Furuno 1621 Radar System. on 2040-parts.com

Lotus to invest £500 million to build Esprit, Eterne, Elite & Elan. 1900 new jobs

The new Lotus Esprit Dany Bahar – Lotus boss – revealed plans at last year’s Paris Motor Show to turn Lotus in to an East Anglian Aston Martin. Those plans included one car we knew about – the new Lotus Esprit – and a number we didn’t – the Lotus Eterne, Lotus Elite, Lotus Elan and a new Lotus Elite. But the plans seemed to be nothing more than a wish list, and although it was intimated that Lotus owners Proton were going to provide a war chest of £770 million to fund the development, that later appeared to be an intent to provide Lotus with funds to develop a new range of cars, rather than an actual commitment.

Karmann files for insolvency

Karmann, the century-old German coachbuilder synonymous with cabrios and the famous 1950s Karmann Ghia, has filed for insolvency. The company made the move Wednesday in Germany in response to a dramatic decline in revenue, an inability to pay for its massive layoff plan and the worldwide economic crisis. The North American operations, which make convertible tops for Detroit car companies and Volkswagen, are not affected, a spokesman said.

Alfa Romeo MiTo Live launches

Alfa Romeo has launched a limited edition MiTo – the MiTo Live – with a Pioneer App radio and Marmalade ‘Black Box’ Insurance aimed at new drivers. So on the engine front the MiTo Live gets Alfa’s 875cc two-cylinder turbo – a crackingly good little engine – which delivers up a modest, but fun, 85bhp with emissions of 98g/km and the promise of 67.3mpg if you drive like a saint. And if you do drive like a saint, there’s a cost saving beyond great fuel economy.