Lotus Alex Job Racing 11th in GT at Petit Le Mans ALMS Finale

October 20, 2012 - Braselton, GA - Lotus Alex Job Racing (AJR) finished the 2012 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) season by coming across the line in 11th place in GT at Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda at Road Atlanta today. Bill Sweedler, Townsend Bell and Johnny Mowlem fended off early trouble to run the remainder of the race trouble free.

Townsend Bell had the controls of the No. 23 Alex Job Racing Lotus Evora GT for the start of the 10-hour Petit Le Mans at the challenging 2.54-mile,12-turn Road Atlanta circuit. On lap ten the Californian reported "unnecessary contact" with the No. 17 Porsche. Thirteen laps later the contact manifested itself into a right rear lower control arm failure. Bell pitted, under green, and it took the Lotus AJR crew 10 laps to make the repairs and return him to the race. From lap 33 forward the Lotus Evora ran flawlessly in the hands of the AJR trio.

"It was a tough race," Bell said. "Just ten laps into a 10-hour race I got hit by the Falken Porsche for no reason. It took its toll on the car as I had to pit a few laps later and the team had to make repairs. That cost us 10 laps and that was our race. After that the car ran well. Johnny and Bill did a nice job behind the wheel, and the team was performing in the pits. It makes you think what might have been. It has been a development year, and we are already well into the planning for next year. I really like this kind of racing and the series races at some great tracks."

Bill Sweedler likes the way the car ran and is optimistic for the future.

"It was unfortunate that Townsend got hit early on," Sweedler said. "The Falken car just assaulted the rear of our Lotus. We had to make repairs, which put us 10 laps down. That is a little upsetting, without that incident we had a fifth or sixth-place car. After that the car ran great. I am proud of the team and all our sponsor partners. It is tough not racing for a podium or win, but they did a great job helping us to develop this car all year. That we can be proud of and take onto to 2013."

Johnny Mowlem is not happy with the result, but is proud of the effort.

"It is such a shame we had the rear right track rod break," Mowlem said. "The car ran like clockwork all day, and that is a testament to all of the hard work that Alex, and the team have done this season. I have to say that Townsend and Bill drove an absolutely phenomenal race today. The team definitely deserved better than an eleventh for sure. My first stint was very hot. I struggled with a drink's bottle, and I doubled stinted. My second run was really good. I had a long yellow, so I ran most of my laps in the darkness. In the evening our lap times were a second closer to the top GT competitors. Although the result didn't show it, I am happy with the overall effort today."

Alex Job, team principal, put a cap on a development year with the Lotus Evora GT.

"We had a tough start to the race," Job said. "Townsend had contact with the Falken car and that broke the tow rod on the right rear. It took a few laps to get the car back out, but once we did it ran flawlessly to the end. We would have been further up the finishing order by at least five or six places if not for that incident. But, the car ran great the rest of the race and went all ten hours today. That is a testament to the development work we've done the car and a motivator for next year."

Petit Le Mans will be broadcast today Oct. 21, on ABC starting at 1:00 p.m. EDT.

From an initiative conceived by the Lotus dealers of Italy comes a new member’s only club for Lotus owners. ‘Lotus Official Club Italia’ is the perfect way to harness their own and their customers’ passion for all things Lotus.

Launching in December for the 2013 intake, the upcoming programme includes a calendar of events and activities from national gatherings and assemblies to organised excursions - including trips to Lotus HQ and motorsport events. Targeted at anyone who owns a Lotus old or new, the only criteria is a love of Lotus!

As well as the regular excuse to drive the incredible roads of Italy in convoy alongside iconic Lotus cars past and present, there is a generous members’ benefits package that includes not only discounts on Lotus parts and merchandise but also with Lotus’ partner companies offering preferential rates at hotels and restaurants.

To keep members in touch with each other there will be a ‘Lotus Forum Official’ online portal that will also provide expert technical advice to owners who like to play with their Lotus as well as chat about it!

Lotus Official Club Italia’ will bring together motorsport fans, sportscar enthusiasts and Lotus customers from all over Italy to celebrate Lotus in a way that is designed for them – and it gives Lotus the opportunity to give something back to its loyal fans.

Annual membership runs by calendar year and is priced at €99 (including VAT). www.lotusclubitalia.org will be live shortly providing details of all members’ benefits and registering applications.

Marvin Kirchhöfer wins 3rd race after charge up the field

After 24 exciting races during the season and a thrilling final weekend at the Hockenheimring, Marvin Kirchhöfer (18, Leipzig, Lotus) achieved another win in the last race. The newly-crowned champion rounded off his perfect weekend with a third win in the third race. In the first two races, the ADAC Sports Foundation protégé enjoyed a start-finish victory and in the final race, he fought his way up through the field from eighth on the grid to P1.

The most thrilling title battle in the history of the Formel ADAC was resolved on Saturday. Kirchhöfer sealed the championship fight ahead of the final race with two wins, having made an impressive comeback during the course of the two race weekends at the Nürburgring and Hockenheim: Kirchhöfer caught his championship rival Gustav Malja (16, Sweden, Neuhauser Racing) on the home straight with five successes in the last six races and secured the title.

New champion Marvin Kirchhöfer wins all three races in Hockenheim. Jeffrey Schmidt third in the championship.

"Finishing the season with a hat trick is simply fantastic. This weekend at Hockenheim has been just brilliant," said Kirchhöfer after his ninth victory and 16th podium finish in his debut year in the Formel ADAC.

Team-mate Jeffrey Schmidt (18, Switzerland, Lotus) made it a one-two victory for team champions Lotus on Sunday; the Swiss driver took second place on the podium to secure third position in the championship.

Comments from the Top Three drivers

Marvin Kirchhöfer, Winner:

"Finishing the season with a hat trick is simply fantastic. This weekend at Hockenheim has been just brilliant, and my car's performance was excellent during the entire weekend. Whilst I won the first two races from pole, I had to fight my way up from eighth place to P1 in the third race. Racing here has been amazing. Zandvoort used to be my favourite track, but the Hockenheimring is now definitely at the top of my list after this weekend."

