Lotus announces new bespoke Advanced Performance Division

Sometime last year, Lotus made a rather painful announcement that its Elise, Exige, and Evora will no longer be produced as it prepares itself for a brand new series of sports cars.

A few months later, an all-new mid-engined sports car dubbed Emira was unveiled leading the series of sports cars Lotus once spoke about. However, a recent announcement by the Norfolk-based marque suggests that something more interesting is brewing there. 

Called Lotus Advanced Performance, the manufacturer is introducing this division dedicated to delivering thrilling bespoke vehicles and superb customer experiences. 

The Advanced Performance division comes at a time when Lotus is transitioning from just being a UK sports car company to a global performance business and brand. 

Leading the division is Simon Lane who has joined from the bespoke 'Q by Aston Martin' business. According to Simon, he has always been a Lotus fan, and this has to be one of the most exciting roles in the automotive industry right now – a blank sheet of paper and the opportunity to launch a completely new division at the world’s most ambitious car brand. 

“The LAP team and I have some fantastic and truly innovative ideas with very broad appeal, for Lotus fans young and old to those in search of unique experiences and collectible opportunities,” he states. 

The portfolio of services that Lotus Advanced Performance will offer includes:

• Halo projects – ultra-exclusive and unique vehicles that expand the Lotus product portfolio in exciting new directions,
• Limited editions – exclusive high-spec and highly desirable versions of Lotus cars, allowing customers to stand out from the crowd,
• Bespoke – personalise your Lotus car with exclusive colours, trims and materials,
• Experiential – from tours of the new £100m (R2bn) Hethel sports car and hypercar production lines to ‘money can’t buy’ opportunities all around the world, activities to enable customers, fans and partners to experience the Lotus brand,
• Lotus Driving Academy – expert tuition at the wheel of a Lotus at locations around the world, including the iconic Hethel test track in Norfolk,
• Motorsport – starting with the Emira GT4 race car, Lotus Advanced Performance will support and deliver lightweight competition cars to customers around the world,
• Accessories – a broad range of Lotus Advanced Performance products and brand merchandise ‘For The Drivers’.

Lotus has earmarked the production of the Emira and Evija sports cars in the coming months.