Paul Tan's Automotive News » Lotus

F1: Lotus E20 launched – fourth is the target for 2012

Danny Tan — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:36:55 +0000

Lotus, formerly known as Lotus Renault GP, has pulled the wraps off its 2012 Formula 1 challenger. Called E20, it’s named after Enstone, the team’s base in UK. It’s the 20th F1 chassis designed at the Oxfordshire facility. The men charged with driving the black and gold cars are Romain Grosjean and returning champ Kimi Raikkonen.

The target for the duo is fourth in the Constructors’ championship this year, set by team owner Gerard Lopez of Genii Capital. Last year, the Lotus sponsored Renault team started strongly with two podiums in the first two races, but eventually finished a distant fifth, just six points ahead of Force India.

“The hopes are to be able to get one season together and do what we were expecting last year. We hope to have a strong car, and have strong drivers, one of which is of course an ex-world champion. We hope to bring the car up to the front of the pack and probably try to aim for fourth as a reasonable goal for this season,” Lopez said.

On another note, “we’re obviously extremely proud that finally the Lotus name is a clear concept for everybody in Formula 1 now,” the owner added. The former Team Lotus, owned by Tony Fernandes, will race as Caterham this season.

The E20 wears familiar black-gold clothes, but there are new sponsor logos from Rexona and Clear Anti-Dandruff shampoo on the flanks.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Reports: Lotus looking for £500m partner, Genii interested

Danny Tan — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:22:44 +0000

Reports coming from the UK say that Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar is looking for financial partners to buy over the sportscar maker from Proton. The Sunday Times news piece suggested that Bahar is not looking for any partner, but one with the ability to fund Lotus’ costly five-year turnaround plan, one with £500 million ready to invest.

The report adds that Genii Capital is interested in the loss-making Proton subsidiary. Genii, which already owns the Lotus F1 team, is said to have been eyeing Group Lotus for some time and is “close to completing due diligence”.

If the report is accurate, we have a willing buyer. But is Proton’s new owner, DRB-Hicom, a willing seller? “Options are open. At this particular moment, I’m open to sell or not to sell Lotus,” DRB-Hicom boss Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil was quoted as saying.

Proton, owner since 1996, has already poured in a lot of resources into Group Lotus – should they wait for the fruits of the investment or cut their losses?

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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F1: Lotus 2012 challenger to be called E20 – E for Enstone

Danny Tan — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:28:02 +0000

Th Lotus F1 Team, formerly called Lotus Renault GP, has announced that its 2012 challenger will be named E20, a departure from the R tagged chassis names of the Renault team. Officially, the E20 name is to commemorate the 20th F1 chassis designed at the team’s base in Enstone, the team’s HQ since 1992. To be driven by Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean for 2012, the E20 will be unveiled on 5 February on the team’s website.

“Our naming of the chassis to recognise Enstone’s importance to the team’s evolution highlights our recognition of the contribution of the facility and the personnel who work tirelessly every year to produce the very best car possible. We certainly hope that this is the case with the E20 and we are looking forward to revealing the car to the world and seeing it out on track for the first time,” said team boss Eric Boullier.

“There are a number of technical changes from last year and we have an exciting new driver line-up to extract the maximum from the E20 through the twenty Grands Prix of the 2012 season, including the 500th race for this team through its different incarnations. We hope that the E20 proves to be a performing Enstone design,” the Frenchman added.

Meanwhile, returning world champ Kimi Raikkonen is feeling positive after a two-day test at Valencia last week. It was quite a session for the Finn, as he returned to an F1 car’s cockpit for the first time in over two years.

“It went well today and overall the two days have been helped me a lot. Even though I was using a two year-old car and the Pirelli demo tyres, I learnt about working with the team and the engineers which means I can focus on the new car once we get to Jerez for the first official test. It was great to be driving an F1 car again and from that respect I feel very positive,” he said.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Reports: DRB-Hicom to cut Proton’s costs, review Lotus

Danny Tan — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:10:02 +0000

Now that DRB-Hicom is in control of Proton, what’s in store for the national carmaker? A report by Business Times details the changes that will happen in terms of cost cutting and efficiency, trimming “excess fat” currently carried by Proton. The reporter quoted unnamed “sources close to the deal”.

For starters, no large scale staff retrenchment is expected, although some changes in the top management are predicted to happen. DRB-HICOM wants to turn Proton into a serious regional player within three years, before becoming a global player two years from that point. The conglomerate will also strengthen Proton’s vendor and dealer network, while improving staff skills by leveraging on its International College of Automotive (ICAM) in Pahang.

“There will be zero lay-off as the immediate focus is on the low-hanging fruits at Proton. The group will trim any excess fat in product planning, consultancy contracts and third-party service providers, among others,” their sources said.

An example is the storage of Proton cars at a third-party site in Sijangkang, Selangor. “The group does not think it is necessary to farm out this logistic service as Proton cars can be distributed to dealers and branches efficiently by using a good IT infrastructure. A lot of money can be saved from this,” they added.

When it comes to costs, Lotus is sure to crop up. Now that DRB-Hicom is in control, what is in store for Proton’s sports car subsidiary? The British brand is currently in a cost consuming revamp from niche specialist sports car maker to a Porsche challenging brand, led by CEO Dany Bahar, who is fresh from signing a four-year contract last month.

“If Lotus continues to ride on Proton, it will be cancerous, it will be like a parasite. Hence, it requires a review so that it can stand alone and be successful, perhaps like what Audi is to its parent Volkswagen AG,” BT’s sources said, adding that the review will focus on Lotus’ involvement in motorsports sponsorships, especially in F1.

If this report is accurate, there is sure to be plenty of boardroom battles in Proton, in the near future.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar signs new four-year contract

Danny Tan — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:24:38 +0000

The word is out that Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus, has signed a fresh four-year contract following a meeting with parent company Proton last week. His original contract was due to expire next year. “The Proton dedication to our plans has always been solid, and the decision to extend my contract a year early is a signal of that commitment,” Bahar said.

