this age, get the most expensive you can afford.

The running costs won’t be a total deal breaker either. As you probably realise, this engine isn’t as efficient as the £10k car of today, however it is still capable of 42 mpg on the Combined cycle, a testament to the innovative engine tech that Nissan used and which is impressive when you consider the age.

Emissions are where the Almera really can’t match new cars. The 158 g/km of CO2 place the Almera in Tax Band G, so will cost you £165/year for your tax disc, a surprisingly high cost that could offset the low purchase price and is the price that often has to paid for a cheap second hand car.

Insurance is also respectable and comparable, with the Almera rated to just Insurance Group 4E via the old system, Insurance Group 14 via the revised system. This makes it slightly more expensive than little £10k city cars, but the Almera is a much larger car than those.

Conclusion

As with the Micra we tested a few months ago, the Almera 1.5 E does surprise a huge amount. What looks on the surface to be a poorly equipped, decade old take on the out-dated hatchback is actually a surprisingly competent car, a long way from the rubbish than many car makers still offer today.

It’s a car that is highly likeable but lacking in any standout attributes that a congested market demands, and Nissan has moved away from the traditional hatchback after dropping the Almera in 2006. However it means that this decent car can be had for very little money with little extra expense on running costs.

The three door is also a fairly good looking car. And for a car that can be had for a Grand, you could do much, much worse, even if you bought something brand new. Ok the interior is a dull place to look at but at least it’s been built properly.

It boils down to two points. Firstly, for a ten year old design, the engine and shape can still stand up to scrutiny, and secondly, it’s a Nissan, and like many Nissan cars, if you just need a reliable car that can get from A to B without fuss, the Almera is worth a good look at.

 Nissan Almera 1.5 E

Engine:  1497cc DOHC 16v In‐Line 4
Power: 88bhp @ 4,400rpm
Torque: 94 lb/ft @ 2,800 rpm
0-62mph: 13.8 Seconds
Top Speed: 107 mph
Fuel Economy: 42 mpg Combined




MD

Motors- 2011 Geneva Motor Show

The 2011 Geneva motor-show is in full swing and there is plenty of concepty tat that most people who have an interest in actual cars will have little or no interest in what-so-ever. My favorite example from Day 1 is Smart, who have produced this, the Smart Forspeed, which looks like the Smart Crossblade, but is however an electric car. Nothing wrong with that is there? You ask, and the answer is ‘No’ if I’m honest. However, what does irritate me/make me laugh, depending on my mood.

It’s not that it has a top speed of 75 mph from it’s 40 bhp worth of electric motor, or that it has no roof, or even that it follows the trend of using a smartphone or tablet instead of dials or a centre console.

No, what ticks me off about the Forspeed is that they’ve gone to the trouble and expense to create this car but, according to the head of Smart, Dr Annette Winkler, the Forspeed will never make production and it’s simply a brain-storming session for bits that might be included in future Smart cars. Maybe. One Day.

So, I’m going to ignore total show car rubbish that will have no bearing what so ever on your actual purchasing habits in the near future. However, I thought I’d bring you a few models that will, at some point make production or evolve into something that we will be looking at in show-rooms in the near future. As the show goes along, this will become a useful idea of what you may buy from 2012 and onwards.

 

Firstly, I’m going to start with Toyota. Now to be clear, I despise the Prius, especially the Mk I, which was just a blatant lie when it came to it’s relative economy, which would be no better than a diesel Polo anyway.

However they are showing the next generation of Yaris, starting with the Yaris Hybrid, which will use the same basic underpinnings as the Prius, but with either a 1.3 or 1.5 litre petrol engine glued to the electric motor. For those of you who don’t know, ‘HSD’ means ‘Hybrid Synergy Drive’, Toyota’s way of saying ‘It’s a Hybrid’.

Now, this is a concept car, however we know this is a preview of the looks for the next-gen Yaris, a car built in Europe, more specifically France, for the European market. I have to say, I’ve always thought the Yaris was a nice looking car, and this would be a nice evolution, adapting the Prius face nicely and creating a car that is less cute.

The lack of mad bumps and bulges is a good hint that this is a preview car rather than a concept, although, admittedly ignoring the wing mirrors that are cameras, not actual mirrors.

The rear diffuser will be designed to aid aerodynamics which improve fuel economy and the sensibly sized and positioned lights give us a good idea of what the next Yaris, due in the second half of 2012, will look like.

