Thursday, March 4, 2010

Lotus Hot Wheels Concept, 2007

Lotus Hot Wheels Concept, 2007




To celebrate its 40th anniversary next year, Hot Wheels approached Lotus and other world leaders in he automotive industry with the challenge for each company to produce a vehicle that embodies its own engineering philosophy and brand.


Lotus Design's international reputation for designing visually dynamic and exhilarating sports cars perfectly fitted the brief for this programme and we relished the opportunity to design a concept that was free from the typical technical and legal constraints of a full size car.
The car needed to be recognisable as a Lotus without having to turn it over to look at the badge underneath, so.  Bold aerodynamic aids are incorporated to achieve exceptional Lotus handling. The top exit radiator at the front, a distinctive Lotus design feature, the rear diffuser and a large rear wing all provide down-force helping the vehicle stick to the road. In addition, large side air intakes and an open rear end aid engine breathing. Inside the car, the exposed centre spine is part of the structure and incorporates the switches and gear linkage and supports the rear wing."

Lotus Design has a global reputation and is responsible for the design of all Lotus cars, including Lotus Europa, Exige and iconic Elise and many designs for our engineering clients globally. The same design team who created this stunning concept is also designing our new range of cars, the first of which, codenamed Project Eagle, will go into production at the end of next year."