The Lotus Elise R from Stark Automotive offers supercar-like performance for sportscar prices. Claimed figures of 0-60mph (0-96km/h) in 3.9 seconds, 0-100mph (0-160km/h) in 9.5 seconds and a top speed of around 160mph (256km/h) put it in the company of track-day specials and cars that cost far more to maintain and store than the Elise does to buy, but Stark adds its performance for relatively little expense.

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Lotus has revealed the new name of its latest model, a 2+2 GT that made its official debut today at the London Motor Show. The car will from now be known as the ‘Evora’ (named after a city in Portugal) and it joins the ranks of Lotus’ existing models, including the Elise, Exige and Europa. The new Evora is the first all-new car from Lotus since the introduction of the Elise back in 1995, and it’s the only sports car on the market with a mid-engine layout and a 2+2 seating configuration.

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British, brash and blindingly fast! This is the Salica GT, a new supercar capable of scorching from 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds and hitting 190mph.

Fans of home-grown exotica might spot a strong similarity with the Noble N400. That’s because the newcomer is based on that very car – so expect sublime handling and ferocious pace.

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The Eagle has landed – at last! After months of spy shots, Auto Express can finally bring you the first official picture of Lotus' new sports car, known as Project Eagle. The latest incarnation of the Elise, it's a 2+2 that's aimed squarely at Porsche's Cayman with a price tag of around £45,000 and power from a 276bhp 3.5-litre V6 engine.

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Lotus has given us an early look at a new environmentally friendly concept based on its Elise sports car, which is set to make its world debut in less than a fortnight at the London Motor Show. While efforts to reduce carbon emissions and fuel-consumption have been getting the most attention by carmakers and governments alike when it comes to being ‘green,’ the new Eco Elise project promotes a different perspective, one that doesn’t revolve solely around tailpipe emissions.

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Lotus Engineering is continuing to move aggressively into the realm of greener transportation. This week two different consortia of which Lotus is a part were awarded development contracts by the UK Government Technology Strategy Board. The first of the two projects is the Zero Emission London Taxi that we reported on last month. The government money will be used to help with the commercialization of fleets of fuel cell powered taxis in London by 2012.

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The philosophy of Lotus founder Colin Chapman was always to make his cars as light as possible. He is reported to have said at various times "to add speed, add lightness" and "simplicate, than add lightness." Over the years, Lotus cars have often been among the lightest of their kind and innovations in weight reduction continue to this day. The work that Lotus has done in developing low mass vehicle structures for cars like the Lotus Elise and the Tesla Roadster is set to expand with the acquisition of Holden Lightweight Structures Limited. Worcester, UK-based Holden has been assembling the aluminum chassis for the Elise and other Lotus models and will now be renamed Lotus Lightweight Structures as it becomes part of Group Louts plc.

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This year's high-performance headlines are all about Nissan's gigantus GTR, a two-ton nuke lobbed at Newton's laws of physics. Meanwhile, way below the fold in mouse type we read that Lotus has quietly strengthened its longstanding alliance with fellow Brit, Sir Isaac, by introducing an Elise with Exige S power and 63 fewer pounds worth of "resistance to motion."

Granted, a lightened Lotus is no newsflash, but there's quite a bit more to this one than appears at first blush. For one thing, the engine is quite different from the Exige S's. Both start off as Toyota 2ZZ-GE 1.8-liters, but you'll note right off that there's no intercooler and air scoop blocking the rear window of this one. Instead, an entirely new intake manifold by Magnuson incorporates an Eaton M45 Roots-type supercharger that blows a slight boost directly into the intake runners with no detour through a heat-exchanger. This setup shaves 17.6 pounds off the engine's weight, at a cost of just two horsepower and 12 pound-feet from the Exige S motor's output (leaving 218 and 153).

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Lotus has revealed its Trifuel Exige 270E concept car, demonstrating the sportscar maker’s belief in the future of methanol as an automotive fuel.

The 270E uses the supercharged Toyota engine from the conventional Exige and can run on three different fuels: petrol, ethanol and methanol, or any combination of the three. Sensors measure the proportions of each fuel in the mix and adjust the engine management accordingly, meaning the new Lotus only needs one tank.

