The simple fact is that the Lotus Sedan is a rare vehicle. Though the company has been around since the 1950s, it has never been known for creating sedans. In fact, there have been a limited number of the larger vehicles offered from the company. Instead, the early years were focused solely on the racing circuit. With a number of racing cars created, Lotus made a name for itself in the Formula One series. Eventually this division of the company would separate from the portion that made stree... (full review continues below)
The simple fact is that the Lotus Sedan is a rare vehicle. Though the company has been around since the 1950s, it has never been known for creating sedans. In fact, there have been a limited number of the larger vehicles offered from the company. Instead, the early years were focused solely on the racing circuit. With a number of racing cars created, Lotus made a name for itself in the Formula One series. Eventually this division of the company would separate from the portion that made street cars so that each could focus on what it was most well known for.
In street cars that reputation was never built on the Lotus Sedan. Instead it focused on the sports cars that the company had to offer. A blend of unique styling, powerful engine, speed and luxury came together to create several lines of coupes and roadsters that continue even into today. Most are available with only two seats, while there have been some models that offered four seats. The most common is the mid-engine variant, but there have been some that featured a front engine. Today there are a number of both racing and sports cars offered by the company.
The first Lotus Sedan to enter the market came in 1974. It was much larger than the traditional Lotus and offered the four seats that are known in sedans. Te Type 75 and Type 83 variant of the Lotus Elite boasted the front engine design that less common from the company, but stuck with the fiberglass that they had become known for. It boasted a manual transmission standard but began to offer automatic as an option in 1976. The sedan ended its run with the company in 1982 after an eight year run.
The Lotus Sedan line also includes such well known names as the Carlton and Omega. They are, in fact, the same car with different names depending on the locale of the buyer. As a sedan, the Carlton had a lot to offer. It was among the quickest sedans to be offered from its inception in 1990. Reaching 60 mph in only 5.2 seconds, the Carlton combined the best of both worlds. It offered the speed of a sports car and the comfort of a sedan. It is considered among classics because production was ended only two years later.
The Lotus Sedan was intertwined with the hybrid model of vehicle with the most recent addition to the lineup, the Eterne. This model is a four door sedan that offers buyers the option of a hybrid powertrain. It utilizes a Toyota engine and can reach top speeds quickly. Though the sedan is not something that one automatically thinks of when they think Lotus, the ones that have been produced by the company have made an impact on buyers. This is at least in part because they combine luxury and comfort with the speed and thrill that Lotus has become known for.