The first production Exige S came off the assembly line today and very soon the first customers will experience this exciting new Lotus, a car which has already produced very positive headlines in the automotive media

Lotus Chief Operating Officer, Aslam Farikullah stood proudly by the production line and talks about the significance of this event

How do you feel about reaching this particular milestone?

Aslam Farikullah: We are very proud of the Exige S. It marks the first step towards consolidating and then growing the company. I know that customers have been eagerly waiting for this car, and I assure them that it will be worth the wait. We wanted to be sure that we had a product that was absolutely ready before launching it. We are confident that the right time for the Exige S is now.

Our new philosophy is simple: We will keep announcements about our planned products to a minimum. New models will only be launched when the product and timing is right. Once we do launch a new product, we will ensure that we can deliver to customers anywhere in the world as scheduled.

What else will be different at Lotus under your leadership?

Aslam Farikullah: Our emphasis now is on the finer details of what we do. I believe that the ability of our engineers and workforce makes them among the best in the world. We will leverage on this key strength as we revitalise and strengthen the Lotus brand.

We can all look forward to exciting times ahead as we bring the company to the next level. But I am not a fan of the limelight; I will let our cars do the talking.

So what is your vision for Lotus?

Aslam Farikullah: I want the Lotus name to become a by-word in the automotive industry for integrity, which means delivering quality products on the dates we say we will deliver them. As a start, we will refocus our human resources in order to further strengthen our Quality Department by 20%, clearly demonstrating our future intent.
I would also like to reiterate that DRB-HICOM is committed to the future of Lotus. When I arrived I found a company full of talent, ambition and pride in the Lotus name. It’s my job now to re-galvanise the company and we will be doing that by investing in our existing talent.

(Left to right) Dato’ Abdul Rahman Md Ali – Board Member of DRB-HICOM Berhad, En Aslam Farikullah – Chief Operating Officer of Group Lotus, Dato’ Syed Mohamed Syed Murtaza – Chairman of DRB-HICOM Berhad, Dr Vince Cable – Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Dato’ Sri Mohd Khamil Jamil – Group Managing Director of DRB-HICOM Berhad, HE Dato’ Sri Zakaria Sulong – Malaysian High Commissioner to the UK, Tan Sri Marzuki Mohd Noor – Board Member of DRB-HICOM Berhad

New Lotus owners DRB-HICOM welcomed Business Secretary Vince Cable to the Lotus Originals flagship store on Regent Street today. Present during the visit was His Excellency Dato’ Sri Zakaria Sulong, Malaysia High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

The DRB-HICOM delegation led by DRB-HICOM Chairman Dato’ Syed Mohamad Syed Murtaza and DRB-HICOM Berhad’s Group Managing Director and Executive Chairman of Proton Holdings Berhad, Dato Sri Hj Mohd Khamil Jamil met with the Business Secretary before showing him around the new flagship store in London.

The Regent Street store opening marked the end of a three day visit by DRB-HICOM to Group Lotus which began with two days at the Hethel based headquarters. During the visit, the delegation from DRB-HICOM was given a thorough tour of the facilities including the production line, design studio and engineering facilities before putting current Lotus products through their paces out on the test track with a ride and drive experience. The feedback from Lotus’ new owners was very positive and senior staff at Hethel were reassured regarding DRB-HICOM’s support for Group Lotus going forward.

Dato’ Sri Hj Mohd Khamil Jamil, Group Managing Director DRB-HICOM & Executive Chairman PROTON said: “Group Lotus has some of the most technically gifted and talented members of the automotive industry and we are determined that they will be given the opportunity to flourish under the new management. DRB-HICOM has invested new funds and it is our job to make sure that investment is used in a way that can drive the company forward.

“We are working on a number of new developments and are confident of the company’s bright future as we continue to leverage on our engineering excellence and innovation culture. Meeting with Dr Cable and hearing about his continued support for this great British brand was very heartening.”

