Westfield Sportscars developing hybrid 7
To some, the Lotus 7 was the quintessential British sportscar. Its tires are pushed out to the corners to deliver the ultimate driving experience through a direct connection to the road. It didn't need a lot of horsepower to move it along because it was so light weight. It just went where it was told, kind of like the winning formula for today's Elise. The 7 was so popular in fact that after Lotus stopped making it, dozens of companies jumped in and started offering their own 7 kits. Although Caterham bought the tooling and rights to become the official 7 maker, there are still others building versions of this legendary car.
One of these is Westfield Sportscars. One of the things that sets Westfield apart is the use of fiberglass bodies and its own unique independent rear suspension. Well, Westfield Sportscars is about to gain another distinguishing characteristic when its finished developing a hybrid version of the 7 along with the University of Warwick's manufacturing group. Together they are expected to figure out a way to mate the 7 with an existing hybrid drivetrain, probably one from Toyota or Honda. The added torque of the electric motor should further reduce naught-60 times and fuel economy should likewise be stellar.
It's somewhat ironic that the new Tesla Roadster is seen as an electric Elise due to the involvement of Lotus in its development. This new Westfield hybrid Lotus 7 threatens to bring even more green to the Lotus name.
[Source: Westfield SportsCars via AB Green]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
doglet 9:45PM (12/21/2006)
i dont get this, why add weight to a 7? a 7 gets 40+ mpg as it is, how many ecohippies are willing to go without a roof, radio, storage space or any sembelance of comfort for even more milage?
hybrid drivtrains will never be competative with pure internal combustion for power to weight so it makes no sense to use on a seven
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Jeff Banks 11:59PM (12/21/2006)
If they made it all electric...that would be cool.
Hybrid, not so much. First off, where would you put the batteries? If you've ever sat in one, you'd know that there's barely enough room to actually fit in one. I guess they could fit in the long bonnet, but really, what's the point? It just makes it really, really heavy.
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Craig 3:26AM (12/22/2006)
Here's a slightly cooler alternative!! Check out 'The Electric Car Revisited'. Oh, and be sure to watch the movie - you'll see an electric car blow a top Ferrari and Porche into the dust.
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Craig 3:28AM (12/22/2006)
Here's a slightly cooler alternative!! Check out 'The Electric Car Revisited'. Oh, and be sure to watch the movie - you'll see an electric car blow a top Ferrari and Porche into the dust:
http://www.celsias.com/blog/2006/12/21/the-electric-car-revisited/
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mike 10:01AM (12/22/2006)
Let me get this straight. You want to add 400+ pounds to a 1300 pound, pure performance vehicle to serve what purpose? Better MPG for your commute? A convertible hybrid?
This is a PUBLICITY stunt. Certain things just don't go together. You know, like a limo with a hot tub, or a H3 with offroad tires......
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Chet 10:50PM (12/23/2006)
This makes about as much sense as teaching a gorilla to squaredance.
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