Jeffrey Schmidt, Second:

"I made up my mind yesterday to finish the 2012 Formel ADAC season with a good result, which I have done. The main thing, though, was my third place in the championship and that was my most important goal for the weekend. Whilst I was a bit disappointed with two fourth places on Saturday, I now realise their importance for my final result in the standings. "

Gustav Malja, Third:

"Obviously, I'm disappointed that I did not win the championship but I at least ended the season well with three podiums in three races. The Lotus drivers were very quick on this track, and unfortunately, I just could not match their speed. Nevertheless, I want to thank my team Neuhauser Racing for two wonderful years in the Formel ADAC and for their fantastic support. I'm really looking forward now to finding out what the future holds for me as far as motor racing is concerned."

The first qualifying session was run in wet conditions, and season-long Lotus racer Marco Sorensen lined up for the Race 1 grid in ninth place with Melker down in 14th. Come the race, though, it was clear that the qualifying times were not representative of the Czech team's speed despite the changeable weather conditions. On Lap 2, though, bad luck struck Sorensen and he crashed out at Luffield along with several other cars due to gambling on slicks on a wet track. Melker also went off there but was able to rejoin, and when the red flags came out due to the number of stricken cars and the flooding, he was up to fifth. Come the re-start, the conditions remained wet and Melker kept his head down to finish a brilliant third on his Renault 3.5 debut.

In Saturday afternoon's second qualifying, Sorensen saw a return to form and secured second, while Melker was down in 18th. Race 2 wasn't affected by rain. At the start, Marco immediately seized the lead and built a gap over Sam Bird while polesitter Jules Bianchi fell back. The Dane looked set for a commanding win, but on the penultimate lap he suffered a puncture and was forced to retire. Nigel also experienced the blues, retiring after eight laps due to a technical problem.

Lotus remains fourth in the team standings with 102 points, 72 behind leaders Tech 1 Racing, while Sorensen drops to fifth in the drivers’. Robin Frijns leads with 131 points.

Marco Sorensen: "I can't believe this happened, we were so close to another victory. The team did a great job and I am really happy that we had so much control of the race. There is no doubt that we have the speed, now we just need the last bit of luck."

Nigel Melker: "My first race in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series and I’ve got my first podium finish. I can be happy with that, but it was a difficult race. I struggled in qualifying and I was a bit lucky during the race, I must admit. But there was absolutely no room for mistakes. I’ll be in Hungary and perhaps [at another meeting] after that. I’ll need to speak about it with Lotus.”

The four-mile, 14 turn course requires a strong all-round package to be competitive and, after diligently working on areas of high-speed downforce, the Lotus AJR pair had exactly that from their black and gold Evora GT.

Bill Sweedler: “We met our goal here this weekend. That was to come here and keep improving. Greg Fordahl, our engineer, and the team made great improvements on the aero. It showed in the performance.”

Townsend Bell: "The little car that can is showing some spark. Our science experiment took another step forward today. We had a better balanced car this weekend and that allowed us to keep within shouting distance of the GT field. We will continue to keep our noses in the data and our hands working to move this project forward.”

Having already got the motoring press hot under the collar with production of the road-going Exige S, we are turning up the temperature at this weekend’s Lotus Festival at Brands Hatch with the official launch of a new track-focused model: The Exige V6 Cup.

There are two variants: a Track Day version priced at £62,995* and a full-on Competition-spec car starting at £74,995*.

Performance hits 274km/h, 0-100 in 3.8 seconds, and 346hp kicked out from the 3.5 litre supercharged V6 behind the drivers’ seat. The Exige V6 Cup weighs in at 1080kg, and comes with Lotus Dynamic Performance Management, so you can switch the engine and traction settings between Touring, Sport and Race; Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo tyres; aerodynamically optimized front splitter, rear diffuser and wing; multi-adjustable suspension; and race-ready kit such as a heavy-duty roll cage, 4 or 6-point harnesses, isolator switches, FIA-approved fire extinguisher, tow eyes, removable steering wheel and HANS-compliant race seats.

The first cars will roll off the production line in Hethel in December, with an allocation of 20 cars through to March 2013. In addition to hitting circuits the world over in various track days events, the Exige V6 Cup is intended for new and current Lotus Cup series including Lotus Cup UK, Lotus Cup Europe, Lotus Cup Eastern Europe, Lotus Cup Italy, Lotus Cup Japan, and the Lotus Ladies Cup (Hungary).

There will be a version for the USA which will be on display at Brands Hatch this weekend. The cars can be purchased through Lotus Cars’ dealer network and direct from Lotus Racing. * Prices include VAT @ 20%

View attachment: Exige.jpg

Lotus Alex Job Racing took another development step with the Lotus Evora GT in Saturday’s ALMS race at Mid-Ohio.

Bill Sweedler started on the fifth row. Turning strong lap times and doing a near hour-and-a-half stint Sweedler had the Lotus solidly in the top ten. Handing over to Townsend Bell on lap 59, the Californian continued the strong run in the Saturday afternoon heat of near 90-degree temperatures. In the closing minutes, with Bell running ninth, the team pitted him for a splash of fuel. The splash was brief, too brief, and the Lotus ran out of fuel with just one lap remaining.

"We know what we have with the Lotus," Sweedler said. "We need to some serious downforce on the car, which really can't be done by trial and error. The car handled well in the tight spots and always has the measure the GT field under braking. We also ran well through the back twisty section of the track. We took another step in the development of the car today, and that is goal - keep moving forward."

Bell had to get a tow back to the paddock as he ran out of fuel going down the back straight.

