Lotus and NVIDIA create theory 1: the future of supercars

Lotus has always been an exciting brand; their cars were loved for their performance on the track and often hated for their interior space and reliability over time. However, over the years, cars have become much more useful, while above all retaining their phenomenal driving characteristics. The first Tesla car was based on a Lotus, and I drove it. It rode like it was on rails and rattled like it was about to turn into a pile of unassembled parts. But that was then, with cars like Emira Lotus has grown into an affordable supercar manufacturer that makes good driving cars that you can generally rely on.

Their latest effort is Theory 1which was done with NVIDIA to create what I believe is the most advanced Supercar in existence today. Granted, you can’t buy it yet, but it shows what the future of Supercars should be: something that’s not only fast and drives well, but also draws a crowd wherever it goes.

The Lotus Theory 1

The Lotus Theory 1 features a lot of highly advanced technology, starting with the locust doors. These doors open backwards and upwards, allowing full access to the car’s interior even if there is no space in the parking lot. Now, with a supercar you usually park them nearby because you sweat on the doors, but many of us have tight garages, especially if we collect these types of cars, and these doors would make it much easier to fit your car into a tight garage to park. storage space. One shortcoming is the speed at which these doors open and close. They move slowly for safety, but if you were standing in the rain or snow, by the time you opened the doors, got into the car and then closed them you would be soaked, which suggests they need to speed up this process if they plan to put the car into production. However, it is incredible to see these doors open and close, so you should not drive the car in bad weather.

The headlights and taillights use a laser wire technology that I have not seen before, resulting in a very unusual lighting experience. I’m not sure if this type of bulb can be approved in the US, but Europe has been much more innovative when it comes to accepting new technologies, and these headlights look fantastic.

The interior features a central driving position favored in racing cars, with the two passenger seats positioned either side of the driver and slightly rearward for easy conversation. The material used appears to be weatherproof and the seats have haptic features that silently alert the driver to what is happening around him. Electric cars can be very quiet inside, and a sudden blaring alarm can be jarring; This warning method is both innovative and potentially more effective than typical light and sound based warning systems, because even when the music is turned up you can still feel the cues.

Other technologies include LOTUSWEAR 3D printed interiors that look wild but are incredibly comfortable and personalized audio technology that can give each passenger a unique audio experience. This experience includes generated speed sounds, which enhance the driving experience, and enhanced active noise cancellation, which improves music quality or allows deeper relaxation for passengers.

NVIDIA and self-driving

This car comes with an NVIDIA-based self-driving solution. The cameras and Lidar elements are hidden until put into use. They are then positioned out of the side of the car and the bonnet to properly position the sensors without detracting from the appearance of the car at rest.

This is one of the most interesting implementations of self-driving technology I’ve seen yet, and it’s the first car I’ve seen with the NVIDIA brand. NVIDIA’s self-driving technology is considered the best because it uses Omniverse emulation to train the self-driving computer, making it much more capable with hundreds of days of experience that you can’t get from simply road testing.

Wrapping up: great car!

Just looking at this car makes me want it. Performance is decent with a 0-60 time of 2.6 seconds, a range of 250 miles and a top speed of 200 mph. Unfortunately, this car is not for sale; it is a technological showcase for the Lotus Engineers. However, Lotus is a small brand that typically doesn’t have the R&D budget to create an incredible vehicle like this. But help from NVIDIA and the availability of increasingly cheaper EV technologies have created the perfect storm, allowing Lotus to create a supercar with the Theory 1 that is perhaps the most technically advanced on the market.

Go Lotus, great job guys.

Rob Enderle is a technology analyst at Torque News covering automotive technology and battery development. More information about Rob can be found at Wikipedia and follow his articles Forbes, XAnd LinkedIn.