Obvio! Picks Lotus to develop two trybrid microsports cars

Obvio! Picks Lotus to develop two trybrid microsports cars

Obvio! Automotoveiculos, a Brazilian car manufacturer has picked UK’s Lotus Engineering to develop two trybrid high-performance microsports cars for the global market. The deal will be potentially worth £70 million (US$137 million). To begin with Obvio will be building two new cars, the 828 and 012. The cars will have multi-fuel engines that will run on gasoline, bioethanol (in blends up to 100%—E100—but optimized for E85) or natural gas.

The program will also include the development of an advanced vehicle safety structure thanks to the obvious safety concerns raised by the lightweight design. The 012 is expected to weigh just 750 kg, while the 828 will weigh at 600kg. Two new variants of a new chassis concept will be engineered incorporating Niess Elliptical Survival Rings, already well-proven in the aerospace industry. The low weight will enable the vehicles to run efficiently and provide more fuel efficiency.

Initially the power will be delivered from a 1.6-liter unit produced by Brazilian engine manufacturer Tritec Motors coupled with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The new engine management unit developed by Lotus will give the engine trybrid capabilities allowing it to run on natural gas, bio-ethanol or gasoline. In parallel, Lotus will develop 170 hp and 250 hp turbocharged variants for higher performance models in the Obvio! range.

The microsports car looks like an engineering achievement with the new trybrid engine which is the most prominent feature of the car. The new engine is sure to provide excellent fuel economy coupled with the low weight of the cars. As for the safety concerns surrounding the weight issue, will hopefully be taken care of with the new aerospace technology design.