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Lotus launched its entry level 2-Eleven at Geneva this week, a car whose beefier brother was first unleashed at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show. 2-Eleven has apparently been a major hit with Lotus track day enthusiasts all over the world.

Now more affordable, the 2-Eleven features Exige’s 141kW 1.8-litre naturally aspirated metal box. It may not sound like much more than a whisper at a rap concert, yet seeing that 2-Eleven comes in at 720kg/ 1600 lbs on the bathroom scale, one realises the potential it has. Pace is not at a loss here as it covers the standard 0 – 60 mph distance in just 4.3 seconds, with a top end of 140 mph.

Lots of combinations are available for customers to customize each car to their own tastes and satisfaction, such that the usual “no two cars need be the same” line applies. The general agreement though is that perhaps, as lovely as a Lotus looks in Red Scorpion or Orange Bobcat, that perhaps is not the entire reason it exists. Lotus is lightweight, quick and nimble, especially around the track. It has semi-slick Yokohama tyres made for maximum grip and a double wishbone suspension like race cars.

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Lotus is updating the Europa coupe: it's to be better-equipped and much better value for money.

The new entry-level model retains the same 203bhp engine as in the previous Europa S (£33,945) but at £27,950, it is more accessibly priced.

Power has been upped, however, for the Europa SE (£32,995). The turbocharged 225bhp SE does 143mph and 0-60mph in 5.5 seconds, and its interior has been upgraded. The Ice White-painted show car in Geneva has high-quality leather upholstery, and displays its new wheels (17-inch up front, 18-inch to the rear) and wider tyres, with AP Racing brake callipers and larger brake discs. Standard equipment includes twin front airbags and an engine ignition button.

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Lotus Engineering, a division of Lotus, will unveil its latest creation at the 78th Geneva Motor Show next week. The new Lotus Exige 270E Tri-fuel is a study of Lotus’ research for a transition from today’s standard fuels to the sustainable, synthetic fuels of the future.

Running on any mixture of gasoline, bioethanol and methanol, the Lotus Exige 270E Tri-fuel is powered by a 1.8 liter 2ZZ-GE VVTL-i engine with a supercharger and intercooler package from the Exige S. The car produces an output of 270hp with a peak torque of 184 lb-ft, an increase of 51hp and 25 lb-ft over the standard gasoline Exige S. 0-60 comes in at 3.88 seconds with a top speed of 158 mph.

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Lotus has upgraded its Exige S yet again for 2008, introducing a range of new features including a new performance pack boosting peak power to 232hp (179kW) at 8,000rpm from last year’s 220hp (163kW) output. This is the same output as the limited edition Sport 240, brought about by a Magnuson/Eaton M62 supercharger, faster flowing injectors, plus a higher torque clutch system and an upsized roof scoop.

This hike in power, together with an increase in torque from the standard 215Nm to 230Nm at 5,500rpm, helps rocket the updated Exige S from 0-100km/h in 4.16 seconds, 0-160km/h in 9.9 seconds and a top speed of 245km/h – just 0.2 seconds and 4km/h off the track focused 2-Eleven. Fuel consumption remains at 9.1L per 100km.

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Lotus Engineering has developed a new system for reducing CO2 emissions, which will give manufactures a practical and affordable option to reduce their emissions. The Low CO2 concept is based on an Opel Astra and is powered by a Lotus designed pressure-charged three-cylinder 1.5L gasoline engine that has been outfitted with a number of Lotus and Continental technologies.

The engine features an integrated exhaust manifold, centrally-mounted injectors, cam profile switching for lift and timing, a high pressure fuel pump, and mild hybrid drive. As a result there is a 15% reduction in C02 emissions compared to a naturally aspirated 1.8L four cylinder Astra. The concept also features an additional 20hp and 48 ft-lbs of torque over the 1.8L Astra.

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The guys over at AutoCar have caught the upcoming Lotus Esprit testing in cold-snowy weather of Sweden. After running some DVLA records and matching the license plate, AutoCar has learned that the prototype is powered by a 4.4 liter V8 engine. Lotus sources have previously said that BMW may be the supplier for Lotus’ 2011 Esprit.

It’s possible that the new Lotus Esprit will carry the 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8 engine from the new BMW X6, but will most likely be tuned to develop 500 horsepower.

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