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2006 Lotus APX Concept

The Sportiest Crossover

If theres a single sports car company that seems to be capable of doing no wrong as of late, its Lotus. Considered in dire straights less than a decade ago, the small English firms sole product; the venerable Esprit, was on its last legs. Profits were down, production was down, and the future looked bleak. Enter the Elise. Almost the spiritual descendant of the immortalized Lotus Super Seven, the Elises near-perfect balance of light weight, impressive power, and uncompromised handling made it an instant hit among the track day warriors of the world. Fast forward a few years, and Lotus stock has risen substantially, with three models currently under production; the

Standing for "Aluminum Performance Crossover," Lotus latest concept breaks the companys sports car mold. (Photo: Lotus Cars U.S.A.)

Elise, Exige, and not-available-here Europa, plus another on the way (the so called "super sportscar" destined to replace the long-defunct Esprit). So whats next from the Hethel factory?

This. Called the APX, its a crossover vehicle that is to the Porsche Cayenne as the Elise is to the 911. Standing for "Aluminum Performance Crossover," the APX is a Lotus engineering excercise

Using Lotus signature VVA platform, the APX actually uses the same achitecture as the upcoming Lotus supercar. (Photo: Lotus Cars U.S.A.)

produced to communicate the full potential of the advanced Versatile Vehicle Architecture Lotus has developed for use under everything from this quasi-SUV to the upcoming supercar. Using a series of high-pressure cast aluminum corner nodes tied together with various beams and panels, VVAs manufacturing flexibility relies on Lotus advanced joining techniques for its strength. While the cast nodes support much of the load, the beams and panels are mated together with adhesives, self-piercing

The VVA achitecture makes niche vehicles like the APX much more feasible thanks to the lower production cost. (Photo: Lotus Cars U.S.A.)

rivets and screws in a process that Lotus calls "riv-bonding," making any vehicle based on the VVA system incredibly rigid. By changing the layout of the beams and panels that joint the corner nodes together, the VVA can effectively be manipulated to form any number of combinations and layouts without incurring the costs traditionally associated with developing a new platform.

As a result, any vehicle that utilizes this architecture can be produced in relatively low volumes thanks to low production costs. Lotus quotes that only 50,000 VVA-based vehicles would need

Hard to believe that this full-size 7-passenger crossover weighs less than a Shelby GT500. (Photo: Lotus Cars U.S.A.)

to be produced per year to make the platform feasible for a manufacturer; to put this in context, Honda of America sold almost three times as many vehicles in May alone. So, with that in mind, it should come as no surprise that the APX is not a concept per say; but rather a prototype. Nearly production ready, the APX could see reality alongside the VVA-based supercar, and such would be bad news for the currect performance-SUV manufacturers. Weighing in at a Colin Chapman-pleasing 3,461 pounds, the seven-seat APX is a whopping 459 pounds lighter even than the new Shelby GT500 coupe, to say nothing of its crossover competition (most of which weight well over 4,200 lbs); and continues the Lotus tradition

The Lotus-specific 3.0L V6 produced 300 horsepower thanks to a supercharger and intercooler. (Photo: Lotus Cars U.S.A.)

of "performance through light weight." Almost more impressive is that the APX manages to maintain such a slim-and-trim curb weight without the utilization of advanced, expensive materials; instead owing most of its featherweight performance to the aforementioned aluminum superstructure.
Even the engine is light; weighing in at just 377 pounds the motor is a V6 is of Lotus own design. Again shying away from any exotic materials or production methods, the oversquare 3.0L powerplant relies on an intercooled roots-type supercharger for its impressive output of 300 horsepower, and thanks to the forced induction also places 80 percent of the peak torque (266 ft-lbs) at the drivers disposal at only 1500 rpm. All-aluminum in design, the blown 3.0L is a narrow V6 with a cylinder

Triangular shapes dominate the sporty design, and the result is a very distinct vehicle. (Photo: Lotus Cars U.S.A.)

angle of 75 degrees. That makes it easier to package in different layouts, and helps cancel out any vibration, hereby eliminating the need for heavy and cumbersome balance shafts. Capable of launching the all-wheel-drive APX from a standstill to 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds with a top speed of 152 mph, the little 3.0L is more than enough motor for the lightweight crossover; and thanks to a combined fuel mileage rating of 27 mpg a production APX would offer excellent performance and gas mileage; something other seven-seat vehicles can only dream of.

Given the target customer for the APX is a "sportscar enthusiast who, with a typical family of 2 young children, occasionally wants to carry four or five adults in addition to their children." As such, it only makes sense that the VVA architecture and supercharged powerplant be wrapped in fittingly sporting sheetmetal. Design

The interio is minimalist; inspired by a sport bikes uncluttered cockpit, although we suspect the APX is much more comfortable. (Photo: Lotus Cars U.S.A.)

as a sort of "Jekyll and Hyde" vehicles, the APX looks both aggressive and responsible. The front and rear views echo the same angular look as the Elise with a triangular grille, headlights, back window, and hatch dominating the design. Wide fender flares help shove the wheels to the extreme corners and a while a gently sloping roofline and strong C-pillars give the profile view a sporting yet still stately air; cutting a very Bond-in-a-black-tux-like figure. From the outside it all looks very production-ready, with none of the unrealistic features that distinguish a concept car from a prototype.

And that sentiment continues inside, with a very normal (for Lotus) interior. Designed to create an environment with the feel of a sports car and inspired by a sport bike, the interiors spartan design is simplistic but comfortable. The priority was placed on comfort, with extra attention paid to the seating positions and ergonomics, while the features were added in later.

Is the APX a possiblity? Yes, but not with a Lotus badge on the hood. (Photo: Lotus Cars U.S.A.)

As such, the car is distinctly driver focused; even the navigation system display resides directly in front of the driver in the motorbike-like digital/analog instrument pack. The center stack is uncluttered, and the controls are an exercise in minimalism, with the HVAC, stereo, and even engine start button all taking up less room on the gloss black center stack than the stereo alone does on lesser vehicles.

With the already-announced Esprit replacement due soon, Lotus first VVA vehicle is already on its way, Whether or not it will be joined by this particular vehicle is uncertain; as production-ready as the APX looks, rumor has it the sporty crossover isnt destined for production. The press release certainly leaves that impression, with Lotus emphasizing that while the APX is a prototype, not a concept; it doesnt indicate Lotus strategic design direction. As such, its unlikely that the APX will see production with a Lotus badge on the hood, but with such interesting styling and downright impressive performance, we hope another manufacturer picks up the torch.

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