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “I’m pleased to have been invited to meet with DRB-HICOM on what is a milestone day for Lotus. Lotus is an important part of the UK’s automotive sector, and I particularly welcome DRB-HICOM’S continued commitment to the future of Lotus in Norfolk.”

The boards that have recently been covering number 52 Regent Street in the heart of London’s Piccadilly have been removed to unveil a new flagship store and Lotus takes pride of place to showcase its iconic brand in a new and accessible way.

LOTUS ORIGINALS arrives in the capital at a massively exciting time for the UK and everything British. As the nation is in full-patriotic-swing during the year of both the Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, it is the perfect time for Lotus to demonstrate how it’s legendary British brand, one steeped in heritage and international reverence, deserves its place in the buzzing 2012 summer calendar.

Situated in London’s Piccadilly, the Grade II listed 4,800 sq ft space, which was previously the ‘Café Royal’, will be host to a diverse collection of luxury apparel, luggage, gifts, toys, and limited edition collectables – this is a store for the fashion conscious and style orientated, not purely a shrine for Lotus fans. Nevertheless, those with a passion for F1 will be able to lose themselves in the emporium, whilst those that are more concerned with quality fashion will be delighted with the beautiful lines that are perhaps more affordable than the dream sportscar!

The development of the LOTUS ORIGINALS retail concept has been rapid. Since its launch in September 2010 the offering has gone from online sales only via www.lotusoriginals.com to small shops in Monaco and China carrying small lines of key pieces to now a flagship store in the heart of London!

The London store is the next step in a fully integrated, international approach for non-car Lotus products. The concept of the store embodies style and heritage in a ‘Best of British’ way that provides enthusiasts and fashionistas with a new Lotus experience.

Brimming with innovation, technology, performance and power, the Lotus Evora 414E is a series hybrid technology demonstrator which shows some of the headline technologies that Lotus Engineering, one of the world’ s leading automotive engineering consultancies, has within its portfolio.

The Evora 414E is powered by two electric motor packs driving the rear wheels through its Xtrac transmission with a battery pack that can be charged by the Lotus range extender engine or directly from mains electricity. The Lotus 3 cylinder range extender engine has been design protected to run on either gasoline or renewable bio alcohol fuels (methanol and ethanol). It drives an EVO electric generator which produces electrical energy to either charge the battery pack or power the EVO traction motors directly. In normal driving, the Evora 414E will run purely on electricity stored in the battery pack for up to 30 miles (48 km). With the Lotus range extender and the electric traction motors powering the vehicle through an Xtrac 1092 transmission, the Evora 414E is targeted to produce just 55 g of CO2 / km emissions on the Northern European Driving Cycle (NEDC).

Should the driver require more performance, under hard acceleration, for example, the electricity will come from both the battery storage and the small range extender engine.

It’s all Torque
Now that the car is undergoing testing, what does 1000 Nm in an Evora feel like?
Simon Corbett, Principal Vehicle Dynamics Test and Development Engineer at Lotus Engineering, has been doing the majority of the development testing, over the last few weeks, “The Evora S has 400 Nm of torque which in such a lightweight car is already a healthy figure. But the Evora 414E has two and a half times that amount! The acceleration sensation is almost indescribable, the surge of torque is like an ocean wave!”

See under the skin of the Evora 414E at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
As part of the REEVolution consortium, funded by the government’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, Lotus will show a cutaway version of the Evora 414E, with the addition of regenerative braking, HALOsonic and realistic 7 speed paddle shift technologies at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, giving an unusual insight into this pioneering vehicle.

Recalling Sixties spy-fi show The Avengers, the first thing men of a certain age remember is Mrs Peel’s black leather cat suit. But the character’s object of desire was her cute-as-a-button Lotus Elan.

The Elan was launched in October 1962 at the British Motorshow, just as the Sixties started swinging. Jaguar had launched the E-Type the previous year, and AC had the Cobra and Ferrari the GTO. Big, expensive, powerful muscles cars. The Elan was very different, and typically Lotus – ultra modern, lightweight, rapid and huge fun.

