I-Lotus 3-Eleven iyiLotus eshesha kakhulu futhi ebiza kakhulu. Kodwa ngisho i-3-Eleven ayikwazi ukudambisa ukushaqeka kweSUV enophawu lweLotus.
I-Goodwood Festival ibambe iqhaza ekwethulweni kwe-Lotus 3-Eleven, i-Lotus eshesha kakhulu nemba eqolo futhi mhlawumbe isisho esimsulwa nesingahlungi kakhulu sokuthi iLotus iyini ngempela. Kusukela ku-Lotus plus Lotus ekhona njengamanje kuzoba nzima ukugaya i-SUV ekhishwe ngokusemthethweni yomkhiqizo, cishe i-Lotus susa i-Lotus emgwaqeni esikhathini esizayo. Kwenzeka kanjani lokhu?
Ake siqale lapha futhi manje. I-Lotus 3-Eleven iyisinyathelo esilandelayo esihle kakhulu sokuvuselelwa komkhiqizo, ngemuva kwe-Evora 400.
Itholakala ezinguqulweni Zomgwaqo noma Zomjaho, i-3-Eleven empeleni iyimoto elandela umkhondo, umshini ophelele wezinsuku zethrekhi, kodwa egunyazwe ukusetshenziswa emigwaqweni yomphakathi (Umgwaqo). Imvelaphi yomqondo negama ilele ku-Eleven yasekuqaleni, eyazalwa ngasekupheleni kwawo-1950, futhi, muva nje, yalulama ngo-2-Eleven (2007).
I-2-Eleven ibiyi-ballistic ngempela. Ithathwe ku-2006 Lotus Exige S, 255hp ukuhambisa 670kg nje, kusetshenziswa effervescent 4 cylinder Toyota 2ZZ-GE, efakwe compressor. I-3-Eleven, ngokucaciswa okumenyezelwe, iphakamisa amakhono owandulelayo ezingeni elihluke ngokuphelele.
OKUPHATHELENE: Lena yi-Lotus Elise S Cup
Sibonga i-3.5 litre V6 – nayo ephuma ophikweni lweToyota – ebekwe ngemuva endaweni ephambanayo futhi eshajwa kakhulu nge-compressor, lokhu kuholela ku-450bhp (458hp) ku-7000rpm kanye no-450Nm ku-3500rpm. Ibingeke ibe nesisindo esingu-670kg sangaphambili, ngenxa ye-V6 esindayo kanye ne-chassis elingana no-200hp. Noma kunjalo, okukhangiswayo okungaphansi kuka-900kg kuhlaba umxhwele, okuholela esilinganisweni samandla nesisindo esingaphansi kuka-2 kg/hp! I-Visceral!
Zombili izinhlobo ze-3-Eleven zisebenzisa i-Torsen-type limited-slip differential, futhi zihlezi kumasondo angasindi angu-18″ ngaphambili nangu-19″ angemuva, anamasondo angu-225/40 R18 ngaphambili nangama-275/35 R19 angemuva. I-AP Racing ihlinzeka ngesistimu yokubhuleka, enama-brake caliper ama-4 disc, kanti i-ABS iphuma kwaBosch, naphezu kokulungiswa okwenziwe yiLotus. Iphinde ibe nekheji, inguqulo ye-Race enezela izici ezengeziwe ukuze ihambisane nemithetho ye-FIA.
Okunye okusha yisicelo okokuqala ngqa emotweni yokukhiqiza into entsha eyinhlanganisela yamaphaneli omzimba, okuthi, ngokusho kweLotus, alula ngo-40% kunamaphaneli e-fiberglass enye iLotus.
Umehluko phakathi kwe-3-Eleven Road kanye neRace, ngaphezu kwe-roll cage, iyasebenza nasekudluliseni okusetshenzisiwe. I-Road isebenzisa u-gearbox oyi-6-speed manual transmission, kanti iRace isebenzisa u-gearshift osheshayo ongu-6-speed sequential Xtrac gearbox. I-aerodynamics nayo ihlukile, inama-spoiler ahlukile ngaphambili nangemuva. Umjaho owedlulele kakhulu, ukwazi ukukhiqiza u-215kg we-downforce ku-240km/h.