"The team called me in with a few laps to go for a splash, but we didn't get quite enough in the tank," Bell said. "I tried to shake it around and use the slower engine maps, but just couldn't nurse it to the finish line. Again, we had a good handling car in the tight stuff, and the Lotus really stops well. We just need the kind of development that we can't do on the road."

Alex Job, team principal, knows the team has a class measuring stick now for the Lotus Evora GT.

"Running out of fuel at the end of race is a tough way not to finish," Job said. "That is totally in our control, and we needed just a few seconds of fuel to get us to the checker. With the new Vipers coming to the series this weekend it gives us a development measuring stick. They have a big budget, so it will be interesting to see how that team progresses with those cars from this weekend to Petit Le Mans in October. The bar just got higher in GT."

Lotus LMP2 is working with full determination on the development of its own LMP2 car that already has taken advanced shape.

Tests in the wind tunnel have already taken place and more will follow in the next few weeks in order to complete first test runs just after the season final of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

A study of the new Lotus LMP2 sports car was shown in June and now there is now a first picture showing the new Lotus T128 during wind tunnel tests, giving a first impression of the look of the new racing car.

The sports car prototype has been developed in accordance with the new regulations set by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and will be a state of the art car in terms of aerodynamics and monocoque design. The Lotus T128 can be run by customer teams in many sports car race series all over the world, for example in FIA World Endurance Championship or the Le Mans Series in Europe, America and Asia.

Lotus’s groundbreaking Exige R-GT, the first car in this category of tarmac-racing rally sports cars to be homologated by the FIA, made its competition debut at the weekend in Madiera, Portugal, with works driver and local hero Bernardo Sousa at the wheel

The priority was on reliability over performance, but unfortunately despite showing a lot of promise in the opening special space, the car was not able to complete the rally due to an electronics issue.

In the first special stage the car ran well and lapped seventh overall, but in the second special stage their emerged a problem with the internal electronics connection which affected all the systems and its laptime, finishing tenth. In the third and final stage an electronics glitch caused the gearbox to fail, the wheels to lock, and Sousa and co-driver Corrado Mancini to career into the wall at slow speed.

The Lotus International Team is focused on resolving this electronics issue, and Bernardo’s next date with the car will be an extensive four-day test in Italy at the end of the month to validate all systems.

Bernardo Sousa: “I’m disappointed because I really wanted to finish the rally, but we can take heart that the potential is clearly there. We crashed out due to a failure, which is frustrating, but not uncommon when you debut an all-new car. On Special Stage 3, when I braked the gearbox wouldn’t downshift, the wheels locked, and we didn’t make it through the corner. We crashed at about 40km/h. The first stage was promising, though, particularly as there were lots of chicanes and we don’t have power steering. I know that on proper stages we can be a lot faster. I’m very confident this car can compete at a high level. Despite the electronics glitches, the parts are high quality and we will fix this one problem.”

Claudio Berro, director of Lotus Racing: “A memorable week for Lotus Racing, with success in the single-seater categories and our debut in the European Rally Championship. We hoped the Exige R-GT would complete the course in Madeira, but it was the car’s first taste of competition and these things rarely go smoothly. The pace is there, we just have to make the car 100 percent reliable, so we’re looking forward to a big test at the end of August.”

Exige R-GT to debut at the 2012 Rali Vinho da Madeira this weekend.

The long awaited Lotus Exige R-GT has received its starters orders from the FIA and makes its competition debut this weekend at Round 7 of the European Rally Championship in Madeira, Portugal.

The FIA has homologated the car ready for competition and it is the first car to pass the FIA R-GT regulations.

The car will be raced by the works Lotus International Rally Team crew of Bernardo Sousa and co-driver Corrado Mancini.

The team tested this all new category car for the last five months and recorded vital miles as the course car during last month’s Geko Ypres Rally in Belgium. Sousa, being Portuguese, is racing the Exige in anger for the first time on home turf. The 25-year-old is one of the most promising young rally drivers.

The priorities in Madeira will be reliability and further fine-tuning of the car during the punishing schedule of a rally weekend.

For Lotus, it’s a historic return to a sport in which the marque has appeared in the past with great success. Lotus won the World Rally Championship with the Lotus Talbot Sunbeam back in 1981.

Claudio Berro, Director of Lotus Racing: “This is a very exciting week for us. It’s been a long time coming because the R-GT category is new, and it’s taken time for the rules to be written and, in turn, the car to comply with the regulations. Nonetheless, the process on our side has been smooth and the development of the car is really promising. We go to Portugal with realistic aims, primarily to work on reliability and performance, but it’s going to be great to experience competition. This is the first car to be homologated by the FIA for R-GT. The R-GT class will make rallying more appealing and thrilling than ever, and the acclaimed Exige will earn a huge following I’m sure.”

The first production Exige S came off the assembly line today and very soon the first customers will experience this exciting new Lotus, a car which has already produced very positive headlines in the automotive media

Lotus Chief Operating Officer, Aslam Farikullah stood proudly by the production line and talks about the significance of this event

How do you feel about reaching this particular milestone?

Aslam Farikullah: We are very proud of the Exige S. It marks the first step towards consolidating and then growing the company. I know that customers have been eagerly waiting for this car, and I assure them that it will be worth the wait. We wanted to be sure that we had a product that was absolutely ready before launching it. We are confident that the right time for the Exige S is now.

Our new philosophy is simple: We will keep announcements about our planned products to a minimum. New models will only be launched when the product and timing is right. Once we do launch a new product, we will ensure that we can deliver to customers anywhere in the world as scheduled.

What else will be different at Lotus under your leadership?

Aslam Farikullah: Our emphasis now is on the finer details of what we do. I believe that the ability of our engineers and workforce makes them among the best in the world. We will leverage on this key strength as we revitalise and strengthen the Lotus brand.

We can all look forward to exciting times ahead as we bring the company to the next level. But I am not a fan of the limelight; I will let our cars do the talking.

So what is your vision for Lotus?

