By 3am on Saturday morning Lotus Racing had finally finished packing up the six airfreight boxes needed for the journey to Bahrain and the beginning of the 2010 Formula One™ season.  Two cars and a 60-strong team have now made their way to the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Bahrain International Circuit for the first race of much anticipated 2010 season.

On 12th September 2009 Lotus Racing gained entry onto the grid. As the team gears up for the first Grand Prix, the whole team, including the drivers Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen, remain upbeat and honest about their expectations for the first few races. Trulli commented, “It would be nice to score a point, but it is not going to be easy. We have to be realistic.”

Chief Technical Officer, Mike Gascoyne said, “Our test season was extremely productive – in general we’ve had very good reliability, and the team is in very good shape going to the first race.”

Lotus Racing remain confident of their continuing progress. Team Principle Tony Fernandes commented, “We are all looking forward to Bahrain; to have Lotus Racing on the grid will be a momentous occasion for all involved and, indeed, for our fans, whose support has been absolutely fantastic since we launched just under six months ago. Yes we are a little slower than the major leading teams, however we will get there, with passion, hard work and a clear vision – our aim for this first Grand Prix will be to finish and steadily but surely improve, race by race.”

Lotus Racing will spend the week preparing in Bahrain and look forward to hitting the track in anger for the first practice session on Friday, exactly six months to the day after gaining their entry place into 2010 Formula One™ World Championship.

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* Choose to have ‘named driver’ insurance. This will reduce your insurance premium.
* If possible choose to a policy in which you cap your mileage.
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* If you have recently passed your driving test enquire about completing a Pass Plus course, this can reduce your premium by up to 10% as well as giving you extra confidence in your ability as a new driver.

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TAG Heuer and Tesla Motors launch worldwide partnership

Unique TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster commemorates Swiss brand’s 150th anniversary.

GENEVA – Pioneering luxury Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer and electric carmaker Tesla Motors have teamed up in a worldwide partnership as the iconic Swiss brand celebrates its 150th anniversary.

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On display at the Geneva Motor Show is the 2010 TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster. This one-of-a-kind collector’s car includes a unique interior by Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen, incorporating TAG Heuer avant-garde design elements and a specially designed center console due to host TAG Heuer’s cutting edge concept watch, to be revealed in Basel on March 18.

This car also features a TAG Heuer Meridiist mobile phone as well as a one-fifth second Heuer Limited Edition Stopwatch. This Swiss-made timepiece with mechanical movement pays tribute to the 1860 founding of the company and evoques the mythic revival of the brand’s vintage stopwatches.

The car’s exterior color scheme is Foucault Field Gray, embodying the innovative spirit of both companies. The design was inspired by the new TAG Heuer concept watch, a technical milestone in mechanical movements, which brings technologically advanced art to life through motion.

The 2010 TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster will remain at the Tesla booth during the public show days, March 4-14 at the Palexpo-Geneva conference center. The car will then be driven to Baselworld, the world’s largest watch exhibition, for a special event March 18.

Relentless focus on technological innovation

Since its founding in an artisan’s workshop in the Swiss Jura, TAG Heuer has become one of the world’s best-known luxury brands — maker of avant-garde watches, eyewear and premium mobile phones for refined consumers around the globe.

TAG Heuer, a star brand from the luxury group and worldwide leader Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH), also has deep roots in the automotive sector. Company founder Edouard Heuer received in 1911 the patent for The Time of Trip, the first car dashboard chronograph, followed in 1933 by the Autavia — the first dashboard timekeeper for both automobiles and aviation. The benchmark in cutting-edge chronographs and timekeeping technology since 1860, TAG Heuer is the watch brand that can claim the longest and strongest association with motor sports and dream cars. Both watches and chronographs are inspired and driven by motor sports, from Formula One to GT cars.

“TAG Heuer has a rich history and expertise with the world’s most prestigious racing teams — but this is the first ever partnership we’ve forged with an electric sports car company,” said Jean-Christophe Babin, President and CEO of TAG Heuer. “We believe that high-performance drivers are increasingly searching for products that are efficient, socially responsible and stylish. TAG Heuer and Tesla are two of the few companies arleady achieving these ideals today.”

