7/09/2025

theSunday Special XVI ON SUNDAY SEPT 7, 2025

Bold reinvention Lotus introduces refreshed Eletre line-up with new variants and streamlined options

LOTUS CARS MALAYSIA has unveiled the updated Lotus Eletre range, signalling a new chapter for the brand’s first all electric hyper-SUV. The revised line-up not only introduces simplified model names and equipment packages but also enhances performance benchmarks for the premium EV segment, with pricing now start ing from RM499,000. In line with Lotus’ global nam ing strategy, the refreshed Eletre range adopts a clearer designa tion system, with models now identified as the Eletre 600 and Eletre 900, denoting their respective power outputs. The move follows the same philosophy introduced with the Lotus Emeya, ensuring custom ers can easily distinguish per formance levels across the brand’s expanding portfolio. Each variant of the Eletre is offered with a curated package, giving buyers the freedom to select a sport-oriented specifica tion or a more comfort and tech nology-focused configuration. This approach simplifies the buying process while retaining the flexibility for personalisation, ensuring customers can tailor their vehicle to match individual

800Nm of torque, enough to propel it from 0 to 100kph in just 3.4 seconds before reaching a top speed of 325kph. To ensure it performs flawlessly when leading the world’s fastest racing cars, the car is fitted with additional aerodynamic upgrades including a full width decklid spoiler and a centrally mounted rear lightbar, both engineered for greater stability and visibility in deployment conditions. The car also bene fits from design revi sions intended to extract maximum per formance from the V8 engine. New centrally mounted bonnet blades improve hot air management from the “hot-V” layout, while the enhanced aerodynamic balance gives the car a sharper turn-in and greater corner ing stability. Finished in Podium Green, the same shade carried by the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team cars, the Vantage S will share official duties with the Aston Martin DBX707, which continues as the official medical car. ing RM769,000. With 905bhp delivered through a dual-motor setup and a two-speed transmis sion, it represents the pinnacle of Lotus EV engineering. A more exclusive Eletre 900 Sport Carbon, priced at RM839,000, further enhances the package with extended car bon-fibre elements inside and out, alongside premium seating with ventilation and massage functions. The Eletre represents Lotus’ bold reinvention in the electric era, proving that performance, technology, and everyday usabil ity can coexist in a hyper-SUV that sets new standards in its class.

four-zone climate control high light its blend of luxury and tech nology. For those seeking greater dis tinction, Lotus Malaysia has introduced a series of enhanced specifications. The Eletre 600 GT SE, priced at RM569,000, gets larger 21 inch wheels, an intelligent glass roof, and hands-free tailgate, while the Eletre 600 Sport SE, from RM649,000, adds the Lotus Dynamic Handling Pack, venti lated and massaging seats, soft close doors, and an active rear spoiler for added performance flair. Sitting at the top of the range is the Eletre 900 Sport, command

of an SUV with the sharp dynam ics Lotus is known for. Even the entry-level Eletre 600 offers a compelling package, producing over 603bhp and delivering a driving range of 580km from its 112 kWh battery, while features such as KEF’s 15 speaker premium audio system, a 29-inch head-up display, and

preferences and lifestyles. Performance remains at the core of the Eletre’s identity. Depending on specification, the SUV delivers up to 905bhp, paired with adaptive air suspen sion, torque vectoring, and advanced active aerodynamics. The result is a machine that combines the imposing presence

Vantage S now official F1 safety car ASTON MARTIN is turn ing up the heat at the front of the Formula 1 grid with the introduction of its lat est high-performance

model, the Vantage S, as the new Official FIA Safety Car of Formula 1.

Farewell to a legend destined for a customer in Japan. The final send-off took place at Nissan’s Tochigi plant, where workers gathered to celebrate the GT-R’s enduring legacy as the last example rolled off the line. The R35’s history, however, is far from a conventional one. Instead of following the industry’s typical model lifecycle, Nissan opted for continuous evolution, with year-on-year refinements that sharpened performance, comfort, and technology. Whether in standard form, the luxurious variants, or the fero cious Nismo editions, every update aimed to push the enve lope a little further. Beyond the racetrack, the R35 even entered the Guinness World Records in 2016 for the fastest drift ever achieved, a jaw-drop ping 304.96kph at a 30° angle in

AFTER nearly two decades, Nissan has officially brought an end to production of the R35 GT R, marking the close of an era for one of the most iconic perform ance cars of modern times. The final assembly for the Japanese domestic market, the last region where the model remained on sale, has now con cluded, drawing the curtain on a remarkable 18-year run. Since its global debut in 2007, the R35 GT-R has stood as a sym bol of cutting-edge engineering and relentless performance, cap turing the imagination of enthusi asts and setting new benchmarks in the supercar world. Over its lifespan, approxi mately 48,000 units were pro duced, with the very last car, a Premium Edition T-Spec finished in the famed Midnight Purple,

Fujairah, UAE. While production has now ended, Nissan has made it clear that the GT-R nameplate is not retiring with it. The company has confirmed its intention to carry the spirit of the GT-R forward, promising that the lessons learned from the R35 will help shape the next chapter of the iconic badge. The R35 GT-R leaves behind a legacy that few performance cars can match. It not only redefined what a Grand Tourer could be, balancing refinement, usability, and blister ing speed, but also continuously raised expectations in the super car world. For enthusiasts, this may be the end of one chapter, but Nissan has made it clear: the GT R story is far from over.

Making its debut at last week’s Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, the car repre sents the most perform ance-focused iteration of the Vantage to date. Powered by a hand-built 4.0-litre twin-turbo charged V8, the Vantage S delivers 680PS and