Personally, it’s a bit of a looker, certainly able to challenge the Fiesta on that front. To drive? Well history is not on the Yaris’ side but expect it to be an improvement over the current model.

Sticking with Toyota for a moment, we find this. No it’s not a new bat-mobile, but in fact, a car I have previously declared might never reach production: The FT-86. Well, the FT-86 II.

The FT-86 II is a car for Toyota to show us what they’ve spent three years doing since they first promised us a real sports car. Since Tokyo 2009, it’s been delayed and delayed for a myriad of reasons.

The main differences between the FT-86 and this car, apart for the mad body kit, is the much raised bonnet level, which would have failed pedestrian safety tests, despite this being a corner-stone feature of the Boxer engined car. Toyota claim this is “the clearest indication yet as to the final design of Toyota’s next sports car” although I’m still yet to be convinced it’ll ever make production.

In truth, this car is here to try re-stir the interest that originally surrounded the FT-86, however if it does reach production, 2013 at the earliest, this is probably what it will look like.

From Toyota, I thought I might stay ‘grey’ and talk about the VW Group. Starting with Skoda. Now this car, I admit, is pure show car, with one very significant exception; this is not a show off of new tech, or the engineers wet-dream, but what Skoda’s will look like in 2012.

 

The car, called the ‘Skoda Vision D’ is an Octavia-sized hatchback and evolves the current design language, borrowing a few ideas from VW such as the narrower headlights but retaining the Skoda grill. The car also shows a greater distinction for the rear quarter of the car, a statement that Skoda wants it’s cars to be more recognisable from all angles

It also previews the revised badge, which will start to phase in along with the new front end from next year. It is pretty much what we’re used to, but with greater visibility, chrome treatment and stronger colours, the Vision D is a statement that Skoda is no longer afraid of it’s cars being recognised as a Skoda.

In all honesty, I think this design gives Skoda closer links to the current VW front end design, which would reinforce the sub-VW positioning of Skoda, a placement that has seen Skoda break it’s new car sales record two years running thanks to the massive leaps in quality without the leaps in price, proving sub-brands do work.

Like with the Yaris HSD, I think the Vision D looks a sensibly designed car, the reduction of the rear overhang creates a much larger interior without sacrificing boot space, and the rear light clusters look like they came off a current Fabia. I wouldn’t be too surprised if the next Octavia was an evolution of this car when it comes along.

VW itself has something of a blast from the past for us this year, by reintroducing the Golf Cabriolet. It is exactly what it sounds like; a Golf that has had the roof cut off and replaced with a folding canvas roof. For all you CC-nut cases out there, this will never be a hard-top convertible, as this is designed to compliment the Eos, essentially a Golf CC.

Many of you will be uninterested in this car, but for VW fans, the wait for a new Golf Cabro stretches back to 2002 when the Mk III died with no successor.

Design wise, it’s a Mk VI Golf, with the GTi LED tail lights and a distinctive chrome strip that runs along the shoulder line right around the car, a nice touch.

A claimed 9.5 second retraction time is also handy, with VW also claiming that the car offers 250 litres of boot space with the roof down. There will be a single trim level, with ‘packs’ of options available, an idea obviously borrowed from MINI.

Engine wise the Golf Cabriolet gets four petrols and two diesels, all of which are the familiar four cylinder units you’ll find in the regular golf. They are a 103 bhp 1.2 litre, 122 bhp and 158 bhp 1.4 litre units and a 208 bhp 2.0 litre version. The oil-burners are a 103 bhp 1.6 litre and a 2.0-litre unit producing 138 bhp. Transmissions will be five and six-speed manuals, or six and seven-speed DSGs, probably only available as upgrades.

While this sort of car is not to my taste, I’ve wondered at the lack of a convertible option for the Golf as it’s a car that made it’s name as a convertible, so I'm glad to see it returning to the Golf line-up.

The other piece of news from VW is the revised Tiguan small-SUV, one of the last cars in the range to get the Mk VI Golf facial treatment. The interesting thing is the lack of details after pictures were accidentally leaked onto the VW website. However, it’s likely the engine range will remain unchanged and VW has confirmed pricing will remain the same in Germany.

It is likely there will be minor CO₂ and fuel economy improvements. The revised car will be open to orders in June and the first deliveries are expected around August time.

Mercedes have officially launched the third generation of the SLK sports car. We know most of the details about it including the engines and performance figures, as well as those stunning looks that are an evolution of the SLS face that is being adapted to all new Mercedes Benz models.

