Lotus Creates Special Ice Vehicle

 Lotus Creates Special Ice Vehicle
Lotus Ice Vehicle Concept / Lotus Cars

No tyres, heading for South Pole

James Bond’s Esprit could run both on and under water in The Spy Who Loved Me, if I recall correctly. Now a real bio-fuelled slider has been developed by Lotus engineers to cope with extremely cold temperatures, the kind found in places like the South Pole for instance. Coincidentally that is exactly where this Lotus is going on something called the Moon Regan Trans Antarctic Expedition. So experimental is this thing that two Ford E-Series vehicles will accompany it, just in case.

The creation is some 4500mm in length with a wingspan of same proportions and uses three skids. It has radar for crack detection and will carry the three-man crew of Andrew Regan, Andrew Moon and Jason de Carteret. These gents will be performing a series of experiments in Antarctica in order to exhibit how much of a vital role the vast ice-covered land plays in the sustainability of our planet.

Source: Lotus via Leblogauto

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 joelynn joelynn
Cool. But does it have any protection for the cockpit. Otherwise I imagine it might get a little chilly.
August 18, 2008 2:11 pm
 Car_Nut Car_Nut
Guess narrow bridges defeats it...!
August 18, 2008 4:07 pm
 loyo loyo
Three man crew huh? I've always liked Lotus' engineering, but if they manage to sit 3 people in the only bucket seat this thing has, I'll be more than impressed
August 18, 2008 5:51 pm
 Bremen_Koenigsegg Bremen_Koenigsegg
This is a versatile engineering exercise, given the number of people living in year-round snowed-in conditions. It is not just automotive-relevant, either, believing it is just a matter of time before police vehicles are outfitted with crack-detection radars. I predict the technology will be so effective drug lords will start lobbying congress to ban it.
August 19, 2008 12:07 am
 droobear droobear
@ loyo 1. these men are former 2 man luge competitors. 2. nights in antarctica are 6 months long. 3. antarctica is cold and lonely 4 i seem to recall reading a science blog that pointed out a high degree of homosexuality among the penguins. 5. Three men in one comfort shaped reclined seat. The only problem will be arguments about who's ontop and who's underneath.
August 19, 2008 1:08 am
 droobear droobear
Serious critique of this machine 1. Before the quadrunners/atv ther was the 3 wheel atv. It ended up OUTLAWED because of all the rollovers. 2. That company in Quebec who fabricate the 3 wheeled motorbike (Raptor?) -- 2 wheels in front one wheel in back. 3. snowmobiles have 2 skis in front monotread in back PERCHANCE A LOTUS ENGINEER READS THIS 2 skis upfront one in the back = more stability, =oversteer not rollover. (If you think oversteer for a snow/ice machine is bad than watch children on toboggans. Remember the british team that set the land speed record? Broke the speed of sound!!!! they used 2 WHEELS UP FRONT/ 1 WHEEL STEERING IN BACK. Nice idea but some serious safety issues, performance issues with this layout.
August 19, 2008 1:17 am
 BabyMilo BabyMilo
it looks like you would get very cold driving it...
August 19, 2008 5:17 am