Sina.com is reporting today that Youngman Auto (the joint venture partner of Lotus in China) is reportedly pressuring Lotus to bring the Exige 270E Tri-Fuel to the Chinese market. First unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show in 2008, the Exige 270E Tri-Fuel greeted visitors at last month’s Shanghai Auto Show.

Click here to read our coverage of the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show.

Apparently the little Lotus made a big impact – after the show, Youngman Auto scrambled to submit an application to Lotus requesting distribution of a production Exige 270E Tri-Fuel in China.

As the 270E Tri-Fuel is still officially a concept, some further development work will be needed. If the demand in China is real however, we could very well see the 270E Tri-Fuel enter production as the concept isn’t out of the realm of production feasibility. Perhaps this is Lotus’s cue that now is the time to expand in the Chinese market.

The Exige 270E Tri-Fuel outputs 270 hp from its supercharged 1.8L motor and can run on either methanol, bioethanol, or gasoline, hence the name “270E Tri-Fuel”. While powered by the low carbon alcohol fuels, the 270E Tri-Fuel sprints to 60 in just 3.88 seconds and tops out at 158 MPH, making it the fastest Exige variant ever.

Click here to watch Fifth Gear’s Tiff Needell race the Exige 270E Tri-Fuel.