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Video: Lotus Eletre
Can Lotus survive the transition from sports car brand to builder of luxury electric SUVs? Take a drive with us to find out!
Words by: Dan Trent
Published on 19 July 2023 | 0 min read
From Porsche to Ferrari, famous sports car brands the world over have had to accept that SUVs are where the money is at these days and, one way or another, reinvent their heritage and traditions to fit. And the same is happening at Lotus, famed for its lightweight and minimalist road and racing cars but now, under its new Chinese owners, doing the same with the new Eletre . And it couldn’t be more different to the cars Lotus has built previously, as Alex Legouix has been finding out.
For Lotus fans raised on stripped back sports cars like the previous and much-loved Elise and more recent models like the Emira the Eletre is going to be an even bigger shock to the system than the Cayennes Purosangues built by Porsche and Ferrari. Everything about the Eletre is big, from its battery and power outputs to its price (over £100,000 for the S tested here) and ambitions to rival the likes of the BMW iX, Tesla Model X and Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV With a claimed range of over 370 miles, an incredibly high tech cabin, a minimum of 603 horsepower (and over 900 horsepower in the twin-motor Eletre R) Lotus has the firepower to back those claims up. But can it match those more established luxury players in terms of quality and premium ambience, given this is uncharted territory for the brand? We’ll let Alex talk you round that but we’d love to hear your views as well, so join the conversation in the comments thread below the video and if you enjoyed what you’ve seen (and haven’t already done so) make sure you like and subscribe for more great content.
For Lotus fans raised on stripped back sports cars like the previous and much-loved Elise and more recent models like the Emira the Eletre is going to be an even bigger shock to the system than the Cayennes Purosangues built by Porsche and Ferrari. Everything about the Eletre is big, from its battery and power outputs to its price (over £100,000 for the S tested here) and ambitions to rival the likes of the BMW iX, Tesla Model X and Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV With a claimed range of over 370 miles, an incredibly high tech cabin, a minimum of 603 horsepower (and over 900 horsepower in the twin-motor Eletre R) Lotus has the firepower to back those claims up. But can it match those more established luxury players in terms of quality and premium ambience, given this is uncharted territory for the brand? We’ll let Alex talk you round that but we’d love to hear your views as well, so join the conversation in the comments thread below the video and if you enjoyed what you’ve seen (and haven’t already done so) make sure you like and subscribe for more great content.