The ex-Ferrari man came into Lotus back in October 2009. He then formulated an ambitious five-year business plan that was unveiled for the world to see at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. At the French capital, Lotus brought out a full range of sports cars that it will use to challenge the likes of Porsche. Besides the fantastic five, which ranged from the next Elise to a Aston Rapide style four-door, Lotus also has plans for a small city car called Ethos.

Of the lot, the first on the scene will be the new Esprit in 2013. Lotus is also planning to develop its own V6 and V8 engines for its future range.

To support the road car grand plans, Group Lotus is putting motorsports and racing heritage as a main pillar. This has seen it got into Formula 1 as a sponsor to Renault. The team will race next year as Lotus after a long battle with Tony Fernandes’ Team Lotus. The company also returned to Le Mans and is involved in IndyCar in America.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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LRGP’s Eric Boullier: We have now a proper identity

Danny Tan — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:30:25 +0000

The protracted Lotus vs Lotus naming row between Tony Fernandes and Group Lotus/Proton was settled earlier this month, with Group Lotus ending up with the ‘Lotus’ name in F1, and the present Team Lotus migrating to the Caterham name from next season.

This means a lot to Lotus Renault GP. “Massive, massive. Massive for many reasons. We have now a proper identity, we know who we are. We don’t have stories about Lotus, Renault, Genii, and how many shares, options, etc, – it is clear now,” said team boss Eric Boullier.

“It is clear, many, many sponsors who we were talking with, and which were planned for discussed in 2011, suspended, or even rejected the discussions because of this team name issue, so we can now restart the discussions and I have to say it is going in a very constructive way to make sure the future is done,” he added.

It’s no secret that the “new Lotus” under Dany Bahar’s leadership is placing motorsports and heritage as pillars for it to challenge the likes of Ferrari as a carmaker, which was why an F1 team racing with the ‘Lotus’ name but not under its control was an issue.

“The Lotus project is also much bigger, but something should be announced quite soon I hope and it is a nice way to secure our future with a new identity. It will change everything. Lotus brand, being the same family as Lotus Cars, is the same business model as Ferrari, the same business model as McLaren and it is completely legitimate to be in F1,” Boullier stressed.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Lotus vs Lotus: it’s all over, with both parties settling the issue amicably – Team Lotus to now race as Caterham F1

Anthony Lim — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:05:59 +0000

The long-running Lotus vs Lotus saga is over – the fight that ended up in court has reached an amicable ending. Proton, Group Lotus, 1Malaysia Racing Team and its owner Tony Fernandes have announced – delightfully, the statement said – that the legal dispute in the English Courts relating to the ‘Lotus” and ‘Team Lotus’ brands has now ended on a happy note, with the parties agreeing settlement terms earlier this month.

The terms of the settlement are confidential, but the deal sees the ‘Lotus’ brand reunited under the sole ownership of Group Lotus. This includes the rights to the ‘Lotus’ and ‘Team Lotus’ names in Formula 1 motor racing. The deal also sees a working relationship established between the parties, who will work together on future projects in the automotive field.

For the 2012 F1 season on, 1MRT will race under the name Caterham F1 Team and will use a Caterham chassis.

“On behalf of Group Lotus and Proton, I would like to express how pleased we are that this matter is finally closed and we can now focus on looking forward to the future,” Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar said.

“We understand that this has been a very difficult and confusing time for the fans of the sport and the Lotus brand, so we are glad to have reached a clear resolution on this important matter – I would like to take this opportunity to thank our fans for their continued support, it means everything to us,” he added.

Meanwhile, on behalf of 1MRT, Group CEO Riad Asmat said: “We are proud of what we have achieved by bringing the Team Lotus name back to Formula One when many tried, and although we are sad to say goodbye to Team Lotus, we are excited about owning our own future and being in control of our own destiny. Now we have no one to be compared to. We make our own history and we will remain green and yellow.”

“Now we look forward to an exciting future racing under our new team name of Caterham F1 Team. Please continue to support our very special spirit of never say die and support us on the track, as we move up the field and demonstrate that the good do win,” he added.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Group Lotus plays entry level, forms factory kart team

Danny Tan — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:32:51 +0000

Lotus is entering the kart world, and with this move the company becomes the first car manufacturer to have a presence at the entry level of motorsport, great for early talent spotting.

Competing under the ‘Lotus Racing Karts’ banner and forming part of the Lotus Motorsport division, Lotus Racing Karts will field a factory backed team, operated by Jefra Racing out of its headquarters near Treviso, Italy. With a racing pedigree spanning over 40 years, Lotus hopes that JR’s invaluable experience and leadership from Team Manager Franc Jerancic will form the basis of a truly competitive team.

The talents spotted and recruited by Jerancic will have all the latest homologated material at their disposal, including two new chassis models ‘Colin C30’ and ‘Jimmy C32’. Lotus Racing Karts will enter CIK-FIA international karting events for KF and KZ categories and the World Karting Championship for KF1 category.

The production of karts and components is licensed by Group Lotus to Wildkart, specialists in aeronautics precision engineering since 1996 and manufacturer of karts since 2002. Today, Wildkart is regarded as an authority in kart chassis and components, providing services and solutions to many karting suppliers and brands. Lotus Racing Karts will unveil their 2012 karts at the annual Autosport International event in January 2012.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Proton: Group Lotus sale to Genii Capital rumours untrue

Danny Tan — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:01:40 +0000

There have been rumours circulating that Lotus Renault GP owners Genii Capital, headed by Gerard Lopez, is looking to buy into Group Lotus, the sportscar maker which is currently the title sponsor of the F1 team.

Now, Group Lotus owner Proton has come out with a statement to quash this speculation, highlighting that the relationship between parent and subsidiary is “as good as it has ever been”, and that the priority is to “ensure that the Lotus Business Turnaround Plan is executed according to schedule”.

Here’s the Proton statement in full:

We refer to the news reports that have been circulating recently over the sale (of a stake) in Group Lotus.

