Lotus have announced that its Lotus Type 130 hypercarhypercarhypercar will debut in London on 16 July 2019. It is the first completely new Lotus to hit the market since the arbors went on sale back in 2008. Lotus also claims that the Type 130 will be the first fully electric hypercar built by a British manufacturer.
The Hethel-based company has focussed on its core range in recent years. The Elise, Exige and Evora have produced a steady demand in recent years, enough to keep the company in business at least. A takeover by Chinese giant Geeley, in 2017 has afforded it better funding.
The Lotus Type 130 will be produced in low numbers. 130 to be precise. The name is intended to draw inspiration from the Type 14 Elite of 1957 and the other Type models that followed.
The Type 130 will carry proper supercar proportions, sitting close to the ground and with a width of almost 2 meters. The carbonfibre structure, built in Hethel at the company’s headquarters, will get a teardrop cockpit and underfloor air tunnels inspired by the venturi tunnels of LMP cars.
Power will come from and all-electric drivetrain, producing somewhere in the region of 1,000 hp. The battery will sit behind the cockpit and will power all four wheels. Range should be in the region of 250 miles with the powertrain developed by Williams Advanced Engineering.
Hope it is as pretty as it is powerful.