Aslam Farikullah: I want the Lotus name to become a by-word in the automotive industry for integrity, which means delivering quality products on the dates we say we will deliver them. As a start, we will refocus our human resources in order to further strengthen our Quality Department by 20%, clearly demonstrating our future intent.

I would also like to reiterate that DRB-HICOM is committed to the future of Lotus. When I arrived I found a company full of talent, ambition and pride in the Lotus name. It’s my job now to re-galvanise the company and we will be doing that by investing in our existing talent.

Hot off the back of unleashing its Evora GTC racer, Lotus Racing engineers have been honing the Evora to meet the requirements of North America’s legendary sports car series, the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.

Later in the 2012 season the Evora will race under the Rolex Series’ GT rules as GX rules begin in 2013. With the Evora GX, the driving experience is even more pure, and the beefy body kit is even more aggressive.

McMahon Raceworks with Condor Motorsport have placed an order for their Evora GX, and the team led by David McMahon with Armando Trentini as lead driver and consultant, will enter the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.

Like the 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, it tips the scales at just 10kg over the weight of the GTC model, despite being fitted with the 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 mean 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-litre V6 continues to pump out 440bhp and 440Nm of torque, linked to an XTRAC six-speed sequential paddle-shift. The GX is priced at $335,000.00 and will be built to order.

Lotus Alex Job Racing completed a full weekend without any major hiccups in Ontario to finish ninth, and gaining valuable data in the process in order to develop the car. The Canadian Tyre Motorsport Park gave the team of Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler their first chance to put the Evora GT through its paces around properly high-speed turns.

Bill Sweedler: “Once again we did maximum laps and took another step in the development of this very promising car. As we go to ever track that is new to this car we are coming up with more items to improve handling and overall performance. This week it was aero balance. The guys are doing a great job.”

Townsend Bell: “We are getting faster. It is a lot of work for a ninth-place finish. We ran as high as sixth and were able to be respectable, while running what is essentially a test program on TV. We know what our goals are for the season, and we are right on pace with development of the car.”

Claudio Berro, director of Lotus Racing: “Some good results this weekend, with a win in GP2 and podiums in both Formula One and GP3. Once again the Lotus F1 Team showed strong pace in the race, but as Kimi says qualifying is important too and Saturday ultimately kept the team off the top spot again in Hockenheim. We all know the team, the drivers and the E20 car has the ability to win and we must wait patiently for everything to come together. Winning something we’re looking forward to, and it’s only a couple of days until Lotus arrives in Hungary to try just that.”

Lotus cars took the wraps off their new Exige S sports car as they opened a flagship store in the heart of London’s West End.

The new car is the centerpiece of a state-of-the-art store, which is spread over 4,800 sq. feet of floor space in a landmark building that once housed the famous Café Royal, just a short distance from Piccadilly Circus.

The shop opening and sports car unveiling mark a new chapter for both Lotus and its parent company PROTON after being taken over by Malaysian conglomerate DRB-HICOM earlier this year. DRB-HICOM with its vast experience and presence in the entire automotive industry value chain, coupled with long-standing collaborations with other global automotive giants reiterated their commitment to drive this iconic British brand to greater success.

Group Managing Director of DRB-HICOM and Executive Chairman of PROTON Dato’ Sri Haji Mohd Khamil Jamil said: “We can derive many synergies between DRB-HICOM, PROTON and Lotus; and we reaffirm our full and long-term commitment to raise Lotus to the next level of success. With a future of increased productivity and cooperation ahead, Lotus is destined to join the ranks of the great luxury performance brands of the world.”

The 170mph high-performance Exige S with a supercharged V6 engine caused a sensation when it was announced at the Frankfurt motor show last year. The first cars will begin rolling off the production line at the company’s HQ at Hethel, Norfolk, later this month.

Lotus Chief Operating Officer Aslam Farikullah said: “The car represents the very best of Lotus. Its aerodynamic appearance is race-track inspired, as is the interior. Every detail from the racing twin-piston front caliper brakes, to the glossy black wheels and lightweight aluminum bonded structure has the Lotus mark of excellence about it.”

The board of DRB-HICOM met with British Trade Secretary Dr Vince Cable on Wednesday, shortly before the store was officially opened by Malaysian High Commissioner to the UK, Dato’ Sri Zakaria Sulong.

The store focuses on providing clothing, memorabilia and luxury goods aimed at three generations of Lotus followers.

There are four collections available:

Lotus Originals which targets Lotus owners and its new young audience. It features a relaxed range of clothing aimed at the 25 to 45-year-old age group.

The Lotus Heritage collection is inspired by the glorious racing days of the Sixties and Seventies. It has a retro look and it aimed at the top end of the market.

Whilst the Performance collection reflects the engineering soul of the brand and its high-performance technology; the range includes polo shirts, T-shirts and outdoors wears.

Lotus F1 wear is fast, fun and exciting with a range of clothing and racing accessories.

The store also stocks items like scale model cars for collectors and bespoke bicycles designed by Lotus engineers.

Opening the store, Mr Sulong highlighted the Lotus brand’s history. “Lotus is such an iconic brand, not just in the UK but internationally as well,” he said.

“It represents a heritage that has impacted the world’s automotive industry and a brand that holds so much more potential and relevance in the automotive industry and motorsports today.

“I am indeed honored to be part of this special occasion.”

New Lotus owners DRB-HICOM welcomed Business Secretary Vince Cable to the Lotus Originals flagship store on Regent Street today. Present during the visit was His Excellency Dato' Sri Zakaria Sulong, Malaysia High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

The DRB-HICOM delegation led by DRB-HICOM Chairman Dato’ Syed Mohamad Syed Murtaza and DRB-HICOM Berhad's Group Managing Director and Executive Chairman of Proton Holdings Berhad, Dato Sri Hj Mohd Khamil Jamil met with the Business Secretary before showing him around the new flagship store in London.

