Lotus Elite // Paris Motorshow

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There are big things ahead for Lotus in the coming days. At the Paris Motorshow at the end of the month, the Norfolk-based – but Malaysian-backed – car company is relaunching itself as it guns for the likes of Ferrari et al.

It’s no surprise with ex-Ferrari man Dany Bahar in the CEO’s chair. The first model from new-Lotus is this, the Elite.

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Designed to compete head-to-head with the Ferrari California, the new Elite features a front-mounted 5.0-litre V8 borrowed from the Lexus IS-F. In the Elite R, it’ll be offered in a 612bhp state of tune which promises a 0-100kph time of something between 3.5 and 3.7secs.

The Elite will only be available with a seven-speed dual-clutch box and features a folding metal roof – much like the aforementioned Ferrari. Tech highlights include a KERS-style hybrid system which can delivery 50bhp boosts in power for swift overtaking.

We’ll bring you more on the car live from Paris next week.