The Lotus Exige S Roadster, first shown in pre-production form at the Geneva Motor Show last year, has now gone into production and is on sale in Europe and Malaysia (but not North America). As the name suggests it’s an open-top version of the hardcore Exige S coupe, with little change elsewhere.

It’s the first time an Exige is available with a removable roof, and it completes the Exige range that includes the S coupe and Cup track special. Power comes from the same supercharged Toyota-sourced 3.5 litre V6 engine in the other Exige models and Evora S, tuned to 345 hp at 7,000 rpm and 400 Nm of torque at 4,500 rpm.

Remarkably it weighs 10 kg less than the coupe at 1166 kg; its bonded aluminium chassis proving strong enough to not need extra braces without a roof. As such performance remains eye-wateringly quick: 0-100 km/h in four seconds dead and 160 km/h in a little more than double that. Top speed is limited to 233 km/h, down from the coupe’s 272 km/h, to protect the soft-top roof.

A six-speed manual or Serial Precision Shift (SPS) paddle-operated automated manual transmissions are offered, with a choice of two suspension and interior configurations. In Malaysia you can buy one officially at Lotus’ new flagship showroom in Petaling Jaya. Price starts from RM452,030 – not bad really, considering it’s far more costly than the RM550,000 Porsche Boxster S in the UK.

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There’s a chrome-clad Lotus Evora on display at The Pavilion, and it’ll be on show there until April 7. What’s special about this one then? Well, the car is part of a fleet of Evoras seen in the movie The Host, which kicks off in local cinemas today.

In the film, the Evoras – dressed in a chrome vinyl wrap and fitted with special-effect lighting – are driven by the ‘baddies’ of the piece. Lotus agreed in late 2011 to provide a number of Evoras to the project, directed by its screenwriter Andrew Niccol, who was looking for an extraordinary car for the role. The Evora was apparently chosen for its stunning and futuristic aesthetic.

The Evora’s appearance on the big screen continues in the footsteps of the Esprit, which was a bit of a celluloid star for the brand. The S1 started the ball rolling with its unforgettable submersible act in The Spy Who Loved Me, and the Esprit Turbo followed in For Your Eyes Only.

The fourth-gen Esprit then made a name for itself and the brand, “cornering like it’s on rails” with Julia Roberts at the wheel in Pretty Woman, and the Peter Stevens redesign was also seen in movies such as Basic Instinct and The Rookie. So, as far as outings go, Project Eagle may think things are shiny, but it has a fair bit of ground to cover before it catches up, movie count-wise.

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If you’ve been waiting for the new Lotus Esprit or Elan to enter the scene, well, the news is that they’re not going to show, at least not in the forms they were seen in two years ago. DRB-Hicom group MD Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil has revealed that the five Lotus concept cars shown at the 2010 Paris motor show will not happen, and that their development plans were cancelled before the group acquired Proton.

Speaking after the press conference held during DRB-Hicom’s media drive event that took place over the weekend, Mohd Khamil said: “We went into a meeting with KPMG, who told us the plan was invalid.”

The ‘Paris five’ were the Esprit, Elan, Eterne, Elite and the new Elise, which was supposed to replace the current one. The show cars were not running prototypes, and nothing was then set in stone.

All that was made out then was that three different chassis configurations – small mid-engine, big mid-engine and front engine – were to be utilised for the five. Work on the Esprit had been ongoing for a while prior to the show debut – whether it translates to a future offering based along those lines remains to be seen.

As for the brand, Mohd Khamil reiterated that there is no intention of selling Lotus, evidenced by the recent opening of the Lotus showroom in Sungai Penchala, PJ and the Malaysian launch of the Elise S and Exige S models. Nonetheless, with the relative exception of the Evora, models such as the Elise and Exige are over a decade old, so there are inevitable questions as to how long they are expected to soldier on.

The group, however, remains confident in the cars’ ability to continue flying the flag for the brand. “They may be old, but they remain good cars and there is still demand for them,” Mohd Khamil said. “Lotus is also supplying technology to quite a number of OEMs.”

He also divulged that we can expect replacements for the Exige and Evora by 2015 or 2016, with a newly-developed platform and engine at the heart of things. No confirmation about whether the platform will be a carry-over or evolution of that from the Paris cars.

With regards to the £270 million loan (RM1.3 billion) from six financial institutions, Mohd Khamil said that the loan has been used up, with £88 million (RM425 million) pumped into Lotus to date, adding that the loan was to be paid back when it matures.

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The days of potential Lotus customers having to make their way to the Proton Centre of Excellence to view or sample the prospective ride is over – Lotus Cars Malaysia today launched its flagship showroom and centre in Sungai Penchala, Petaling Jaya.

The opening of the centre was officiated by Proton advisor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was accompanied by Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil, Proton’s executive chairman.

The new Lotus hub sits on a 10,520 sq. metre parcel of land, and houses a showroom, a Customer Interactive Block as well as a service centre. The showroom, which covers an area of approximately 1,060 sq. metres, contains sales areas for both new and pre-owned Lotus cars, a lounge and a delivery room. There are also car accessories and retail merchandise sections within the premises.