The SLK continues to be a two-seat, hard-top convertible, rear wheel drive sports car, however the chassis has been improved.

The engines follow the global trend of downsizing engines to turbo-charged units for the base cars in the shape of the SLK200 and SLK250, which both use a 1.8 litre turbo four-pot with 184 and 204 bhp respectively. Impressively, the SLK200 claims a 0-62 mph time of just 7.0 seconds.

The SLK350 features a brand new direct-injection 3.5 litre V6 motor that develops 306 bhp, the same figure as the outgoing engine it replaces. However it will boast vast improvements in fuel economy and emissions thanks to the advancements of the new engine, a new seven speed auto gearbox and other features that include start-stop. So the SLK350 claims a 0-62 mph time of 5.6 seconds as well as offering 39.8 mpg.

For the first time, the SLK range features a diesel model, powered by a twin turbo 2.1 litre four cylinder engine which develops a very healthy 204 bhp.

The top AMG model, the SLK 55 AMG is understood to use a 420 bhp version of AMG’s new 5.5 litre normally aspirated direct injection V8. However, all this is just numbers, the SLK has always been about the looks, and personally, I think the new SLK is a stunning looking car, which means it will remain the perfect car for posing in.

 Mercedes also officially launched the new C-Class coupe, a spiritual successor to the much-lauded CLK. The C-Class coupe is designed to go head to head with the BMW 3 Series and Audi A5. Underneath, as you might expect the coupe sits on the ordinary C-Class saloon base with a 41 mm lower roof height for the two door body.

The UK version, available in June, will include the AMG Sports pack as standard, which includes lower suspension, 18 inch alloy wheels and a distinctive body kit.
The engines, which are taken from the E-Class, will comprise two diesels and three petrols. The £30k entry level C180 will come with a 1.8 litre four cylinder five speed petrol with 152 bhp, a 197 bhp V6 250CGI and the range topping, £38k V6 powered 350CGI with 302 bhp. The diesels are a 161 bhp 220CDI, 197 bhp 250CDI.

The C-Class Coupe will be around £1000 cheaper engine for engine than the E-Class, and while interior accommodation is slightly smaller, the boot capacity will be the same 450 litres as the E-Class. The interior is also derived from the E-Class and has a similar level of perceived quality, with Mercedes stating that the two cars are aimed at different aged buyers, with the C-Class appealing to drivers aged between 35 to 45 years old and the E-Class being aimed at drivers who are more mature.

Hyundai is a brand that is really going places these days. The introduction of the ‘i’ series cars has made the range of cars easier to work out, with the i10 city car, i20 fiesta-sized hatch back and the i30 hatchback lifting the whole range with vastly improved build quality, much better cars to drive and incredibly well kitted cars at excellent prices. The i40 is the final car of the conventional model types, aiming squarely at the Ford Mondeo. Like it’s stable-mates, the i40 is a rather handsome beast, something that has been a key in building Hyundai’s current reputation.

Initially the i40 will be available as an estate model only when it goes on sale in June in the UK, but the key thing for the i40 to do for Hyundai is to prove the company can produce cars with high quality interiors, and so this production-ready car is keen to show off the new interior, which is a rather good looking place to be with a very cleverly sculpted center console. A healthy range of petrol and diesel engine options will be available when the car launches.

Kia is a company who has become rather friendly with Hyundai these days and both companies have benefitted hugely from this arrangement. Geneva sees two new models launched for Kia, starting with the Rio, a car that is being moved into the super-mini market, the largest car segment in the UK.

It’s far from the best looking car ever to be designed, however, Kia has realised it needs to homogolate its cars with a corporate ‘face’ if it wants to push beyond Bargain-Bucket markets.

The Rio is also a rather ambitious car. Based on the Hyundai i20 platform, a car that I really like, it will feature the cleanest and most fuel efficient engine in the UK, trumping the Smart Diesel.

The model will be dubbed ‘Ecodynamics’. It will feature a new 1.1 litre three cylinder direct injection turbo diesel engine under the bonnet that will develop 81 bhp and 69 lb/ft and will be equipped with the now common-faire stop-start system. Kia claim the car will be capable of 88 mpg combined and emit 85 g/km of CO₂, which will beat out the FourTwo Diesel’s stats of 85 mpg and 86 g/km of CO₂.

But this is not the most important thing. If the Rio can reach these figures, it will mean it not only becomes the UK’s cleanest and most fuel efficient car, it will do it while still being a proper car, something the Smart absolutely is not.