PROTON hereby states that the alleged moves between Group Lotus and GENII Capital are untrue and that the news are highly speculative in nature. PROTON’s relationship with Group Lotus is as good as it has ever been. Through this positive synergy, our priority now is to ensure that the Lotus Business Turnaround Plan is executed according to schedule and that both parties are committed to its success. PROTON and Lotus have reached a juncture whereby the market is eagerly waiting for Lotus’ new products and all our energy and efforts have to be channelled towards achieving this critical goal.

Furthermore, the scope of Lotus’ involvement in F1 as title sponsor to Lotus-Renault GP is to create dynamic marketing and branding synergies.

PROTON does not wish to further entertain any unsubstantiated news of speculative nature and we hope this statement will put all speculation to rest.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Ex-BMW exec: Lotus must focus on short term sales, too

Danny Tan — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 04:07:04 +0000

Lotus has the right products, great products, but is not selling enough cars as it should. This is the assessment of former top BMW exec Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, brought in late last year to mentor Lotus CEO Dany Bahar. The plan is to boost sales over the next 18 months, according to Autocar UK.

In its UK home market, Lotus is struggling. The Proton subsidiary sold just 272 cars in the first eight months of 2011, 24% less than 358 in the same period last year. The overall market is down by 6%.

“The brand is well known but the products are not. We are focusing on a new range of cars, but we must sell more cars now,” Kalbfell said, referring to Lotus’ spectacular five-year plan that will yield the new Esprit, a luxury GT and a four-door car, among other models.

“We have some great cars in our range, like the Evora. Many car companies would love to have the Evora in their range. Now the point must be to get the car on the shopping list of buyers,” he added.

To address this, Lotus has Frankfurt debutant Evora GTE. It’s the most powerful Lotus road car ever built, with a 444 PS V6, revised chassis, carbonfibre body parts, and a sticker price close to £120k. This will help pave the way and prepare customers for the new Esprit, which will surely be priced above £100k.

“We cannot just jump buyers up from the Elise to the Esprit,” said Kalbfell. Another such “bridging” model is the £40k Exige S that also debut in Frankfurt. “With 350 bhp and 1080 kg, who else has such a hot performance model at this price?” said Kalbfell.

On a different note, word is that Gerard Lopez’s Genii Capital, owners of Lotus Renault GP, is looking at buying into Group Lotus. Click here to read more.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Gerard Lopez’s Genii Capital to buy into Group Lotus?

Danny Tan — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:51:27 +0000

The latest rumours surrounding Group Lotus, which is a fully owned subsidiary of Proton, is that Genii Capital will be buying into the sportscar maker. Headed by Gerard Lopez, Genii Capital is the owner of the Renault F1 Team (Lotus Renault GP), which of course has Group Lotus as title sponsor.

Autosport reports that its high level sources have revealed that Lopez/Genii Capital has held advanced talks with Proton about taking a management and financial interest in Group Lotus, which could even go as far as Genii taking a majority stake!

It’s not common knowledge, but Genii and Proton have always been talking. “We have an agreement with Proton and are working a number of things with them, including opening certain geographies in terms of platform, like Russia for instance,” Gerard Lopez told this website in an interview early this year (read the interview in full here).

In that same interview, Lopez did not rule out getting involved in GL, even back then. “I think they have a good shareholder with Proton. For sure, that is something also that we will be looking at, but it’s not anything that is urgent. No, I wouldn’t rule it out. I never rule anything out,” he said.

When asked about the latest rumours by Autocar UK, Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar did not deny it outright. “I can only say this: When we made the announcement about our involvement in Lotus Renault GP we made it clear that this was the start of a close relationship and this journey continues.”

As a recap, Group Lotus became title sponsor of the Genii owned Renault F1 Team late last year, leading to the F1 outfit racing in black/gold livery that recalls the Team Lotus of old. They signed a seven-year sponsorship deal, with Lotus having the option to take over 50% at some point in time.

Behind the F1 scenes, LRGP is now working on renaming the team to be just called ‘Lotus’, with Tony Fernandes’ Team Lotus changing names to Caterham, which is of course owned by the AirAsia boss.

Motorsports has always been one of Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar’s main strategies to elevate the brand to fight the likes of Ferrari and Porsche, and it was never in doubt that they wanted to be more than just a name on the wing.

“Our way of doing things means that at the end of the project we would like to control it ourselves. It’s the same route – it starts somewhere and then you slowly take control. We would not be in for the long-term just to be a sponsor on the team,” Bahar said then.

So, if all these comes true, we could be seeing a marriage between Genii and Lotus – GL takes a stake in the team, and Genii buys into the carmaker. It remains to be seen if they live happily ever after, though.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Jean Alesi to take on Indy 500 in 2012 in a Lotus

Anthony Lim — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 03:52:02 +0000

Age is just a number. Forty-seven-year old former F1 driver Jean Alesi, who is Group Lotus brand ambassador, is set to make his return to competitive racing with Lotus in next year’s Indy 500.

Despite his wealth of experience, it’ll be Alesi’s first outing in tackling competitive oval racing. His most recent competitive race appearance was last year, in the Le Mans Series. Alesi joined Group Lotus as a brand ambassador in January this year and was the development consultant on the F1 customer race car, the T125.

His development role with Group Lotus will see him preparing for next May’s race, in which he will be competing in a Lotus powered by the new Lotus IndyCar engine. Development of the 2.2l twin turbo V6 is going to schedule, with the first engine fire up set for mid-October and track testing planned for December.

“I’m thrilled that Lotus has given me the opportunity to compete in such a world famous race. It’s going to be a very special experience for me, but I also know that I have a lot of hard work ahead. I’m very focused on the task I’m facing – I’m taking my training very seriously, I have some amazing support on this front from a ‘comeback’ expert and of course I will be testing extensively. I’m really excited about the race,” Alesi said.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Proton, Lotus supporting Lotus-Renault GP in Singapore

Danny Tan — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 10:28:09 +0000

We’re here in the Lion City to catch Formula 1′s only night race this weekend, and we’re seeing some familiar sights at Singapore’s Clarke Quay. Proton and its subsidiary Group Lotus, which is of course the title sponsor of Lotus-Renault GP, is making its presence felt in Singapore with a showcase amidst the trendy bars and restaurants of the riverside area.