Lokhu okumenyezelwe kubi kakhulu, imizuzwana engaphansi kwemi-3 ukusuka ku-0 iye ku-60mph (96km/h) kanye nesivinini esikhulu esingu-280km/h (Race) no-290km/h (Road) sigqame, umehluko ubonakaliswa wukunyakazisa kwesivinini. izilinganiso zamabhokisi amasayizi amade emgwaqeni. Emjikelezweni we-Lotus e-Hethel, i-3-Eleven ichithe isikhathi emlenzeni ngamunye, yaba imizuzwana eyi-10 ngokushesha kune-Lotus elandelayo eshesha kakhulu enesikhathi senganono engumzuzu ongu-1 namasekhondi angama-22. Amandla makhulu kangangokuthi i-3-Eleven kufanele ifinyelele isikhathi esingaphansi kwemizuzu engu-7 e-Nurburgring, ijubane elilingana ne-Porsche 918.
I-Lotus eshesha kunazo zonke ezake zaba khona, kodwa lokho kuza ngentengo. Iqala kuma-Euro ayizinkulungwane eziyi-115, futhi ikhuphukela ku-162,000 enguqulweni yoMjaho, futhi iyiLotus ebiza kakhulu eyake yaba khona. Amanani angakaze abonwe eLotus encane, kodwa hhayi ukwesabisa amakhasimende angaba khona. Emayunithi angama-311 azokhiqizwa, okungenani ingxenye yawo isimiselwe, kanti ukukhiqizwa kuzoqala ngoFebhuwari 2016.
I-Lotus 3-Eleven iwukubonakaliswa okuphelele kwalokho okufanele kube yiLotus. Ukuzethemba nokuzinza okutholwe onyakeni odlule, ngezindleko zokusebenza zehla nokuthengisa kukhuphuka, kanye nesithembiso samamodeli avuselelwe alula nanamandla, kwenza isimemezelo se-SUV ezinhlelweni zesikhathi esizayo zomkhiqizo kusishiya sibambe ongezansi. I-SUV? Iluphi uhlobo lwemoto olungaba khona ngaphansi kwe-Lotus?
I-Lotus SUV izongena ekukhiqizeni. Kanjani futhi ngani?
Naphezu komfutho okhulayo, ukuqinisekisa ukusimama kwesikhathi eside kweLotus encane kuyinselele. Ngenhloso yokuthengisa amayunithi angama-3000 ngonyaka futhi ngokungaguquki kuze kuphele ishumi leminyaka, kusengaphansi kwengxenye yalokho, okungathiwa, kudayiswa yiFerrari, futhi amanani entengo aphansi kakhulu. I-lotus iphoqeleka ukuthi ihlukaniseke futhi amaSUV namaCrossovers ayimpumelelo yomhlaba wonke, eqhubeka nokuzuza ukuthengiswa nokwabelana ngezigaba zendabuko.
Akulona icala elingakaze libonwe leli. IPorsche ingasibonga isimo sayo samanje somusa ezidalwa ezingaqondwa kahle ngabashisekeli abashiseka kakhulu, njengeCayenne futhi, muva nje, iMacan. Futhi abanye bazolandela ezinyathelweni zayo ezinenzuzo, njengoMaserati, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Bentley ngisho noRolls-Royce.
Kodwa-ke, iLotus SUV, eqondise kuPorsche Macan, izoqale ibe khona emakethe yaseChina kuphela. Kungoba? Kuyimakethe encane, ekhulayo futhi engakaqiniswa, ngakho-ke kukhona ukunwebeka ukuthatha ubungozi emikhiqizweni nasekumiseni, ukwandisa ama-horizons omkhiqizo, lapho ezimakethe ezimisiwe kungaba nzima ukwenza kanjalo.
Kuze kube manje, i-Lotus yangena ebhizinisini elihlanganyelwe ne-Goldstar Heavy Industrial, indlunkulu yayo edolobheni laseQuanzhou. Ukuthuthukiswa kwe-SUV entsha kakade kwenzeka emagcekeni akwaLotus e-Hethel, e-UK, kodwa izokhiqizwa kuphela enhlabathini yaseShayina, izikhulule ezindlekweni ezinkulu zokuthenga kwamanye amazwe.
