Lotus releases first official shot of the Eagle

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Supercars, Lotus

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Just days after we got our first spy shots of the upcoming Lotus Eagle 2+2 sports car, Lotus has now released an official image. Unfortunately it doesn't give us much of a clue as to what the car will look like, but we'll take what we can get.

This first shot shows the front module of the aluminum chassis of the Eagle. Like Lotus' recent designs, Eagle uses the Versatile Vehicle Architecture that consists largely of bonded aluminum extrusions. This approach lets the manufacturer utilize much of the same tooling to produce a variety of different vehicles by swapping out components of different lengths. The system also allows easy development of vehicles up to about 4,200 lbs. in weight and the same architecture will be used to produce other Lotus models over the next few years, including the new Esprit.

Typical of Lotus designs, the Eagle's front chassis module follows Colin Chapman's maxim of "Add Lightness" with a weight of just 55lbs. The front suspension consists of high strength forged aluminum control arms carrying 13.8-inch vented and cross-drilled rotors with special Lotus AP Racing four-pot brake calipers. Unlike the current Elise/Exige family, the larger Eagle will have a hydraulic assist system for the steering rack. Lotus is planning to give the world a first look at the complete car in July at the British Motor Show.

Gallery: Lotus Eagle chassis


[Source: Lotus]Continue reading Lotus releases first official shot of the Eagle

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