Yahoo Autos The Lotus Theory 1 Concept Teases the Brand's Sports Cars of Tomorrow
Lotus is unwavering about its future sports cars being electric, and the Theory 1 concept car revealed on Tuesday is a detailed preview of what’s coming next — with a dash of nostalgia tossed in on the side. Elements of the mid-engine Esprit may be present in the silhouette, but dig below the surface, and you'll find Lotus has packed the car with both experimental new features and plenty of performance.
As tends to be the case with high-performance EVs, the Theory 1 is all-wheel drive, with a combined output of 986 horsepower. Lotus claims a 0-62 mph run in less than 2.5 seconds alongside a top speed of 198 mph. Weight reduction efforts are evident throughout the car, which uses a recycled carbon tub, a composite and polycarbonate body, and a rear electric motor and battery assembly designed as a stressed member with no need for a subframe. Lotus says the curb weight sits under 3,527 pounds. A smaller-than-expected 70 kilowatt-hour battery pack helps, but estimated range (on the optimistic WLTP cycle) is just 250 miles.
The Theory 1 uses a racing-inspired pull rod suspension design with adaptive dampers, while the rear wing is mounted to the motor and suspension assembly. The car’s unique nose cone is designed to reduce aerodynamic drag as much as possible and direct air along a contoured underfloor. Air moves through low drag NACA ducts into the cooling system, while side pods aim to reduce turbulence and direct air toward the rear of the car.
Pull back beyond the busy-looking sharp edges, and the Theory 1 takes on a monolithic and Esprit-esque wedge shape. Its staggered wheels and tires – 20-inch rims in front and 21s in back – dominate the side view, and hide a massive AP Racing carbon-ceramic braking system.
Much of the weirdness begins inside the Theory 1, where it looks nothing like a production car. It’s a three-seat vehicle, with a central driver’s spot and twin passenger chairs flanking it, McLaren F1-style. More bizarrely, the car has a new infotainment system termed “Lotuswear,” which makes use of inflatable pods on the seats and steering wheel to communicate with the driver and passengers. For example, Lotus says a pulse on one side of the wheel could be used to indicate when a driver should make a turn. The doors are a new proprietary design, hinged at the rear and swiveling both upwards and backwards with the aim of easing entry and exit in tight spaces.
The funky-looking headrests use a 3D-printed lattice structure to save weight, and they’re integrated with the car’s KEF audio system to provide individual listening experiences for each person. The driver assistance system hardware claims Level 4 self-driving capability, with four LiDAR sensors and cameras galore. It also features steer-by-wire to facilitate the autonomous features — a huge change from the hydraulic steering found in the current Emira.
The whole car is meant to be an embodiment of Lotus’s new “design manifesto,” which Lotus terms “Digital Natural and Analogue” — DNA for short. And while there are no promises to produce the Theory 1 as it stands today, we'd certainly expect to see design elements, features and more applied to future production Lotus cars.
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