Photo: Lotus
2018 marks the 70th anniversary of Lotus. Started out by Colin Chapman, the British automaker is now owned by Geely. More to the point, we’re talking about the Chinese automotive group that also controls the London Taxi Company, Volvo, Polestar, and 10 percent of Daimler AG. Quite an impressive portfolio, isn’t it?
Even though Geely runs things now with Feng Qingfeng as the helmsman, Lotus is and will always be British at heart. To this effect, the company decided to go all out at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Not one, but two special editions of the Exige were unveiled today, inspired by Formula 1 racing cars from days long past.
“Lotus is an iconic British brand and its contribution to both the world of motorsport, and development of sports car as we know them today, is undeniable,” said Qingfeng on the sidelines of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. “These celebration cars are a fitting tribute to our past, but they reflect our future and show that we’re still true to our principles in building the very best luxury sports cars.”
Luxury and Lotus are two words that don’t go together, but then again, he’s new in his role as chief executive officer. Or is that a sign that Lotus will go soft with the next generation of sports cars? That scenario is unlikely, more so if you remember than Geely plans to take on none other than Ferrari with the 2020 Esprit.
Taking visual cues from the Type 49 (red and gold) and Type 79 (black and gold), the special-edition Exige models are based on the Cup 430. That’s the fastest Lotus that lapped the Hethel test track, covering the 2.2 miles in 1 minute and 24.8 seconds. The supercharged and charge-cooled V6 of Toyota origin churns out 430 horsepower and 440 Nm (325 pound-feet) of torque.
“Wait a second; Lotus wasn’t founded in 1948!” And you’re right, dearest reader. What the British automaker celebrates today, to be more precise, is the 70th anniversary of the first competition car built by Colin Chapman in a lock-up garage in London. The brilliant engineer went on to establish Lotus Engineering in 1952, and the rest – as they say - is history in the making.
“Lotus is an iconic British brand and its contribution to both the world of motorsport, and development of sports car as we know them today, is undeniable,” said Qingfeng on the sidelines of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. “These celebration cars are a fitting tribute to our past, but they reflect our future and show that we’re still true to our principles in building the very best luxury sports cars.”
Luxury and Lotus are two words that don’t go together, but then again, he’s new in his role as chief executive officer. Or is that a sign that Lotus will go soft with the next generation of sports cars? That scenario is unlikely, more so if you remember than Geely plans to take on none other than Ferrari with the 2020 Esprit.
Taking visual cues from the Type 49 (red and gold) and Type 79 (black and gold), the special-edition Exige models are based on the Cup 430. That’s the fastest Lotus that lapped the Hethel test track, covering the 2.2 miles in 1 minute and 24.8 seconds. The supercharged and charge-cooled V6 of Toyota origin churns out 430 horsepower and 440 Nm (325 pound-feet) of torque.
“Wait a second; Lotus wasn’t founded in 1948!” And you’re right, dearest reader. What the British automaker celebrates today, to be more precise, is the 70th anniversary of the first competition car built by Colin Chapman in a lock-up garage in London. The brilliant engineer went on to establish Lotus Engineering in 1952, and the rest – as they say - is history in the making.
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