Tesla Motors began developing an electric sports car in 2004 and remains the only automaker selling highway-capable electric cars. The Tesla Roadster accelerates faster than nearly any other supercar yet is twice as energy efficient as a Toyota Prius — the only car that delivers supercar performance guilt-free, with zero tailpipe emissions and a carbon footprint dramatically lower than any comparable sports car.

Based in California’s Silicon Valley, Tesla has delivered more than 1,000 cars to consumers in 21 countries. Advertising Age magazine recently named Tesla one of America’s “hottest brands.” The Tesla Roadster is quickly becoming the must-have car among Hollywood celebrities, European royalty and socially responsible trendsetters worldwide.

“Engineers at both TAG Heuer and Tesla understand intuitively that technology — whether worn on your wrist or driven on the road — can help us live better while we tread more lightly on this planet,” said Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

The CEOs of TAG Heuer and Tesla, along with celebrity customers of both companies, will launch their next collaboration in style on March 18 at a party during Baselworld 2010. This nine-month project, commemorating TAG Heuer’s 150th anniversary, will have worldwide reach and will raise awareness of technological innovation to consumers on three continents.

Lotus Range Extender

News from Autocar today reports that Lotus Engineering is putting the wheels in place for mass production of the Lotus Range Extender.

Series hybrids and the Lotus Range Extender

More on the Lotus Range Extender

Negotiations with an unnamed supplier are underway to produce the engine.

While this supplier does not currently manufacture internal combustion engines, plans call for 50,000 units per annum for several auto manufacturers interested in incorporating the Lotus Range Extender in extended-range electric models.

Autocar has also quoted Lotus management as saying the Evora 414E Hybrid’s technology is “very close to being production possible”.

Proton EMAS Concepts

Proton Press Release

PROTON Showcases Concept Global Car Series at Geneva Motorshow

GENEVA, Switzerland, 2 March, 2010 – Malaysian car manufacturer PROTON today unveiled a series of concept global cars at the prestigious 80th International Geneva Motor Show. The three concept global cars – EMAS, EMAS Country and EMAS3 – signal PROTON’s long-term plan to expand its footprint in the global automotive market.

EMAS – which means gold in the Malay language – stands for Eco Mobility Advance Solution, and is a result of the joint collaboration between PROTON, its subsidiary Lotus, and Italian design house, Italdesign Giugiaro (IDG).

The cars were unveiled at IDG’s booth by PROTON Advisor and former Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and will be displayed throughout the exhibition from 4th to 14 March 2010. PROTON Holdings Berhad Chairman Dato’ Mohd. Nadzmi Mohd. Salleh and Group Managing Director Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir as well as Italdesign Giugiaro Chairman Giorgetto Giugiaro and Co-Chairman Fabrizio Giugiaro were present to witness the unveiling.

Speaking on the collaboration with IDG, Dato’ Mohd. Nadzmi said, “We constantly strive to acquire and jointly develop new knowledge, skills and technologies that will ultimately benefit our customers. While we continue to gain progressive technology from our subsidiary Lotus, our design collaboration with IDG will further strengthened our position within the global automotive industry.”

He added that PROTON wanted to work with the best and IDG topped other styling and design houses with their credibility and flair. “We undertook a careful process of benchmarking and a thorough point-by-point analysis of strengths and weaknesses in our decision. With IDG, we have good design and more, as they would contribute in our brand-building initiatives as well as provide knowledge-transfer to accelerate our learning curve in car design.”

Dato’ Syed Zainal Abidin said that the EMAS concept global car project signifies PROTON’s “golden” opportunity to stand in competence with the global automotive market.

“The unveiling of the concept cars today reflects the long-term strategy we have in matching global automotive standards as we expand and reinforce our presence worldwide.”

Dato’ Syed Zainal Abidin pointed out that the concept cars are the yardstick to gauge public opinion. “We strive to listen to our customers to ensure the development of a global car that meets customer’s requirements and expectations. The aim is to produce the global car for world market in the future,” he said.

