Lotus Low CO2 test car (2008): first ride CAR review

Lotus is a name you associate with sports cars from Norfolk. And in our eco-conscious times the light weight of the Elise et al makes Hethel's cars an increasingly environmentally friendly proposition for the sporting driver. But what about the rest of us who need to transport a family of four, or can’t afford a lithe little Elise?

Lotus Engineering, the consultancy arm of Group Lotus, has teamed up with Continental to see if it can create a cost effective, fun to drive, but low CO2-emitting family car. To prove the system works it's been fitted into the current shape Vauxhall Astra. Welcome then to the aptly but unimaginatively named Lotus Low CO2 car. CAR Online has been for an exclusive first ride.

Lotus Low CO2 car: the engine

The engine is a turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol of Lotus’s own design. The three-pot also features direct injection, variable cams using the same system as Porsche’s VarioCam Plus, and an integrated exhaust manifold that reduces weight by 20 percent and the part count by 35 percent.

There are also ‘smart’ coolant and fuel pumps that can reduce fuel consumption by up to two percent, and a mild hybrid system with stop/start. Better figures could be had with, say, a variable geometry turbocharger, but that increases cost so Lotus and Continental have sought a balance between headline stats and astronomical cost. That’s why the six-speed gearbox is lifted from a diesel Astra, rather than being bespoke.

Lotus Low CO2 car: the stats

The 15 percent CO2 reduction is claimed in comparison to a regular 1.8-litre Vauxhall Astra, so the test car produces 149 g/km CO2 versus 175.

What makes the figure even more impressive is that while the prototype has 158bhp and 177lb ft, the 1.8-litre makes do with a mere 138bhp and 129lb ft. In fact, the prototype was designed to match the performance of a 2.2-litre Astra. No 2.2 Astra exists, so Lotus and Continental simulated the car on computer.

Compared with the 1.8, Lotus’s car emits 15 percent less CO2, has 36 percent more torque, and 14 percent more power. Compared to the non-existent 2.2-litre, torque is up nine percent and power by three percent.

There’s no word on fuel consumption, but this car was designed solely to show how cheaply CO2 emissions could be reduced.