The rest of the range will comprise 1.25 and 1.4 litre petrols and 1.4 and 1.6 litre turbo diesels. All will either a six speed manual gearbox of five speed autos and have the option of start-stop and have fuel economy ‘in excess’ of 58 mpg and emit less than 114 g/km CO₂ with that particular option ticked.

The range will start from around £10k when it goes on sale.

However, that is not the end of the Rio. That’s because Benny Oeyen, the cheif of marketing and product planning piped in with a little statement saying; “The quality and design is much greater than the brand image represents... You can improved this with cars. A helpful car for us would be a hot hatch, cabrio or a coupe.”

This has opened speculation over whether Kia is considering a hot hatch, or at least warm hatch version of the Rio to boast the brand image, fueled when Oeyen added: “I can imagine a sporty Kia in Europe; we have to develop the brand.”

The Rio wasn’t the only car Kia had to show off to us at Geneva. However, the new Kia Picanto will have a far more difficult time when it reaches UK shores in the autumn.

Firstly, it does not look good, particularly in the weird yellow Kia brought. However, the time they could have used realising they had penned a bit of a pig they actually spent kitting it out for European markets. The Picanto is to be a ‘global’ model, and so will sell in every market Kia is active in with little or no variation. This is becoming a common trick and for some, like the Nissan Micra, is a long way from European standard and even falls short of the car it replaces.

The basic specs Kia brought to show us suggest they have started with a European car and are working backwards. It will come with a 1.0 litre three-pot and a 1.25 litre four cylinder engine, capable of bi-fuel, fuel-flex and petrol fueling, although the UK market are only getting the petrol version with a diesel, possibly the 1.1 litre three cylinder diesel Kia announced for the Rio. Power will range from 68 bhp for the three cylinder and 84 for the four cylinder, with 69 and 89 lb/ft of torque respectively. And Kia was keen to inform everyone that they’ve been paying special attention to emissions and economy with this car. So if you buy a rather basic car without stop-start you can expect between 95 and 105 g/km of CO₂ to leave the exhaust, but if you spent out on fuel saving kit such as stop-start, then this will drop to between 90 and 100 g/km of CO₂. Gearboxes will comprise a 5 speed manual or a four speed auto.

Kia, in line with it’s sudden global-domination aspirations, say that while the Picanto is a small city car, it’ll have ‘large car’ technologies. This will include things like LED daytime running lights, button-start with smart key, grip-type outside door handles and either six or seven airbags, depending on the model. Prices and full specs will be announced nearer the official launch date.

Do you remember Lancia? Delta’s and Beta’s and Statos’? Yes? Well they’re back! But not with sports cars and not for the UK. So why mention them? Well, Fiat decided that we think less of Lancia than we do of Chrysler, so they’re going to send new Lancia’s over to the UK and then swap the badges for Chrysler ones, and put them on sale, starting with this; the Ypsilon.

As always, put the show-grade two-tone paint out of your mind and take in the design and imagine a Chrysler badge on the nose and that is what you’ll be able to buy when it reaches showrooms in June 2012.

It sits on a stretched Fiat 500 platform and will come with much of the 500’s tech, including Fiat’s ‘Thin-Seat’ technology as well as the 0.9 litre Twin-Air engine. A 1.2 litre petrol and 1.3 litre diesel will complete the engine line up with the diesel and Twin-Air promising sub 100 g/km CO₂ emissions.

Starting from around £11,000, the Ypsilon will mark itself out with high spec levels, which could include the options of leather and Alcantara trim, something which has helped make the car a success in it’s home market due to the unusualness of being able to spec such materials. It will be interesting to see how the new Chrysler’s will go down with the UK market, badge-engineering has not always been popular, with the Jaguar X-Type flopping because it used a Ford Mondeo as it’s base with a Jaguar designed body.

Also to arrive in 2012 is the new 300C and 200C, rebadged Lancia Therma and Flavia respectively. Announced at the show was that the Therma, the 300C to you and me, will be available with a 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine at launch.

Audi’s recent work on it’s bigger models and the A1 has seen the A3 neglected. However Audi have responded with two A3 derivatives, starting with this; the Audi A3 Saloon.

Due for release in 2013, the A3 Saloon will be primarily for the US and Chinese markets, where compact saloons like the VW Jetta are popular, however Audi are hoping to carve out a new niche for premium saloons below cars like the A4, Passat and Mondeo.

