Lotus designs micros: Brazilian ‘tribrids’, by Lotus
Lotus is to design a pair of multi-fuel micro sports cars for a Rio-based manufacturer
Lotus Engineering has landed a commission to design and develop a pair of lightweight urban sports cars for newly formed Rio de Janeiro-based manufacturer Obvio! Automotoveiculos SA.
The deal, potentially worth £70m, involves the engineering of a small city car, the 828, and a compact coupe, the 012. Both seat three abreast and will feature an advanced monocoque based on the ‘Niess Elliptical Survival Rings’ technology used in aerospace that gives exceptional rigidity combined with very light weight – the target for the 012 is 750kg, 600kg for the 828.
For the first stage of the project, Lotus has to develop new engine management for the Brazilian-built 1.6-litre Tritec engine (as used in the mk1 BMW Mini) that will turn it into a ‘tribrid’ unit that can switch between running on gasoline, bio-ethanol or natural gas.
Obvio! has already secured a pre-paid £350m contract to supply a North American distributor with 50,000 units per year.
