Autocar March 20, 2019

IT’S ALMOST A decade since then-Lotus CEO Dany Bahar’s infamous Paris show launch of six all-new models, none of which ever got close to seeing the light of day. In fact, the trio of sports cars Lotus does make is the same now as it was before even Bahar arrived. The company’s morale has been low, its Hethel HQ run down and future plans always far enough away to remain a dream rather than an imminent reality. Yet when Geely took over Lotus 18 months ago, we thought the good times were set to finally arrive at Lotus. The Chinese giant’s guardianship of Volvo has been the industry’s standout success story of the past decade. Now there are similar positive signs at Lotus, too. Unlike Bahar, new Lotus CEO Phil Popham will only…

“The Model Y Performance gets 280 miles of range, a 150mph top speed and 0-60mph time of 3.5sec” The new Tesla Model Y, due in 2020, will offer “the functionality of an SUV, but ride like a sports car”, according to company boss Elon Musk. The new electric crossover is the company’s fourth mainstream model and can seat up to seven people. It offers up to 300 miles of range in its highest specification. The Model Y was unveiled at Tesla’s Los Angeles design centre and takes visual cues from both the Model 3 saloon and Model X SUV. It has a glass panoramic roof but does not retain the gullwing doors found on the more expensive Model X, instead using pillarless doors like the Model 3 and Model S. The crossover is around…

Elon Musk spent much of his time on stage at the Model Y launch focusing on how his company had reached this point, laughing with the crowd of employees and owners over his cheeky model-naming conventions and whether a Tesla would soon be driving on Mars. Unveiling the car itself almost seemed like an afterthought. For a company known for attention-grabbing features such as a Ludicrous performance mode and biohazard defence filters, the Model Y almost felt ordinary – but it also gave us a sign of Tesla’s maturity as a car maker, letting the metal speak for itself rather than distracting us with gimmicks. It’s very much a jacked-up Model 3, with a near-identical interior, similar performance and equally competitive price, but that’s all it needs to be. As demand for…

Ineos Automotive has confirmed its Projekt Grenadier will use BMW-sourced petrol and diesel engines in the first of a series of upcoming announcements about its new hardcore 4x4. The model – created by chemical company Ineos, which is owned by Britain’s richest man, Jim Ratcliffe – will be revealed in 2020 and go on sale in mid-2021, the firm has confirmed to Autocar. A host of different variants, bodystyles and wheelbase lengths for the new model are planned as part of its brief as a back-to-basics 4x4 to fill the void left by the original Land Rover Defender. Around 25,000 units a year is the ultimate production goal across its various derivatives. Ineos believes this spiritual successor to the Defender can be profitable at that volume even though Land Rover didn’t have a…

IT’S ALMOST A decade since then-Lotus CEO Dany Bahar’s infamous Paris show launch of six all-new models, none of which ever got close to seeing the light of day. In fact, the trio of sports cars Lotus does make is the same now as it was before even Bahar arrived. The company’s morale has been low, its Hethel HQ run down and future plans always far enough away to remain a dream rather than an imminent reality. Yet when Geely took over Lotus 18 months ago, we thought the good times were set to finally arrive at Lotus. The Chinese giant’s guardianship of Volvo has been the industry’s standout success story of the past decade. Now there are similar positive signs at Lotus, too. Unlike Bahar, new Lotus CEO Phil…

How has the project developed? “I’ve been here since the start, at the end of 2016. We had Jim’s [Ratcliffe] proposition and did a six-month feasibility study in detail with a company in Austria. All the risks were fully understood and a proposition was presented – with risks – and we decided it could be done. So it’s been a two-year journey. We’ve been quiet as we’ve had quite a lot to do.” Where is the project at currently? “We need to appoint key partners and to create a supply chain. When I started this journey, I didn’t think we’d get this far, as we’re reliant on those key partners. We’re a big automotive supplier already with chemicals and plastics for tier-one and tier-two suppliers, but we’re not known. But people like us…