Lotus is fully back in the swing of high-performance model production with recent offerings like the Evora 400 and 3-Eleven. After a long period of concept vehicle teasing, financial woes, and leadership changes, the U.K. sports car manufacturer appears to have its mojo back and it's not slowing down anytime soon.
Top Gear magazine is reporting that Lotus chief Jean-Marc Gales has revealed that Lotus is planning a roadster version of its Evora 400. The convertible version will use two carbon fiber roof panels that weigh just over 6 pounds each. The same 3.5-liter supercharged V6 from the coupe will carry over with 400 horsepower and 302 pound-feet of torque. Expect the zero-to-60 mph time to be just a touch slower than the coupe's 4.1-second sprint and its top speed to reach somewhere in the 180-mph range.
If sharing your high-powered fun doesn't strike your fancy, then Lotus has plans for a more extreme version of its new 3-Eleven mono-seat performance model. The 3-Eleven has two versions: a road-going model, and a track-specific variant with 450 HP and 332 lb-ft of torque in a body that weights less than 2000 pounds.
The proposed "4-Eleven" model will exceed the insane 4.4 pounds per horsepower ratio of the 3-Eleven by keeping things light and adding more power. That will reduce its zero-to-60 mph time to somewhere below 3.0 seconds and raise its top speed beyond the 3-Eleven's 180 mph benchmark. The 4-Eleven isn't due out for a couple years, but you're welcome to begin salivating now.
As a bonus, Gales mentioned Lotus's upcoming SUV, which will be built in China before the end of the decade. From there, it may sell in Europe, but the chance of it reaching North America is slim. The automaker's first-ever SUV will weigh around 3,500 pounds and will be about the size of Porsche's Macan. Gales promised it will be the "most agile and fastest of the class on a track."
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