MacGyver of the Potska world..Lotus with 10 members
Feb 25, 2025
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In the automotive sector, there are brands like MacGyver that are versatile 'talented'.It's Lotus.When developing a new car, it asks for help from other brands with expertise in the field to improve the performance of certain parts, and Lotus is famous in the industry as a "first-party instructor" with various solution experiences.
Today, I would like to introduce 10 models in which Lotus participated in the development.
①Hyundai Genesis(DH) Sedan…Participate in overall sha development
In 2014, Hyundai Motor said, "Lotus, famous for its lightweight sports car, participated in the development of the Genesis chassis. Through partnership with Lotus, we developed the overall chassis, including the driving mode and suspension of Genesis."The fact that Hyundai Motor, a global carmaker, mentioned Lotus as a development partner shows the reliability of Lotus engineering.
In fact, Hyundai's driving completion has changed significantly since the launch of the second-generation Genesis (DH).This is the result of fierce driving tests at Nurburgring Nordschleipe, Germany, famous for its "green hell," and enhancing the "basics" of the car, including solid driving texture, high-speed driving stability, braking performance, and handling.In the background was the "Solution" of motorsport expert Lotus.
Kia Soul...European version suspension tuning operation
There is also a link with Kia's now discontinued 'boxcar' Soul.The Soul is a crossover model that became sensational in the United States at the time, driving out the original Nissan Cube.However, the tastes of U.S. consumers, who like a cozy ride, and European consumers, who prefer a solid driving texture, were "the exact opposite."Therefore, Kia requested Lotus to tune the suspension and body of Soul for the European market at the time to increase its marketability.
3 Setting the ride comfort and handling of Kia Credos
In fact, his relationship with Kia has been longer.Kia, which connected with Lotus through sports car Elan, commissioned Lotus in the mid-1990s to set up the chassis for Credos, which led the mid-size sedan "Golden Age" with Hyundai Sonata and Daewoo Prince.Lotus works include speed-sensitive power steering and traction control systems as well as front suspensions with a unique structure.Through this, Kia put the phrase "expletive handling" as the advertising slogan of Credos, and the actual Credos' cornering and handling performance was even better than the previous Concord.
④Lotus Omega/Lotus Carlton…World's Fastest 4-door Sedan
In 1986, General Motors of the United States acquired Group Lotus, incorporating its know-how in developing its various new cars.Opel Lotus Omega is a typical example.Perhaps "patients" who like high-performance sedans like the BMW M5 can remember this car.At that time, Lotus made a special version with enhanced driving performance based on mid-sized sedans that were sold as Opel Omega and Voxhall Carlton, respectively.
For example, the displacement of a solid engine with a series 6-cylinder 3.0L was increased to 3.6L, and two Gareth T25 turbines were planted.On top of that, the engine block was strengthened to increase durability, and the suspension was also tuned to create a high-performance sedan that emitted a maximum output of 382 horsepower.Production was carried out at the Hedel plant in Lotus UK.
The exterior was sold only in one color, 'Imperial Green', similar to the British racing green, adding a Lotus badge to the front wheel fender to add speciality.In addition, it beat BMW M5 to win the title of "the fastest four-door sedan of its time" by adding a variety of items that will make enthusiasts jump, including ZF 6-speed manual gear, rear-wheel LSD, and 4-piston brake calipers.
Lotors designed by Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 Engine
At the same time, Lotus also participated in the development of Chevrolet's two-door sports car Corvette.At the time, Chevrolet developed the fourth-generation Corvette and wanted outstanding performance to compete in the global sports car market, not just on straight roads.As a result, Lotus was entrusted with the engine, steering, and braking system design of the "ZR-1," which is at the peak of the Corvette lineup.
Instead of the traditional eight-cylinder engine, which is the symbol of the US muscle car, Rotus has produced a V8 5.7L DOHCLT5 380-horsepower engine, dissolving a lot of European sensibility in the clunky Corvette.This is why the car used "King of the Hill" as its project name.
⑥ Aston Martin Bangquish Chass is also a Lotus work
Loters also participated in the development of new cars for Aston Martin, the same British luxury sports car brand. In 2001, Aston Martin introduced the first generation of bangquish, and you'll find a carbon fiber backbone chassis developed by Lotus.Thanks to this, Bangquish was able to achieve a relatively light tolerance weight of 1.8 tons even with a huge V125.9L gasoline engine.
⑦ Toyota Supra Suspension Tuning
In 1982, Lotus partnered with Toyota to help develop the second-generation Toyota Supra.Specifically, the four-wheel independent suspension of the Supra was designed to balance not only the winding driving performance but also the comfortable ride.In the wake of the Toyota collaboration, Lotus was able to launch an Excel replacement for the aging Eclat, which features a five-speed manual transmission like the Supra, drive shafts, rear differentials and door handles, lowering the price of the vehicle by more than 1,000 euros compared to its predecessor.
Tuning work to improve ⑧ Nissan GT-R performance
Collaboration with Japanese brands can also be found in Nissan's flagship sports car GT-R. With the 2007 GT-R, Nissan was consulted by Lotus Engineering to improve the overall performance of the new model.As a result, GT-R not only achieved an air resistance coefficient of Cd 0.27, but also beat the Porsche 911's lap time in Nurburgring Nordschleife, Germany, making it one of the best sports cars of its time.
⑨ Ease Piazza, "Handling by Lotus" Some models proudly attach the fact that they were tuned by the
rotors.It's Isuzu Piaja.It was sold under the name Isuzu Impulse in the North American market as a sports coupe of Isuzu, which was responsible for style by Italian design master Giorgeto Giugiaro. In 1987, there was a high-performance version of the Piaja lineup with a suspension designed by Lotus, with the phrase "handling by Lotus" on its side.
⑩ Dodge Spirit R/T…"The fastest front-wheel drive in the U.S."
Spirit is a mid-sized sedan sold by the Dodge brand under Chrysler from 1989 to 1995.Lotus created the R/T version of Heart, which had the strongest performance of Spirit's many lineups.It is a turbo engine with a series four-cylinder 2.2L, and the maximum power of 227 horsepower was quite impressive at the time.
At the time, Spirit R/T had the advertising slogan of "the fastest sedan made in the United States."In fact, the U.S. automobile magazine praised it as the "fastest front-wheel drive vehicle in the United States" at the time, and selected Spirit R/T as the "Sports Sedan of the Year."
If you look at the back of automobile history like this, you can see examples of various high-performance models receiving Lotus' solutions.This is also why Lotus recently introduced the "basic" driving of next-generation pure electric vehicles such as Eletra and Emeya, which are very good.
Editor Kim Tae-jin, tj.kim@carguy.kr (data = Lotus Korea)
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