The showcase features the main star – a Lotus-Renault GP F1 car – flanked by a white Lotus Evora and the sportiest production Proton, the R3 Satria Neo. Besides the machines, there’s a stall selling official LRGP merchandise as well as a Batak Machine.

The latter is a fun activity that tests and trains reflexes and is used as an F1 training simulator as well. Basically, the lights pop up and you hit the button – who hits more in one minute wins. The Batak duel was a big crowd puller among the Clake Quay crowd – I gave it a try as well and realised that my reflexes needed a lot of training!

We missed her, but Miss Universe Australia Scherri-Lee Biggs, Proton’s brand ambassador Down Under, made an appearance as well.

If you’re wondering why Proton is at an F1 race, it’s to support Group Lotus and to benefit from the association with the sports car brand. “It’s not Proton in F1, it’s Lotus. Proton has no business being in F1,” said Proton MD Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin.

Both him and Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar revealed that the gold “Lotus” name is in among the top 10 most visible brands in Formula 1 (among the many names and sponsors) as tracked by two UK based agencies used by the sport.

They said that brand awareness is what Group Lotus is chasing after, and this brand awareness is crucial to support Lotus’ upcoming new gen of cars, starting with the Esprit in 2013. According to the plan, “when the Esprit comes out, it will come out in a very good environment, says Syed Zainal. “We want to bring the (brand) awareness back to the level seen 25 years ago,” added Bahar, who sounds consistent with his Paris 2010 speech.

As for LRGP, they’re not expecting too much from this weekend, as the R31 is not suited to Singapore’s layout. Team boss Eric Boullier also revealed that they’ve abandoned the updates brought in for this race, namely tighter bodywork and sidepods. It wasn’t a problem with the new stuff, but a problem with water flow for the radiators. Better not to risk it, so it was back to default. The updates will debut in Japan.

Will Sebastian Vettel be crowned world champion for the second time tomorrow? No one dares to bet against that happening, but Alonso and the McLaren boys will be all out to spoil the party, that’s for sure. Enjoy the race!

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Frankfurt: Lotus unveils the 2012 Exige S and Exige R-GT

Harvinder Sidhu — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 05:10:46 +0000

Lotus has unveiled two refreshed Exige models at the Frankfurt Motor Show. First up is the Exige S which is given a reworked exterior and a new interior. Exterior updates include a new front splitter and a rear spoiler. Also available are two new interior packages including Premium and Premium Sport. The former offers a comfortable feel while the latter focuses on creating an internal space optimised for ultimate driver involvement.

Other features include Lotus Dynamic Performance Management (DPM) which enables the driver to to switch between three driving modes including Touring, Sport or DPM off. An option called Race Pack will give you a fourth mode called Race. This mode gives the maximum possible traction out of corners and it comes with Launch Control and an optimised suspension configuration. Power to the rear wheels come from a 3.5 litre supercharged V6 which cranks out 345 hp. This along with a 1080 kg weight figure, offers the driver a super healthy power-to-weight ratio.

Next up is the Exige R-GT which will take part in the FIA GT category of the FIA Rally Championship on asphalt in Monte Carlo, Tour de Corse and San Remo. It uses the same 3.5 litre unit used the road Exige but changes were made to the gearbox and the restrictors on the engine in order to control the power. Lotus confirmed that it will partner with several customer teams, like its venture into IndyCar.

Lotus also mentioned that you don’t need to a professional race car driver to get behind the wheel of the Exige R-GT. The company said the R-GT was developed alongside the road car and it still has a sense of fun driving and ease of use despite the performance.

At the moment we only have a single image of the R-GT but you can continue reading to view more photos of the Exige S.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Lotus six-pack set for Frankfurt, with three new models, two new options and a special limited edition on list

Anthony Lim — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 06:19:30 +0000

Click to enlarge

Plenty of action from Group Lotus at Frankfurt later this month, with no less than six items on the agenda, of which the Evora GTE limited special edition seen above is one.

Touted by the company as the most powerful Lotus road car ever built, the GTE turns out 444 PS from its race-developed engine. It’s also 105 kg lighter than the base Evora, the weight reduction accomplished with liberal use of carbon fibre, with all the bodywork modifications including the front and rear bumpers, the rear wing and the doors utilising the stuff.

The car was originally designed as a special limited edition for the Asian market, but the company says that Evora GTE production will be expanded to meet demand and reach further markets. As Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar puts it, “The response to this model in China has been so incredible, within days we had sold out with 114 orders. In response we decided that the only logical step from a business perspective was to increase production and widen our reach.”

In addition to the Evora GTE, Frankfurt will also see the debut of three new models, with one of these being the Elise S, which replaces the Elise SC. The car features a new 1.8l supercharged engine offering 220 PS and improved throttle response, among other things.

No details about the other two cars, with only hints to suggest – one is said to be one of the quickest road cars Lotus has ever built and the other marks the return of Lotus to another adrenalin-filled motorsport discipline.

Elsewhere, the last two items on the list are new options – the 1.6l Elise gets a SPS (Serial Precision Shift) gearbox option, which utilises new lightweight robotised automated manual transmission technology to allow the driver to switch between manual and automatic driving modes via paddles fixed to the steering column.

The second new option is IPS (Intelligent Precision Shift), which will be found on the supercharged Evora S, offering the versatility of an automatic gearbox. The optional paddle shift mode allows the driver the full and uncompromised Evora S experience with the added bonus of switching to automatic mode. The S IPS will feature in the Evora model year 2012 line-up, which the company says features significant quality improvements following extensive development work and feedback.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Gordon Murray to advise Group Lotus management

Paul Tan — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 09:21:40 +0000

The latest auto industry executive to join the Lotus Advisory Council is Gordon Murray, who will work together with other council members like Bob Lutz, Tom Purves, Prof. Dr. Burkhard Göschel and Frank Tuch.

