Lotus

Based in the U.K., Lotus is a small-scale manufacturer known best for its lightweight sports cars. The likes of the Lotus 7 and Elise proved the rule that less was more, performing at a very high level with only modest power. With a reputation for understanding the physics of handling, Lotus also contributed to sporting models from other manufacturers. More recently, the company has grown their range from a single sportscar to include two battery-electric performance machines, one being the Eletre crossover.

The phrase most-associated with Lotus is: Simplify, and add lightness. Obviously you can't “add” lightness to a car — not unless you're going to attach helium balloons to it — but you can leave the unnecessary bits off. Lotus founder Colin Chapman did just that, creating a series of successful racing cars and sporting machines.

Green Lotus racing cars were a common sight in the winner's circle in the 1950s and 1960s, building the careers of world-class drivers like Jim Clark and Sir Stirling Moss. The black and gold John Player Specials livery of the 1970s became a lasting icon among racing fans.

But where Lotus really gained purchase in the public imagination was with everyone's favourite Lotus owner, James Bond. The white Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me often leads the any list of best Bond cars, not least because of the scene in which it turns into a submarine.

You wouldn't use a spindly little Lotus Seven as a submarine, possibly not even as a jetski. But this very basic sportscar, often sold as a DIY kit, has lasted all the way from the 1950s until today. Lotus long-ago licensed off the design to Caterham, and while they are still relatively rare, there's little that can match these tiny cars for driving involvement.

Modern Lotus is hoping it can bring that elemental feeling into an electric age. First though, the Emira coupe continues the tradition of lightweight Lotus sportscars. Powered by either a supercharged V6 or turbocharged four-cylinder engine, it's a rival to the likes of the Porsche 718 Cayman.

The Evija hypercar is not in production yet, but marks a point where Lotus is replacing “lightness” with “power.” With some 1,972 hp on tap from four electric motors, it's intended to rival Ferrari, as Lotus F1 cars once did.

More practically speaking, the Eletre battery-electric crossover will help Lotus factory keep the lights on. Instead of chucking out the creature comforts, the Eletre will be luxurious rather than basic. Lotus plans to cleave to its origins while planning for the future by engineering the Eletre for superior aerodynamics, and creating a driver-focused cabin.