Very little detail was released aside from the fact it will be built in Audi’s Gyor plant in Hungary alongside the current A3 Carbriolet, despite the fact this car will be expected to sell primarily outside out Europe. Expect engines to be the same as the A3 Hatchback

The A3 saloon will also be the first use of Audi’s new MBQ platform which come in four wheel bases and likely under pin a new generations of TT as well as various VW Group cars, possibly the next Octavia.

As well as the A3 Saloon, Audi were also showing off a car they have resisted for almost as long as the A3 has existed; and RS3. This monster, which is on sale now, is the most powerful hot-hatch in the UK thanks to some frankly obscene figures.

It raids the 2.5l turbocharged, five cylinder engine from the TT-RS, before being tweaked to produce 335 bhp as well as a stomping 332 lb/ft of torque directed to all four wheels via a 7 speed DSG Gearbox.

This means the RS3 will power to 62 mph in just 4.6 seconds and onto a limited 155 mph top speed.

The list of potential rivals is short, with the 345 bhp Focus RS 500 and 390 bhp Impreza Cosworth being limited run models. The next RenaultSport Megane is going to be making do with 300 bhp going through the front wheels and the next Astra VXR will also be knocking around that mark.

Audi obviously were chasing the new BMW 1 Series M Coupe which has an identical 335 bhp from it’s twin turbo charged 3.0l straight six engine with around 370 lb/ft of torque but all channeled to the rear wheels. Price wise, the RS3 matches the 1 M Coupe, with BMW saying that it’ll be priced around £40k and the RS3 retailing at £39,900.

This is the car fans of hot-hatches and hot-Audi’s have been begging for from Audi, it’s still as handsome as an A3 should be, but has the same heart stopping that the RS4 had. The RS3 will be fairly reasonable to run, with the 1575 kg car emitting 212 g/km of CO₂ and earning a respectable 31 mpg, although this will undoubtedly drop like a stone when you press on.

Modifications over the S3 include a wider front and rear track, lowered and stiffened suspension, with the front suspension control arms being constructed from “high strength steel” according to Audi. The brakes have been beefed up all round as well.

Porsche are the latest company to add a set of batteries and a motor into a large saloon. In this case it’s the Panamera S, equipped with a 330 bhp supercharged 3.0l V6 and a 44 bhp electric motor that doubles up as the starter motor. The drive train has been lifted from the Cayenne Hybrid.

The packaging is clever, with the motor packaged along with it’s own clutch so either the engine or motor can provide drive.

The battery is a Nickel Metal-Hydride unit that can power the car up to 37 mph before the engine clutches in and takes over and can reach 62 mph in 6 seconds and reaches 168 mph top speed. For this performance, the S Hybrid emits 159 g/km CO₂, which out performs the diesel versions of the BMW 7 Series and Jaguar XJ.

This places the Panamera S Hybrid right between the Panamera Turbo and 4S and Porsche has priced it as such, with the S Hybrid starting from £86,146 when it goes on sale in June.

Volvo were also showing off a new hybrid model, the V60 Estate plug-in hybrid. It features a diesel-electric system, using a 212 bhp, 325 lb/ft 2.4 litre D5 Diesel engine which powers the front wheels through a six speed auto’, while the rear wheel is powered by Volvo’s Electric Rear Axle Drive system which combines a 69 bhp electric motor powered by a 12 kWh Lithium-Ion battery pack.

With Plug-In’s, the important thing is recharge time, and the V60 Plug-In requires 7.5 hours for a full recharge through a household 230V/6A socket.

The V60 Plug-In features three drive modes, called ‘Pure’, ‘Hybrid’ and ‘Power’. As you might expect, ‘Pure’ is electric only, allowing you to travel up to 32 internal combustion-free miles, ‘Hybrid’ uses both system to balance economy and performance and ‘Power’ is essentially four-wheel drive mode for maximum performance.

Other features include the option to pre-heat or pre-cool the cabin during the recharging process so the cabin temperature is just right when you get in and this can be operated through the revised instrument panel or through a Smartphone App. The V60 Plug-In also makes use of lightweight alloy wheels and low resistance Pirelli tyres.

When it goes on sale in 2012, Volvo say it will “be more expensive to buy than a Volvo V60 with a conventional combustion engine”, however the extra technology involved in creating the Plug-In meant this is entirely predictable.

The final car that is being looked at is potentially the best, and possibly the least likely. This offering comes from Alfa Romeo.

Since they created the limited run 8C Competizione, insiders hinted at a ‘4C’ sub model. And finally, Alfa were able to show of the car they would call the 4C.

