Two British firms claim they can shrink the sports-car timeline. Avant Design builds functional cars in virtual reality, not just renders. Watt’s PACES chassis can take EV, hybrid, or combustion power equally. Some would argue Lotus has lost its way in recent years, with the all-electric Eletre SUV and the Emeya sedan, both built in China. Thankfully, its next-generation hybrid supercar could help it get some of its mojo back, and an attractive 2+2 model like this one could inject further excitement into the brand. The concept has been crafted by Avant Design and the Watt Electric Vehicle Company, a British manufacturer of electric vans and trucks, with the help of virtual reality tools to speed up development of a functional car. Initially commissioned by Autocar for its 2025 Christmas edition, it would perhaps be the perfect addition to the Lotus family. It is rendered riding on one of Watt’s skateboard platforms, built to support electric, combustion, and hybrid powertrains. Watt calls the architecture PACES, short for Passenger And Commercial EV Skateboard, and according to Car&Driver, it ran a drivable version at this year’s CES. Despite the overall small proportions, it could fit a compact V8, perhaps in a similar way to the 2+2 Gemera from Koenigsegg. A Lotus For The Everyman? Visually, the car looks absolutely stunning. The front end features a blacked-out bumper and narrow LED headlights subtly integrated into the flowing quarter panels. It then sits on a set of fabulous silver-and-black wheels, has digital wing mirrors, and uses tiny suicide doors for the second row, much like a Mazda RX-8. As for the front doors, they are Lamborghini-inspired scissor doors. The rear end also looks great. Perhaps the most intriguing element is the see-through lip spoiler, which doubles as the LED taillights and light bar. It all looks very coherent and like something that Lotus itself might design. In addition to sporting a powerful V8, it could include light in-wheel motors for added performance. What’s more, Watt Electric Vehicle Company boss Neil Yates says the car could weigh just 1,984 lbs (900 kg), perfectly fitting for a Lotus. Lead image Avant Design
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