As for the service centre, it’s able to handle up to 20 cars a day and 480 vehicles a month. The 372 sq. metre Customer Interactive Block, meanwhile, has been designed for Lotus customers in mind.

Essentially, the brand is looking at the CIB as a home base of sorts for Lotus owners. Besides being a place where they’ll be able to get together, the area will also be used to coordinate events such as Lotus convoy drives and defensive/advanced driver training courses.

The opening of the centre also saw the official launch of the supercharged Exige S and Elise S models in the country. The refreshed Exige S, which debuted in Frankfurt in 2011, is powered by a 3.5 litre V6 equipped with a Harrop HTV 1320 supercharger, and has 345 hp and 400 Nm for output numbers.

Pricing for the base Exige S coupe is RM467,230, and this includes the Convenience Pack and Premium Pack. Adding on the optional Race Pack and its four-mode Lotus DPM system brings the price to RM482,482, and going even further into the Premium Sport pack gets it to RM499,020. There’s also the Roadster version, which starts from RM452,030.

The Elise S, meanwhile, wears a 1.8 litre 2ZR-FE four-pot with a Magnuson R900 supercharger, and output figures for this one are 217 hp and 250 Nm. The car is priced at RM332,300, and this includes a Touring Pack in the equation. Opting for the motorsport paint job takes the price to RM336,920.

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Lotus has come up with a new Evora variant called ‘Sports Racer,’ and this one dresses up the mid-engined 3.5 litre V6 vehicle in a unique exterior colour scheme and optimised matching interior. The car also comes as standard fully loaded in terms of specification.

Four colours are on the palette, these being Aspen White, Carbon Grey, Nightfall Blue and Ardent Red. Contrasting accents of gloss black feature strongly, seen across the roof, front splitter, rear diffuser and side sills.

Further black elements include black rear badging, black door mirror pods and gloss black forged wheels with a choice of either red or black brake calipers help give the ‘Sports Racer’ a more dramatic look.

Inside, the 2+2 seating option is standard, as are gunmetal dashboard panels. Elsewhere, the black leather ‘Premium Sports’ seats are trimmed with red contrast piping and stitching, with Venom Red leather with black contrast piping and stitching available as an option. As for the dash, doors and centre console, these reveive a liberal dose of Slate Grey SuedeTex with red contrast stitching.

Meanwhile, the kit bag features a host of optional extras as standard. Heading the list is the ‘Sports Pack,’ which provides switchable sports mode with sharper throttle response, increased rpm limit and sportier setting for Dynamic Performance Management (DPM), as well as a sports diffuser and cross-drilled brake discs.

There’s also the ‘Tech Pack,’ which incoroporates upgraded speakers and stereo system, DVD player, seven-inch WVGA touchscreen display, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, a tyre pressure monitoring system, cruise control and rear parking sensors. Rounding things off are electric power-fold mirrors and a reverse camera.

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According to a report published by British daily The Independent, Lotus owner DRB-Hicom is facing threats of legal action from a number of suppliers over non-payment of debts – said to total £23 million (RM113 million) – and has asked the Inland Revenue to delay tax payments to conserve cashflow.

The report said that DRB-Hicom was unavailable for comment, but sources close to the company said many of the outstanding issues – including payments to suppliers – relate to the previous management. They added that in some cases, the Malaysian company is challenging some of the arrangements with suppliers over previous contracts where there are quality control concerns.

However, they also said DRB-Hicom remains committed to the Hethel plant, its workforce and turning Lotus around into a self-reliant and global brand – DRB was reported to have rejected an offer to take the loss making sportscar maker off its books for £1. A final plan to make Lotus self-sufficient should be ready soon following due diligence work being carried out by consultants.

The British daily stated that according to the company’s internal financial results, which it managed to see, Lotus owes suppliers – which include ARM, Logica and OCS – up to £23 million (RM113 million) at 90 days overdue, and another £7 million (RM34 million) between 30 and 90 days.

“One petition has already been lodged with the company, and several others are outstanding. But the danger is that someone may sue for winding-up,” one person close to the group told the publication. Losses, the paper reports, are shown to be running at £23.6 million (RM116 million) – after exceptional items, interest and tax – for the last five months to August.

DRB-Hicom acquired Lotus following its takeover earlier this year of Proton, and DRB claims that £100 million (RM492 million) of its money has been invested in Lotus since the takeover.

Following a financial investigation of Lotus, DRB sacked then-chief executive Dany Bahar in June for alleged gross misconduct and appointed British-trained engineer Aslam Farikullah as COO. Bahar, as well as the heads of legal and human resources, are suing DRB for alleged wrongful dismissal and other matters.

The Independent adds that the situation is made all the more delicate because of the way the previous owners had a back-to-back guarantee with the banks based on its cash. Proton had agreed a £270 million loan with a syndicate of six banks to provide a massive expansion programme. Some £200 million (RM984 million) of the loan had been drawn down by the previous management, but a DRB spokesman said the new owners had hoped the rest of the money agreed with Lotus 18 months ago would soon be released.

