Sometimes we feel it necessary to remind our readers that we really love cars. Honest, we do. We love cars that are fun to drive, and we especially love cars that offer unencumbered performance with a minimal geopolitical and environmental impact. Throw in some groundbreaking technological advance and we're checking our bank accounts to see if we have enough money for a deposit. Needless to say, the entire Autopia staff is planning on getting on the waiting list for the first consumer-ready Lotus product with an Omnivore engine. Recession be damned! Any car you can run on Southern Comfort is worth it!

The Omnivore is a direct injection two-stroke engine with a variable compression ratio system, which means it won't waste fuel and it'll run on just about everything but puppy smiles and children's dreams.

"The engine design is expected to significantly increase fuel efficiency for sustainable bio alcohol fuels," Lotus Engineering's Mike Kimberleysaid, which means you should prepare to see rappers filling their 2011 Exiges with Cristal and Courvosier.

A recent "tri-fuel" concept Exige drove like a bat out of Hethel, delivering 270 horsepower and hitting 60 mph from a standstill in 3.88 seconds. That beats the current gas-only Exige S by 52 horsepower and 22 hundredths of a second, all while minimizing tailpipe emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. When the "tri-fuel" concept was unveiled in May, Lotus made it clear we've got plenty of time to save up, because it's at least four to five years from production.

Of course, there are some drawbacks. First, we all know biofuels aren't perfect. There's that little issue of the long tailpipe, with several studies suggesting biofuels result in more net emissions than fossil fuels. Lotus counters this argument with a promise of synthetic fuels and lightweight fuel-sipping cars, which might be commercially viable around the time that Lotus is merely a supplier to Tesla.

Another issue is long-term reliability. Some early direct injection two-strokes had issues with lubrication. To alleviate that problem, most modern two-cycle engines (the ones not marked Craftsman) rely on sophisticated electronic engine management systems. While the ghost of Joseph Lucas was exorcised from British cars some time ago, we can't help but be wary of an entirely new kind of car engine created by Lotus Engineering, Jaguar and Queen's University Belfast.

Even if the Omnivore becomes a footnote in the history of alt-fuel supercars, it's great to see Lotus continue to combine innovation, conservation and exhilaration. Plus, a one-cylinder two-stroke screaming away from a stoplight is still going to sound a heck of a lot better than any electric car.

Photo: StuBez/Flickr