The Regent Street store opening marked the end of a three day visit by DRB-HICOM to Group Lotus which began with two days at the Hethel based headquarters. During the visit, the delegation from DRB-HICOM was given a thorough tour of the facilities including the production line, design studio and engineering facilities before putting current Lotus products through their paces out on the test track with a ride and drive experience. The feedback from Lotus’ new owners was very positive and senior staff at Hethel were reassured regarding DRB-HICOM’s support for Group Lotus going forward.

Dato’ Sri Hj Mohd Khamil Jamil, Group Managing Director DRB-HICOM & Executive Chairman PROTON said: “Group Lotus has some of the most technically gifted and talented members of the automotive industry and we are determined that they will be given the opportunity to flourish under the new management. DRB-HICOM has invested new funds and it is our job to make sure that investment is used in a way that can drive the company forward.

“We are working on a number of new developments and are confident of the company’s bright future as we continue to leverage on our engineering excellence and innovation culture. Meeting with Dr Cable and hearing about his continued support for this great British brand was very heartening.”

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “I'm pleased to have been invited to meet with DRB-HICOM on what is a milestone day for Lotus. Lotus is an important part of the UK’s automotive sector, and I particularly welcome DRB-HICOM’S continued commitment to the future of Lotus in Norfolk."

Lotus WSR loses out on Russian Roulette

Sixth place for Marco Sørensen on Saturday was the only result that befell the Lotus team in Russia as the World Series by Renault made its debut at Moscow Raceway.

Sørensen set the second fastest time in the Saturday’s qualifying, just 52,000 of a second behind pole-sitter Robin Frijns. Lotus team-mate Cesar Ramos started 17th.

Race 1 was delayed for a few minutes due a temporary blackout. Sørensen kept his focus all the time and maintained second after the start. He started to push Frijns hard and went offline when attacking, spinning on the marbles. He still managed to finish sixth, the second best rookie result of the day. Ramos had problems with gearshifting and retired on Lap 6.

Sunday started again with qualifying in the morning and Marco Sørensen posted the P2 time once more. Cesar Ramos managed a good lap that secured him fifth on the grid.

Sadly, it was a premature Race 2 result for the Lotus pair. Sørensen made a great start and pushed polesitter Jules Bianchi. Turn 4, however, ended all hopes as Sørensen collided with Sam Bird and team-mate Ramos. All three drivers had to retire on the spot.

Czech team Lotus is still fourth in the team classification while Marco Sørensen holds the same position in the drivers’ championship. Cesar Ramos still waits for the first points of the season.

The next round of the World Series by Renault takes place at Silverstone from 24th till 26th of August.

Cesar Ramos: “It’s a shame, because we had started the race very well. However, it’s racing, and you never know what can happen. I’m really happy about the pace we had in Moscow. I would like to thank everyone in the team for their job.”

Marco Sørensen : “I have to admit that I feel a bit disappointed. We really had the speed to be in front, unfortunately we needed the luck. The whole team has done a good job this weekend and I thank them for their effort.”

Bob Vavík: “We have again showed in qualifying that we did not lack speed in Russia. Unfortunately, these things happen. I think that it was a classic racing incident although some may have a different view. Quite a few times we’ve lost a solid batch of points and it could be costly by the end of the season. We have a long break now and we are going to use the time for preparation for the demanding final part of the season.”

Lotus Alex Job Racing finished tenth at Lime Rock at the weekend. The team is developing its Lotus Evora GT and managed to get a lot of miles under their belts during the two month ALMS break, and a top ten GT class finish is a steady step in the right direction.

Townsend Bell qualified the Evora 23rd overall and tenth in class, and handed the car to team-mate Bill Sweedler for the start. Racing in his home state of Connecticut, Sweedler is something of a local hero. Unfortunately, he was pushed off, costing the team positions, but he managed to get it back on track without damage. Bell took over on Lap 88 and showed very consistent pace to help return the car to where it started, tenth in this highly competitive class and 18th overall.

Bill Sweedler: “Our goal today was run hard all race, and we did. We are developing the car and we are showing a lot of promise. Townsend and I were really close in speed. Townsend was a bit quicker, but we had a good day with the Lotus. It was unfortunate, I got pushed off the track by one of the Ferrari's on the downhill and cost me a few laps, but the car was fine, and we kept it going. We had good pace, diced with some RSRs and passed a few competitors. It was a good day for our development program.”

Townsend Bell: “I am really proud of this team. We ran pretty strong all weekend. The team has worked really hard on the development of the car since Laguna Seca, and it is paying off. We have come, literally thousands of miles development wise. The guys have put in a lot of hours on the car. The car ran flawlessly. We are starting to close on the competition.”

The boards that have recently been covering number 52 Regent Street in the heart of London’s Piccadilly have been removed to unveil a new flagship store and Lotus takes pride of place to showcase its iconic brand in a new and accessible way.

LOTUS ORIGINALS arrives in the capital at a massively exciting time for the UK and everything British. As the nation is in full-patriotic-swing during the year of both the Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, it is the perfect time for Lotus to demonstrate how it’s legendary British brand, one steeped in heritage and international reverence, deserves its place in the buzzing 2012 summer calendar.

Situated in London’s Piccadilly, the Grade II listed 4,800 sq ft space, which was previously the ‘Café Royal’, will be host to a diverse collection of luxury apparel, luggage, gifts, toys, and limited edition collectables - this is a store for the fashion conscious and style orientated, not purely a shrine for Lotus fans. Nevertheless, those with a passion for F1 will be able to lose themselves in the emporium, whilst those that are more concerned with quality fashion will be delighted with the beautiful lines that are perhaps more affordable than the dream sportscar!

The development of the LOTUS ORIGINALS retail concept has been rapid. Since its launch in September 2010 the offering has gone from online sales only via www.lotusoriginals.com to small shops in Monaco and China carrying small lines of key pieces to now a flagship store in the heart of London!