Production of new Lotus cars has also suffered hiccups. According to the document, current and continued engineering delays to the Exige, its latest model, is now “severely impacting the whole business”, while the new Esprit has either been delayed or cancelled. Production was cancelled for a fortnight a few weeks ago. Ultimately, the paper reports, there are fears that DRB is stripping out some of the engineering technology and that the management still hopes to sell the business on to a Chinese owner.

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More legal trouble for Lotus, the struggling sportscar maker. After recently sacked CEO Dany Bahar filed a claim against the Hethel company and its Malaysian parent DRB-Hicom for wrongful dismissal, UK’s Financial Times now report that two senior executives that have been dismissed for “gross misconduct” are taking Lotus to an employment tribunal.

The two, who are former heads of legal and human resources, have worked for Lotus for six and 17 years respectively. They are claiming unfair dismissal, harassment, and sexual, religious and racial discrimination.

People familiar with the case also say that they faced “intense interrogation sessions” by the company’s new management, brought in by DRB-Hicom. FT‘s report adds that some staff believe the new owners want to “Malaysianise” management at the company.

Ex-boss Dany Bahar was sacked by DRB-Hicom in June, following the results of an investigation into a complaint made against him. At the same time, DRB-Hicom installed their man Aslam Farikullah as the company’s chief operating officer. The claimed “intense interrogation sessions” were part of the Bahar probe.

It has been a rough start for Lotus’ latest parent, but DRB-Hicom has publicly expressed desire to keep the sportscar maker. It was recently revealed that DRB rejected an offer to take the loss making sportscar maker off its books for £1.

“The easy way out was to accept the offer. As a businessman, that was what I could have done to cut the loss, move on. But looking at the intrinsic value of Lotus, the knowledge, the iconic brand with global presence and positioning, coupled with unsurpassed engineering expertise and a talented workforce, its ability to cross function with Proton…we believe we have a business plan that will work for Lotus,” said DRB-Hicom group managing director Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil.

“If I sell without trying, at the end of the day, I will fail my shareholders,” he added. Read what DRB’s boss has to say about Lotus here.

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This is the Lotus Evora GX Race Car that will race in North America’s Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. McMahon Raceworks with Condor Motorsport have placed an order for one, which is built to order for US$335,000.

Like the Evora GTC, carbon-fibre doors, roof and engine cover have replaced the SMC and RTM composite panels of the previous evolution GT4 Enduro, and Plexiglass replaces the polycarbonate windows in order to trim yet more weight off what is already a very light car. At 1,150kg, GX tips the scales at just 10 kilos more than the GTC, despite being fitted with a much thicker US-spec roll cage.

There are aerodynamic changes too, with a new front splitter and front bumper, and the standard Rolex Series rear wing which, along with the car’s wide wheels and flared arches, give it very menacing stance. To meet other series requirements, ABS and traction control have been removed, putting more emphasis on driver skill.

There’s also a new fuel filler system, Continental tyres, and yellow headlamps in order to tick all the race series specific boxes. The 4.0 litre V6 continues to pump out 440 bhp and 440 Nm of torque, and is paired to an XTRAC six-speed sequential paddle-shift gearbox.

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Remember ex-Lotus CEO Dany Bahar? The sacked exec has filed a claim against Group Lotus and its Malaysian parent DRB-Hicom for wrongful dismissal. Bahar was suspended in May following “a complaint about his conduct” and investigations led to him being sacked in June.

Bahar, 40, is seeking compensation of 6.7 million pounds (RM32.9 million) from Lotus for alleged unlawful early termination of his employment. This was revealed by DRB’s Bursa filing yesterday. The conglomerate’s lawyers in the UK were notified of the claim on August 23, the filing said.

“Dany Bahar was dismissed after an investigation into his stewardship of Lotus. We believe we have acted properly at all times,” DRB said, adding that they and Lotus would “vigorously” oppose and defend the claim. DRB and Lotus will file counter-claims against him, so we’re expecting a courtroom battle that will shed more light on the dismissal.

Bahar, architect of an ambitious five-year plan at Group Lotus, joined the Hethel-based company as CEO in 2009 from Ferrari, where he was a senior vice president. Prior to that, Bahar worked at Red Bull GmbH and Fritz Kaiser Group.

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Lotus has a brand new track-focused model, and it’s called the Lotus Exige V6 Cup, aimed at new and current Lotus Cup series racing, including Lotus Cup UK, Lotus Cup Europe, Lotus Cup Eastern Europe, Lotus Cup Italy, Lotus Cup Japan, and the Lotus Ladies Cup (Hungary).

Two models are available – the Track Day version goes for £62,995 and a full-on Competition-spec car starts from £74,995. The Exige V6 Cup’s supercharged 3.5 litre Toyota V6 makes 346 hp, taking the 1,080 kg V6 Cup up to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds.

The car comes equipped with Lotus Dynamic Performance Management, so you can switch the engine and traction settings between Touring, Sport and Race. Other specs include Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo tyres, an aerodynamically optimised front splitter, rear diffuser and wing, multi-adjustable suspension as well as race-ready kit such as a heavy-duty roll cage, four or six-point harnesses, isolator switches, FIA-approved fire extinguisher, tow eyes, removable steering wheel and HANS-compliant race seats.