The Lotus Advisory Council is supposed to advise Group Lotus on current and future development as well as strategic issues such as product strategy, technology, quality, brand, marketing and distribution for Group Lotus.

Gordon Murray is no stranger in the auto industry, credited with the design of F1 race cars and the McLaren F1 road car. Funny thing is, Murray moved to England in 1969 with the aim of hopefully getting a job at Lotus cars. He was eventually offered a job with Brabham.

“For years I’ve been a huge admirer of Lotus, I have great respect for the legacy that Colin Chapman created and I think what Dany and the team are doing is a really good thing for the brand. He’s taking the strength from Chapman’s principals and taking the business to the next level whilst still keeping the general ethos – not an easy task! I’m really looking forward to contributing to Group Lotus during this exciting time,” said Murray.

To be honest, while all of this is cool, I’m beginning to wish Group Lotus had something else product-related to announce other than all the various HR and sponsorship announcements that they’ve been putting out recently. They’re a car company after all.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Reports: Lotus CityCar confirmed, to be called ‘Ethos’

Danny Tan — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 07:00:07 +0000

The Lotus CityCar Concept, essentially a three-door version of the Proton EMAS concept with Lotus’ new face, is confirmed for production, according to reports. Shown at the 2010 Paris Motor Show alongside Lotus’ five concepts, the CityCar will not be alone in the premium mini car market, it will be accompanied by the Aston Martin Cygnet, which is a rebadged Toyota iQ with luxury trim.

“The city car concept is now confirmed for production. That’s called the Lotus Ethos, and it’s due about 2013,” said Lotus spokesman Alastair Florance, who added that the “Ethos” will be built by parent company Proton. “It’s being worked on right now – people out in Malaysia are working on that.”

So it’s a rebadged Proton then? “We’ll work extensively on the engineering – the Lotus version will be very much a Lotus,” Florance was quoted as saying. “But I believe there will be a Proton version.” That’s the EMAS folks.

It will be bigger than the Cygnet/iQ, and the Lotus city car is planned as a hybrid-only model. The concept is powered by a plug-in series hybrid drivetrain with the ability to run solely on electric power, but a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine is there as a range extender, eliminating range woes.

Click here to view our live gallery of the Lotus CityCar from Paris 2010.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Lotus Evora S picked by Carabinieri as rapid response cars – two units to see service in Rome and Milan

Anthony Lim — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 03:57:40 +0000

Click to enlarge

The Italian military police have selected the Lotus Evora S as rapid response vehicles – two units of the car will see service in Rome and Milan in a two-year long stint. The Arma dei Carabinieri, as it is known, is a division of the Italian army and plays a similar role in Italy to Scotland Yard in the UK, working with the civilian police.

Click to enlarge

In preparation for the job with the Carabinieri, both Evoras have been equipped with some of the very latest voice recognition technology, including the EVA (Enhanced Vehicle Automation) system. A special portable refrigeration compartment has been fitted behind the front seats, which will allow for the rapid transport of vital organs and blood required during medical emergencies.

Click to enlarge

It’s a feather in the cap for the brand, Group Lotus’ CEO Dany Bahar said, considering the market where the cars will see service. “Everyone knows that Italy has more than it’s fair share of high profile sports car manufacturers, so it is a real honour for a relatively small British brand to be in this position,” he said at the cars’ handover ceremony.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Datuk Seri Najib visits Group Lotus HQ in the UK

Paul Tan — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 07:21:31 +0000

If you’ve been paying attention to the national press, you would know that the Prime Minister was in the UK recently for official visits. He met the Queen, and he also paid a visit to Proton’s sports car maker subsidiary Group Lotus.

He took a tour of the design studio and the production line, and was given an experience around the refurbished Hethel test track in the new Lotus Evora IPS with automatic transmission.

“To be honest, when I first learnt of the future plans for Lotus, I felt a small degree of scepticism due to the level of investment required but now I’m going home as a strong supporter of the turnaround plan. I’d like to categorically say that Group Lotus has the endorsement of the Malaysian Government and Khazanah. With the current plan in place, I can see that the level of professionalism is high, enthusiasm and morale are high too and I have a sense that the business plan is more than achievable. It might be bold and ambitious or even audacious but there is nothing like the motivation that comes from setting such high targets, with this situation you can strive and go the extra mile and achieve what you may not otherwise be able to achieve. I wish Group Lotus all the best, good luck and this definitely won’t be the last time I visit,” said Datuk Seri Najib at the end of his visit.

The Group Lotus turnaround plan has been heavily criticized by many – most have the opinion that it is too big a task that costs too much money to do in too little time. According to Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar, Group Lotus has completed year one of the five year plan and the Lotus Esprit project has made good progress. The plan seems to be evolving with time as well – for example, we recently heard that the Elan has been delayed and the Evora will continue in the line-up.

“Feedback regarding the Elan showed us that it was too close in style and positioning to the Esprit, and so as a consequence we have delayed the delivery of the Elan – delayed not cancelled. This allows us to focus more of our attention on the Evora which I believe has fantastic potential. Another major development that has come about as a consequence of the feedback we received is that we are now developing our own engine to use in our future cars, creating even more the pure Lotus experience,” said Dany Bahar.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Lotus unveils revised and restored Hethel test track

Anthony Lim — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 08:43:35 +0000

Lotus’ revised and restored Hethel test track was unveiled earlier in the week, with 1992 F1 world champion Nigel Mansell having the honour of opening the circuit in a 1981 Essex-Lotus 81B in which he started his Formula One career more than three decades ago.

Mansell led a convoy of seven racing cars from the Lotus stable, including the innovative 1980 Type 88 twin-chassis car (which the rulemakers never allowed to race), the Lotus Type 125 Exos Experience car driven by fellow ex-F1 driver Jean Alesi as well a brace of Lotus Renault GP cars piloted by current F1 stars Vitaly Petrov and Bruno Senna.