It summed up the Sixties: a playful topless two-seat ticket to freedom, it was technically innovative with the first backbone tube chassis of any road car, a fiberglass body, four-wheel independent suspension, 670kg with a peachy power-to-weight ratio, bang up-to-date styling beloved by Kings Road cruisers, and a liberating, rock n’ roll attitude.

It came with luxuries that were a rarity at the time, like electric windows, carpets, a heater, and in vogue wooden fascia, but it was still light enough on the scales to outrun other automotive competition – not to mention groupies.

The Elan Sprint, a more powerful 1973 alternative, could hit 60mph in 6.6 seconds, which even now would be considered respectably fast. Back then it was Neil Armstrong territory.

Its pop-up headlights could wink at admirers. It turned heads on Carnaby Street, where the Swinging Sixties embraced cool new design. As well as its turn on TV, defeating baddies and complimenting Diana Rigg’s risqué wardrobe, it found its way onto a magazine cover with Jimi Hendrix posing on the bonnet, and even inspired the lyrics to The Beatles’ A Day In The Life.

The Elan was Lotus’ biggest commercial success to that point, reviving a company stretched thin by the more exotic but in turn more costly to produce Elite. Four different series were produced up until 1973, including a coupe version. Seventeen thousand original examples, including the Elan +2, were produced.

The car was designed by Ron Hickman, who went on to make millions when he patented the Black & Decker WorkMate. He died last year, having earned an OBE for services to industrial innovation.

The Elan was the design inspiration for the Mazda MX-5, which was one of the biggest selling sports cars of the 1990s, and it’s clearly the mother of the Lotus Elise, which has been a staple of the Lotus line-up since 1996 and is on its third evolution.

The late motoring journalist LKJ Setright summed up the Elan when, in the early 1960s, he wrote poetically, “The package that results may not appeal to those conditioned to judge a car by the shut of the door, the depth of the upholstery or the weight of the paint; but to those whose sensual and cerebral appreciations of motoring offer more relevant criteria, the Lotus is as much a machine for driving as a house by Le Corbusier is a machine for living.”

Fifty years on, the Elan has never gone out of style.

A little more Elan history

First introduced in 1962 as a roadster (Drop Head), an optional hardtop was offered in 1963 and a coupé (Fixed Head) version in 1965. It was the first Lotus road car to use the a steel backbone chassis, a technology that continued until 1995 on all Lotus road cars including the Europa, Excel and the Esprit supercar, when it was replaced by the Elise’s amazing extruded and bonded Aluminium chassis sub frame with a glass reinforced composite body.

It was also available as a kit to be assembled by the customer. Although a kit was not really the best description of these cars – they could easily be assembled in a weekend, as only a few key components had to be mated together.

The Elan was technologically advanced with a twin-cam 1558cc engine (early Elans in 1962 came with a 1.5 litre engine), 4-wheel disc brakes, and 4-wheel independent suspension.

Mirroring the changing lifestyle of Lotus founder, Colin Chapman, an Elan +2 was introduced in 1967 with two rear seats. These rear seats were compact but by no means occasional and it’s not coincidence that it perfectly accommodated Colin’s growing family – a car boss has to be able to use his own cars after all!

Elan production finished in 1972 and the +2 ended two years later. With a production run of 17,392 cars, the Elan family was one of the most successful in Lotus’ history, surpassed only by the Elise. In the 1970s with Lotus’ unprecedented success on the racetrack, especially in F1, Colin Chapman introduced the now legendary Lotus Esprit, Elite and Eclat ranges, taking Lotus into the higher value market and introducing the brand to the glamour and sophistication of supercar territory.

And to bring the track action bang up to date, Lotus will be blasting its most recent jaw-dropping models up the hill, like the Exige R-GT rally car, making its UK debut, the Lotus T125 and the car that has motoring magazines all over the world hailing Lotus’ wizardry – the tyre-squealing Exige S.

