Jump to content

litp.jpg

Lotus in the Peak
27th - 29th June 2025
  • Welcome to Midlands Lotus Owners Club (MLOC)

    Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to contribute to this site by submitting your own content or replying to existing content. You'll be able to customize your profile, receive reputation points as a reward for submitting content, while also communicating with other members via your own private inbox, plus much more!

    This message will be removed once you have signed in.

Mark H
Mark H

The Perfect Christmas Gift: Lotus Driving Academy Announces 2023 Dates

  • Online booking for next year’s Hethel track day experiences now available at https://experience.lotuscars.com
  • Revamped structure means four courses instead of three, creating extra customer choice
  • Option to include Hethel factory and Classic Team Lotus tours
  • Prices start at just £199
  • Hethel factory tours available to book through same link

 

Hethel, UK – 1 December 2022  Just in time for Christmas, one of the UK’s best-known track experience days – the Lotus Driving Academy (LDA) – has announced its diary for the first half of 2023. The chance to drive the thrilling Emira sports car on the iconic Lotus test track is the perfect festive gift for any petrolhead.

LDA sessions run on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday two weeks out of every four, using the iconic 2.2-mile circuit at Hethel, the home of Lotus since 1966. The booking platform is now live at https://experience.lotuscars.com and tours of the Hethel factory are available through the same link.

New for 2023 is a revamped structure, with the LDA now offering four distinct courses rather than three. All courses begin with a comprehensive safety briefing from the expert Academy instructors. Offering something for everyone, the four courses are as follows:

A Taste of Lotus – guests have a five-minute circuit familiarisation with an Academy instructor before sliding behind the Emira’s steering wheel themselves. They’re guided from the passenger seat by the instructor for 2 x 10-minute sessions on the full Hethel test track. This course is aimed at those who want to experience or gift the chance to drive a Lotus Emira in a truly iconic location.

Dynamic Emira – new for 2023, this half-day experience allows guests to compare both the Touring and Sports suspension set-ups of the Emira in a back-to-back comparison. The course includes 4 x 10-minute sessions on the south test track, with the instructor assisting guests to identify the vehicle characteristics previously discussed. Time between driving sessions is filled with a visit to the Chapman Production Centre, where the Emira is built, for a tour of the sub-assembly area to see how the car’s suspension is put together.

Introduction to Sports Cars – a full-day programme, guests will have 2 x 20 minutes of driving with a Academy instructor, understanding basic sports car control and the Emira’s different drive modes. That’s followed by a guided Hethel site tour, which includes access to the Chapman Production Centre where the Emira is built. Guests will also see other parts of the Lotus facility which have benefited from a £100million upgrade as part of the transformation of Lotus into a global performance car brand. The day is completed with a tour of Classic Team Lotus, just across the road from the main Lotus site, to see its unique collection of historic Lotus race cars.

Tailor-Made Advanced – with a 3-to-1 ratio of guests to instructors, this tailored course will help drivers achieve their personal goals through the use of skills training including slalom, oversteer and understeer activities. The course runs over a full day, allowing guests time to learn, practise and master their new skills. 

The LDA is delivered by Lotus Advanced Performance, the bespoke vehicle and experiential division of the business launched earlier this year. Stewart Croucher, Manager, Motorsport and Drive Programmes, Lotus, said: “Relaunching the Lotus Driving Academy earlier this year has been a great success with hundreds of happy customers thrilled to experience the amazing dynamics of the Emira sports car.”

He added: “Opening up the 2023 diary gives us the chance to restructure what we offer, adding one extra package for even greater choice. There is something for everyone, whether you’ve never driven a sports car before or you’re an experienced racer looking to improve your lap times. And we can now include the Hethel factory and Classic Team Lotus tours as the icing on the cake of a great day out.”

LDA prices are £199 for A Taste of Lotus; £450 for Dynamic Emira; £699 for Introduction to Sports Cars: and £960 for Tailor-Made Advanced. Book now at https://experience.lotuscars.com

This is just the start for the LDA. The Hethel courses are the first step of a three-year growth plan that will see the current USA Lotus experience centres – in Utah, Georgia and Arizona – become full LDA operations. The existing LDA in Italy, in Pavia, just south of Milan, will also relaunch with an Emira fleet. In addition, two all-new LDA teams will open in all-new locations. More details will follow closer to launch.

LOTUS_ACADEMY_6.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_11.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_15.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_12.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_14.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_16.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_17.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_20.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_BONUS_1.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_BONUS_2.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_4.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_8.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_5.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_13.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_18.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_19.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_9.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_10.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_3.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_2.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_7.jpg

LOTUS_ACADEMY_1.jpg

User Feedback

Recommended Comments

There are no comments to display.



Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Add a comment...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • Formula One

    Any F1 fans on this forum? Let's discuss anything about the sport here.

    Maddox
    Maddox
    General Talk 20

    Please Post your Lotus in the Peak Pictures

    Hi All Please Post your LitP pictures for all to enjoy  

    Elisemadray
    Elisemadray
    General Talk

    Elise S3 Brakes

    The brakes on my Elise 240 FE never felt brilliant but at 2.5 years old in the cold and wet did nothing when pressed, a few pumps later and some braking happened. I took it in and the pads (oem from new) were glazed. I replaced them with Pagid RS42 and updated fluid. Difference was night and day.  Now, a year and maybe 3500 miles on and the pedal feel is a little wooden again (like can brake light or hard but nothing in between) and they are squealing really bad at town driving  speeds and lig

    Trebor_UK
    Trebor_UK
    Technical Talk 16

    Tyre comparison - short note on v105 vs ad08rs

    Elise S2 k series with standard geometry so set up to understeer gently. Which is exactly what I've been getting on runs out. Car is on the recommended yoko v105 tyres. There a two types the ones to get have a slightly stiffer sidewall and are recommended for mercs iirc. V105 is in my experience a very competent road tyre for all seasons and daily driving. Definitely recommended. V105 thoughts coming off a no longer available very old and hard and narrower front tyre.  As normal T

    MrWill
    MrWill
    Technical Talk 17

    Boot lid hinge pin? S2 Elise

    I opened my boot today and it didn't seem right then realised it was the drivers side hinge had become disconnected from the body part. Has anyone else ever had this issue or know how to solve it?

    foxy76
    foxy76
    Technical Talk
  • MLOC classifieds

    There have been no adverts submitted yet

  • MLOC garage

  • Member Statistics

    4,443
    Total Members
    1,800
    Most Online
    robbo101
    Newest Member
    robbo101
    Joined
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Terms of Use