Lotus Type 135 Takes Aim At Porsche Cayman
The humdrum hybrids are so 2020. Lotus, former British masters of lightweight performance, is ready to expand its EV offering with an all-electric sports car that promises to reinvent your commute and put a permanent grin on your face — all without the V8 rumble and without the whoosh of a turbo-charged V6.
The officially yet-to-be-named Lotus Type 135 is slated for a debut in 2027 and will cost around $95,000. That’s actually cheaper than the gas-powered Lotus Emira, which starts at $119,000. Is Lotus trying to tell us something?
Two Battery Sizes And Plenty Of Power
The sleek Type 135 will come with a choice of battery size — 66 kWh or 99 kWh. For context, the Tesla Model Y Long Range has a 75 kWh battery, while the Model S Plaid has a 100 kWh battery pack. The Lotus will pack enough juice for a road trip or two and will power your house in emergencies. Try doing that with a Ferrari.
But the battery is only one part of the fundamental equation here. The other part is the power, and Lotus promises plenty of it. While the company keeps quiet about the base model specification – presumably with the smaller battery – the most powerful version will come with two electric motors churning out a rather staggering 872 horsepower. 0 to 60 times? That’ll be a blink and a half.
True to the company’s origins, the new Lotus Type 135 uses the dedicated Lightweight Electric Vehicle Architecture — LEVA. Interestingly, to maintain perfect weight distribution and keep the driver as low to the ground as possible, the battery is no longer under the floor. Just like in the latest Maserati GranTurismo Folgore, it sits right in the middle of the car, behind the driver.
This Is Not Just A Green Lotus
Lotus enthusiasts have been upset ever since the company unveiled its first electric car, the Eletre SUV. Sure, the nimble lightweight Lotus of yesteryear is gone, but the new electric one is hardly a pretender. The Eletre was followed by the Emeya, a 905 horsepower super sedan, which takes the handling to a new level altogether.
Type 135 is designed to make Lotus diehard fans feel right at home. It promises to handle like Lotus should, but with way more performance. In our book, more performance is a good thing. It isn’t just a boring eco-warrior, oh no. This electric pocket rocket aims squarely at the upcoming electric Porsche duo – Cayman and Boxster.
All we need now is a lot of patience — 2027 isn’t exactly just around the corner. But by the time Lotus hits the streets, it’ll have some competition, and it’ll be interesting how today’s outrageous specifications stack up against the future models. Three years is just enough time for Lotus fans to put in some extra hours and save up for the electric supercar from a brand that gave us Elise and Evija.