The end had to come, and it has come. The production of the Lotus Elise, Exige and Evora has ended after delighting true lovers of sportsmanship for a total of 26 years between the three models, and thousands of units sold. Now, a new era opens on the Hethel brand.
A year ago the British brand announced the cessation of production of the Lotus elise, Demands Y Evora, a considerable period of time for those interested in any of these sports cars that will go down in history for their unique and special qualities, and long enough to assume that none of them will return to the market. The definitive folder to the three badges that have kept Hethel’s brand alive now opens a new chapter in the manufacturer that is committed to new models and electrification at the highest level.
Among the three models, they have added 26 years at the highest level, in addition to 50,000 units sold in their different configurations. Specifically, the trio has generated 51,738 units, which represents almost half of the total production of Lotus in its 73-year history. In a final tribute to this circumstance, the last three units produced have landed at the doors of the Lotus factory. The Hethel, UK headquarters has seen the production of the first generations of the Elise and Exige in the late 1990s, alongside that of the Lotus Esprit.
The Lotus Elise, Exige and Evora close a chapter and open a new one
The brand has secured a series of exclusive units of the three models, which will pose in the “Lotus Heritage” collection, sharing space with other historical creations. Del Elise, a model of which 35,124 units have been manufactured, have been left with the Elise Sport 240 Final Edition painted in its characteristic yellow color. Of the second, the last unit of the 10,497 produced is the Exige Cup 430 painted in the color ‘Heritage Racing Green’, and the Evora GT430 Sport. Painted in metallic dark gray, it is the last of the 6,117 units produced.
Notably, Hethel headquarters has also seen it roll off its assembly lines models as peculiar as the Opel Speedster, a roadster of the lightning brand that had a variant in the British brand sold as Vauxhall VX220 and of which 7,200 units were manufactured between 2000 and 2005. Even, the British also manufactured the old tesla roadster using the same platform as the Elise and Exige. This was one of the last cooperations with another manufacturer, and from which 2,515 units came out between 2007 and 2012.
A stage closes and one of the most interesting in the history of Lotus opens, a true rebirth with the hand of the Geely Chinese from behind. A more than exciting future that will start in spring 2022 when the new Emira goes into production, and the Lotus’ first electric SUV, known as the ‘Type 132’. The new hybrid sports car is completing its testing phases as a prototype, a volume model of which 5,000 units will be manufactured annually in a single shift. At a much higher level, it will also arrive the Evija, an electric hypercar that promises to be the most powerful in the world.