Men with beards rejoice, Lotus promises new petrol car
Lotus has slammed the brakes on its full EV plan, Morgan unveil spiciest ever car and man drives across world in Ineos Grenadier.
The old joke went something like this: If Colin Chapman could see that Lotus cars were electric, he would spin in his grave so fast that you could use him to charge them. This would get many knee slaps from the type of people you wouldn’t want to date your sister; bearded fellows in country pubs who have opinions on slip differentials and straight-cut gears, whose idea of fashion is boot-cut jeans and brown shoes. You get the idea.
While the world must move on from internal combustion, I did sympathise. Lotus was about being fast, being light, and breaking down. The new Lotus is very much about being fast, but they are heavy and reliable. When we were told that the Emira was to be the last petrol-powered Lotus, it did feel like something was going to be lost permanently.
But there is news, and it is good for the bearded crowd. Lotus has changed its mind. There will be more petrol. Throw those pints of brown stout in the air.
On Tuesday, our friends in Norfolk announced Focus 2030 and, more importantly, that they are making a new car powered by a hybrid-V8 engine. Could the Esprit be back? Perhaps, but for now, it is known as the Type 135. It will arrive in 2028, and while we do not know what it will look like, we know that it will be powered by a V8 hybrid (dubbed the X-Hybrid) and produce more than 980bhp, which is many.
There is lots of great news in Lotus’s announcement. As well as the Type 135, the company announced that it will keep producing the fabulous Emira, with an update promised very soon, and that the arrival in the UK of the X-Hybrid powered Eletre is imminent.
‘Lotus was born from the rebellious spirit of Colin Chapman, and that is not lost today,’ said Qingfeng Feng, Lotus Group CEO. ‘Focus 2030 will reset both the brand and the business to keep us true to our DNA. We are obsessed with engineering, obsessed with performance and obsessed with building drivers’ cars, and that is what will grow this business.’ Quite right too. Somewhere, Colin is revving slightly slower. You can read the full announcement here.
Man drives from Norway to South Africa faster than ever before
Fine-art photographer and adventurer John Balsdon has set a new record for the legendary Cape to Cape Challenge, driving 20,000km (12,400 miles) in an Ineos Grenadier in a time of 28 days and 13 hours. The new record is five hours quicker than the old record, which stood for 42 years.
Balsdon achieved the feat with a support team of five, taking two Grenadiers in convoy from Nordkapp in Norway all the way down to Cape Agulhas in South Africa. They crossed 25 borders across two continents, with temperatures ranging from -28ºC to 48ºC. They also set additional records by towing a trailer, as well as driving the route with two cars simultaneously.
‘Our Grenadiers took us from the coldest place in Europe to the hardest and hottest places in Africa,’ said Balsdon. ‘They were heavily laden, with one of them towing an expedition trailer for nearly 24,000km. It was tough on us, but much tougher on the cars — but they performed and were reliable no matter the environment or our demands. Being with them across this journey showed us the character of these cars and they endeared themselves to all six of us!’
Trousers to be tested to limits as Morgan puts 400bhp in new Supersport
Breaking the fourth wall here for a moment, but sometimes myself and other car journalists that I like go for a beer and talk about cars. A miracle we’re all in relationships, but I digress. It’s rare for all of us to meet up and agree about a single thing, but the Morgan Supersport was one of those moments. Universal acclaim and praise poured forth faster than pints could be refilled; the Supersport was and is a triumph, and there could be no debate about it.
This was news to me as I had not driven the Supersport (Morgan, if you’re reading this, email me) and the one time I had driven a Morgan before, I got so frightened that I had vowed never to drive one again. But cars (and people) can change.
Anyway, the Supersport is now even more super and more sporty. The company announced at the end of last month that they have made the most powerful production Morgan yet, the Supersport 400. Powered by a BMW six-cylinder turbocharged engine, and paired with an eight-speed automatic box, the car also features the Dynamic Handling Pack as standard, delivering ‘enhanced composure, precision and control’. That will be necessary in a car that weighs 1,170kg. Fruity stuff.
‘From the outset, our aim has been to create a vehicle that is sharper and more deliberate, ensuring the additional power is delivered in a way that feels balanced, intuitive and deeply rewarding for the driver. At the same time, a subtle design evolution gives Supersport 400 a more distinct and purposeful character,’ says Matthew Hole, managing director at Morgan Motor Company.
‘We are immensely proud of Supersport 400. It stands at the pinnacle of our range and reflects the progress we are making as a business. It demonstrates how we can evolve our platform to increase capability in a way that remains distinctly Morgan — defined by handcrafted construction, human engagement in the driving experience and a commitment to delivering pure driving joy.’
