Lotus Emira unboxed at rejuvenated Hethel HQ

• Sensational Emira debut staged at Lotus’ historic home, significantly upgraded with new facilities and all-new sports car factory
• Emira ‘unboxed’ live in front of more than 300 guests
• Jenson Button, F1 World Champion and Lotus customer, was surprise special guest with world-exclusive first Emira test drive
• Global online audience of thousands included 131 Lotus ‘superfans’ who appeared live on-screen at the event
• Next stop for the Emira – dynamic debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend
• Daytona Group are the sole importer and distributor for Lotus in South Africa

(Hethel, UK – 7 July 2021) – It was another night for the Hethel history books as resurgent British sports car manufacturer Lotus gave a world debut to the all-new Emira. It was staged live in front of an on-site audience of VIP media and honoured guests, with tens of thousands more viewing the simultaneous online broadcast from all corners of the world.

Matt Windle, Managing Director, Lotus Cars, told guests: “The Emira is an absolute game-changer for Lotus. It’s a hugely significant milestone in our path to becoming a truly global performance car brand. It’s a new sports car – our first in many years – and what an offering it is from Lotus!”

The hour-long live-action unveiling was centred on the iconic Hethel test track and culminated in a high-octane lap of the north circuit by an Emira – officially the last petrol-powered car from Lotus. That lap drew to a close on the steering pad, directly in front of the audience as they witnessed the ‘unboxing’ of another Emira.

Former Formula 1 World Champion and Lotus customer Jenson Button was revealed as the evening’s special guest. A film of him putting the Emira through its paces on the Hethel track was played, with Jenson delivering his exclusive ‘first drive’ review live to the audience.

Jenson commented: “It’s being called a junior supercar, but it would give a lot of supercars a run for their money… and it’s more comfortable than most of them! The Emira is exceptional and I’m a big fan.”

The Emira premiere was broadcast live via the Lotus website and social media platforms. In a nod to global travel restrictions, Lotus had invited scores of international Lotus ‘superfans’ to be involved in the premiere. Exactly 131 of these owners and enthusiasts were selected to be part of a high-tech real-time ‘fan wall’ which appeared on the box’s TV screens. The number 131 reflected the Lotus type number allocated to the Emira before it was officially named.

The evening’s entertainment was hosted by popular motoring presenters Andy Jaye and Helen Stanley, with catering provided by another Norfolk legend, chef Delia Smith. Guests were also treated to a parade of historic Lotus cars on the test track, including an Elan S3 and company founder Colin Chapman’s Turbo Esprit.

As well as providing a platform for the Emira’s debut, the event was designed to turn the spotlight on Hethel itself – upgraded as part of a £100million-plus investment in Lotus’ UK operations. Guests took part in a walking tour of the site to see the transformation, which includes the all-new production line and paint shop where the Emira will be built, starting later this year.

As the event closed, Matt Windle commented: “What an amazing night we’ve had and what a fantastic way to launch the Emira. We have a sensational new sports car – the most accomplished Lotus ever – and we’ve unveiled it at a rejuvenated Hethel, a site still changing every week because of our investment. Together they are the perfect illustration of the ongoing transformation of Lotus.”

Next stop for the Emira is this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, where the car will make its public dynamic debut. Lotus is the ‘Featured Marque’ at this year’s event, which means the ‘Central Feature’ – the giant sculpture outside Goodwood House – will celebrate Lotus.

Lotus has appointed Daytona Group as the sole importer and distributor for the performance car sales and service in South Africa.

Justin Divaris, CEO Daytona Group (sole importers of Aston Martin, McLaren, Pagani & Rolls-Royce), commented: “Being appointed as the new sole distributor for this prestigious brand, a brand well-known and loved by South Africans, is truly exciting. We strongly believe that Lotus will complement our current brand mix and offering to our clients and we look forward to what the future holds for this partnership.”

The world-class 4000sqm showroom and 4000sqm workshop, with coffee bar, client lounges and private meetings rooms, is testament to Daytona’s commitment and dedication to offering its clients more than just a car showroom. It is a way of life, which is why Lotus has selected this prime dealership as its new home in South Africa.

Orders for the Lotus Emira are open, with first cars scheduled to arrive in the second quarter of 2022. For more information or to place orders, contact Tyron Barbe on 011 301 7000 or tyron@daytona.co.za

Ends

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About Lotus

Group Lotus is based in Hethel, Norfolk, UK – home to its sports and hypercar manufacturing operations, Lotus Advanced Performance Centre and the iconic 2.2-mile test track. It is part of Geely Automotive, the fastest growing automotive group in the world. Geely has a 51% controlling stake, with 49% owned by Etika Automotive, a Malaysian conglomerate.

Lotus Cars builds world-class, high-performance cars, born out of legendary successes on the racetrack including 13 FIA Formula 1 world titles and many other championship honours. In July 2021 it unveiled the all-new Lotus Emira, its last and best-of-breed petrol-powered sports car. The first customer cars will be delivered in 2022. In July 2019 it launched the Evija, the world’s first all-electric British hypercar.

Lotus Engineering provides a comprehensive consultancy service which works with many of the world's OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and other clients outside of the automotive sector. It is internationally recognised for its long-standing contribution to ground-breaking engineering and vehicle development. An international consultancy with offices around the world, Lotus Engineering is headquartered at the Lotus Advanced Technology Centre on the University of Warwick’s Wellesbourne Campus in the UK.