Group Lotus Plc Appoints Robert A. Braner As President And Ceo

Group Lotus plc Appoints Robert A. Braner as President and CEO

of Lotus Cars USA, Inc.

Hethel, England – May 26th, 2006 – Group Lotus plc, announced today that Robert A.

("Bob") Braner has been appointed to the position of President and CEO for Lotus Cars USA,

Inc., with immediate effect.

Mike Kimberley, Chairman of LCU and CEO of the parent company Group Lotus said; " I'm

delighted to welcome Bob to Lotus; he's both expert and passionate about the business of

great driver's cars. He will spearhead the expansion of our dealer franchise and our customer

base in North America, as we prepare to launch our new high performance sports car in

2008."

Bob Braner brings to Lotus over 30 years of retail automotive and distribution experience that

culminated in the position of President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini USA, Inc. He has

most recently completed the restructure of Broadleaf Capital Partners, Inc., as its Interim

President and CEO. Broadleaf Capital is a publicly traded diversified investment holding

company that provides finance and management services to small and medium sized

companies with the objective of entering the public market.

"This is a very exciting and dynamic time for Lotus Cars worldwide," said Braner, "both the

Elise and Exige have already made a huge impact in the USA with their sensational driving

and ownership experience. I look forward to leading the team here as we work to expand the

brand's position, appeal and reach. We are also looking to further enhance the value of the

Lotus retail dealer franchise, as we move towards the launch of our new super-sportscar.

John English, past President and CEO at LCU, who has been with the company throughout

the launch of the Elise and Exige said; "Lotus is an inspirational brand with thought-provoking

products and a proud heritage of many performance innovations. In 2005 Lotus Cars USA

had record car sales with over 2400 new customers finding out for themselves what makes

the Lotus brand very special in comparison to other sports cars. I am very pleased to have

played a major role in the success of the Elise and the launch of the Exige. It has been

exciting and gratifying for me to know that new Lotus owners have a great deal of satisfaction

and enjoyment with their cars."

Mike Kimberley further stated: "I would like to thank John English for his contribution to Lotus

to date. He is a very skilled automotive professional and under his leadership we have seen

the brand grow over the last 2 years. We very much appreciate his dedication, commitment

and contributions to Lotus."