Lotus Experiments with Elise-Based Pickup

Lotus, one of Britains finest sports car makers, has just announced the Elise Load Lugga flatbed light commercial vehicle, the brands first non-sports car ever. This new model, a project that was heavily guarded by Lotus engineers to the very end, flew under the radar, until today, when it was announced that the first unit of production had rolled off the assembly line. The brand hopes that by branching out into the light truck marketplace, it will be able attain new and retain current owners.

In terms of its powertrain and as far as Lotus vehicles go, the Lugga is an absolute deviant; it uses a supercharged Briggs and Stratton diesel motor in place of the standard 190-hp Toyota-sourced 1.8-liter engine found in the Elise and Exige. Where most cars have keyless-ignition and push button starts, or modern twist-key electric starters, the Lugga utilizes a no-fuss pull-start, which is located on the passengers side B-pillar. Important visual additions to the Load Lugga include carbon fiber roof rails and perforated aluminum push-bars up front for extra durability and practicality.

Has turning the Elise into an oil-burning workhorse reduced its ability to perform? According to Lotus - not one iota. In fact, the diesel conversion has actually helped to improve its acceleration; the brand claims the Lugga can hit 60 mph in well under three seconds, a decrease of two entire seconds! This is of course, not to mention the fact that this particular vehicle sports Lotus first four-wheel drive system and a unique new ride height stabilizing suspension that uses ancillary power from the engines oil pump and supply system.

As you might expect, the Elise Load Lugga is a true flyweight in the pickup world, but despite the odds of having a tubular chassis frame, generally not adept to heavy-duty work, it manages to have a useful 11-lb payload, which should be plenty for daily trips to the grocer, provided you dont purchase any large melons, potatoes or dense agricultural produce. For those who wish to put their Load Lugga through load-lugging paces, an optional trailer hitch is available, that ups towing ability to 22 lbs.

The Load Lugga should also be popular amongst the Australians, who are particularly fond of their car based ultra-performance utes. While the Elise Load Lugga is smaller in all dimensions than Australian car-based pickups, and marginally less handy at towing and hauling, it should prove to be competitive against the likes of the Holden HSV Maloo/R8 and its arch nemesis, the Ford Pursuit/F6 Tornado. Yet, unlike these two-passenger utility vehicles, the Load Lugga trumps them by offering special high-performance off-road tires that allow for a wall-scaling four inches of ground clearance.

Mark OShaughnessy, director of marketing and sales of Lotus USA says, "We can no longer ignore Lotus opportunity in the pickup market - we want a slice of the action and are gunning for a 0.0026 percent market share this year, and 0.0027 percent next. The Elise Load Lugga will be known as the F1.50 stateside, and we are set to take the market by storm."

Lotus hopes to shift some 200 units of the Load Lugga in the United States by years end.