Photo: Lotus Media
Lotus will celebrate its 75th year of existence in 2023 and today unveiled the branding to mark the anniversary year, along with some scant information on celebrations, that will detail what the last quarter of their first century as an automobile manufacturer looks like.
While Lotus was formally launched in 1952 as Lotus Engineering Ltd, the origins of the company can be traced back to a garage in Hornsey, London. It was in that garage that belonged to Colin Chapman's girlfriend Hazel's family, where he would build his first car, a modified Austin 7 dubbed the Mark I, in his spare time.
Four short years later, after different models followed the original, Chapman's Lotus was born.
Lotus has come a long way from that garage over the last 75 years, yet the vision of its founder, who passed away in December of 1982 from a heart attack at the age of 54, is still very much alive.
From the early days of supplying kits for its cars to private racers until the late 60s and early 70s to the continuing transformation from a UK sports car company to a global performance automobile brand, the company continues to innovate and produce distinctive automobiles.
Lotus will commemorate its 75th anniversary with celebrations highlighting the company's successes and milestones, with several global events and initiatives prominently featuring the 75th anniversary branding.
Matt Windle, Group Vice-President and Managing Director of Lotus Cars, commented: “Lotus of 2023 is a world away from a garage in north London, thanks to the billions being invested in our company on product development, an electrified future and more. We’ve come a long way since moving to our iconic home in Norfolk in 1966. Today we have engineering facilities in the UK, Germany and China; design studios in Hethel, Coventry and Shanghai; and new world-class manufacturing bases in Norfolk and China. It’s at the last of these that assembly of the first Lotus lifestyle car – the Eletre Hyper-SUV – begins later this month.”
As for the Eletre Hyper SUV, it is an all-electric model that really could be described as a sports car with its sleek and low profile stance. According to Lotus, it is the most advanced automobile the company has ever produced. The range-topping Eletre R's 905 hp (675 kW or 918 ps) will be delivered by twin electric motors, providing 726 lb-ft (985 Nm) of torque to all four wheels.
It will bolt from 0-62 mph (0-110 kp/h) in 2.95 seconds, top out at 165 mph (265 kp/h) and have a 373-mile (600 km) range. Ultra high-speed charging will enable 249 miles (400 km) of energy in just 20 minutes. With a fully charged battery, the Lotus Eletre R can drive for 304 miles (490 kilometers) before it needs to be plugged in again.
It will be interesting to see how the anniversary year unfolds for the company and what details will emerge during the celebrations about new products on the burner.
Four short years later, after different models followed the original, Chapman's Lotus was born.
Lotus has come a long way from that garage over the last 75 years, yet the vision of its founder, who passed away in December of 1982 from a heart attack at the age of 54, is still very much alive.
From the early days of supplying kits for its cars to private racers until the late 60s and early 70s to the continuing transformation from a UK sports car company to a global performance automobile brand, the company continues to innovate and produce distinctive automobiles.
Lotus will commemorate its 75th anniversary with celebrations highlighting the company's successes and milestones, with several global events and initiatives prominently featuring the 75th anniversary branding.
Matt Windle, Group Vice-President and Managing Director of Lotus Cars, commented: “Lotus of 2023 is a world away from a garage in north London, thanks to the billions being invested in our company on product development, an electrified future and more. We’ve come a long way since moving to our iconic home in Norfolk in 1966. Today we have engineering facilities in the UK, Germany and China; design studios in Hethel, Coventry and Shanghai; and new world-class manufacturing bases in Norfolk and China. It’s at the last of these that assembly of the first Lotus lifestyle car – the Eletre Hyper-SUV – begins later this month.”
As for the Eletre Hyper SUV, it is an all-electric model that really could be described as a sports car with its sleek and low profile stance. According to Lotus, it is the most advanced automobile the company has ever produced. The range-topping Eletre R's 905 hp (675 kW or 918 ps) will be delivered by twin electric motors, providing 726 lb-ft (985 Nm) of torque to all four wheels.
It will bolt from 0-62 mph (0-110 kp/h) in 2.95 seconds, top out at 165 mph (265 kp/h) and have a 373-mile (600 km) range. Ultra high-speed charging will enable 249 miles (400 km) of energy in just 20 minutes. With a fully charged battery, the Lotus Eletre R can drive for 304 miles (490 kilometers) before it needs to be plugged in again.
It will be interesting to see how the anniversary year unfolds for the company and what details will emerge during the celebrations about new products on the burner.
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