The London store is the next step in a fully integrated, international approach for non-car Lotus products. The concept of the store embodies style and heritage in a ‘Best of British’ way that provides enthusiasts and fashionistas with a new Lotus experience.

SØRENSEN: P2, RAMOS: NC

The fourth round of the World Series by Renault brought another podium finish for the Lotus team. Marco Sørensen finished second in Sunday’s race at Nürburgring and won the rookie classification.

The Czech team scored points in Race 1 thanks to a sixth place from Sorensen. The Dane started seventh after he qualified just fifty two thousands of a second behind fourth place Nico Müller. The race was drama-free and Sorensen took eight points.

Cesar Ramos, who stands in for the injured Richie Stanaway, qualified ninth for the Saturday’s race. He was fighting for a top 10 finish but touched a rival just before the end and finished 12th.

Qualifying for the Sunday’s showdown was better for Marco Sørensen who finished second while Cesar Ramos improved to line up fifth. Changeable and unpredictable weather complicated Race 2. There was light shower at the beginning and Marco continued on slicks which turned out to be a good decision as the track dried out. However, shortly after the mandatory stop rain returned and Marco had to pit again. Thanks to a great fight back he crossed the line second and scored more points for himself and the team. Cesar ended up empty handed after he got booted off the track by a rival.

Lotus move up to fourth place with 79 points in the overall standings just six points behind third. Also Marco Sørensen is fourth with 71 points.

Marco Sørensen: “I flat-spotted my right front tyre while braking for the very first corner of Saturday’s race and felt vibrations during the whole race. However, I still managed to overtake [Walter] Grubmüller and finished sixth. Sunday was a bit like a lottery. One lap after the mandatory pitstop it started to rain and I had to pit again. I managed to fight back and I am really happy with second. We have important points and we are now looking forward to Moscow in two weeks, which is new for everyone.”

Cesar Ramos: “I made a good start on Saturday but lost few places during opening lap. I was fighting for 10th place but finished 12th after a light collision with my rival. I qualified fifth for Sunday but again lost few places after the start. In the end, one driver made a mistake and spun and I collided with him. That was end of my race.”

Bob Vavík: “From the team point of view it was another good weekend because we learned a lot and scored points. Second place is great because it was another tough weekend. Also Cesar showed good speed during his return to Formula Renault 3.5 and set great fifth time in the Sunday’s qualifying. Only problems prevented him getting points. I must say big thanks to the whole team because once again they did a great job.”

Ahead of schedule, Lotus' new Evora 414E Range Extender Hybrid Electric Vehicle (REEV) has started its dynamic and durability testing at the Lotus HQ in Hethel, Norfolk.

Ÿ 1000 Nm (738 lbft) of Torque

Ÿ 414 PS (408 hp)

Ÿ 0-60 mph / 97 km/h in around 4 seconds

Ÿ Top speed 130 mph (209 km/h)

Ÿ Target emissions of just 55 g CO2 / km (NEDC)

Brimming with innovation, technology, performance and power, the Lotus Evora 414E is a series hybrid technology demonstrator which shows some of the headline technologies that Lotus Engineering, one of the world' s leading automotive engineering consultancies, has within its portfolio.

The Evora 414E is powered by two electric motor packs driving the rear wheels through its Xtrac transmission with a battery pack that can be charged by the Lotus range extender engine or directly from mains electricity. The Lotus 3 cylinder range extender engine has been design protected to run on either gasoline or renewable bio alcohol fuels (methanol and ethanol). It drives an EVO electric generator which produces electrical energy to either charge the battery pack or power the EVO traction motors directly. In normal driving, the Evora 414E will run purely on electricity stored in the battery pack for up to 30 miles (48 km). With the Lotus range extender and the electric traction motors powering the vehicle through an Xtrac 1092 transmission, the Evora 414E is targeted to produce just 55 g of CO2 / km emissions on the Northern European Driving Cycle (NEDC).

Should the driver require more performance, under hard acceleration, for example, the electricity will come from both the battery storage and the small range extender engine.

It's all Torque

Now that the car is undergoing testing, what does 1000 Nm in an Evora feel like?

Simon Corbett, Principal Vehicle Dynamics Test and Development Engineer at Lotus Engineering, has been doing the majority of the development testing, over the last few weeks, "The Evora S has 400 Nm of torque which in such a lightweight car is already a healthy figure. But the Evora 414E has two and a half times that amount! The acceleration sensation is almost indescribable, the surge of torque is like an ocean wave!"

At this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed we’ll be donning our party hats to mark the 50th birthday of the quintessential Lotus roadster.

Recalling Sixties spy-fi show The Avengers, the first thing men of a certain age remember is Mrs Peel’s black leather cat suit. But the character’s object of desire was her cute-as-a-button Lotus Elan.

The Elan was launched in October 1962 at the British Motorshow, just as the Sixties started swinging. Jaguar had launched the E-Type the previous year, and AC had the Cobra and Ferrari the GTO. Big, expensive, powerful muscles cars. The Elan was very different, and typically Lotus - ultra modern, lightweight, rapid and huge fun.

It summed up the Sixties: a playful topless two-seat ticket to freedom, it was technically innovative with the first backbone tube chassis of any road car, a fiberglass body, four-wheel independent suspension, 670kg with a peachy power-to-weight ratio, bang up-to-date styling beloved by Kings Road cruisers, and a liberating, rock n’ roll attitude.

It came with luxuries that were a rarity at the time, like electric windows, carpets, a heater, and in vogue wooden fascia, but it was still light enough on the scales to outrun other automotive competition – not to mention groupies.

The Elan Sprint, a more powerful 1973 alternative, could hit 60mph in 6.6 seconds, which even now would be considered respectably fast. Back then it was Neil Armstrong territory.

