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10 Things You Didn't Know about Lotus Cars

Lotus is a well-known British sports and racing car manufacturing company. The company was founded by Colin Chapman and through the eighty years the auto company has been in business, it has been a pioneer for the world of auto racing, always using the latest, most cutting edge technology to design and construct the most innovative sports and racing cars for both on and off the track. Lotus cars have been highly respected for their impeccable engineering and performance. The Lotus company has gone through many changes of hands and mergers through the years, but their roots remain the same in their tradition of how their automobiles are designed and built. All these years later, and Lotus still produces some of the most expensive and high performance sports cars. If you are a sports car fanatic, you may be familiar with the Lotus brand, but here are ten things you didn't know about Lotus cars.

1. They use less parts to build their cars

Did you know that Lotus has always had a firm belief that the lighter the car, the faster it will run? It is the tradition of Lotus to use the least number of parts in its automobiles. Despite the lightness of the parts, they are flawless and extremely dependable. Lotus' has mastered the technique of lightweight architecture and because off it, they have been the leader of environmentally friendly vehicle technology.

2. Originally kit cars

In the beginning days of the company, Lotus's main aim was to sell cars to private racers and trialists and their early road cars were sold as kit cars in order to save consumers on purchase tax. Kit cars were really popular until the late 1960's and early 70's when they finally faded out. The first Lotus road car that was not sold as a kit car, was the Elan Plus Two, as well as thee Lotus Elite and the Lotus Eclat. They were manufactured in the 1970's and were only offered as factory built versions.

3. New owner of company

Today, Lotus is under the Malaysian automaker, Proton and they have said that they intend to design and produce five whole new cars over the next five years. Despite their being a new owner over the Lotus brand, they still hold true to the original fundamentals of the Lotus build and retain the same manufacturing beliefs and standards of the types of materials and visions of a lightweight, high performance and durable car.

4. James Bond and Lotus

If you are a fan of James Bond - 007, then you know he was notorious for driving some of the most amazing sports cars ever seen on the big screen, for back in that time. As a matter-of-fact, Roger Moore, who played 007 in the 1970's era, was the first one to drive the Lotus Esprit S1 in The Spy Who Loved Me in 1976, which is when the car gained fame after its production the year prior.

5. Formula One

Lotus was the owner of Formula One team that raced their vehicles in 1981, producing winning automobiles that were a force to be reckoned with. Their sister team, Team Lotus, had similar success with multiple titles and they continued to race under the name until 2010 when, through Tony Fernandes's Lotus Racing Team returned the name back to Formula One.

6. Best all-around sports car

The Elise, developed by Lotus, one of their latest creations, has been rated as one of the best all-around sports cars. This car is so light weight, at only 1960 lbs and it has been described as a car that is not for everyone as its power and the design of the cab, is not exactly the best for handling on the road. It is definitely more of a track car, but it is one of the most fun cars to drive. On the track, it can really work it and show you how high performance should be, on the ground drive however, it has been described as the "anti-Christ."

7. Has revamped some of their models

It has been said that some of Lotus' models weren't doing as well as others and Lotus hit ta few rough seas with a few of their models and the performances Lotus was used to getting out of their cars. One of these models that went through some tweaking and revamping, is their Evora model. The Evora was given a revamped traction control system that makes it hug the road more tightly and the power is a bit more flawless than the original. It was described as a charmingly delicate ride in the beginning, but the upgraded version has put this automobile into a more serious league for serious drivers.

8. Seating makes driving difficult for most drivers

These are sports cars and when you think of a sports car, you might think about the positioning of the seating inside the cab. Traditional seating in a Lotus is low. Low seating has its purpose, however, for the average driver, it can make it quite difficult to maneuver the car or feel comfortable behind the wheel. This is something that those interested in a Lotus, will need to consider. For long periods of road driving, these aren't exactly the most conducive cars for it.

9. Lotus Headquarters

Lotus is headquartered in Hethel, Norfolk, England. Before Lotus began its production of cars on this site, the location was an airfield form the Second World War, which many people find it to be a very interesting site. They have sense branched out and have production happening in other areas and countries, including looking at China as being an additional production location.

10. Most notable design ideas by Lotus

Lotus is most recognized for using a certain technique on the builds of their cars, including, backbone chassis, twin cam engines, and fiberglass bodies. They have worked with Ford on certain parts and aspects of their cars, as well as their Lotus Cortina, a successful sports saloon.

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Maria McCutchen

Written by Maria McCutchen

Maria McCutchen is an author and freelance writer living in Chattanooga, TN. She is the published author of her memoir, “It’s all in Your Head,” and a children’s book. She has been writing for over 15 years; writing articles, whitepapers, product write-ups and more for multiple online media sites, blogs, company websites and individuals. She is also an advocate for brain malformations, including Chiari Malformation, and works closely with the non-profit organization, The Chiari Project, writing for their quarterly newsletters.

Read more posts by Maria McCutchen

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