Image: Lotus
Remember 13 years ago when not-yet-disgraced Lotus CEO Dany Bahar introduced a bunch of new concepts at the 2010 Paris Motor Show? It’s been a long time, but Jalopnikremembers. We also remember how they all got canceled.
But just because it was a bad idea doesn’t mean they were all truly terrible. Some of the concepts were better than others, so we decided now was an appropriate time to rank them. Everyone’s going to have different opinions, though, so let us know which ones you liked the best down in the comments.
Image: Lotus
The Ethos concept didn’t get nearly as much attention as the other cars that Lotus showed off, and for good reason. It was a small city car that was supposedly going to be sold by a brand known for its sports cars.
Image: Lotus
The Ethos was supposed to come with some neat engineering for 2010, including an electric powertrain with a range extender. But it really didn’t make sense as a Lotus, which is why it’s last on this list.
Image: Lotus
There are certainly worse ideas than a hybrid luxury sport sedan, and we’d argue the Eterne looked pretty good, too. But like the Ethos, it would have been a tough sell even though it looked better than the Porsche Panamera.
Image: Lotus
Maybe the Eterne would have actually been popular. Who knows? But even with a V8 under the hood making more than 600 hp, we’re just not sure we can get on board with such a big car wearing a Lotus badge.
Image: Lotus
The Elite might have actually had potential. The styling was on point, and we suspect there is a decent-sized group of people out there who like the idea of owning an Elise way more than they would like the reality of owning one.
Image: Lotus
But with its retractable hardtop and optional hybrid system, the Elite just felt too complicated and unnecessarily heavy to wear the Lotus badge. At least it wasn’t a crossover, though?
Image: Lotus
At the time, the Elise concept’s projected weight of more than 2,400 lbs sounded outrageous. You can’t make an Elise that heavy! And yet more than a decade later, the Elise would have been pretty light compared to a lot of other cars on the road.
Image: Lotus
The Elise also gets points for staying relatively small despite Bahar’s plans to basically abandon Lotus’s commitment to lightness. There’s just something a little off with the design that’s keeping it from being ranked higher.
Image: Lotus
While the Elan concept was way heavier than the original Elan, it still would have been lighter than the 997-era Porsche 911. We imagine it probably would have sold pretty well, at least as far as Lotuses go. And it would have sold for a more attainable price than the Elite.
Image: Lotus
Lotus purists may have hated it, but there are what, a few hundred of them left? The new Elan may not have been the greatest Lotus ever built, but there’s a little part of us that’s disappointed it never made it to production.
Image: Lotus
If you’re going to go big, you might as well build a supercar. And that’s exactly what the Esprit would have been. It was supposed to get a Toyota-sourced V8 that made 612 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque. Who’s going to complain about one more mid-engined supercar?
Image: Lotus
Allegedly, the Esprit was also going to be relatively affordable, at least when compared to the Ferrari 458. Oh, and it was going to be lighter than the Ferrari, too. If Lotus had ever actually delivered it as described, it would have been great. Maybe.
Keyword: Dany Bahar-Era Lotus Concepts, Ranked