Lotus Theory 1 – new-age electric Esprit concept with 1,000 PS, 402 km range, central driving position

Despite being in much ruder health than at any point in its 76-year history, Lotus is in a bit of a pickle. Sure, the company currently sells the Emira sports car and the electric Evija hypercar, but the cars that define where the brand is headed are the also-electric Eletre SUV and Emeya sedan – cars that are handsome, fast and well-built, yes, but not exactly simple or lightweight.

That won’t do for a sports car specialist, which is why Hethel has pulled the covers off the Theory 1, a new concept car that indicates the direction Lotus is taking for its electric “intelligent performance vehicles” – all while paying tribute to the seminal Esprit.

Its debut coincides with the reveal of the company’s new design manifesto called The Lotus Theory, which feature three core principles – Digital, representing an “immersive, intelligent and intuitive experience,” Natural, defined by an “emotional, connected, human-centric design,” and Analogue, corresponding to Lotus’ “continuous advancement of performance engineering.”

That’s a lot of talk, but how does this all relate to building a sports car? Well, the Theory 1 is a result of Lotus returning to its traditional sensibilities by utilising minimal materials and advanced aerodynamics, while introducing a bunch of interesting new technologies.

First, the company set the challenge of using just ten A-surface materials, compared to around 100 for an average car. These include cellulose-based fibreglass, recycled chopped carbon fibre, titanium, recycled glazing, polyester and rubber, elastomeric, transparent and thermoplastic polyurethane, and recycled aluminium. All have been chosen with performance, durability, lightness and sustainability in mind.

Lotus then used race car-style engineering, such as using the motor and battery as stressed members. The rear pullrod suspension – which is more compact and affords a lower centre gravity – and even the active rear wing is mounted to the rear motor, eliminating the need for a separate subframe. Lotus is targeting a weight of under 1,600 kg – still heavy by traditional Lotus standards, but lighter than most EVs.

This is despite the Theory 1 delivering some impressive performance figures. Its all-wheel-drive powertrain pushes out 1,000 PS (735 kW), enabling the car to zip from zero to 100 km/h in under 2.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 320 km/h. Perhaps even more impressively given all this power on tap, the Theory 1 manages to extract 402 km of WLTP-rated range from a 70 kWh battery.

On the outside, the Theory 1 is a typical wedged-shaped supercar brought into a new era, with sharp lines and lots of aggressive aero underneath the smooth upper surfaces. The front half of the car is almost entirely glazed, encompassing not just the windows but also the distinctive laser headlights developed by Kyocera. The L-shaped daytime running lights use laser wire that is less than a millimetre thick, while tiny dipped and high beam projectors have also been installed.

Along the side, the glazed area terminates at the trailing edge of the doors, forming an L shape that brings to mind the aforementioned Esprit. Meanwhile, the fully-transparent roof leads into the black rear wing that also integrates a slim taillight bar, sitting atop a gaping centre section. The wheels measure 20 inches in diameter at the front and 21 inches at the back, shod with Pirelli P Zero Elect tyres and hiding massive AP Racing carbon ceramic brakes with lightweight asymmetric monobloc aluminium callipers.

The bottom half of the car is made up of carbon fibre and houses all of the aerodynamic surfaces. These include the air curtains and diffuser at the front, as well as side pods that isolate turbulence, directing it to the massive rear diffuser. Underneath, you’ll find a contoured underfloor that house NACA cooling ducts and air vents that prevent separation.

Dimensionally, the Theory 1 takes up around the same footprint as a Ferrari 296 GTB, measuring 4,490 mm long, exactly two metres wide and just 1,100 mm tall. The car can afford to be that wide because of its headlining feature – doors that open upwards and rearwards, bringing with it parts of the roof. This enables the driver to get in and out even within a tight 2.4-metre-wide parking space.

Step inside and you’ll find the second highlight – a McLaren F1-style central driving position, with two more passengers sitting behind the driver on either side. The seemingly meanly-padded seats (with lightweight 3D-printed lattice headrests) are mounted directly to the carbon tub, with the steering wheel and pedals moving back to meet the driver. Steer-by-wire technology allows the car to adjust the ratio, response and feel through the rim at all times.

On top of all this is a range of rather left-field technologies designed to enhance the driving experience, grouped under the Lotuswear brand. The most outlandish of these is a robotic textile material, developed in conjunction with MotorSkins – replete with inflatable pods that provide haptic feedback through the seats while driving.

Lotus appears to be using this material to coach the driver, indicating when to turn in concert with laser lights on the dashboard showing left and right turns. There are even RGB lights atop the visible suspension components that tell the driver when to accelerate and brake.

Also part of the Lotuswear suite is a Technology Line that runs along the exterior and interior of the car, around where the glazed surfacing meets body colour – again referencing the Esprit, this time the functional black “joining band”. This incorporates the OLED displays that provide information to the drivers and passengers on the inside, as well as pedestrians and other road users on the outside.

The Lotuswear Technology Line also houses the sensors for the Theory 1’s Level 4 autonomous driving function, such as the four pop-out lidar sensors, six cameras, short- and long-range radar sensors and ultrasonic sensors. All these sensors run on the Nvidia Drive platform, operating trillions of processes per second to enhance both safety and vehicle capabilities.

It remains to be seen whether the Theory 1 is just a load of hot air or a genuine look into the future of Hethel. There are, of course, no plans to bring the Theory 1 to production, but Lotus says the technologies are expected to be implemented into its future products in the coming years.

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