The study was conducted to look at the possibility of Lotus applying its weight-reduction measures onto passenger cars by 2017, with Lotus saying that its lightweight philosophies will benefit potential customers in the areas of fuel consumption and C02 emissions.

Lotus Engineering used a Toyota Venza as a benchmark, and Lotus was able to achieve a 38% vehicle mass reduction, excluding the powertrain, with only a 3% increase in component costs. The study was done using processes and tech that should be available and affordable by 2020. Lotus took apart the Venza, catalogued the parts, evaluated on how mass could be reduced, and reassembled the car while maintaining all the standard features.

The number of body parts used on the Lotus study was just 211, compared to over 400 for the standard Venza. The interior systems include 50% lighter seats, climate control hardware, navigation electronics and others. The body was constructed out of a mixture of lightweight materials such as aluminium, magnesium, plastic, composites and high strength steel, instead of 100% steel like the standard Toyota.

There is also a high level of component integration for space maximisation and weight minimisation, such as the audio/ air conditioning/navigation touch screen which also contains the shifter and parking brake functions. Chassis and suspension components were downsized, the glazing and width of the windscreen reduced and replaced with an appropriate, lower weight substitute.