Lotus Theory 1 EV concept unveiled: 1000 PS, weird doors, 3-seater layout
Lotus has just unveiled its latest concept car, the Lotus Theory 1, which the company claims to be “the foundation for all future Lotus cars”. It is a fully electric concept car with targeted performance specifications, and it features proprietary scissor-like doors and a 3-seater layout among other things.
The performance figures of the Theory 1 are only “targeted” figures for now, but they do suggest a rather extreme (and not so lightweight sports car). It is targeted to make a maximum power output of 1,000 PS with a targeted weight of under 1,600 kg. With that, Lotus plans to make the Theory 1 achieve a century sprint time of less than 2.5 seconds and atop speed of 320 km/h. It is also expected that the Theory 1 will have a range of 402 km (WLTP) thanks to a 70-kWh battery.
On the outside, it embodies the design language that we have witnessed on the Lotus Emira and Lotus Evija, albeit with a dramatic horizontal element for its headlights. If it was in red, you might even confuse it for a supercar from Maranello (but that’s just the case for the front end.
The sides of the Lotus Theory 1 are dominated by a clean swooped curvature that is uninterrupted by any door handles whatsoever. It tapers towards the lower end, creating a slim cross section of the car.
Among the aerodynamic highlights of the Lotus Theory 1 are:
- The nose cone on the vehicle has diffuser and drag-reducing air deflectors, with an air curtain that minimises the car’s wake. This has been inspired by Lotus’ racing heritage.
- A contoured underfloor which directs air through low drag NACA ducts into the cooling system, and outlets creating a blown air foil reducing separation, as well as enabling more powerful force.
- Side pods in the vehicle which have been meticulously designed to isolate turbulent wake from the attached airflow, guiding it towards the rear.
Along with the dramatic aero fins on the sides, the Lotus Theory 1 also comes with a new set of proprietary sports car doors. Its reverse scissor opening mechanism allows for an easy ‘tep-in’ access. This design has also enabled a very small footprint of the car when the doors are opened. Since the hinge or pivot is located at a low point, the doors don’t extend too high when they are open.
Lotus even explicitly stated that the doors can be opened easily even with a 2.4 m height limit. Apparently this has been a challenge for other high-performance sports cars with scissor doors.
At the back, the Lotus Theory 1 employs a similar “hollow” design like the Lotus Evija, but instead of 2 air holes integrated with the taillights, the Theory 1 has a single large air hole that spans across the width of the car. And just like the sides, the rear end of the Theory 1 also gets dramatic aero bits – this time in the form of an extravagant rear diffuser.
The wild doors allow you to access the cabin which is equally adventurous. The Theory 1 has a 3-seater layout with the driver positioned right in the centre. The dashboard (or rather the lack of it) is also an interesting take by Lotus as the brand has tried to minimise the amount of A-surface materials in the car. The ‘dashboard’ is simply a wishbone like setup that holds the steering wheel right in the middle. Speaking of the steering wheel, it and the foot pedals can be adjusted to be closer or further from the driver, depending on their needs.
Another highlight of the Theory 1’s cabin is its use of “LOTUSWEAR” materials which provide tactile feedback or signals to the driver. An example of this is the use of the material of steering wheel which would “pulse” on either side to let the driver know when is the ideal time to turn. The headrests in the Theory 1 also come with a binaural audio system for an enhanced driving experience.
Lotus Group Vice President of Design, Ben Payne said, “With Theory 1, we’ve built on everything Lotus has achieved so far in its 76-year history, to push the boundaries for what it means to drive a performance vehicle. We want to demonstrate that you don’t need to compromise – with both digital and analogue capabilities working harmoniously in the future car. In doing this, we are able to bring drivers the best possible immersive driving experience with raw emotion, functionality and connectivity, at the core.”
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