FUNDA OKUNYE: I-Exige LF1 imele iminyaka engama-53 yokunqoba
Ingabe i-SUV, enesikhungo esiphakeme samandla adonsela phansi kanye ne-ballast eyengeziwe, ingafanisa amanani avikelwe i-Lotus, njengokukhanya namandla angavamile? Isikhulu esiphezulu seLotus uJean-Marc Gales sithi yebo, size sithi ukube uColin Chapman ubephila, ubengenza eyodwa. Ukuhlambalaza?
Izinombolo ezithuthukile zishiya ukungabaza okuthile. Izoqhudelana neMacan, futhi izoba nobukhulu obufana nalena. Naphezu komthamo ofanayo wangaphandle, kulinganiselwa ukuthi isisindo singama-250kg ngaphansi kwe-Macan, sihlala ku-1600kg. Uma kunenhloso umehluko uhlaba umxhwele, kodwa iLotus ene-1600kg? I-Evora engaphezu kuka-1400kg, ngakolunye uhlangothi, idala ishiya eliphakanyisiwe.
Ngesisindo esiphansi kakhulu kunembangi yayo, iLotus SUV izokwenza ngaphandle kweV6 Supercharged esingayithola ku-Evora 400 noma 3-Eleven. Izokwazi ukusebenza ngokulingana ne-Macan ngenjini engu-4-cylinder ephuma ophikweni lweToyota, nayo eshajwe kakhulu. Okwamanje akwaziwa ukuthi izosebenzisa yiphi inkundla, kodwa kucatshangwa ukuthi ingase iqhamuke emizamweni ehlanganyelwe neMalaysian Proton.
Ngokubukeka, izohlanganisa ingaphambili elizofana nenye i-Lotus futhi umsebenzi womzimba uzokwethula imikhondo ye-Lotus Elite 4-seater, kusukela kuma-70s.
Kodwa inselele enkulu nakanjani kuyoba ukuphakamisa umbono kanye nekhwalithi yangempela yokwakha nezinto zokwakha ezingeni elamukelekayo elizoqhathaniswa nePorsche Macan. Insimu lapho iLotus ingajabuleli khona udumo olukhulu. Imizamo yalokhu isiyabonakala ku-Evora 400 entsha, kodwa ukuze inselele iMacan nezinye izimbangi zeSUV, kuzofanele kuhanjwe indlela.
Nakuba isivele imenyezelwe ngokusemthethweni, i-Lotus SUV izoqala umsebenzi wayo e-China ngasekupheleni kuka-2019 noma ekuqaleni kuka-2020. Uma iphumelele, ukuthunyelwa kwayo kwamanye amazwe kuzocatshangelwa kwezinye izimakethe, njenge-Europe. I-Lotus SUV isekude, kodwa kuze kube yileso sikhathi, ngeke kube khona ukushoda kwezinto ezintsha ngokulandelana okusheshayo kumamodeli amanje omkhiqizo.
Ngemuva kwe-Evora 400 ne-3-Eleven esijwayelekile, sizobona inguqulo ye-roadster ye-Evora 400, lapho uphahla luzoba namaphaneli amabili e-carbon fiber, ngalinye linesisindo esingu-3kg kuphela. Ngendlela efanayo naleyo i-Evora 400 eyazuza ngayo amahhashi, yalahlekelwa isisindo, futhi yabona ukufinyelela ngaphakathi kwayo kulula, sizobona ukuzivocavoca okufanayo kwe-Exige V6 emangalisayo, ezomakethwa ngo-2017. ingaphambili elisha, futhi uzophinde ulahlekelwe amakhilogremu ambalwa kule nqubo.
Ephetha ngendlela esiqale ngayo, nge-3-Eleven emnandi, engakafiki ngisho emgqeni wokukhiqiza, uJean-Marc Gales uthi amagiya aseyahamba ukuze kungakapheli iminyaka emibili kuvele i-4-Eleven!