Yeah, OK, so it's a horrible joke. And yeah, we kind of already used something like it for the first crash of the new Lotus F1 car. And yeah, the 414E is pretty cool. Just call us slaves to tradition.
The 414E is Lotus's take on the plug-in hybrid. (Some people prefer the term "extended-range electric vehicle." Tomato, tomahto.) It sports one electric motor for each rear wheel; a 47-hp, three-cylinder engine that serves to recharge the car's lithium-ion battery pack; and a 35-mile range on electric power alone. In what we can only assume is a tribute to Hethel's famed John Player Special track and street livery, the interior is a startling combination of black and gold tones.
Also, just for the record, we'd like to draw your attention to the complete lack of Lucas Electrics jokes in this post. We may be silly and juvenile, but we are not easily amused. Mostly. (Heh. "Wiener.")
Photo Credit: Máté Petrány