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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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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