We’ll also fire up our brand new Grand-Am car, the Evora GX racer. Like the GTC, it’s the Evora on a diet, fitted with more rubber and flared wheel arches. Weighing in at just 1,150kg and mated to a 440bhp V6, it’s been fettled to meet the American series’ spec with some aero changes to the front, a stock Grand-Am rear wing, and the removal of ABS and traction control, putting driver skill paramount and the promise of some spectacular tyre smoking.

Away from the track, Bonhams is holding an auction of Lotus road and racing cars – 24 models stretching all the Lotus eras; from a Le Mans veteran Team Lotus Type 11 and ex-Formula One Type 18 to a selection of mint road cars and three unique concept cars.

These and other two-seat toys of the 21st century might not exist were it not for the little Lotus Elan, which blows the candles out on its 50th birthday cake this year. Surprising, considering how gorgeous it still looks! Lotus pays homage to this revolutionary sports car on its 1000 m2 stand taking pride of place along side the current Lotus line up.

Also on the Lotus stand, Lotus Engineering will show a number of technologies that can improve both performance and efficiency for cars of the future. Leading the Lotus Engineering display is the Lotus Evora 414E Range Extender Electric Vehicle, complete with HALOsonic active noise control and a virtual seven speed gearbox. This technology demonstrator produces 414 PS and an incredible 1000 Nm of torque from the two electric motors that drive the rear wheels. These amazing figures help slingshot the Evora 414E to 60 mph in around four seconds. Back at the Lotus Headquarters in Norfolk, an Evora 414E is now undergoing test work and the development team is delighted with the progress that has been made already
Lotus Engineering will also show its SABRE engine which demonstrates “powertrain downsizing” where the torque and power of this 1.5 litre, 3 cylinder engine is the equivalent to a 2.2, 4 cylinder but with the fuel efficiency and economy benefits of the smaller engine.

Being Goodwood’s featured marque, though, means more than a car club turnout and an opportunity to show new models. The spirit of Lotus will be felt all around and none more so than when gazing up at this year’s sculptural centrepiece. Created by Lotus, Lord March and acclaimed artist and designer Gerry Judah, it represents Lotus’ infinite commitment to sporting success and driving pleasure. We don’t want to give too much away except to say – it’s massive!

Lotus and Goodwood’s shared philosophies of speed, emotion, competition and having a roaringly good time, are all here. Come and join us in toasting the past, present and future of the best of British!

Aslam Farikullah, Chief Operational Officer Group Lotus, “Goodwood has become the most important car culture event in the world, and the similarities between what the Festival of Speed is trying to do and what we would like to communicate are clear. It’s about showcasing the past, present and future of sports cars and motor racing. We’ll be in Goodwood to show what we’ve done over the last year, as well as the last 60 years. Heritage is absolutely everything. If you don’t understand your past, you can’t realise your future. We remember not only the good times, but the bad times too, it’s what makes us stronger and gives us depth of character. Lotus has been pioneering both on the road and on the track for six decades. At Goodwood we’ll be able to showcase everything the company has done, and we will use this as a foundation for the future.”

Clive Chapman, son of Lotus founder Colin Chapman and Managing Director of Classic Team Lotus, “There will be a mixture of old and new cars at Goodwood, and this is what Lotus is about; looking to the future, but remembering the past. Lotus has such a rich history, there’s much to be proud of, and this year marks the 60th anniversary of Lotus Engineering. We like to invite our customers to drive as a thank you for their support, but then, normally, there are one or two famous drivers that Goodwood has invited. Lord March likes to see the cars reunited with their original drivers. It’s therefore likely we’ll see Emerson Fittipaldi and Jacky Ickx reacquainting themselves with the beautiful black-and-gold 72E. As for most of the historic owners, they’re living out their boyhood dreams by working the pedals of these heroic cars and getting to rub shoulders with Lotus legends.”

Gerry Judah, artist and designer, “This year’s sculpture is a lightweight steel monocoque construction. I think its form shows the Lotus psychology and culture. I’ve always admired Lotus since I was a boy. They’re such British cars, with that ideology of clever, forward thinking science and engineering. That was something I knew I needed to embrace. It’s almost unconscious how I approach sculpture. I don’t do brands. None of the sculptures I’ve done for Goodwood have spoken about the brand, you can get an advertising agency to do that. I do something more intuitive. It is, dare I say it, a spiritual journey in design.”

