LOTUS TO SHOW TWO FRONT-ENGINE HYBRIDS  IN PARIS

In an attempt to expand their product line, and in keeping with earlier statements regarding Louts’ desire to go green, the British carmaker announced Thursday their intentions to release two new models, both powered by a 1.2 L, 3 cylinder hybrid system generating 47 additional horsepower and extending the driving range of the car.

One model, intended to be similar to the Panamera, will be a four door hatchback, and the other will be Lotus’ more standard two door coupe. The engine, called the “Omnivore”, was debuted at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year; the models, currently unnamed, will premiere at the Paris Auto Show in November.

The Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid is powered by two electric motors providing 204-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque to each rear-wheel, single speed, reduction transmission integrated into a single housing. That provides for a total of 407-hp and a torque of 590 lb-ft with a 0-62 mph time under 4 seconds. After battery power is depleted, the Lotus Range Extender engine, providing 47-hp, allows for additional miles. Overall driving range of 300 miles.

McLAREN PLANS ONE MODEL PER YEAR NEXT 5 YEARS

McLaren Automotive have, since the legendary F1, gone largely dormant; their focus on Formula One racing has meant that their commercial division had fallen off almost entirely. The British supercar maker has returned to scene with the MP4-12C, and this time, they’re not going away anytime soon.

McLaren intends to sell about 1,000 MP4-12C units in the first year of sales, and then add models onto the line annually, hopefully generating 4,500 additional sales in the next half-decade.

McLaren North American director Tony Joseph outlined this vision at a Toronto, Canada unveiling of the MP4-12C, the first of 11 stops across the continent for the unveiling of the “substance over style” supercar. The MP4-12C already has 2,700 interested buyers, well over the 1,000 buyer mark, and McLaren is confident that their foray into the true road car business will prove profitable and that one of the world’s greatest racing car teams can transform itself into a truly great supercar maker as well.

Power for the 2011 McLaren MP4-12C comes from a 3.8L V8 twin-turbo engine producing around 600-hp mated to a 7-speed Seamless Shift dual-clutch gearbox (SSG). 0 to 60 mph is expected to come in the low 3 second range with a top speed of more than 200 mph. Sales begin in early 2011.

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