It’s not every day you have the opportunity to see two of a brand's most important vehicles in the same room, along with the man who pushed to make them happen. That’s exactly what we did in Los Angeles, atGalpin Motors, one of Lotus's premier dealerships. We got some one-on-one time to pick the brain of one of Lotus’s most influential individuals, Simon Lane, the director ofLotus Advanced Performance. Simon personally walked us through boththe Evija, representing the Lotus of the future; and the Type 66, which represents the Lotus racers of the past.

Both vehicles are slated for production next year for specific customers at opposite ends of the supercar market. Understanding both vehicles in relation to the current Lotus production car, the absolutely delightful Emira, is a great perspective on Lotus’s commitment to building stunning sporty cars that impress any driver at any skill level.

Lotus Has Multiple Engineering And Design Divisions

Garret Donohue / TopSpeed/ Valnet

Currently majority owned by Geely, Lotus has funding available for ambitious projects such as Evija and Type 66. Beyond that, their strategic move into the mainstream electric market is being launched with two new models with more of Geely’s influence/expertise.The Eletre SUV and Emaya sedan are the next step in Lotus Cars’ journey; however, there is more to the company’s story. Lotus also operates as an engineering consulting organization in Warwick, alongside the purely automotive division, which remains in Hethel, in England's east. A newer division which compliments Lotus’s entry into the electric lifestyle, headquartered in China, is the formerGeely Design Studio now known as Lotus Tech.

Somewhere between Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering sits the internal “Lotus Advanced Performance” division. Much likeBMW’s M or Jaguars SVO, Lotus Advanced Performance is responsible for bringing the brand’s cutting edge projects to life. This group of designers and engineers is responsible for the Evija and Type 66 projects, both of which are being led by Simon Lane. We had the opportunity to talk with Simon, who personally walked us through both the very impressive Evija and Type 66 back-to-back. Whilethe Emira is Lotus’s last gasoline powered production car, Simon reassures us that exciting projects not unlike Type 66 are to follow, especially considering the publics overwhelmingly positive impression. Both vehicles showcase Lotus almost unbelievable engineering prowess with both internal combustion and electrified vehicles.

Lotus Advanced Performance Director Simon Lane On The 2,000 Horsepower Evija

The essence of a Lotus must be present in every vehicle produced.

The Evija ultracar brings 2,000 horsepower from four electric motors, packaged into two separate drive units. One at each axle allows precise deployment of power and a torque vectoring system that Simon says, "Is one of the most sophisticated parts of Evija." He maintains the vehicle must have "A signature Lotus feel, despite it being a major technological step forward. The essence of a Lotus must be present in every vehicle produced." So far, only a select few have experienced the Evija from behind the wheel.

Simon recounts his own experience with the electric supercar, "It must feel light on its feet, but planted to the pavement, handle like nothing else, and go like nothing else." With up to 2,000 horsepower, depending on drive mode, and a relatively light weight of 3,700 pounds, Evija should definitely tick those boxes.

What Makes The Lotus Evija Special?

• 2,012 horsepower, top five of all time
• 2.9-second 0-60
• Fully electric
• $2 million price tag
• Only 130 will be built

Simon discussed the entire vehicle, pointing out some key aspects to Evija that make itan extreme performance-focused supercar. You might never look for it, but the rear diffuser that starts around where the passenger seats sit and grows gradually all the way to the back of the car. Extensive use of carbon fiber has been integrated into the entire car, from the bespoke chassis to all the panels, and most of the interior is constructed from the lightweight material. The incredibly thin center-stack controls illuminate when the car is on, but remain blank and sculptural when off.Evija has an F1-like steering wheel that is almost miniature withintegrated DRS, drive mode, and infotainment controls. The Interior also takes a minimal and open concept approach excluding clutter or any unnecessary weight. You can even see through parts of the cabin that are usually shod with paneling.

Lotus Evija Specifications

Aero management is extensive, starting from the very front of the car, all the way to the rear. As is the cooling, an aspect Simon says, "Is critical to maintaining such a high level of performance from this type of powertrain." Carbon ceramic regenerative brakes are standard on Evija. The open air through-tunnels are inspired directly from jet fighters, and the taillights that surround them are a subtle hint at the visual of an afterburner. Unusual rear suspension utilizes three race car-like inboard-mounted shocks/dampers, two for the rear wheels with, "An extra one dedicated to manage the transfer of torque throughout the chassis." We don’t mean to geek out here, but the impressive list of clever tech and genius engineering goes on.

Lotus Celebrates Its 75th Anniversary With The Type 66

Lotus 

To celebrate the75th anniversary of the brand, the team at Lotus knew it had to do something special. It couldn’t just be another special edition, or some gimmicky event. Lotus is a brand rooted in heritage, rooted in racing. The only way to honor Colin Chapman and the brand itself was to dig down deep and bring out something truly special. Simon Lane did just that and worked directly with Clive Chapman to bring to life a real showstopper. That could only be the legendary Type 66. A literal legend until now, Simon and Clive set outto turn that legend into a reality with a bespoke race car to be shared with a select few. Lotus has been busy building a lineup of electrified production vehicles, but with the Evija and Type 66 on the way, showcasing both together is somehow a fitting representation of the brand’s bandwidth to develop specialty vehicles. Ones that, "other manufacturers might not be able to, due to volume or other restrictions."

Type 66: A Legend Lives

Clive Chapman, the son of Lotus founder Colin, is still very much a part of his father’s legacy, having an instrumental part in the brand’s trajectory. For Lotus’s 75th Anniversary, Simon says he approached him inquiring about a particular vehicle never actually produced, but remained a concept only in hand-drawn designs.Type 66 was to exist as a game-changing racer back in 1970. It would have used Lotus’s F1 chassis of the time, but with a design that utilized aero from Le Mans cars. This F1/Le Mans melting pot of a race car would have innovated with repositioned radiators creating a more streamlined front design. Since Colin Chapman was focused solely on F1 at the time, the somewhat experimental Type 66 never saw production.

Using design sketches from the original concept, Lotus created 3D renders and eventually full scale versions of the car with as few changes as possible to allow it both to be legally sellable, and remain true to the original design.Type 66 uses modern innovations such as an 830 horsepower racing V-8, electric power steering, ABS, and anti-stall to make driving a touch more approachable for the 10 lucky customers who will take delivery of the extremely rare model. The particular car we viewed featured a Lotus logo on the shift lever which Simoin says, "Originated from one of Colin Chapman’s personal cufflinks." The 10 examples represent the 10 races Type 66 would have competed in during the 1970 racing season, and now lives as 10 stunning examples of Lotus’s 75th Anniversary. What better way to celebrate than keeping its heritage alive?