The UK's Car magazine is dropping choice nuggets of science on Lotus's new Europa GT car. Confirmed are the following: the Europa, to be launched in mid-2006, will be built on the Elise's aluminum chassis — giving it a weight in the 2000-lbs range, but it won't use any other Elise parts. It will, however, be powered by a version of the Opel/Vauxhall Astra's 197hp, 2.0-liter turbo four and have a power-to-weight ratio of 214hp/ton. Pistonheads found out the Europa (yes, that will be its name) will be a more relaxed, driver's car, have different headlights than the Elise, more headroom and a "flat-fronted nose" (Jake La Motta call the front desk). The price in the UK will likely be around 30,000 ($52,779), putting it in range of the Nissan 350Z, BMW Z4 Coupe and Porsche Cayman in that market. No word on US availability of the 450 cars to be built, yet.
It will be called the Europa and will be FQ [Pistonheads]
Related:
Lotus's New Europa: Sorting out the Facts [internal]