It's likely to be powered by the 232 bhp version of the 1.7 litre turbo charged four cylinder petrol engine that equips the Giulietta hatchback. The car weighs in at less than 850 kg, mainly due to the light weight carbon body supported by a aluminium or lightweight steel space frame chassis.

It has the odd set up of double-wishbones at the front and MacPherson struts at the rear. The engine delivers it’s power to the rear wheels via a twin-dry clutch gearbox. Weight distribution is a perfect 40/60 front/rear and the car would feature Alfa’s DNA control system. Alfa claims that the 4C would achieve 62 mph in “under five seconds” with a top speed of “over 250 km/h”, 155 mph.

Alfa has confirmed a production version of the sports car will be in dealerships for next year so this is either a sandbagging concept or a production-ready show car. Alfa gave no indication on prices, but expect something in the region of £30k.

Alfa did however say that the car is likely to spawn a range of sports cars across Fiat, including a stand-alone car for the resurgent Arbath.

If you take off the chrome alloys and replace the overly showy light clusters, particularly the rear ones, with more conventional units, you can see a car that does appear reasonably finished.

The 2011 Geneva Motor Show gave us plenty to be interested in, as well as the mad creations from the minds of engineers and designers, we also saw a raft of silly-power hyper cars from Lamborghini, Pagani and Koenigsegg, but we also got a chance to see what manufacturers are offering the ordinary driver in the next 12 months, and it seems that there is plenty to brighten our roads.

MD

Motors - The Death Of Chapman's Lotus?

The Death Of Chapman’s Lotus? 

For many, many years Lotus has been limping along with the Elise, a light weight, two seat sports car that uses a Toyota engine. It is worshipped by sports car drivers and the motoring media as one of the best handling cars money can buy, but many have been put off by the cramped cabin, extremely low equipment levels and the total lack of any practicality.

They have tried to broaden the range with the Exige, a hardcore, coupe version of the Elise, along with the Europa, a more up market, lengthened car based on the Elise and the Evora, a 2+2 coupe powered by a Toyota V6. Notice a trend?

The problem is simply that the Elise isn’t a versatile enough platform to base anything other than a hardcore two seater on, testified by the fact that the Europa was a flop.

Lotus has been owned by Proton since 1996 after being passed around for a few years. They have largely allowed Lotus to try and solve it’s own problems, but finally, after 15 years Lotus has never been in profit under Proton. So in 2009 when the then CEO retired, Proton appointed a Turkish born man named Dany Bahar, who’s CV includes being responsible for worldwide road car sales and after sales business, overall road car and F1 marketing activities, licensing, and merchandising business at Ferrari.

And then, at the Paris motorshow in October of 2010, he unveiled his plan for a new, fitter, more modern and, crucially, profitable Lotus. The power brokers inside Lotus admit they are taking a risk, 6 new models within 5 years, dumping the company ‘face’ from the current crop of cars, making a new, heavier more practical Elise, ditching everything the company currently uses.

Initially, I’ll admit, I was worried. Colin Chapman, one of Britain’s greatest engineers and widely seen as the Godfather of modern Formula One, began Lotus with a simple principle; “To add speed, simplify, then add lightness.” The Elise and Exige, have been the embodiment of this principle.

Bahar has had to endure plenty of criticism, that he is destroying Lotus’ soul, he is ruining Chapman’s legacy, that he doesn’t care about Lotus, but then you listen to what he has to say and look at what he’s doing.

He began by pilfering Mercedes and Ferrari engineers, including former AMG man Wolf Zimmerman, and bringing them to Hethel, not to replace the current crop of Lotus staff because Lotus Engineering is regarded as one of the best in the business, but to build a team of top talent. He has declared that he wants to turn Lotus into the British equivalent of Porsche, an attempt to show that a ‘narrow minded car company’ such as one who only produces sports cars, is a viable and profitable business model.

And so, in Paris he stood up and pulled the covers off of six, yes SIX brand new, from the ground up, cars. One is a city car designed in the same vein as the Aston Martin Cygnet; to ensure the company’s average CO₂ emissions are within EU quotas, the rest are full on sports cars.

So what do we have?

Well first thing first we will finally get a new Lotus Esprit. It is the first car to be released in Bahar’s rescue plan. It’ll arrive in 2013, ten years after the old Esprit was killed off.


Obviously Lotus haven’t revealed much about it but we do know that this gorgeous beast will be around £110,000 and, most interestingly, be powered by a Lotus designed and built V8.

