Doors The Theory 1 is accessed via reverse- opening and wrap-over doors. Payne said they were developed to minimise the footprint by extending the least possible distance from the car. They can be opened in a 2.4-metre parking space.
IN THE ESPRIT’S TYRE TRACKS
The transformative Lotus Esprit was born from a programme to develop a successor to the Europa, but the finished product was a remarkably different design and among the first of designer Giorgetto Giugiaro’s wedge-shaped ‘folded paper’ designs.
Production began in 1976, with more than 10,000 Esprits produced across various generations before it was discontinued in 2004. Helped by its appearance in Roger Moore-era James Bond fi lms, the Esprit transformed the fortunes of then-struggling Lotus.
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Esprit’s popularity was buoyed by starring roles in Bond films hypercar.
“It’s high performance, but not the ultimate extreme end of it ,” said Payne. “It ’s about a balanced proposition with a fantastic car and a great user experience, which can give some real direct translation of our core brand back into an electric performance vehicle.”
TO SHOWCASE FUTURE purposefully positioned as a supercar rather than a
The concept showcases Lotus’s new ‘design manifesto’, termed DNA, for ‘Digital, Natural and Analogue’. The approach is based around the use of intelligent technology and performance engineering to develop driver-focused cars. Styling for the Theory 1 was led by the team at Lotus’s design centre in Coventry, and the concept sits on a bespoke platform.
The Theory 1 is 4490mm long and just 1140mm tall, with a 2650mm wheelbase. Payne said the design and engineering teams worked together closely to “balance creating something that was aesthetically pleasing and functionally correct”.
The car is in effect split into two sections, with a heavily sculpted lower tub in exposed carbonfibre topped by a white body that merges into a large glass dome roof.
Engineer Phil Hall said: “Really, there’s a singleseater race car structure underneath, in terms of the structure, suspension and aerodynamics, but with a nice dress on top to make it more approachable as an everyday road car proposition.”
The front end features a diffuser and drag-reducing air deflectors, which are designed to create an air curtain to reduce wake. That works in conjunction with a sculpted underside that directs air into the cooling system before being directed to reduce drag and optimise the downforce of the adjustable rear wing.
Despite the emphasis on aerodynamics, style was an important consideration. Exterior design lead Amar
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