It was the first time that modern-era F1 cars have gone around the historic Hethel tarmac since the early 1990s. The layout of the 3.54km circuit remains the same, though one extra corner has been added, but significant work has been done on providing the track with the means to handle modern racing car and performance car testing.

The surface has new asphalt, and the track now features larger run off areas. Its mixture of corners, straight and braking zones makes it ideal for testing and optimising every performance aspect of the new era of Lotus products as well as the evaluation of car control at the Lotus Driving Academy. There’s also a new workshop, and the track will soon get a new pit building and a hospitality suite.

Mansell was certainly chuffed. “What a joy it was to be reunited with my old 81B after 30 years. This is a very special place, Hethel, and it was wonderful to open the circuit today by driving alongside my sons Leo and Greg,” the Group Lotus ambassador said.

“It’s extremely fast. The first time I went out I was surprised about the length of the straights, but then of course it’s not only for motor sport but for testing road cars. The layout is perfect for that. It’s a proper test track,” fellow Group Lotus ambassador Alesi added.

“A year ago we set out our plans to introduce a new model line up, ambitious motorsport plans and a revitalisation of the iconic Lotus brand. A year in, we are meeting all the targets and milestones we set ourselves. One of the milestones was the opening of our test track. You might say this is just a refurbishment of a track and not a major achievement in itself, and I agree,” said Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar.

“However, mentally and psychologically, seeing this project accomplished demonstrates that step-by-step our vision is becoming a reality. It shows our entire workforce and our partners that we are delivering on our promises,” he added.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Lotus Cars enters China – Lotus China Symphony appointed as official distributor

Anthony Lim — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 02:27:49 +0000

Lotus Cars has begun its move into the Chinese market – the company has appointed Lotus China Symphony as the official Lotus Cars distributor for the country.

Beijing-based Lotus China Symphony – or known as Lotus China, if you will – will carry the full range of Lotus models for the Chinese market, these being the Evora, the Elise and the Exige. It has put in an initial order for 100 cars, with the Evora accounting for the majority of these first customer cars, with the remainder being Elise and Exige units.

Lotus China will open its first dealership in the capital in October, followed by dealerships in Shanghai, Chongqing and Guangzhou later in the year. Eight further dealerships are planned for 2012, and plans are underway to prepare for the arrival of the new Lotus models, starting with the Esprit in 2013.

The Lotus badge for cars sold in China includes the addition “NYO” lettering – pronounced like the word “new” – to symbolise the importance of the British company’s official entry into China.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Lotus targeting Ferrari’s V8 with new engine, 550-570 hp

Danny Tan — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 02:59:37 +0000

Yesterday, we posted some views from Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar, who revealed that Lotus is developing its own engines for future cars. The Proton owned sportscar firm uses Toyota engines in its present range, but is pursuing self development after an Internet survey with 10,000 responses pointed in that direction.

Now, Autocar UK reveals that work on the new engines started late last year, and the first prototype V8 will fire up next month. Their sources claim max power of around 550-570 horses, and that Lotus engineers are targeting Ferrari’s V8 as benchmark. The naturally aspirated 4.5-litre V8 in the Ferrari 458 Italia makes 570 horses at a hair raising 9,000 rpm and 540 Nm of torque.

There are also plans to carve out a four-cylinder unit from the V8, but should this not work out, Toyota is the fallback. Dany Bahar said that the Elan has been delayed from its five-year plan due to its too close positioning with the flagship Esprit, and the funds from this will be used to develop the modular engine family.

Among other issues the survey brought up was the Eterne – does Lotus need a four-door Panamera fighter in its range? Not essential perhaps, but Bahar explains that because of the modular component concept of the future range, the Eterne is essentially a four-door version of the Elite (a big GT coupe) and won’t require much additional cost. Both cars will share over 75% components, so it’s no harm trying, so to speak.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Dany Bahar: If we couldn’t afford it, we wouldn’t do it

Danny Tan — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 02:16:27 +0000

Group Lotus has been making the headlines regularly of late. We were there to witness the Proton owned brand’s five car blast at last year Paris show, which will now be financed by a £270 million loan from a group of six Malaysian banks. Of course, there’s also the entry into F1 via title sponsorship of Renault, and the bitter legal battle and name tussle with Tony Fernandes’ Team Lotus.

Gone are the days where the British brand quietly made sportscars in Hethel to a small enthusiast audience; they’re now preparing to join the big league and do battle with the likes of Porsche. They’re also looking at (finally) making profit for loyal owner Proton.

The man behind this major transformation plan is ex-Ferrari marketing man Dany Bahar. Here, the 39-year old CEO of Group Lotus talks about the relationship between Lotus and Proton, extending the life of the Evora, a new self-developed engine and of course, the war with Team Lotus.

Continue reading after the jump.

On the recent naming rights battle with Team Lotus

Dany Bahar: The judgement grants Group Lotus the rights to use the name ‘Lotus’ and the Lotus roundel on their own within F1, we are, therefore, even more committed than ever before to our long term plan within the sport.

The Judge also found that Team Lotus, run by 1Malaysia Racing Team, has the right to continue to race in F1 under the name Team Lotus and using the Team Lotus roundel. As a consequence, it is inevitable that the similarity of the names Lotus and Team Lotus will cause confusion not only amongst F1 supporters and the wider public, but also amongst F1 commentators who use the word ‘Lotus’ interchangeably for both teams as demonstrated throughout the season so far. With the full support of our parent company, Proton, we are seeking leave to appeal so that this point can be clarified for the benefit of all interested in F1.

With regards to our involvement with Lotus Renault GP, as Lotus we stand united with Genii Capital and have every confidence in the future success of Lotus Renault GP.

On Group Lotus’ relationship with Proton

DB: The past year has been an extremely important one in Group Lotus’ history and Proton has played, and continue to play, a crucial role in our development.

