Lotus Confirms Type 131 Sports Car, Death of Elise, Evora, and Exige in 2021

From Road & Track

Lotus confirmed on Monday production of its current lineup, consisting of the Elise, Exige, and Evora, will come to an end in 2021. The trio of cars will be replaced by a "new series of sports cars," according to the company. The first, codenamed Type 131, will go into production this year.

The company didn't release any specifics on the Type 131, saying only that it and other cars that follow will have an "overriding criteria of being ‘For The Drivers.'" Back in April, we heard the car would be an entry-level vehicle meant for daily driving, taking design cues from the all-electric Evija hypercar.

Thanks to a $137-million investment into Lotus's Hethel, U.K. facilities, the company plans to hire 250 new employees, adding to the 670 that have joined the company since it was acquired by parent company Geely in 2017.