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It has been revealed that DRB-Hicom, owner of Lotus via its stake in national carmaker Proton, received an offer from a foreign company to take the loss making sportscar maker off its books for £1. The offer was rejected, according to a StarBiz report, and DRB-Hicom will stand by Lotus and nurse it back to health.

“The easy way out was to accept the offer. As a businessman, that was what I could have done to cut the loss, move on,” said DRB-Hicom group managing director Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil in London.

“But looking at the intrinsic value of Lotus, the knowledge, the iconic brand with global presence and positioning, coupled with unsurpassed engineering expertise and a talented workforce, its ability to cross function with Proton.

“We believe we have a business plan that will work for Lotus. If I sell without trying, at the end of the day, I will fail my shareholders,” added Mohd Khamil, who is also Proton’s executive chairman.

Failure is not an option. “The loan to Lotus is guaranteed by Proton. If Lotus is in trouble, the lenders will go to Proton. Looking at Proton, it is in no position to absorb the amount. Then, they will go to the grandfather, the ultimate holding company, which is DRB-Hicom. We have 53,000 staff with us and we cannot allow Lotus to take us down,” he added.

The loan in question is a £270 million syndicated loan extended by Maybank, CIMB, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd, ExportImport Bank of Malaysia Bhd, Affin Bank Bhd and EON Bank Bhd at the end of 2010. Lotus had drawn some £207 million of that amount before the banks froze the remainder by July last year. The issue has now been resolved.

“We met the six bankers last month. I have made personal presentation on the revised plan that I have in the interim for Lotus. The bankers have taken them positively. They have decided to waive the condition subsequently and forgive Lotus and Proton. We are looking forward to a scheme with the bankers whereby we can draw down the balance of the loan. It will help part-finance financial requirements of Lotus,” Mohd Khamil told Bernama.

DRB-Hicom has also put its own man in charge of Lotus. Aslam Farikullah was appointed the chief operating officer of Lotus in June after former CEO Dany Bahar was sacked. Aslam, 51, worked as an engineer in the UK for 18 years before joining DRB in 2007. His most recent post was the division head of manufacturing and engineering at the conglomerate.

So Lotus has managed to escape the same fate as MV Agusta, the Italian motorcycle maker that was sold by Proton for one euro, for now. But guiding Lotus back into the black, helping it stand on its own two feet, and thrive from there is no easy task – if DRB-Hicom pulls it off, they would have achieved something that many have tried, and failed.

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News coming from US-based magazine Car And Driver reports that Lotus will take leave of absence from this year’s Paris Auto Show. You will remember the massive six-car reveal that the Hethel-based car company so famously carried out at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.

The report also suggests that the absence is not a precursor for stormy seas for Lotus. The carmaker did had a strong showing at the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed, which they practically dragged out all Lotus cars from the museum and their current garage to put on the showground. All of which to prove that Lotus is alive and kicking.

Under Bahar, Lotus was about to compete with the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini. Which meant that it had to forsake its roots of a lightweight sports car and jump a few rungs up the ladder, which had the same eyebrow-raising effect when Maserati said it will produce an SUV.

So, in my opinion, this really isn’t a bad thing at all. The no-show will give Lotus a chance to take a breather, regroup and reconsider their plans. And hopefully, come out with better offering at the next international auto-show wherever it may be.

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It looks like Lotus is moving forward in its hybrid car development. The Evora 414E, which debuted in Geneva so many moons ago, is now being tested for its durability and drivability at the Lotus HQ in Hethel.

In case you didn’t know, the Evora 414E is a range extender hybrid electric vehicle. The raw numbers are such: 414 PS and 1000 Nm of torque. Yes, 1000 Nm, which lends to the 0-97 km/h (0-60 mph) time of around four seconds. And it farts just 55g CO2/km.

The car powered by two electric motor packs driving the rear wheels through the Xtrac transmission with a batter pack that be charged by the engine or plug-in from a main socket. The engine is a three-cylinder range extender engine can run on either petrol or renewable bio alcohol fuels (methanol and ethanol).

This Lotus drives an EVO electric generator that produces electricity to charge the battery pack or power the EVO traction motors directly. The sports car will run solely on electricity for up to 48 km (30 miles), under normal driving circumstances. Hard acceleration will call upon the small engine and the electrical motors to bring more speed to the car.

Simon Corbett, Principal Vehicle Dynamics Test and Development Engineer, said that the acceleration in a 1000 Nm lightweight car ‘is almost indescribable, the surge of torque is like an ocean wave!’

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Dany Bahar, who was dismissed by DRB-Hicom recently, is lawyering up to face his former paymasters. He is suing for alleged wrongful termination and is filing a suit in London’s High Court, as reported by Swiss newspaper Bilanz.

In a nutshell, Lotus’ ex-top man was given the marching orders over the misuse of company funds. An investigation commissioned by DRB-Hicom has revealed that Bahar have been using company money to remodel his home as well as the misuse of private jets and helicopters. You can read more of Bahar’s boot here.