More photos released – Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid

Introducing the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid

Full details on the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid.

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The multi-award winning Lotus Evora provides the basis of the stunning carbon design concept unveiled at the 80th Geneva Motorshow. The car boasts a stylish carbon fibre, leather and alcantara interior, aggressive carbon diffuser and an evocative high tech composite body.

The Evora Carbon Concept car emphasises Lotus’ motorsport pedigree, utilising beautiful high quality materials with exposed carbon fibre and plush alcantara. The striking white concept car is finished in an advanced water based pearlescent paint that contrasts with the exquisitely finished weave on the carbon fibre panels.

The head turning looks of the Evora Carbon Concept car provide a more purposeful, planted stance with the car looking lower and more aggressive. This styling direction is continued with a structural carbon fibre roof, Lotus Motorsport influenced carbon diffuser and carbon splitter. The Evora Carbon Concept car retains the same class leading handling and high tech aluminium bonded and extruded chassis of the production car.

The contemporary interior of the Evora Carbon Concept car combines the lustre of the carbon panels with perforated leather and matt alcantara. The bespoke interior uses swathes of sumptuous grey alcantara to cover the footwell, dashboard and roof. The soft texture of the leather and alcantara are juxtaposed with the hard surfaces of the carbon fibre to provide a satisfying sensory experience.

The Evora Carbon Concept car has diamond cut forged 19” alloy wheels front and rear, shod with Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tyres (235/35 wide front and 285/30 wide rear). The wheels and tyres give the Evora real presence filling the wheel arches and giving the car a purposeful appearance.

Donato Coco, Director of Lotus Design commented, “The design of the Evora Carbon Concept car features exotic, high tech materials that offer a good synergy with the Lotus brand image, expressing our motorsport heritage and history of stylish sports cars for which Lotus are renowned.”

Two of Britain’s most renowned automotive names to become closely associated through a strategic partnership looking at the opportunity to develop high performance engines for Lotus road and race cars.

The new partnership includes the supply by Cosworth of high performance engines based upon existing Toyota engines for future Lotus cars and the assembly by Cosworth of racing engines for all motorsport activities which are based on Toyota powertrains. The first application of these race engines will be for the V6 engine in the new Lotus Evora Cup racing car.

Dany Bahar CEO of Group Lotus commented, “The ties between Lotus and Cosworth are, of course, already historical ones but our new strategic relationship is based purely on Cosworth’s competencies, brand and race engine development capabilities. This new strategic partnership will align two of the most renowned names in the automotive world and will be of huge benefit for both organisations.”

Tim Routsis, CEO & Managing Director of Cosworth Group said, “I am delighted that the Cosworth name is once again linked to Lotus through this new strategic partnership and these new high performance engines. Our mutual history over many decades resulted in a great number of racing successes and I expect to see further triumphs not only on the racetrack but also in the competitive high performance sportscar market, where Lotus is already acknowledged as a world leader.”

It was announced this morning at the Geneva Motor Show that eight special edition ‘Naomi for Haiti’ Evoras have achieved in excess of €1.4m at auction.

As part of a collaboration with Naomi Campbell and the White Ribbon Alliance’s Fashion for Relief campaign, Lotus has designed and donated eight bespoke charity cars to help raise essential funds for mothers, children and babies struggling to survive in the aftermath of the tragic earthquake that hit the Caribbean country of Haiti on 12th of January.

Naomi commented on Lotus Cars’ contribution, “Lotus Cars has been Fashion for Relief’s biggest supporter and has been instrumental in helping us to raise crucial funds for The White Ribbon Alliance and its partners in Haiti who are working towards rebuilding the healthcare system for mothers and babies.

“To have Lotus on board supporting Fashion for Relief is very important to Sarah Brown, myself and everyone at The White Ribbon Alliance and we are truly very grateful.”

Lotus CEO, Dany Bahar said “It was a great pleasure for Lotus to work with Naomi and the White Ribbon Alliance for this excellent cause and we are delighted that by working with Naomi, our suppliers and the generosity of the bidders, we have been able to raise such a significant sum of money to help those in need during this difficult time.”