Car lovers know a true Lotus when they see one. The brand's core values are among the clearest of any marque on the road, harking back nearly 80 years to the earliest days of Colin Chapman.
A real Lotus is low, sporty and compact, with a confident stance that implies fine driving qualities.
The exterior shape may not always be consistent with that of its predecessors (look at the differences between the Elan and the Esprit for evidence of that), but the styling always carries a delicacy that speaks of low weight, compactness, efficiency and a forward-thinking openness to new technology.
From 1965 to 2022, every new Lotus embodied these values and was built in Lotus's Hethel factory, opened when Chapman acquired a former RAF base south of Norwich and moved the business there so it could have its own test track.
Lotus life moved on, often through thick and thin, because, throughout its eight decades, the company's affairs have always been volatile.
This year that volatility peaked. Four years before, Geely, Lotus's Chinese owner, had started applying the marque's famous yellow roundel to a range of UK-designed, Wuhan-built, large EVs unlike any Lotus before.
Having aimed at 150,000 units per year, Geely found it could sell only a small fraction of that number, and it drew criticism for misunderstanding the soul of Lotus while confusing customers and loyalists about the company's future.
Meanwhile, the Hethel-built Emira sports car, the Evora-based current model billed at its 2022 launch as the last-ever combustion-engined Lotus, had been selling moderately well (5000-plus units in 2024) but not well enough for the Chinese ownership.
Even slower sales by rivals such as Alpine's A110 indicated that mid-priced two-seater sports cars simply weren't as fashionable as they used to be.
To make matters worse, tough new American import tariffs began decimating Hethel sales and even caused Geely to talk about moving Emira production to the US. Lotus staff numbers were slashed; irreplaceable managers were 'let go'.
There were even suggestions (until the UK government intervened) that Hethel would close – a huge blow to the UK's reputation as a maker of specialist cars.
The situation calmed a little when Geely hurriedly produced assurances that Hethel would remain as Lotus's sports car headquarters. But the threat still hovers, and current Emira production, slow and sometimes stationary, is far from economic.
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I'm for it. I'm not sure an EV can give the volume they'd need, but maybe it could by 2028, or surely some day. EV sports cars are a bit of an unknown still, maybe something with an ICE is the right product for the now.I think the Elite path is the right choice - buyers these days want more convenience from their sports, as long as the looks, weight and size are right, I don't think anyone would turn up their nose at some useful back seats.
When did Lotus ever make a daily driver that sold in numbers? To keep them going they need a new Elise, and given that Europe wont ban ICE in 2035 and the US wont ban ICE at all, it seems to me thats what they should be doing. But as has also been suggested, a tie up to create a 21st century, Lotus Cortina, Lotus Sunbeam, Lotus Carlton etc
In the UK EVs are still most bought by CoCar users (and i dont see that changing), and they wont want a 2+2 Lotus.
But until the UK decides its future for Car sales (craps the ICE ban), i cant see anyone investing into a low volume, high risk model
If Lotus wants to survive, it must return to being true to itself. Stop trying to conquer new market shares (that do not materialize) disorienting and losing traditional clientele with bulky, heavy cars that have nothing to do with the spirit of the brand founded by Colin Chapman. Today Lotus would desperately need a bright idea like the one that led Romano Artioli to create the Mk1 Elise, which was fully in line with Chapman's path. The Elite 2+2 EV looks very nice and has nice proportions, but I doubt Lotus customers will choose a BEV as long as ICE cars are allowed (BTW, I'm curious to see what happens with the upcoming Alpine A110). A lot can still happen between now and the ban on combustion engines in both the UK and the EU. Time will tell. I really hope Lotus can find its way again.