The Earl of March, Goodwood owner and organizer, “Lotus is without a doubt one of the greatest, most evocative motoring and motor racing brands Britain has produced and we are very happy that the company will be celebrated this year. For the first time, we will gather all the cars from the featured marque and they will be paraded in front of the house, around the Lotus sculpture, and then each will be raced up the hill. Lotus’ beautiful, innovative, joyful cars and some of the heroes that made them famous will be out in force, not sitting silently but driven hard for the purpose they were born. It’s going to be a wonderful automotive celebration.”

Lotus Originals is the fashion arm of the legendary sports car and racing marque, and the collection is inspired by the British sense of style, heritage, innovation and rebellious spirit that goes into every on-road Lotus design.

Lotus is hailed for its engineering and thirst for competition. It is also known for style. Heroes of reality and fiction, from Jim Clark to James Bond, have outgunned their rivals from behind the wheel of a Lotus, and they looked good doing it. Partner Forza Rossa Holding, official Lotus cars dealer since 2011, recognise this and joins the Lotus family with the opening of the Monte Carlo store which carries the brand new Lotus Originals retail concept.

It’s fitting that this first franchise store be in Monaco, the scene of the first grand prix victory for a Lotus, in 1960 at the hands of Stirling Moss. His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, Monaco’s Mayor Georges Marsan and State Minister Michel Roger were joined by Lotus F1 Team’s Gerard Lopez, Eric Boullier and Romain Grosjean, Lotus Sales and Marketing Director Maurizio Parlato and Forza Rossa Holding’s President Ion Bazac at the opening of the store.

Here you will find apparel, accessories, gifts, toys, bikes and collectables that will thrill Lotus fans, and bring others into our Lotus world.

Speaking of which, we took the opportunity in Monaco to launch a special car designed for the next generation of Lotus drivers: a slightly smaller-than-usual Lotus Elan, one of Lotus’ most-beloved classics which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary. What’s more, the car is eligible for racing. The Little Big Le Mans which forms part of the Le Mans Classic race weekend, is designed for lucky young drivers aged 6-14, and this Elan is eligible for this events.

Also, 20 years after we helped win gold at Barcelona in 1992 with the revolutionary Lotus Type 108 Superbike, we are showing for the first time, a stunning hand made carbon fibre black and gold bespoke bicycle from our new collaboration with Condor Cycles Ltd.

Lotus Originals can also be found at the company’s Hethel HQ and at Norwich City Football Club’s stadium, and we’re also opening our flagship store in the heart of London in six weeks time: 4,800 sq ft of retail space on Regents Street. It will be, as it is here in Monaco, an iconic location for an iconic brand.

Maurizio Parlato, Director of Sales & Marketing, Group Lotus: “It is our mission to grow the Lotus brand internationally, to become more of a global player, and to do that we need to produce great cars, but we also want Lotus to be a lifestyle brand of its own. Our founder, Colin Chapman, understood this. He was a trendsetter in every way. He also recognised the marketing potential of motorsport better than anyone else at that time, and had an eye for detail that pervaded every aspect of his company’s presentation. Therefore, I believe he would be very excited to see what we’re doing here today – opening this first Lotus Originals franchise.”

Ion Bazac, Forza Rossa Holding President: “It is a big honour and pleasure for us to inaugurate the first Lotus Originals franchise store in such a prestigious and exclusive place like Monte Carlo, famous worldwide for its fabulous Grand Prix. With the new Lotus originals collections and accessories you will find a unique link between the past, the present and the future of the Lotus brand and its very passionate history and heroes. Lotus Originals Monte Carlo is more than a store, it is a place of meeting and dialogue between fans and their favorite brand, so that the legend, the winning heritage and dreams of Colin Chapman be more alive than ever.”