In the same Bilanz report, Bahar has denied all allegations pertaining to his dismissal. DRB-Hicom is keeping mum over the matter.

So, is Dany Bahar right and DRB-Hicom had jumped the gun in his sacking? Or does DRB-Hicom have another card to play? As they say, the plot thickens.

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It has been officially confirmed that Dany Bahar has been sacked by Lotus. Group Lotus issued a statement that Bahar has been terminated from his employment as chief executive officer of Lotus, with immediate effect.

The statement adds that the decision was made by the Board of Group Lotus following the results of an investigation into a complaint made against him by the company’s parent, which is of course DRB-Hicom. Bahar was suspended two weeks ago.

There was no mention of the reasons behind the dismissal, though reports indicate that DRB-Hicom apparently didn’t think much of the way the Lotus’ boss used the company’s money. Bahar was reported to have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds to spruce up his rented home, and racking up a million quid in chartering private aircraft to fly him to F1 races and other global events undoubtedly added to the axe falling.

Lotus announced the appointment of Aslam Farikullah as the company’s chief operating officer. The 51-year-old, a permanent resident of the UK, has over 26 years of working experience, most of which has been in the automotive industry.

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Here’s some light shed on the reason of Dany Bahar’s suspension. The Mail Online has reported that parent company DRB-Hicom did not like the way the Lotus’ suspended top man used company’s money. This comes after an investigation done by Ernst & Young and a team Rothschild Group.

Dany Bahar was found to have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds to spruce up his rented home. He was also said to have spent more than one million pounds on private aircraft to fly him to Formula 1 races and other global events.

His friends came to his defense, saying that Bahar insists that the spending was part of his employment contract, which was agreed with Proton. This means that his ‘extravagant’ lifestyle was done within the limits of his employment.

At the moment, neither the respective companies nor Bahar himself have officially commented on the matter. We’ll continue to keep tabs on any developments. In the meantime, click the link to read the full story.

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Following last week’s announcement about Dany Bahar being temporarily suspended, it seems that the rumour that Lotus will be sold has risen again. Proton has issued an official statement to confirm, yet again, that parent company DRB-Hicom will not be selling Lotus. So put that pen down and keep your cheque books away.

Proton’s executive chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil visited the facilities in Hethel in Norfolk earlier this month, and held meetings with South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon and British Business Secretary Vince Cable. The outcome of the meeting saw the British Government agreeing to reactivate the £10 million Regional Growth Fund to support the boutique carmaker’s vehicle development plans in Norfolk.

Proton and DRB-Hicom will continue to review the current business plan and financial position of Lotus in the immediate- and medium-term. A team of local and international consultants is currently in Hethel to conduct an operations and legal audit on Lotus group of companies.

The review is needed in light of Lotus’ existing financial obligation of £270 million syndicated loan taken at the end of 2010, which Proton has given its corporate guarantee.

Lotus Cars is not the only sports cars company that DRB-Hicom is involved in. The Malaysian giant currently has a joint-venture with Potenza Sports Cars, the manufacturer of Westfield sports cars.

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Dany Bahar has been suspended from his job as head of Group Lotus, a subsidiary of Proton. The temporary suspension is to facilitate an investigation into a complaint about the ex-Ferrari employee’s conduct, according to Proton’s new owner DRB-Hicom.

“Group Lotus plc (“Lotus”) can today confirm that, following an operational review, chief executive Dany Bahar has been temporarily suspended from his role to facilitate an investigation into a complaint about his conduct made by Lotus’ penultimate parent company, DRB-Hicom Berhad,” the Malaysian company said in a statement.

“The penultimate holding company would like to stress it is business as usual at Lotus. We fully support the company and will continue to support Lotus in its business endeavours and development,” a DRB spokesman told Norwich Evening News.

Bahar pictured here with Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin. Is DRB performing a clear out?

The statement from DRB confirms speculation about Bahar’s future that arose after he missed appointments at the ongoing Monaco GP weekend (a Lotus Originals store opening, among others). Word went around that the flamboyant Turkish-Swiss was instead summoned to Malaysia, where he was told about the suspension.

With Bahar out of the frame, for now, DRB-Hicom has appointed internal people Datuk Lukman Ibrahim, Mohd Khalid Yusof and Aslam Farikulla to be in charge of Lotus, assisted by current CFO Rusman Zaihan. No official statement on the alleged misconduct by Bahar, so your guess is as good as ours.

Dany Bahar joined Lotus from Ferrari in late 2009, famously crafting an ambitious five-year plan for the loss-making company. This plan surfaced at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, where Lotus wheeled out five concept cars in a spectacular show. We witnessed that landmark moment – click here to read all about the plan, and the concepts.

Bahar signed a fresh four-year contract with Proton in December last year, just before the national carmaker was sold to DRB-Hicom. His original contract expires this year.

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Meet Lotus Racing’s newest kid, the Evora GTC, essentially a lightened GT4 Enduro with some go-faster bits. The vehicle carries over the GT4 Enduro’s 4.0 litre V6, with 450 hp and 460 Nm of torque, as well as its XTRAC six-speed sequential paddle-shift gearbox, but the car has gone on a diet.