One of the most critical elements of this support has been assisting us in securing the funding for our future plans. I am happy to confirm that this is now all complete thanks to Proton’s help and, together with Proton, we can focus on completing the five year business plan to return Group Lotus to profit.

We have an incredibly strong relationship with Proton, they support us 100 per cent and frankly this is really important for a company like ours. Part of the business plan is the joint development of a global small car platform meaning that for the first time in the Proton Lotus history, the relationship will be mutually beneficial. This alone should demonstrate how close we are.

On the progress of Lotus’ five-year plan

DB: With road cars we’re in a good position, we’ve completed year one of a five year plan and we are making good progress on the development of the new Esprit which will be the first of the new models to go on sale.

Based on the feedback we have received since the unveiling in Paris from customers, the media and the industry, we have made some adjustments to our plans. For example, feedback regarding the Elan showed us that it was too close in style and positioning to the Esprit, and so as a consequence we have delayed the delivery of the Elan – delayed not cancelled.

This allows us to focus more of our attention on the Evora which I believe has fantastic potential. We are now concentrating our efforts on making sure that the quality of the Evora matches its undeniable performance. Another major development that has come about as a consequence of the feedback we received is that we are now developing our own engine to use in our future cars, creating even more of the “pure Lotus experience”.

On Formula 1 and motorsports

With regard to motorsport, everyone always asks about F1 but for us, it’s not just about F1, given that motorsport in general is a key ingredient to our marketing strategy. We have always been and will always be an automotive brand that is associated with racing. Congratulations to Nick Heidfeld on his result in Monaco, when he came in eighth to earn valuable points that pushed him up a place in the Driver’s Championship to sixth; whilst Tony Kanaan did a great job coming fourth at the Indy 500.

We want to win though, not just participate. But we don’t expect everything overnight, we start slowly and gradually build up our presence in a way that makes sense for our business. Look at our involvement within IndyCar, we started last year with one car, now we have three and from next year onwards we’ll be offering engines. People always question the cost but, believe me, if we couldn’t afford it we wouldn’t do it.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Team Lotus avoids Monaco chaos for double finish, Davide Valsecchi wins GP2 race for Team AirAsia

Danny Tan — Sun, 29 May 2011 17:45:17 +0000

In an incident filled Monaco GP where one man didn’t start and six failed to finish, Team Lotus did well to avoid the chaos and bring both cars to the finish line. Thanks to the dropouts, which included the likes of Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa, Jarno Trulli finished 13th and Heikki Kovalainen 14th, the highest they’ve been this season. Still no points on the board, although the team is rather upbeat about the weekend.

“A strong result for the team and it was good to get both cars over the finish line. Both drivers drove very strong races and we gave them a chance to fight with a two stop strategy, starting both cars on options. We switched Heikki to the prime for the last two stints because he had higher degradation but kept Jarno on the options until the second pitstop and even thought they were held up by slower cars we are very pleased with 13th and 14th,” said Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer.

Team boss Tony Fernandes is a satisfied man: “I watched the race from Bali and that capped off an incredible week for us. This time last year neither car finished the race but today both cars crossed the line in 13th and 14th places. Our pace was good but most importantly both cars finished the race, we brought the Team Lotus brand home and we won the first of the GP2 races in Monaco. That constitutes a very good week’s work at the office.”

He is referring to Davide Valsecchi, the Team AirAsia driver who won GP2 Race One in Monaco.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Lotus vs Lotus naming row verdict will be out today!

Danny Tan — Fri, 27 May 2011 06:58:35 +0000

Finally. The name battle between Proton subsidiary Group Lotus and Tony Fernandes’ Team Lotus will be settled after a long wrangle. The British High Court decision on the Lotus naming row will be revealed Friday afternoon (UK time) by Justice Peter Smith in London, as announced by the High Court of Justice Chancery Division.

The case was first heard back in March, but Judge Smith has spent the past months deliberating on his verdict, besides taking a break during the Easter holidays. The Group Lotus PLC & anr v 1Malaysia Racing Team SDN BHD & ors Pt Hd case verdict will rule whether Team Lotus will be allowed to use the Lotus name in Formula 1, and also whether the team (then called Lotus Racing) was in breach of the original licensing deal it had with carmaker Lotus.

While the case was in court, Team Lotus went out to purchase Caterham, the maker of the iconic Seven, which started life as a Lotus. Considered by many as a “back up plan” should Tony and friends lose in the court case, they’ve even found a potential title sponsor and registered domain names for the rebranded team. Read all about that here and here.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Team Lotus: Up and down, but pretty pleased overall

Danny Tan — Sun, 22 May 2011 20:23:23 +0000

It was quite a rollercoaster Spanish GP for Team Lotus. Saturday was a high, when Kovalainen entered Q2 and qualified 15th, but it didn’t quite pay off in the end, although they had quite a strong start to the race. Heikki reflects:

“It’s a real shame my afternoon came to an end like that. I made a mistake on the entry to turn four and went off but up until that point the race was pretty good. Both Jarno and I were right in the mix early on and we were fighting in the midfield for a lot of the race but then the tyres started to go off and the early pace wasn’t there for the later stages of the afternoon.

“Maybe we should have pitted earlier on but we’ve still learnt a lot from this weekend and can take that to Monaco where I think it will be a very interesting weekend for everyone,” he said.

“Heikki made a small mistake on lap 52 and then Jarno had a cracked exhaust which meant we had to keep an eye on that, but overall we have made real progress this weekend and have amassed a great deal of data on the new package that will help us learn how to get the most out of all the changes, so it is another positive weekend for the whole team,” said Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer.

Deputy Team Principal Kamarudin Meranun sounded quite upbeat too: “There are a number of positives to take from this afternoon – we were able to fight with the established teams and have shown that we are consistently improving, little by little. That is the key goal for this year and we keep moving forward so we leave Spain pretty pleased overall.”

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Team Lotus to ‘take a clear step into the midfield’ with blown diffuser update – expects to be one second quicker!

