PROLIFIK-ONE

The last Toyota 2ZZ-GE VVTLi four cylinder engine has been built, and Lotus got it. Lotus CEO Dany Bahar and Toyota Motor Corporation president Akio Toyoda came together at the British Embassy in Tokyo for a celebration where Toyota was presented with an Elise R carrying the engine by Bahar. The shindig marks a new chapter in the two companies’ partnership, one that will allow Lotus to create powertrains that are more exclusively its own in future cars with the continued cooperation of Toyota.

Designed for Toyota by Yamaha, the 2ZZ-GE engine owed a lot to motorcycle engine practice, and the wide-angled valves and variable valve timing and lift system enabled the high-revving engine to develop 100 horsepower per liter, and even more when supercharged. Power levels floated between 160-180 hp naturally aspirated and as much as 250 when supercharged and intercooled.

The question now is what engine Lotus and Toyota will cook up to take the place of the 2ZZ-GE, now that its veteran power unit has been retired. We should find out more on that front at the upcoming Paris Motor Show.

It’s sad to see Toyota stop production on the 2zz. That motor has so much potential still waiting to be unlocked. It’s a great engine. It’s has so much potential to be on par with what the Honda B and K series, yet, R&D for unlocking its potential is a pain staking slow process within the Celica/MR-S world.  Celica guys continue to work on it though, so it’s still exciting for me to await (coming from a former Celica owner) the cool stuff fellow Celica hobbyist can do with it.

What does Toyota/Yamaha and Lotus have in store? Can this bring more of a larger collaboration considering Toyota’s team up with Subaru concerning the FT-86? Time will only tell.

via AutoBlog