Carbon-fibre doors, roof and engine cover have replaced fiberglass panels, and Plexiglass replaces the windows to trim yet more weight off what is already a very light car. At 1,130 to 1,140kg, depending on specification, the GTC tips the scales at 30 kg lighter than the Enduro.

Bits have been added on for it though – traction control and a Bosch racing ABS system have been added to optimise power delivery and braking control. The car also features wider wheels and tyres to give 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 without hampering the aerodynamics. Initial testing has already revealed the GTC to be faster than the previous evolution.

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.

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Remember that gag photo of Dany Bahar from sniffpetrol.com and the subsequent press release from Group Lotus? We covered it. Well, it seems that it could have carried some grain of truth because everything is fine and dandy in Lotus Cars… at least for now.

Autocar UK has recently reported that DRB-Hicom have opened up the cash pipeline and channelled it to Lotus Cars. This allows the Hethel-based company to produce cars at maximum capacity.

The plan is to get the new Esprit, which is the first of the five new-wave models, to roll into showrooms by the end of 2013. It confirms our earlier post, except that the launch might not be in time for spring. The fates of the other proposed models are still in limbo.

The secured cash flow also means that Lotus will continue with the development of its own V8 engine and automated manual transmission. Production of the current Elises, Exiges and Evoras can also resume thanks to the lifeline.

In regards to the recent report by Bloomberg that KPMG was appointed to “reevaluate Lotus with a view to sell” Dany Bahar said that there was “no fire sale, no selling process and no bidding.”

Dany Bahar’s stance has strong backing from DRB-Hicom, as stated in a Bernama report. The same report said that Group Managing Director Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil hired KPMG even before the acquisition of Proton.

Autocar’s report also carried a comment, by Dany Bahar, that a top-ranking Proton employee, the CFO of Proton Group, has joined Lotus’ top management. It is move that the Lotus Cars’ CEO welcomes.

Read the full report by Autocar UK here.

Read Bloomberg’s report here.

Read Bernama’s report here.

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You’ve seen the exterior of the Youngman Lotus T5 SUV, which made its debut in Beijing at Auto China 2012 a few days ago.

The interior was locked up by the time Jonathan was going about his coverage of it, but there was a small window of opportunity that presented itself when I popped over by the display as Datuk Syed Zainal was taking a closer look at the T5.

Apologies if the shots aren’t the snazziest (or for that matter, that plentiful, but it was a quick burst on the cam and then off on the next dash in an attempt to catch as much of the show as possible), as well as for the time lapse in getting them up – it’s only now that I’ve been able to really start sorting out the 1,800 shots I took!

As for the T5, it really does look rather delicious in the metal, and the interior, based on the glimpse, is equally snazzy. Oh, as an aside, based on some of the comments from the Peugeot Urban Crossover Concept post, many will like what’s coming up next week – you can presumably guess what the post will be about!

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There’s no denying that of late, all sorts of rumours have been flying about concerning Lotus the brand, ever since DRB-Hicom’s deal in taking a majority stake in Proton came about. Plenty of uncertainties, for sure.

Aside from the Lotus vs Lotus brouhaha, the most recent turn of events certainly didn’t make things any clearer, or signal a clear intent as to where the marque is heading – last week, it was reported that Lotus F1 had ended its title sponsorship deal with Group Lotus, but will continue using the name in Formula 1.

It’s all getting rather murky, but nothing like an explanation to help clear things, and with that, the brand earlier issued a press release in what it hopes will go a long way in dispelling uncertainties and dismantling half-truths about matters.

It’s rather different from the norm though, the statement; the PR folk at GL have certainly gone about things by adopting a, shall we say, very different slant on things, and like just about everyone else, we’re going to run it for you verbatim; editing a release crafted as such would just remove all of the flavour.

The release even came complete with an image lifted from SniffPetrol, which had parodied Dany Bahar in the guise of Baghdad Bob, otherwise known as Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, the former Iraqi Information Minister. And it’s even on Facebook.

Sheer brilliance, or public relations insanity? Well-crafted humourous take on things, or unmitigated flop at the starting gate? You decide.

Never let the facts get in the way of a good story ….

Take a little look at what we found online. Don’t you think it’s funny? We do. We had a good old giggle. After all, we love a bit of self irony, just as well really. Although it’s funny, this one’s not accurate but then again, why let the facts get in the way of a good story? The inconvenient truth is – surprise, surprise – we have never said that there are no problems at Lotus.

So whilst lots of people obviously feel the need to comment on Lotus’ current situation in the absence of proper facts or evidence, we can’t ignore these particular mistruths any longer even if we would like to, so we have decided to turn a negative into a positive and use this hilarious piece of ‘art’ to set the record straight regarding the status quo at Group Lotus and try to return a little stability to a fast changing situation.

False rumour #1: Dany Bahar is no longer CEO of Group Lotus.

Fact: Rubbish – Dany Bahar still is.

False rumour #2: Datuk Seri Syed (Zainal) is no longer Managing Director of Proton.