Flared wheel arches, more rubber, less weight, and new technologies have added extra spice to Lotus’ race winning Evora, the GT4 Enduro. The new GTC licks the Evora’s performance envelope, delivering more speed and increased grip.

Having been honed on Lotus’ Hethel Test Track, the car has already found its first customers. McMahon Raceworks with Condor Motorsport has just placed an order for their Evora GTC, and will enter it in America’s Grand-Am road races, the Rolex Sports Car Series. The team led by David McMahon with Armando Trentini as lead driver and consultant, spent two days this week getting familiar with the machine on the ragged edge at Lotus Headquarters.

Meanwhile, Team Bullrun’s Evora GT4 will be converted to GTC-spec in June. Raced by British drivers Richard Adams, David Green and Martin Byford, Bullrun’s Evora has proved phenomenally competitive in the 2012 Britcar MSA Endurance Championship and currently leads the standings.

The engine and gearbox of the GT4 Enduro are carried over to the GTC, but the car has been on a diet. Carbon-fibre doors, roof and engine cover have replaced fibreglass panels, and Plexiglas replaces the windows in order to trim yet more weight off what is already a very light car. At 1,130-1,140kg, depending on customer specification, the GTC is 30kg lighter than the Enduro.

It’s not all take-away. Traction control and BOSCH racing Anti-Lock Brakes system have been added to optimize power delivery and braking control. With England being particularly damp for the past month, serious testing of the GTC has taken place in the wet where the car’s intelligent traction control and ABS have come to the fore. A definitive comparison test will be conducted shortly, but already it has proved to be faster than the previous evolution.

The wheels and tyres are wider which not only gives the car more grip through the curves, the front and rear wheels rise to 18x10Js and 12Js respectively, mated to 27/65-18 tyres at the front and 30/65-18s at the rear..

In order to accommodate the wider wheels, flared arches have been fitted, which give the car a more aggressive silhouette.

Its 4-litre V6 continues to pump out 450bhp and 460Nm of torque, linked to an XTRAC six-speed sequential paddle-shift gearbox.

As well as the MSA Endurance Series and Grand-Am GTC (undergoing homologation), the car is eligible for the British GT Championship, VdeV Series, Dutch Supercar, and CREVENTIC Endurance Races, such as the Dubai 24 Hours and the 12 Hours of Bathurst. (All subject to confirmation)

Louis Kerr, senior motorsport engineer, Group Lotus: “The GTC is faster than the GT4 Enduro even though the powertrain remains the same. We’ve managed to reduce the weight, and added ABS and traction control. Wider wheels mean customers now have a much greater level of traction and selection of tyres they can use, the flared wheel arches accommodate this, which gives the car its visual definition and makes it look more muscular without hampering the aero.”

Claudio Berro, director of Lotus Racing: “The Evora’s development and a front-row racing car is achieving its performance targets and the GTC is an evolution of a car that has already taken wins on the track – the GT4 Enduro. Last month Team Bullrun took victory at Silverstone in the Britcar endurance championship with a GT4 Enduro that benefitted from GTC development parts, and the team’s upgrade will be completed in June when there’s an appropriate lull in their racing schedule. The car’s weight-saving and improved grip and braking abilities should help increase the gap between them and the teams chasing them in the championship. We’re very pleased to welcome McMahon Raceworks to Lotus ownership and will provide them with a car adapted to US racing rules, and look forward to seeing the GTC make its marque in Grand-Am.”

Lotus Evora GTE at 2012 Beijing Auto Show

Lotus Cars is showing off its full model range for the first time, including a very special supercar that’s been custom-made for China.

When the Lotus Evora GTE was unveiled at the Frankfurt show last year, the Chinese market went crazy for this, Lotus’ most powerful road-going model ever. Now the British sports car company has prepared the Evora GTE China Limited Edition, which makes its world debut in Beijing.

