Malaysian King & Queen Visits Lotus Uk

NORWICH, UNITED KINGDOM, 2 October 2009 – Group Lotus Plc, a subsidiary of PROTON Holdings Berhad, today received an honorary visit by the King & Queen of Malaysia, His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Wathiqu Billah Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah and Her Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda The Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah to its headquarters.

In attendance to greet both the King and Queen of Malaysia were PROTON Holdings Berhad and Lotus Group Plc Chairman Dato' Mohd. Nadzmi Mohd. Salleh, Group Managing Director Dato' Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir and Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus Plc Dany Taner Bahar. Also present were Her Majesty The Queen of England's Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk, Mr. Richard Jewson, JP; the Malaysian High Commissioner to Britain, His Excellency Dato' Abdul Aziz Mohammed; Board Members of PROTON Holdings Berhad and Group Lotus Plc.

"It is an honour for us to have His and Her Majesty's presence here at our Lotus facility and this indeed is a meaningful occasion for all of us, both in Lotus and PROTON. I am certain that it will definitely inspire us to further strive and work harder in bringing Lotus to greater global prominence and in realising PROTON's vision to become Asia's premier automotive company," said Dato' Mohd. Nadzmi.

"With Lotus' proven strength in producing iconic cars such as the Elite, Seven, Elan, Europa, Esprit, Elise and Evora, PROTON's decision to acquire Lotus in 1996 obviously has been proven to be a good one. Its acquisition was also important as it has changed the future of PROTON as a car manufacturer in the automotive industry," he added.

"Lotus has contributed immeasurably to the technological development and engineering capabilities of PROTON. An unmistakable legend in the world of automotive industry, Lotus thrives on its strong foundation built by its founder Colin Bruce Chapman in 1948, and now after 61 glorious years, Lotus still holds reign as one of the few esteemed sportscar makers, distinguished especially for its lightweight engineering prowess and performance superiority," said Dato' Syed Zainal Abidin.

During the visit, PROTON and Lotus were honoured to have the King and Queen of Malaysia unveiled the new Proton Higher Performance Engine, a new high-torque pressure-charged engine to support future product introductions. The engine, developed in collaboration between PROTON and Lotus Engineering with active involvement of Malaysian engineers and vendors, boasts an improved rate of emission and performance quality. The engine, produced within 18 months from approval of engineering proof of concept, promises a high torque for enhanced driveability with improved economy, performance and emissions.

The King and Queen of Malaysia spent the morning taking in various exhibits from Lotus Cars including a brief on classic Lotus cars by Clive Chapman, the son of Lotus founder, Colin Chapman. The King and Queen were also escorted on a guided tour of the Lotus Cars assembly line, and were briefed about the latest Lotus Design projects. The King also took time to test drive the award winning Lotus Evora as well as the Tesla and Exige models.

About PROTON

PROTON, established in 1983, is Malaysia's largest manufacturer of automobiles. With operations in key market centers from UK and Western Europe to the Middle East, and across South-East Asia and Australasia, PROTON produces cars to suit a range of consumer demands and preferences. The offerings include versatile and reliable four-door family vehicles, two-door hatchbacks for the young-at-heart, luxurious and stylish executive sedans, spacious and affordable multi-purpose vehicle, as well as the world-renowned sports cars from Lotus.

PROTON's inception as a key driver of national development has seen the brand accelerate its learning curve through technology transfer with strategic partnerships and technical collaborations. PROTON cars are now steadily on track to achieving the mission for the future, gearing up to achieve the promise of a marque which builds cars with passion and soul; cars which are a delight to drive and a pleasure to own.

About Lotus

The main operating subsidiary of Group Lotus plc is Lotus Cars Limited, which has two operating divisions - Lotus Engineering and Lotus Cars. Lotus Engineering is an internationally recognised automotive engineering consultancy based in Norfolk, UK. Global facilities include those in Michigan (USA), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), China and offices in Germany.

Lotus Engineering provides comprehensive and versatile consultancy services to many of the world's OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, offering a full engineering service from initial concept and project design through development and integration of the complete vehicle to meet all worldwide markets and customers to full production. This includes third party 'niche vehicle' engineering and manufacture worldwide.

Lotus Cars builds world class, prestige, high performance sports cars for sale in 37 countries. These include the iconic Lotus Elise, Exige, Europa and the new award winning Lotus Evora. Lotus is a global high-tech company, expanding rapidly and committed to driving forward technology for both Lotus Cars and its Engineering clients, spearheading research into such areas as hybrids, electric vehicles and renewable fuels.