Lotus tapped a renowned British music producer Patrick Patrikios to develop a range of sounds for the all-electric Evija hypercar. The Brit Award-nominated songwriter and multi-instrumentalist musician has written and produced for Olly Murs, Sia, Britney Spears, Pixie Lott, and numerous other world-famous stars.
We wanted to create a soundscape for the Evija that was recognizably and distinctively Lotus. I sat with the development team at Hethel and discussed what that should be. We wanted something intrinsically connected to Lotus so we could set an audio blueprint for its future electric cars. – Patrick Patrikios
The process started with the recording of a Type 49 that has won on its first Formula 1 outing, the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix, with legendary driver Jim Clark at the wheel, and was on pole position at every race for the rest of the season. In digitally manipulating the sound Patrick Patrikios and the Lotus team realized that slowing the engine note down created a similar frequency to the natural driving sound produced by the Evija’s advanced all-electric drivetrain.
I adjusted the replay speeds and digital filtering of the Type 49 to generate a soundscape for the Evija – it was a very organic process. We all wanted something to spark an emotional connection between car and driver. Sound is hugely influential when it comes to creating and forming emotions, to enrich that bond that’s such a critical part of the Lotus experience. I love that the sound from one of the most iconic Lotus race cars of all time has been the inspiration for its newest. There’s a symmetry to it which is beautiful.
Initially, Patrick Patrikios wanted to craft the Evija’s external noise as it begins to deliver its immense ‘0-186mph (300km/h) in under nine seconds’ acceleration. However, using the Evija soundscape he created, he has also developed chimes and tones for everything from the activation of the indicators to the seatbelt warning.