Lotus’ eminent chassis engineers have adapted the GTE to suit Chinese roads, and the interior comes with more leather and carbon fibre to make it more luxurious inside, without compromising performance at all. Its 3.5-litre supercharged V6 engine fires out 444 horsepower. Well, this is the year of the dragon!

Only 118 examples of the limited edition will be put on sale, making it all the more exclusive and collectable. Each car features a numbered plaque inside, marked with the China Limited Edition insignia.

Making its first appearance in China, the Lotus Evora IPS and its automatic paddle-shift transmission is a sure-fire hit. Its 3.5 litre V6 engine provides 280 horsepower, which the acclaimed chassis fully exploits. The Intelligent Precision Shift allows a high and even level of power transfer as well as quick, smooth shifts. It makes for more comfort in the city, better fuel efficiency, and huge fun when it comes to the twisty stuff.

Accompanying these premium Evoras, stablemates Elise and Exige have also made the trip to Beijing.

Also on the stand, Lotus presents the black-and-gold Lotus F1 Team car which is impressing on the Grand Prix circuit this year. Team-mates Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean are flying the flag for Lotus just like heroes of yesteryear, like Mario Andretti, Ayrton Senna and Jim Clark.

Lotus China are taking the opportunity of the Beijing show to announce the Lotus China Racing Club. It’s currently the only world-class club of its kind in China, offering its members track days, performance and race driving instruction, race car rental and exclusive access to Lotus events. A car refitted by the Lotus China Racing Club as well as the Lotus T125 – the first F1-inspired single-seater race car to go on sale – are on display in the outdoor exhibition area.

Lotus China Racing Club, the Lotus Evora GTE China Limited Edition, and very encouraging sales in the past 6-months attest to Lotus China’s proactive development strategy and Group Lotus’ strong confidence in the potential of the Chinese sports car market and the global appeal of the legendary marque.

Dany Bahar, CEO, Group Lotus: “As the top potential market for sports car brands, China is a vital part of the five-year revival plan we announced 18-months ago. We are committed to bringing our unique products, distinctive style and rich history to China to provide Chinese customers with diversified and personalized product choices.”

Lichen Zhang, President & CEO, Lotus China: “Within six months of Lotus Cars’ entry into China, orders have exceeded our expectations, which has strengthened our confidence in developing the China market. At the same time, in accordance with the China market’s characteristics and customer requirements, we have developed the Lotus Evora GTE China Limited Edition which we are launching here in Beijing, together with the Evora IPS.”

Kimi Raikkonen slid from second to 14th in the closing laps – where did it all go wrong?

Well, first of all what a fantastic race. China was really thrilling right to the end, and it was thanks to the different tyre strategies the teams adopted. Kimi’s strategy was quite optimistic, staying out on his third set of tyres. I was so shocked when he lost all those positions in just a couple of laps. He did a great job of keeping those cars behind him as long as he did, but suddenly there was a big drop-off of grip and when Sebastian Vettel got past, Kimi was forced to go off line and picked up the discarded rubber marbles. He had no chance to clean his tyres and everyone else passed him. Fernando Alonso suffered more or less the same thing, but there weren’t so many cars behind him and he only lost a couple of places.

The two-stop strategy seemed to work better for Romain Grosjean, who rose from tenth to sixth…

Yes, he had good race pace. After his accidents in Australia and Malaysia he had to be more careful, he knew he needed to get to the end. I was quite happy with what he did, at a track he’s never driven on before.

The car is capable of more though. It must be frustrating for them not to be on the podium yet…

It’s really tough when your results don’t match your performance. Ferrari has a car that is uncompetitive, but after two rounds Fernando was leading the world championship. At Lotus, things are the other way around. They have a very competitive car but they haven’t pulled it all together. In this situation, it is important to stay cool and acknowledge they have the car, they trust the drivers, and the results will come. Unlike last year, when the Red Bull RB7 dominated, this season there isn’t a clear frontrunner and that means it’s all about detail. Because it’s so close out there, the winning team will be the one that makes no mistakes. One little detail missing, and the results won’t come. So Lotus need to stay calm, but keep an eye on every detail.