– a smaller Macan-sized crossover - and then the Type 135, Lotus’s first electric two-seater which will sit on the lightweight LEVA architecture. The latter will also be the basis of the next-generation Alpine from Renault.
“The relationship is effectively that Lotus cars is a manufacturer and supplier of sports vehicles, while the Wuhan factory creates lifestyle cars,” he says, “but we’re one brand. I’m passionate that within the organisation we just talk about and think about one brand. Lotus is global, it won’t matter where the product comes from or which market we’re in, we have to be one Lotus.”
“The SPA platform [of the lifestyle models] has a lot of shared components and engineering,” Johnstone says, “on basic stuff it is obviously better for us to come together and share our resources – but on the other side there will be technology that we lead and which our own engineering team will focus on.”
Unlike the Bahar years, this seems to actually have plans behind it too. It'd be great to see Lotus doing great things at scale finally! (Obligatory 'I'm still holding on to my Elise S1 though' comment has to be included ;-) )