It was originally going to be powered by the Toyota V8 that is used in the Lexus IS-F, in supercharged form and developing 550 and 620 bhp. Bahar however revealed that potential customers were put of somewhat by a Toyota engine.

It is now that you begin to see that Bahar does indeed want Lotus to succeed. When the plan to build their own engine was announced Bahar stated: “We have done three engines for other manufacturers; why not do it ourselves? The engine is the heart of a sports car; we should do our own product.” Adding, “In the mind of sports-car enthusiasts, Toyota power might not be good enough”

The plan is dependant on the decision makers and whether this plan is financially viable. However, if Lotus are having to buy the Toyota engines, and then fit the supercharger before caring out the necessary tuning and refinement work, the cost of their own engine might not be an impossible stretch.

The Espirt is likely to weigh in at 1495 kg. While this is hardly keeping to Chapman’s policy of featherweight, the car is likely to be able to hit 62 mph in around 3.5 seconds, putting it comfortably in supercar territory. In comparison, the recently announced Zonda replacement will have over 700 bhp and reach 62 mph in 3.3 seconds.

It’ll have a seven speed paddle shift gearbox, as well as a KERS system likely borrowed from Lotus’ involvement with F1 teams and that the three mid-engined cars will likely share the basic platform, suspension, brakes and electrics, according to Zimmerman.

Also in 2013, Lotus has decided to drag an old name from the dust bin; the Lotus Elan.

In keeping with Elan tradition, this new one uses a totally different drive system to the previous Elan’s.

The original 1962 Elan was a front engined, rear wheel drive two seat convertible. It was followed in the 90’s by the GM funded M100 Elan that featured a front engine, front wheel drive system, leaving it to be comfortably out classsed by the Mazda MX-5.

The third generation Elan will be mid-engined, rear wheel drive. However there’s more. While the first two were powered by four cylinder engines, the new Elan will use a V6 engine, although, like the Esprit, it was originally tipped for a 4.0 litre version of the 2.6 litre Toyota engine that currently powers the Evora.


As with the Esprit, you wouldn’t dare suggest that Lotus are holding back on the looks front.

The Elan name has never really been at the fore-front of the Lotus brand, however possibley because of this, Lotus are using this car as it “Heart of the range” according to insiders as it will take the fight to both the Porsche 911 and Audi R8. Pricing is to be around £75,000, and the engine, whoever designs it, will be tuned to produce 400 and 470 bhp, which will probably be good enough to propel the 1295 kg Elan past 62 mph in 3.9 or 3.5 seconds.

The current R8 V10 needs a 518 bhp 5.2 V10 to get its 1600 kg to 62 mph in over 4 seconds, showing that Lotus, if it can get this level of performance, it not playing around any more.

On top of all this performance, Lotus is aiming for the top model of the Elan to emit only 200 g/km of CO₂ in keeping with the aim of making cars that are some of the cleanest in their respective classes.

As mentioned, this will likely share the base, suspension and brakes of the Esprit, obviously retuned/sized for the Elan.

It would seem that the Elan is where Lotus is putting most of it’s eggs. This car will go right into the heart of the premium Sports & GT car market, with the aim of undercutting, out performing and running cleaner than the cars it will compete with.

2014 will see Lotus chart brand new territory: the £100,000-plus 2+2 GT market, taking on Aston Martin for the first time. And it will do this using, possibly the most spectacular concept of the six; the new front-engined, rear wheel drive Lotus Elite.

Again, the Elite is a dead give-away of the fact Bahar is not playing around with this revival. This ambitious car will aim to be the first performance hybrid in this market by using a KERS system to suppliment the ‘charged’ V8 engine and electric motors.

I say ‘charged’ because Lotus admits they haven’t decided what forced induction system to use yet. Again, assuming Proton decides not to fund in-house engines, the Elite, a name not used since 1982 when the Type 83 Elite ended production, will use a 540 bhp and 610 bhp version of the Lexus 5.0 litre V8 engine, possible taking the LS600h which uses the set-up Lotus are wanting to give the Elite.

Lotus are squarely targeting the Aston Martin DB9 with this car. It will be slightly shorter than the DB9 but, at 1680 kg, will be substantially lighter then the Aston’s 1780 kg weight. With this lighter mass and vastly superior power, the DB9 making do with just 470 bhp for it’s 6.0 litre V12, the Elite will likely stomp the Aston to 62 mph, reaching it in just 3.7 for the 540 bhp model while the DB9 takes 4.8.