Fact: Again rubbish. He still is.

You can thank good old Tony Fernandes for these two. Don’t take everything he tweets too seriously – perhaps he’s still frustrated about owning Caterham instead of Lotus and the fact that he fights HRT and Marussia instead of Mercedes and Ferrari in F1.

And whilst we’re on the subject of jokes – do you know the latest F1 joke? Mike Gascoyne, Caterham Group’s Chief Technical Officer, has gone missing. Why? He’s looking for the 30 to 40 points he predicted for the last F1 season. Funny.

Speaking of F1: It seems that one special so called ‘independent’ source is at the root of the lion’s share of damaging rumours and misleading stories. The delightful Joe Saward which leads us nicely to….

False rumour #3: Joe Saward is JUST an independent journalist.

Fact: He is an active Director for the Caterham Group.

And unlike some, we don’t want to get too personal, so we’ll leave it to you to judge how ‘independent’ his stories about Lotus are.

False rumour #4: Group Lotus is no longer involved in F1.

Fact: Lotus F1 Team and Group Lotus have reshaped their commercial relationship earlier this year. The new governance agreement signifies the continued commitment of Group Lotus to the team and the sport.

Group Lotus’ branding and marketing rights and subsequent activities remain unaffected by the new agreement until at least 2017. Alongside continued branding and title partnership status, Group Lotus is also the exclusive master licensee for all Lotus F1 Team merchandise.

The new agreement was reached following Group Lotus owners Proton providing team owners Genii with a £30m loan which is repayable within three years. In order to secure the loan Genii used 100% of the F1 team’s assets as collateral meaning that under the conditions of the loan agreement Proton have been given full title guarantee to all plant, machinery, show cars, computers, office and the Lotus F1 Team headquarters.

In addition Proton retains the rights to purchase 10% of the F1 team. Another 10% share option will be activated if the team default on their loan obligations with Proton.

Again we leave it to your judgement how ‘bad’ Lotus’ current situation in F1 is. And speaking of bad situations…..

False rumour #5: Group Lotus is going into administration.

Fact: Rubbish. The takeover of our parent company Proton by DRB-Hicom couldn’t have come at a worse time, but up until that point Proton was (and still remains) fully committed to our five year business plan to create jobs and to expand the factory and business. With the takeover process the funding has been restricted and DRB-Hicom is taking time to understand what to do with the business.

DRB-Hicom is currently in the middle of due diligence of Group Lotus and there have been and continue to be positive discussions between Group Lotus senior management and senior management at DRB-Hicom both here in Hethel and in Malaysia. At no point has DRB-Hicom indicated to Group Lotus that it intends to put the company into administration. The over-active rumour mill is seriously damaging our business reputation, image and credibility but it is what it is.

The simple fact is, and we haven’t denied this – Lotus is going through a very difficult phase at the moment but we are showing true fighting spirit every day in trying to keep this vision alive. This is also a fact – no matter what people outside of Lotus may say or tweet or blog.

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According to a report, the Lotus F1 team has ended its title sponsorship deal with Group Lotus, but will continue the use of the hallowed name in F1.

Autosport reports that the team’s owner, Genii Capital, recently agreed on a deal with the marque to cancel the title sponsorship agreement that was put together two years ago, in addition to annulling an option brand-owner Proton had to buy 50% of the team.

The end to the formal relationship between the two parties comes on the back of uncertainties concerning Group Lotus, following DRB-Hicom’s deal in taking a majority stake in Proton.

Genii Capital’s head honcho, Gerard Lopez, told the publication that there was previously an option from Group Lotus to buy into Lotus F1 but that has now been taken over by Genii. He added that he remains committed to using the Lotus name, even though the sponsorship deal had ended.

“We are happy to carry the Lotus name as we believe it is a good name for F1. We funded the team last year and the year before for whatever delta was missing. We would prefer to have sponsors up to the full amount, but if we have to fund it then we will fund it,” Lopez told Autosport.

“When we changed the name from Lotus Renault to Lotus, it opened up the door for a title sponsor. If we sign a title sponsor now, we will end up with a better cash flow situation than this team ever had before,” he added.

Asked if he would be interested in buying Group Lotus, Lopez, previously linked with a potential takeover of the brand, said the situation still remains unclear on that to him. “We don’t know yet, because we really do not know what the new owner wants to do with it,” he stated.

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Lotus has chosen Mansory as its official bespoke partner or Official Customisation Studio. The German specialist has already worked with Lotus on a range of special editions, and will offer Lotus owners the “ultimate tailoring service”.

At the Paris Motor Show in September this year, Lotus will unveil a new model variant in collaboration with Mansory. Assigned to special projects, Mansory will contribute bodywork, trim and special finishes for the Elise, Exige and Evora.

Since the Evora Concept Bespoke at last year’s Geneva show, Lotus and Mansory have collaborated on several projects – the road-going Evora GTE, the chrome-red Evora GTE by Swizz Beatz and most recently, the raw carbon fibre Lotus F1 Team Evora GTE.

