Lotus is not the most-discussed car brand in the United States, the land of overweight, bloated EVs and SUVs. But the automaker went viral in China recently after the CEO made a very blunt statement about sports cars.<\/p>\n
According to Car News China<\/a>, CEO Feng Qingfeng said that any sports car over 3,968 pounds is “mediocre.”<\/p>\n At first, this doesn’t sound\u00a0that<\/em> controversial. Lotus’ whole thing is “simplify then add lightness.” Its lineup is known for its lightweight sports cars. The Lotus Elise is well under 2,000 pounds, and the Emira is 3,200 pounds or so. The statement was made after Lotus revealed a V8-powered plug-in hybrid sports car that managed to be below 3,968 pounds.<\/p>\n However, Chinese car enthusiasts quickly pointed out that the CEO’s statement had a bit of self-sabotage to it. The Evija, a $2.3 million hypercar (that looks breathtakingly beautiful and aerodynamic), doesn’t pass Qingfeng’s requirements. It’s 4,175 pounds.<\/p>\n It’s pretty funny, since the Evija is a work of art in many enthusiasts’ minds. Only 130 exist. It has over 2,000 horsepower, reaching 60 miles per hour in under 3 seconds and a top speed of 217 mph. Coulda been quicker if it wasn’t so\u00a0huge<\/em>. But its power and stunning design, meant to literally eat air and spit it out, is, well, breathtaking. However, it’s “medicore,” according ot Qingfeng himself.<\/p>\n This means that, when it comes to existing cars, only the Emira meets the CEO’s standards.<\/p>\n However, that pivot from traditional lightweight sports cars has been seen as a mistake recently. Lotus recently announced a pivot away from electric vehicles<\/a>, likely prompted by the disastrous reveal of the Ferrari Luce<\/a>.<\/p>\nWhat is the new Lotus V8 hybrid?<\/h2>\n