The Pininfarina Chronos was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 1991. The swooping bodywork and curvaceous glasshouse hid the fact that the underpinnings were borrowed directly from the brutal, angular Lotus Carlton. A fully functional prototype was worked up, showcasing the proven 377bhp of the Carlton's twin-turbo V6 in a shape that look superbly space-age for the early nineties. The innovative canopy was impregnated with liquid crystals, allowing alterations in tint level by passing differing electrical currents through the glass.
However, General Motors didn't feel that there was a place in their line-up for a 190mph coupe, probably because they didn't want to poach their own Corvette sales, so the Chronos never made it beyond concept stage. It now resides in the annals of history, a forgotten chapter in the Lotus tale that never came to be.
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