Best Cars Ever Designed By Lotus
If you wanted to develop a car with superb handling, Colin Chapman, the pioneer of Lotus, understood just what to do. For many years, Lotus was famed for its agility, sheer driving pleasure, and ingenious engineering solutions. Unfortunately, most people think of Lotus as an unreliable, flabby sports car company that has been on the verge of bankruptcy several times. While the majority of Lotus clichés are correct, Lotus engineers were employed by a range of firms that respected Lotus’ advice. In this article we would like to show you five Lotus automobiles that were designed by Lotus But Not For Lotus, Let’s have a look.
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1. Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1
Lotus has attracted a number of automobile manufacturers due to its engineers’ ability to properly design suspension and make even the ugliest car in the world turn. When it came to designing the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, General Motors solicited the help of Tony Rudd, a Lotus engineer. GM, on the other hand, pushed him to develop a new engine rather than enhance the car’s handling. The eventual product was a 5.7-liter, eight-cylinder aluminium gasoline engine.
2. Delorean DMC-12
The DMC-12 is Lotus’ most well-known invention. At the same time, it was amazing and heartbreaking. It was not a good automobile, despite the fact that it looked to be an 8-year-old boy’s desire. The PSA Group leased the engine, which has a displacement of 2.85 litres and six cylinders. The transmission was made by Renault in Holland, while the automobile was built by DMC in Ireland.
3. Vauxhall Carlton
BMW M and AMG were not the only high-end car manufacturers 20 or 30 years ago. Lotus released a car in 1989 in cooperation with Vauxhall/Opel that was designed to be the BMW M5’s kryptonite. Lotus engineers fitted the car with a 3.6-liter six-cylinder petrol engine, two turbochargers, a Corvette ZR1 six-speed gearbox, more powerful brakes, and other upgrades to help it compete with its German rival.
The 3.6-liter gasoline engine produced 382 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque. Even at 2,000 rpm, 470 Nm was available. The British saloon reached 100 kilometres per hour in 5.2 seconds and 160 kilometres per hour in less than 17 seconds.
4. Isuzu Piazza
The Isuzu Impulse had a difficult time making its debut. Almost every automobile journal panned Isuzu’s Impulse when it debuted in 1981. Isuzu approached Lotus for assistance rather than retiring the vehicle. After the changes, at least in Europe, the little Isuzu was given a new trim level called Lotus. The Lotus trim level of the Impulse came with improved suspension components and a redesigned suspension arrangement. In return, Isuzu gave the British a free 1.6-liter 4-cylinder petrol engine, which was later used in the Lotus Elan.
5. Chrysler Sunbeam
Following Peugeot’s 1978 purchase of Chrysler Europe, the French attempted to revive the once-famous Talbot brand. But, more crucially, as the CEO of Peugeot Motorsport at the time, Des O’Dell was intrigued by the new division. The Lotus Sunbeam story can be stated as invented by the Americans, and it was improved upon by the British We’re not sure why Peugeot Motorsport didn’t contribute to the car’s development, but they certainly had their job cut out for them. Meanwhile, Lotus engineers have not only created a sportier Sunbeam for everyday use, but they’ve also made all of the necessary changes to make it WRC-ready.