NHTSA Investigates Lotus Elise Oil-Cooler Ruptures

The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) is investigating oil-cooler leaks on 4,400 Lotus Elise sports cars from the 2005-2006 model years. The safety agency instigated the search after 33 owners complained that their cars’ oil-cooler ruptured, spraying oil on the wheels and /or the engine bay.

According to the document filed on the agency’s web site, one owner allegedly lost control of his car when oil spilled on his front right tire made him spin and veer off the road. Several others reported that they suddenly saw the oil warning light come on and stopped to check the oil level only to find that the sump was empty.

However, the most serious claim is by an owner who says his Elise caught fire because of the oil spilling into the engine bay.

The NHTSA said it is looking into the issue.

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Lotus Evora S Patrol Cars to Assist Italian Police Force

Not to be outshined by their compagni over at the highway patrol unit and their Lamborghini Gallardo cruisers (that is, when they don't crash them...), the Arma dei Carabinieri, a division of the Italian army that polices both military and civilian populations, has received a pair of bespoke Lotus Evora S sports cars.

The two specially-prepped Evora S models will serve the units based in Rome and Milan for the next two years.

Among other features, both patrol cars are equipped with some of the latest voice recognition technologies including the EVA (Enhanced Vehicle Automation) system, as well as a special portable refrigeration compartment mounted behind the front seats that allows for the safe transport of vital organs and blood required during medical emergencies.

Following the presentation of the two Lotus patrol cars, Lotus Chief Executive Officer Dany Bahar commented: “Everyone knows that Italy has more than it’s fair share of high profile sports car manufacturers so it is a real honour for a relatively small British brand to be in this position”.

Carabinieri spokesperson, Colonel Marco Minicucci noted that only trained drivers will sit behind the wheel of the Lotus sports models.

“Not just anyone can drive these cars, we carefully selected some of our team to attend a driver training session at the new test track at Lotus’ headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk where they learnt all about the very special characteristics and incredible potential of the cars,” said Minicucci.

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British GP: Red Bull Takes the Front Row in Qualifying with Webber in Pole Position

The unpredictable weather conditions made the qualifying of the British Grand Prix something of a gamble, and the teams weather forecasts were expecting rain during the final session. So everyone made sure that they got out quickly in order to set a fast time before it started to rain again.

Once again Sebastian Vettel was the man to beat, setting a provisional pole. But this was not to last as his team mate, Mark Webber, recorded a fastest lap just seconds later beating Vettel by just 0.032 seconds.

Behind the Red Bull-occupied front row were the two Ferraris. Third place went to Fernando Alonso, who was just 0.1 seconds slower than Vettel and fourth to Felipe Massa, with the Scuderia obviously very happy with the progress they have made.

Jenson Button’s McLaren was fifth, but his team mate Lewis Hamilton couldn’t manage anything better than 10th place in his home Grand Prix. The surprise of the day was the performance of Paul di Resta, who in his rookie period brought his Force India to the sixth place of the grid.

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Lotus to Replace Evora with Elan in 2017

Lotus’ most recent new sports car, the Evora, will stay into production until at least 2017, when it will be replaced with the new Elan according to the company’s boss Danny Bahar. This changes the initial plan that called for the Evora to be replaced as early as 2012.

rel="nofollow" Bahar also told UK magazine Autocar that Lotus is building its own V8 instead of using Toyota’s unit from the Lexus IS-F, as research from the Paris Motor Show floor concerning the new Esprit revealed that customers were unwilling to pay the price for a $100,000+ supercar powered by a Toyota engine.

The new Esprit will be launched, if everything goes according to plan, in 2013. The new engine, according to Wolf Zimmerman who heads the engineering department, is 40% smaller than the Toyota’s, solving packaging problems. Zimmerman also added that it could form the basis for a new four-cylinder unit, being effectively one bank of the V8, to power smaller models in the range such as the new Elise and Exige.

Bahar also confirmed that the Ethos city car will indeed enter production, selling as a Lotus small-volume luxury small car, probably as a pure EV or a hybrid, in Europe and as a more affordable Proton with conventional internal combustion engines in Asia.

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Silverstone Organisers Ask: What is the Best British Sports Car of All Time?

The fifteen finalists in the Silverstone Classic’s, “Best British Sports Car of All Time” vote-in have been announced, and boy is there some choice picks. Before we get to that though, can I just point out a misnomer in using the, “of All Time” qualifier?

This assumes (prophetically?) that Britain will not be making any more sports cars in the future, whereas, “Best British Sports Car So Far” would be a far more accurate description. But enough with semantics: who are our lucky finalists? Read on….

In the order that I would rate them (with 1 being the highest and 15 the lowest):

1. Jaguar XK 120
2. Lotus Elan
3. MG MGB
4. Jaguar E-Type
5. Aston Martin DB5
6. Lotus 7
7. Austin-Healey 3000
8. Triumph Spitfire
9. AC Cobra
10. MG MGA
11. Morgan
12. Austin-Healey “Frog Eye” Sprite
13. Triumph TR3
14. Triumph TR6
15. TVR Griffith

Event director Nick Wigley describes the competition thusly:

"Britain is famous for its sports cars but no one ever agrees which one is the best. That's a long-running debate we now want to put to rest and where better to settle the result than at the Silverstone Classic, where so many fine examples of these much-loved models will be on show?"

The three day event will feature some 7,000 classic automobiles from over 120 clubs across the United Kingdom. You can vote for your favourite online with the winner to be announced on the 7th of July. Feel free to state your favourite (or pick apart my listing) in the comments section below.

By Tristan Hankins

Link: Silverstone Classics Vote

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