Cash-Strapped Lotus Offers to Manufacture Polestar 6 Roadster

      Polestar

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      Lotus Europe has appointed a new leader who has ideas for increasing the brand's profitability: producing electric roadsters for Polestar.

      In a discussion with Autocar, Lotus’s new CEO Matt Windle expressed his intention to manufacture non-Lotus vehicles at the company’s facility in Hethel, U.K., which can produce 10,000 cars each year. As both Lotus and Polestar are part of the Geely automobile group, the upcoming Polestar 6 convertible could be a fitting project considering Lotus’s heritage.

      “I believe we could make it,” Windle told Autocar. In our opinion, a Polestar 6 assembled by Lotus could embody the spirit of Lotus more than its recent offerings, the Eletre SUV and the Emeya sedan.

      The Hethel factory. Lotus Andrew Shaylor

      It’s important to note that making a profit as a niche British car manufacturer is challenging, even under the best circumstances. Currently, the company is undergoing struggles, having recently announced 270 job layoffs, cancelled its aforementioned electric vehicles in the U.S. market, and halted shipments of the Emira here—essentially, Lotus is exploring alternative revenue streams, similar to many others in the industry. (What do you mean I can’t use press cars for Uber Eats?)

      However, the idea of working on vehicles outside of the Lotus brand isn’t new. The old Vauxhall VX220 and the original Tesla Roadster were based on the Elise and produced (at least the latter’s chassis) in Hethel. Over the years, Lotus has also contributed engineering for various cars, including the R35 Nissan GT-R, Aston Martin DB9, and surprisingly, the 2009 Kia Soul that was available in the U.K.

      If the Polestar 6 indeed adds to Lotus’s history of side projects, it may take some time before any actual models emerge from the production line. Polestar postponed the 6 back in January to prioritize the 7 SUV, which was initially set for release in 2026.

      Polestar 6 LA Concept edition. Polestar

      When it eventually launches, it will feature a two-door, four-seat electric convertible design. It is expected to utilize an 800-volt architecture and deliver 884 horsepower along with 664 lb-ft of torque. So far, it has only been presented as a concept, with Polestar showcasing a performance version called the Concept BST at last year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

      No, BST does not signify British Standard Time; it’s an abbreviation of the word “beast.” It’s unclear why Polestar chose not to use “Beast” as the performance suffix, as that would sound much more appealing than BST, but that’s the choice made.

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