Lotus To Build Its First Motorcycle, The C-01

Updated: Monday, June 24, 2013, 12:08 [IST]

The British sportscar maker, known for producing lightweight and agile models such as Elise, Exige and Evora is getting into the motorcycle business. Lotus Motorcycles, announced recently, will come out with its first bike, the C-01 in the near future. We have a teaser image showcasing the carbon fuel tank for now, with more images to come.

Lotus Motorcycle says the C-01 "hyper bike" will make the "most impressive appearance on public roads on two wheels," and will come with "integrated racing technology". However, the C-01 will not exactly be a Lotus product. Sure, the car maker has lent its brand name and logo, but Lotus Motorcycles will have other names behind it.

The C-01 will be designed by Daniel Simon, a former designer who's worked with VW. The technical part will be handled by Kodewa racing team, which is associated with Lotus in the FIA World Endurance Championship and Germany's Holzer Group. The C-01 will be powered by a near 200 HP engine.

Here are interesting facts that Lotus Motorcycle has shared. Daniel Simon, the C-01's designer is the person behind the ‘Lightcycle' the famous bike from the Tron movies.

Simon has also designed the ‘Bubbleship', the vehicle driven by Tom Cruise in the sci-fi movie ‘Oblivion'.

The designer says: "With the Lotus C-01, we have only one ambition: to create a unique state-of-the-art machine that carries its brutal forces with elegance and style, a high-tech monster in a tailored suit. The C-01, with all its top notch components and materials, is first and foremost emotional, heartbreaking, at times playfully retro, and always clearly a Lotus. Lotus is a glamorous name with a rich history, and the C-01 celebrates it proudly: the shapes of the marvelous Lotus 49 were a main inspiration, and all color schemes pay homage to iconic Lotus racing liveries, such as the dashing black and gold. The intersection of past and future never fails to fascinate, and so does the unique idea of the C-01."