Lotus EV Minicar Looks Vaguely Familiar

Automotive Engineer magazine wanted to know how far Lotus could push the design envelope on a fully electric minicar. Judging from the sketches the company cranked out, the answer is: not very far at all. To be sure, there's some innovation at play, like the rooftop solar panels and the minivan-style sliding doors (not pictured here). And in Lotus' defense, the sketches were turned around in about two weeks, which is exceptionally fast. But even though Lotus envisioned this vehicle as a third-party model, we expected something a little more...Lotus-y. Heck, if those guys can't improve the minicar, who can?  [AE-Plus via Carscoop]