Danny Tan — Thu, 19 May 2011 01:24:53 +0000

Here are some updates on Team Lotus ahead of this weekend’s Spanish GP. The Hingham based outfit isn’t the only team on the grid bringing updates to Catalunya, but the Malaysian owned team is looking at a major improvement, one that will make lap times quicker by a full second. This will allow the team to ‘take a clear step into the midfield’ according to tech chief Mike Gascoyne.

“What was pleasing about Turkey was that the qualifying performance was really good, but we hadn’t brought any updates as most of the other teams had. Our update package is coming for Barcelona and that is a very significant upgrade package.

“We think our update is going to allow us to take a clear step into the midfield so that we are qualifying with them and out-racing them more and more. I think that we are reasonably happy, but Barcelona has got to see the next step forward. I think we’ll see a big step and I think there is more to come over the coming races,” the Brit said.

What’s it really about? “It’s a Red Bull-style exhaust and diffuser package,” Gascoyne revealed. “We didn’t implement a blown diffuser package last year, (and) were only able to really evaluate (this year’s) in the windtunnel from Christmas onwards, so we were playing catch-up in this area. The good thing is that it means we can catch up with those in front who already have it,” he added.

So far, Team Lotus hasn’t scored points, something which it set out to do consistently this year. Let’s see if this round of updates to the T128 will move it closer to that goal, and beat struggling midfield teams such as Williams in the process.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Alesi: Adrian Newey surprised with Lotus Renault GP R31

Danny Tan — Wed, 11 May 2011 02:52:38 +0000

Last weekend’s Turkish GP, which was won convincingly by Seb Vettel, saw both Lotus Renault GP drivers in the points – Heidfeld came in seventh and Petrov was eighth. The team got hold of Group Lotus F1 spokesman Jean Alesi to comment on the race. Here’s what the Stallone lookalike former racer had to say:

With Heidfeld coming in 7th and Petrov in 8th both Lotus Renault GP drivers finished in the points this weekend, what’s your view on the race?

As I’ve said before, I think it’s very clear that the car is really competitive, to have two cars finish in the top ten at this stage of the season is great. I enjoyed the race and I had a little moment of real pride when I was watching the post race coverage on RAI (Italian TV and F1 host broadcaster), they had an exclusive interview with Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey and they asked him what had surprised him most this season and he said Lotus Renault GP and the clever exhaust system. Newey is widely regarded to be at the top of his game and to have him say this about the R31 is just fantastic!

It seemed to be a very interesting race from a strategic point of view, what did you think of LRGP’s four-stop strategy?

I think the team played things perfectly. The tyre wear for Pirelli was really intense which made for some very entertaining racing. LRGP pitched it just right, I think they have a really good feeling for exactly what works for the cars, drivers and the tyres. To be fourth in the Constructers Championship after just four races is very promising, Heidfeld is only three points behind Felipe Massa in the Ferrari – I think that speaks volumes!

What can we expect from the next couple of races?

If the team continues the way they are, I can’t see why there won’t be another top ten finish in Barcelona, but where I really think the car will shine is in Monaco, the week after – the unique street circuit should suit the R31’s special characteristics really well.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Team Lotus describes Turkish GP showing as ‘Solid Progression’ – looks forward to big update in Barcelona

Danny Tan — Sun, 08 May 2011 20:50:07 +0000

Team Lotus set out to challenge the midfield teams and score points this season, but it has not materialised so far. While the T128 is comfortably ahead of Cosworth powered newcomers Virgin and HRT, they are yet to rival teams like Toro Rosso (Buemi scored points), Force India and the struggling Williams in pace.

However, Team Lotus is happy with this weekend’s results, where both Jarno Trulli (18th) and Heikki Kovalainen (19th) finished. Heikki’s best lap of 1:32.695 was slightly under three seconds slower than the fastest lap of the race done by Mark Webber. Branding the Turkish showing ‘Solid Progression’, the team is looking forward to the next race in Barcelona, where the car will receive a “big update”, according to tech chief Mike Gascoyne.

Trulli for one is confident that they will turn the corner in two weeks time. “The result today doesn’t really show how we have improved our performance so I think that when we get to Barcelona with the whole new package on the car we’ll really be able to fight with the midfield teams,” he said.

Team boss Tony Fernandes sounds contented in his post race statement. “The whole team is excited about the updates we have for Barcelona, but for now I am very pleased with this weekend. Here in Turkey last year neither car finished so this is another positive development in our growth. We keep making small steps and moving forward and that has always been the plan – grow in a measured, controlled way that gives us the best foundations for future success.”

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Team Lotus to takeover Caterham? We’ll know next week!

Danny Tan — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 06:24:27 +0000

Now here’s a piece of interesting news. We received an invite by Team Lotus for an event that’s to be held at The Imperial War Museum in Duxford, UK.

With the headline “Team Lotus Powers Ahead”, the 10:30 am April 27 event is all about two things – the T128 doing a “straightline aero test” and “an incredibly exciting announcement about the future of our team”.

What’s this you ask. Well, we were scratching our heads too, but reports from the UK are saying that this big announcement is likely to be of Tony Fernandes’ Team Lotus buying over Caterham, famous as the maker of the Seven. Yes, you read right, they’re saying that Team Lotus is going to buy a carmaker, one whose defining model started life as a Lotus!

Autosport’s sources points out that this possible takeover of Caterham would provide marketing and technical opportunities between the F1 operation and the road car business. Autocar says that the Kent-based company, owned by private equity firm Corven Ventures and run by former Lotus exec Ansar Ali, will net fresh investment and ambitious product plans with this deal, which Team Lotus has not commented on.

Another interesting view is that by having Caterham on board, Team Lotus will have a car brand to fall back on if it loses in the Lotus name battle with Group Lotus.

The naming rights case is currently being played in British courts, with a verdict not likely to be out till next month.

How’s this for a twist? Stay tuned for updates!

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 07:57:01 +0000.

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Paul Tan's Automotive News » Lotus

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