Its pop-up headlights could wink at admirers. It turned heads on Carnaby Street, where the Swinging Sixties embraced cool new design. As well as its turn on TV, defeating baddies and complimenting Diana Rigg’s risqué wardrobe, it found its way onto a magazine cover with Jimi Hendrix posing on the bonnet, and even inspired the lyrics to The Beatles’ A Day In The Life.

The Elan was Lotus’ biggest commercial success to that point, reviving a company stretched thin by the more exotic but in turn more costly to produce Elite. Four different series were produced up until 1973, including a coupe version. Seventeen thousand original examples, including the Elan +2, were produced.

The car was designed by Ron Hickman, who went on to make millions when he patented the Black & Decker WorkMate. He died last year, having earned an OBE for services to industrial innovation.

The Elan was the design inspiration for the Mazda MX-5, which was one of the biggest selling sports cars of the 1990s, and it’s clearly the mother of the Lotus Elise, which has been a staple of the Lotus line-up since 1996 and is on its third evolution.

The late motoring journalist LKJ Setright summed up the Elan when, in the early 1960s, he wrote poetically, “The package that results may not appeal to those conditioned to judge a car by the shut of the door, the depth of the upholstery or the weight of the paint; but to those whose sensual and cerebral appreciations of motoring offer more relevant criteria, the Lotus is as much a machine for driving as a house by Le Corbusier is a machine for living.”

Fifty years on, the Elan has never gone out of style.

A little more Elan history

First introduced in 1962 as a roadster (Drop Head), an optional hardtop was offered in 1963 and a coupé (Fixed Head) version in 1965. It was the first Lotus road car to use the a steel backbone chassis, a technology that continued until 1995 on all Lotus road cars including the Europa, Excel and the Esprit supercar, when it was replaced by the Elise’s amazing extruded and bonded Aluminium chassis sub frame with a glass reinforced composite body.

It was also available as a kit to be assembled by the customer. Although a kit was not really the best description of these cars – they could easily be assembled in a weekend, as only a few key components had to be mated together.

The Elan was technologically advanced with a twin-cam 1558cc engine (early Elans in 1962 came with a 1.5 litre engine), 4-wheel disc brakes, and 4-wheel independent suspension.

Mirroring the changing lifestyle of Lotus founder, Colin Chapman, an Elan +2 was introduced in 1967 with two rear seats. These rear seats were compact but by no means occasional and it’s not coincidence that it perfectly accommodated Colin’s growing family – a car boss has to be able to use his own cars after all!

Elan production finished in 1972 and the +2 ended two years later. With a production run of 17,392 cars, the Elan family was one of the most successful in Lotus’ history, surpassed only by the Elise. In the 1970s with Lotus’ unprecedented success on the racetrack, especially in F1, Colin Chapman introduced the now legendary Lotus Esprit, Elite and Eclat ranges, taking Lotus into the higher value market and introducing the brand to the glamour and sophistication of supercar territory.

The Lotus Exige R-GT made its debut as a course car at the weekend’s Geko Ypres rally in West Flanders. Portuguese driver Bernado Sousa, who is set to race the Lotus Exige R-GT in anger later this year, drove the official car ahead of its entry in the FIA European Rally Championship and the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

As part of the continuous development programme of the Exige R-GT, Ypres offered the Lotus International Team the opportunity of track time and also gave the rally world a chance to have a close look at Lotus’s exciting GT class challenger with the team of Sousa and Corrado Mancini on board.

The team took advantage of the 18 special stages of the rally to test different set-ups, engine modes and electronics solutions. There were no major technical problems, only some small teething issues regarded as normal in the development of the car that has covered only 1,000 km of testing to date. The only issues were an alternator failure and a faulty brake connection.

Bernardo Sousa: “The car continues its phase of growth and evolution. Here in Ypres progress has been steady and significant. The great potential of the Exige R-GT is emerging day after day. In this phase the team and I are trying to achieve the highest reliability and are only relatively interested in the stage times, even if I must say that the car is proving to be faster every day. I am very satisfied with both the car and the level of professionalism that Lotus International team is showing every day.”

Team Bullrun qualified best in class and fifth overall for Round 5 of the Britcar championship. Having highlighted its wet weather skills in the practice session by beating the field across all classes, the team was a little miffed that race day turned out dry. Nevertheless, the Lotus’s superior fuel consumption came to the fore and Bullrun’s strategy fell perfectly into safety car windows. Despite a rear end shunt from a TVR 45 minutes in, the car held strong and constantly ran in the top four. With 40 minutes to go the Evora slipped through into the overall lead and stayed there to take the chequered flag.

The team dominated their class, set the fastest lap and took the overall win by a clear lap. Team Bullrun now leads the Class 3 championship by 21 points and the overall British Endurance Championship by five points.

Richard Adams: “What a brilliant weekend. We are just starting to get the best out of the car and the team, and the Lotus package we have put together is starting to show it’s perhaps the strongest in the championship. Bring on Brands Hatch in three weeks.”

Claudio Berro, director of Lotus Racing: “A strong weekend for Lotus in motorsport. We can be very happy with Kimi Raikkonen’s podium. Commiserations to Romain Grosjean, who was again scintillatingly fast and was denied a great result by the same alternator problem with struck Sebastian Vettel and took him out of the lead. Renault will get to the bottom of it, I’m sure. There were a brace of second places in GP3 too, and then there were winners. Congratulations to Esteban Gutierrez on his first GP2 feature race win, and what a performance from Team Bullrun in the British Endurance Championship. Great stuff.”

The peace and tranquillity of Lord March’s estate will be shattered from 29th June to 1st July as Lotus takes centre stage at the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed, which celebrates Lotus innovation, engineering, heritage and style.

Forty Lotus cars will fire up the hallowed hill climb this year, spanning seven decades and showcasing Lotus’ incredible racing pedigree; from championship winning F1 cars to famous GT and rally racers, some driven by Lotus greats including Emerson Fittipaldi, John Surtees, Jacky Ickx, Jackie Oliver, Russell Brookes, Doc Bundy and Martin Donnelly.

