- Lotus wins national award, voted for by The Sunday Times, Driving.co.uk and Times LUXX
- The Emira “marks a quantum leap for the brand in terms of technology, comfort and refinement”
- Award collected at London ceremony by Lotus Head of Brand Marketing, Nigel Bromley
(Hethel, UK – 17 October 2022) – A year after Lotus was honoured as ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ at the News UK Motor Awards 2021, the Lotus Emira has brought another award back to Hethel, having been named ‘Sports Car of the Year’ at the prestigious News UK Motor Awards
The award was received on behalf of Lotus by Nigel Bromley, Head of Brand Marketing, from David Green, Motoring Editor for The Times LUXX magazine and John Pienaar, Times Radio presenter and political journalist at an exclusive ceremony in London.
In the citation from the judges, who included a number of highly respected motoring writers and commentators, the Lotus Emira was praised as “not just brilliant to drive but also marks a new chapter in the manufacturer’s history as its final petrol car. And while Lotus has a fine history of making true drivers’ cars, the Emira marks a quantum leap for the brand in terms of technology, comfort and refinement.”
Nigel Bromley said, “It was a privilege to represent US LOT and receive this award on behalf of Lotus at such a prestigious event where the very best of the automotive industry is honoured. This award recognises not just the Lotus Emira but also everyone who has worked so hard to create this very special car.”
On behalf of the judges, Will Dron, editor of Driving.co.uk, said: “Lotus’ last ever petrol car would be significant in its own right but there was added pressure in that it replaces the brilliant Elise, Exige and Evora. Amazingly, the team at Hethel have made the Emira just as fun to drive while also addressing what appeared to be afterthoughts on the old models, namely comfort, convenience, refinement and technology. What we’ve got here is a proper rival for the Porsche Cayman, with all the attributes a modern sportscar buyer demands.”
The Lotus Emira is the all-new mid-engined premium sports car that perfectly embodies the ongoing transformation of the Lotus business and brand. It features all the hallmarks that the automotive world has come to expect from a Lotus – striking design, thrilling dynamic performance delivering best-in-class ride and handling, outstanding aerodynamics and an unrivalled driving experience.
Powered by either a 2.0-litre turbocharged ‘i4’ or a 3.5-litre supercharged V6 engine through a manual, automatic or Dual Clutch Transmission, the Lotus Emira accelerates to 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds before reaching a top speed of 180mph.
Ends
Notes to Editors
For more information please contact the Lotus Communications team:
Rob Borrett, Head of Media and Launch Programmes
+44 (0) 7718 560789
Richard Yarrow, Head of News and Technology Communications
+44 (0) 7471 994525
Alastair Florance, PR Manager
+ 44 (0) 7802 918662
Diederik Reitsma, PR Manager, European Markets
diederik.reitsma@eu.lotuscars.com
+ 31 651 939 185
Samantha Thomas, PR Officer, Product Press and Digital Media
+44 (0) 7909 813785
The Lotus media site – https://media.lotuscars.com – contains news, images, specifications and full details of current models, as well as heritage cars and engineering technology.
For the latest news and information from the Lotus PR Team please follow:
https://twitter.com/LotusCarsPR
https://www.instagram.com/LotusCarsPR
For Lotus Cars social media please follow:
https://www.facebook.com/LotusCars
https://www.instagram.com/lotuscars
https://www.youtube.com/grouplotus
https://www.linkedin.com/company/group-lotus
About Lotus
Lotus Cars is based in Hethel, Norfolk, UK, and is the global HQ for sports car and hypercar manufacturing operations, Lotus Advanced Performance and the iconic 2.2-mile test track. Lotus Cars builds world-class high-performance cars, born out of legendary success on the racetrack including 13 FIA Formula 1 world titles and many other championship honours. In July 2021 Lotus unveiled the all-new Lotus Emira, its last petrol-powered sports car and best-of-breed, and in July 2019 it launched the Evija, the world’s first all-electric British hypercar. Customer deliveries of both cars will begin during 2022. In March 2022 Lotus revealed the Eletre, the world’s first all-electric hyper-SUV. Customer deliveries will begin in 2023. The Lotus Type 135, an all-electric sports car, is currently being designed and engineered at Hethel.
Lotus Engineering provides comprehensive consultancy services to many of the world’s OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. It is internationally recognised for its long-standing contribution to ground-breaking engineering and innovative vehicle development. Its expertise extends beyond automotive; in August 2021 a Lotus Engineering-developed track bike helped Team GB’s cyclists win seven medals, including three golds, at the Tokyo Olympics. 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.
Lotus Tech is an affiliate company of Group Lotus, established as part of the Vision80 strategy established in 2018. With operational assets across China, the UK and Europe, Lotus Tech is dedicated to delivering smart lifestyle battery electric vehicles (BEVs) such as the Eletre. Lotus Tech is focused on R&D in next-generation automobility technologies such as electrification, digitalisation and more. In addition to the Lotus Eletre, Lotus Tech plans to launch further BEV models including a sports sedan (Type 133) another SUV (Type 134) and more, as Vision80 reaches maturity in 2028.
Group Lotus is either the parent company of or affiliated with the above. In 2017, Geely Holding Group, one of the fastest growing automotive group in the world, acquired a 51% stake in Group Lotus. The other 49% is owned by Etika Automotive, a Malaysian conglomerate.