Lotus Engineering will use its APX concept as a showcase for what it believes is the future of niche vehicle manufacturing.
The APX, slated to be revealed at the upcoming Geneva motor show at the end of February, was created using Lotus Engineering’s Versatile Vehicle Architecture (VVA), styled by Lotus Design and powered by the new Lotus engineered 3.0-liter V6, NEF engine rated at 300 hp.
VVA exploits Lotus Engineering’s expertise in aluminium, steel and composite body engineering, joining techniques and vehicle systems integration.
Lotus Engineering says the new flexible vehicle architecture could help automakers launch a series of niche cars at a relatively low cost.
The architecture, made almost entirely from aluminum, is suitable for crossover or supercars, say executives at the automotive engineering consultancy in Norfolk, England.
Lotus says the architecture will help automakers produce niche vehicles without the need to develop expensive new platforms or to make engineering compromises by sharing mainstream platforms.
Because of the commonality and versatility of key elements of the structure, the architecture can be used across a family of niche vehicle variants that have different dimensions.