“At Mansory, we have always been passionate about British cars, and the cooperation with Lotus is the perfect partnership as it meets our quality standard of production on the highest technical level combined with masterly craftsmanship and the most precious materials,” said owner Kourosh Mansory.

“As the Official Lotus Customisation Studio, we amplify the existing options with harmonically designed aerodynamics and ultra-light aluminium rims. High-quality accessories and stylish interior fittings complete the Mansory assortment,” Mr Mansory added.

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Returning ex-champion Kimi Raikkonen was in the thick of the midfield battle last weekend in Australia, eventually scoring some points with seventh place. But the Finn is in a confident mood, and is looking to compete higher up in Sepang this weekend. He’s thinking of the podium!

“The car feels very good. In the race I was stuck in traffic a lot so it didn’t show so much, and who knows what might have happened if we had a better grid slot. There is a lot of speed in the car. As long as qualifying goes well we could be fighting for podiums. There’s much more to come. We’re learning about the car all the time and the last race didn’t really give us a chance to use its full potential. Hopefully Malaysia will be a bit more straightforward,” Kimi said.

“We’ll be trying to improve our performance in Malaysia. We don’t know how the car will behave there but it’s been good everywhere so hopefully it’ll be the same there. You still need a good car [at Sepang] and that looks to be what we have. Hopefully we’ll have a smoother weekend than we did in Australia with no mistakes,” he added.

Kimi’s team mate Romain Grosjean, who started third on the Melbourne grid but crashed out, is similarly pleased with the Lotus E20. “The car was working very well in Australia. There are always small improvements you can make but there’s nothing major I could point to right now. The car is performing very well,” said the Frenchman.

Lotus will be one of three teams with Malaysian links on the grid in Sepang. The others are Tony Fernandes’ Caterham F1 and the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team.

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It looks like the Lotus F1 Team (formerly known as Lotus Renault GP) has a new sponsor – the Formula 1 team has just announced a three-year partnership with Microsoft, effective immediately.

The Microsoft Dynamics branding will be uploaded on the car, the E20, as well as the drivers’ overalls. You can spot the logo starting from the Australian Grand Prix that will be on this weekend – the first race of the season.

What does Microsoft Dynamics bring to the table? Well, the solutions will be implemented in the team’s home base in Enstone to facilitate the team’s business transformation.

The deal is good for three years. Microsoft personnel will work directly with Lotus F1 to optimise operations that will allow the team to open another window of business opportunity.

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DRB-Hicom Bhd today held an extraordinary general meeting to get shareholders’ approval for its 42.74% stake purchase in national carmaker Proton. It went through, and in the following press conference, Group MD Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil revealed some interesting details.

There has been plenty of speculation on the top jobs at Proton after DRB-Hicom announced its majority stake purchase, and that’s fully expected, since current Proton chairman Datuk Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh was DRB’s rival for the stake, leading a so-called “management buyout”.

Khamil told reporters that a new management team for Proton will be revealed in two weeks time “There will be improvements to the management. There can be new faces, I will not discount the fact, and there can be old faces. There is always a blend of old and new for continuity as well as for providing new ideas and talents”.

No names were mentioned, so we’ll have to wait for the announcement. “At the moment, I’ve not put forward to the DRB-Hicom Board of Directors the candidates who will or may helm or assist in helming Proton,” he added.

Management aside, Proton’s Group Lotus subsidiary is another subject of much speculation. Will DRB-Hicom persist with the costly turnaround plan currently in progress? Or will the new owner hive off the loss making division?

“After this, we will be in a position to evaluate the situation in Lotus to take a further step, whether it will remain in the stable or be disposed of,” he said, adding that DRB-Hicom was open on the matter and wanted the best for its new acquisition.

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Here’s something new that Lotus brought to Geneva, the Exige S Roadster. The name explains everything, really, a roadster version of the refreshed Exige S that made its debut at Frankfurt last year. The Exige S is hardcore, and the Roadster is described as “more raw than a Japanese tasting menu”. Hmmm…

It’s the first time an Exige has been offered with a factory-fitted soft top. Why soft-top? Because it’s lightweight and easy to put up and take down. Target weight is under 1,100 kg, making this one of the lightest six-cylinder roadsters on the market by some margin.

The Exige S is powered by a supercharged 3.5 V6 engine with 345 hp and 400 Nm. Reaching 100 km/h from standstill takes just four seconds, while 0-160 km/h is done in 8.5 seconds. Top speed is 233 km/h. Combined fuel economy is 10 litres per 100 km.

The Roadster comes with a six-speed manual gearbox, but will also be available with Lotus’ Serial Precision Shift (SPS), a paddle-operated automated manual transmission. The SPS gearbox is lighter and more compact than a normal torque-converter automatic.

The car comes with two different suspension settings – standard setting for an “active driving experience suited to public roads” and an optional setting as part of the Race Pack for max performance, developed for track use. Launch control can be activated when the car is in Race mode. Inside, the car can be specified with a “comfort enhanced plush interior” or a stripped down style more typical of Lotus.

The Exige S Roadster has been developed for Europe and Asia, and will not be available in North America.

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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.

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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?

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