And to bring the track action bang up to date, Lotus will be blasting its most recent jaw-dropping models up the hill, like the Exige R-GT rally car, making its UK debut, the Lotus T125 and the car that has motoring magazines all over the world hailing Lotus’ wizardry - the tyre-squealing Exige S.

We’ll also fire up our brand new Grand-Am car, the Evora GX racer. Like the GTC, it’s the Evora on a diet, fitted with more rubber and flared wheel arches. Weighing in at just 1,150kg and mated to a 440bhp V6, it’s been fettled to meet the American series’ spec with some aero changes to the front, a stock Grand-Am rear wing, and the removal of ABS and traction control, putting driver skill paramount and the promise of some spectacular tyre smoking.

Away from the track, Bonhams is holding an auction of Lotus road and racing cars – 24 models stretching all the Lotus eras; from a Le Mans veteran Team Lotus Type 11 and ex-Formula One Type 18 to a selection of mint road cars and three unique concept cars.

These and other two-seat toys of the 21st century might not exist were it not for the little Lotus Elan, which blows the candles out on its 50th birthday cake this year. Surprising, considering how gorgeous it still looks! Lotus pays homage to this revolutionary sports car on its 1000 m2 stand taking pride of place along side the current Lotus line up.

Also on the Lotus stand, Lotus Engineering will show a number of technologies that can improve both performance and efficiency for cars of the future. Leading the Lotus Engineering display is the Lotus Evora 414E Range Extender Electric Vehicle, complete with HALOsonic active noise control and a virtual seven speed gearbox. This technology demonstrator produces 414 PS and an incredible 1000 Nm of torque from the two electric motors that drive the rear wheels. These amazing figures help slingshot the Evora 414E to 60 mph in around four seconds. Back at the Lotus Headquarters in Norfolk, an Evora 414E is now undergoing test work and the development team is delighted with the progress that has been made already

Lotus Engineering will also show its SABRE engine which demonstrates “powertrain downsizing” where the torque and power of this 1.5 litre, 3 cylinder engine is the equivalent to a 2.2, 4 cylinder but with the fuel efficiency and economy benefits of the smaller engine.

Being Goodwood’s featured marque, though, means more than a car club turnout and an opportunity to show new models. The spirit of Lotus will be felt all around and none more so than when gazing up at this year’s sculptural centrepiece. Created by Lotus, Lord March and acclaimed artist and designer Gerry Judah, it represents Lotus’ infinite commitment to sporting success and driving pleasure. We don’t want to give too much away except to say - it’s massive!

Lotus and Goodwood’s shared philosophies of speed, emotion, competition and having a roaringly good time, are all here. Come and join us in toasting the past, present and future of the best of British!

Aslam Farikullah, Chief Operational Officer Group Lotus, “Goodwood has become the most important car culture event in the world, and the similarities between what the Festival of Speed is trying to do and what we would like to communicate are clear. It’s about showcasing the past, present and future of sports cars and motor racing. We’ll be in Goodwood to show what we’ve done over the last year, as well as the last 60 years. Heritage is absolutely everything. If you don’t understand your past, you can’t realise your future. We remember not only the good times, but the bad times too, it’s what makes us stronger and gives us depth of character. Lotus has been pioneering both on the road and on the track for six decades. At Goodwood we’ll be able to showcase everything the company has done, and we will use this as a foundation for the future.”

Clive Chapman, son of Lotus founder Colin Chapman and Managing Director of Classic Team Lotus, “There will be a mixture of old and new cars at Goodwood, and this is what Lotus is about; looking to the future, but remembering the past. Lotus has such a rich history, there’s much to be proud of, and this year marks the 60th anniversary of Lotus Engineering. We like to invite our customers to drive as a thank you for their support, but then, normally, there are one or two famous drivers that Goodwood has invited. Lord March likes to see the cars reunited with their original drivers. It’s therefore likely we’ll see Emerson Fittipaldi and Jacky Ickx reacquainting themselves with the beautiful black-and-gold 72E. As for most of the historic owners, they’re living out their boyhood dreams by working the pedals of these heroic cars and getting to rub shoulders with Lotus legends.”

Gerry Judah, artist and designer, “This year’s sculpture is a lightweight steel monocoque construction. I think its form shows the Lotus psychology and culture. I’ve always admired Lotus since I was a boy. They’re such British cars, with that ideology of clever, forward thinking science and engineering. That was something I knew I needed to embrace. It’s almost unconscious how I approach sculpture. I don’t do brands. None of the sculptures I’ve done for Goodwood have spoken about the brand, you can get an advertising agency to do that. I do something more intuitive. It is, dare I say it, a spiritual journey in design.”

The Earl of March, Goodwood owner and organizer, “Lotus is without a doubt one of the greatest, most evocative motoring and motor racing brands Britain has produced and we are very happy that the company will be celebrated this year. For the first time, we will gather all the cars from the featured marque and they will be paraded in front of the house, around the Lotus sculpture, and then each will be raced up the hill. Lotus’ beautiful, innovative, joyful cars and some of the heroes that made them famous will be out in force, not sitting silently but driven hard for the purpose they were born. It’s going to be a wonderful automotive celebration.”

Lotus Giudici Racing finished eighth and sixth respectively in the weekend’s two Super GT races at Belgium’s legendary Spa circuit.

The Evora GTE’s talents in the wet were put on display on Sunday, outpacing Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, McLaren and Corvette. With team owner Gianni Giudici sidelined due to a neck problem sustained during qualifying, it fell to Lotus works racer Johnny Mowlem to do all the driving work.

Johnny Mowlem: “A very good weekend, we ran two seconds a lap quicker than last year at Spa. Sunday’s race was very treacherous but the Evora did well, coming in 6th in Super GT and 11th overall. Brand Hatch will be our next International GT race, on the 14th and 15th July, so hopefully we’ll have a lot of support for Lotus’s home race.”