Lotus to unveil new Theory 1 sports car next week

Lotus will unveil a new sports car called the Theory 1 on 17 September.

The brand's marketing chief, Qiao Xinyu, made the announcement on Chinese social media and posted a close-up preview image of the car's rear end.

The picture leaves much to the imagination but clearly shows an aggressive-looking rear spoiler, hinting that the new car is more overtly focused on outright performance than the Emeya saloon and Eletre SUV.

Given it is called the Theory 1, it is highly likely that the new model is not a production car but a forward-thinking concept.

With the exception of the track-focused 2-Eleven and 3-Eleven, Lotus's road cars have all been named after words beginning with 'E' since the Elite was introduced in 1958.

The Theory 1 is expected to preview the next evolution of Lotus's design language, introduced with the Evija in 2019 and since reinforced by the Eletre and Emeya.