However, it is the emissions that Lotus are keen for us all to pay attention too. For that extra power and performance, the Elite is aiming for just 215 g/km CO₂ which will under cut the Aston’s 367 g/km by a massive 40%.

When he announced the Elite, Bahar was keen to point out that prior to 1996 when the Elise became the only car Lotus produced, the front-engined 2+2 configuration accounted for 20% of the company’s production throughout it’s history.

He also announced that as well as this coupe model, there would be a hard-top convertible model produced as well, although there was no word when that would join the line-up.

Interior wise Lotus plan to produce a bespoke control touch screen and insider freely admit they have to really ramp up the quality and craftsmanship for this car to be a success.


It would seem that Lotus are not only targeting Aston Martin, but blatantly copying them to as this 2015, four door car, the Lotus Eterne, which will use the underpinnings of the Elite and will be going straight for the Aston Martin Rapide, the four door Aston based on the DB9.

Obviously, the platform will be an extended version of the Elite, as well as slightly heavier, however the engine, KERS and electric motor set-up is set to be identical, although Lotus did give figures of 10 bhp boosts over the Elite, giving the Eterne 550 bhp and 620 bhp for the two versions planned.

Unlike the other new models, the Eterne is a brand new name, all the others are previous names revived for this brand revival, again Bahar to my mind is demonstrating a knowledge of Lotus by keeping with the naming traditions of all model names beginning with the letter ‘E’. It is only a small gesture but it is the same as all Audi ‘S’ models having four wheel drive, a deep rooted company tradition.

The Eterne is likely to cost around £120,000.

In 2015, the Lotus Elise will finally join the Bahar revolution, but not before even it has gone through it’s own revolution.


Firstly, it will adopt the new company face. A given really. However, having abandoned it’s traditional look, the Elise will abandon it’s current position as well. Firstly, the price-point will move considerably, rising to over £40,000 starting from it’s current £30,000.

Secondly, the current Elise’s 1.6 litre engine will be left for dust as the new car will get a 2.0 litre supercharged unit that Lotus plans to either build itself or source from somewhere other than Toyota.

Power will jump from the 138 bhp to 300 bhp base and 350 bhp, driving the rear wheels through a robotised manual gearbox and will come equipped with a stop-start system. Despite this, the Elise is aiming for a weight of just 1095 kg, a massive jump on the 876 kg of the 1.6 Elise but still very light weight for a 300 plus bhp car. The difficult bit for the 2015 Elise will be emissions, the ace of the current car, which emits an amazing 149 g/km CO₂.

Unlike the current set-up of Elise and Exige, the new car will be available as a coupe or roadster, suggesting the Exige’s days are numbered. Also planned is a hardcore ‘R’ model, presumably the spiritual successor to the Exige.

Finally we arrive at the first none sports-car Lotus will be producing. Currently we know it only as the Lotus CityCar, it shows that Bahar has been copying the Aston’s answers again, this time it’s the Cygnet they are copying.

This car is due to join the line up in 2014, and is little more than the concept at the moment, with Lotus looking to partner up with a car company to provide the basis of the CityCar.

Although Lotus is currently looking into hybrid technology, apparently keen of flywheel-based systems, the CityCar would appear to be a sensible insurance policy just in case no system is suitable or viable.

So that’s the plan. Take everything Lotus currently makes, throw it all in the bin and start again.

Bahar has endured a huge amount of criticism from Lotus purists but the way he has gone about setting up this revolution, revealing all these models just a year after taking charge shows he obviously knows exactly what he thinks Lotus needs to do to turn it’s current inevitable slide into oblivion. I personally think that a Lotus that makes light cars rather than super-light cars to ensure it can survive is much better than letting yet another British marquee slide into decline to become nothing more than a foot-note in history.

I asked is this the death of Chapman’s Lotus? In way the answer is ‘Yes’. The current Elise, weighing a featherweight 879 kg and needing just 138 bhp will be gone, possibly for good. However, the company that Chapman founded will go on, it will still exist, still have dealerships and still make and sell cars, surely that is, ultimately, what we want.

In 2012, Lotus will celebrate 60 years since Colin Chapman first began working as Lotus Engineering in a set of old stables behind the Railway Hotel in Hornsey, North London, what better way to celebrate that than with the knowledge that the company has a plan to revive itself back from a niche company that’s nearly dead into a major player and that there is the financial backing to achieve this goal.

MD