Lotus Cars (not) at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024⁉️

[Tokion]

Last year 2023, LOTUS had a significant presence celebrating their 75 years history at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

This year 2024 any internet search that I am capable of have not revealed that LOTUS will participate at all. I only see some we reference to past Formula One cars and Classic Lotus.

I hope that someone will prove me wrong, and that LOTUS indeed will have a stand or platform somewhere, even if it is scaled down as compared to last years jubilee.

This brings me to the seemingly reduced public presence of Managing Director Matt Windle, and indeed Lotus Cars itself. I have read news reports that the international electric LOTUS conglomerate have been taking steps to diminish the importance and significance of Lotus Cars in Hethel in the overall hierarchy of LOTUS INTERNATIONAL.

Here again I am wondering if some other member of Emiraforum can prove me wrong?

 

[PsymonR]

The FOS organisers haven't put up a map for the 2024 event yet, so it may just be a case of the information as to which manufactures will (or won't) be there hasn't come out yet. There is an exhibitors page but there are hardly any manufacturers mentioned on there, but Lotus are listed on the partners page.

It is probably just be a case of waiting and seeing for more information to know what participation Lotus will have. I'm going to be going on the Thursday and am looking forward to it, been once before but that was 21 years ago!

 

[Tokion]

The FOS organisers haven't put up a map for the 2024 event yet, so it may just be a case of the information as to which manufactures will (or won't) be there hasn't come out yet. There is an exhibitors page but there are hardly any manufacturers mentioned on there, but Lotus are listed on the partners page.

It is probably just be a case of waiting and seeing for more information to know what participation Lotus will have. I'm going to be going on the Thursday and am looking forward to it, been once before but that was 21 years ago!

I certainly hope that you are right. With FOS not that far away, I am hoping that LOTUS presence will be announced.

My other comments about LOTUS international vs Lotus Cars in Hethel stands. I feel there are conscious efforts in diminishing the promotion of the ICE cars, and that Lotus Cars in Hethel have their hands tied by their powerful owners.

PsymonR: I really appreciate your positive reporting on your Emira 2.0 (i4) that sounds like this version of the Emira, as has been expected, is highly exciting. I am hoping that some of the writers/reviewers that published their not so positive results around August 2023 would get a second chance to report on the actual car that only started to ship to new 2.0 (i4) owners from Marc/April 2024. I have the impression that the “final touches” by Lotus on this car must be quite significant.

 

[PsymonR]

I certainly hope that you are right. With FOS not that far away, I am hoping that LOTUS presence will be announced.

My other comments about LOTUS international vs Lotus Cars in Hethel stands. I feel there are conscious efforts in diminishing the promotion of the ICE cars, and that Lotus Cars in Hethel have their hands tied by their powerful owners.

If Lotus do have a presence then I would expect an electric push for sure, perhaps with hill debuts for the Emeya and the Evija X. I'd say that the Emira will probably be a part of any presence, but how much will depend on whether they are using it to release any information about the base model and/or any S/R variants.

PsymonR: I really appreciate your positive reporting on your Emira 2.0 (i4) that sounds like this version of the Emira, as has been expected, is highly exciting. I am hoping that some of the writers/reviewers that published their not so positive results around August 2023 would get a second chance to report on the actual car that only started to ship to new 2.0 (i4) owners from Marc/April 2024. I have the impression that the “final touches” by Lotus on this car must be quite significant.

I think one thing to consider with the reviews of the car is that a lot of the journalists get to drive a lot of exotic cars, as such their reference points can be skewed compare to those of people like myself who are coming into the Emira from a different direction. Where an individual sits on the previous car experience spectrum may impact on how they perceive the i4 as a package.

I'm not expecting to see a re-review of the i4 just because it's now in customer hands, though a group-test could be an option. Where I could definitely see it being revisited, however, is when the base edition gets released - Lotus is probably going to want to push press cars out to coincide with a lower entry price point.

 

[Tokion]

Thanks for good answers, PsymonR. They make great sense to me, and I can agree with your thinking.

Listening to you, including your posts about your experiences in your new EMIRA 2.0 (i4) has made me get more confidence since I will also shortly take delivery of my own 2.0 (i4) after a full 3 years wait. To see the car get ‘thrashed’ by the press, and also criticized in many forum posts, and at the same time experiencing that LOTUS does absolutely nothing to inform, explain, or describe what they have done to address the problems, has affected my ‘nerves’.

But nevertheless I have maintained a ‘steady course’ and never considered cancelling.

 

[DenzilP]

Looks like Lotus are at Goodwood FOS this year but on a much smaller stand.

Loading…

www.goodwood.com

 

[JimH]

That map shows 2 Lotus stands….

 

[PsymonR]

Looks like Lotus are at Goodwood FOS this year but on a much smaller stand.

Loading…

www.goodwood.com

Thanks for the link, I'd missed that and could only find the interactive map which seems to have less information on it!

That map shows 2 Lotus stands….

It does indeed, wonder why the split... will find out next week, I'm going to be down on the Thursday.

 

[EyeFour Eemeerah!]

They appear to be firmly rooted in the Asian producers compound. Sandwiched in the likes of Japanese, South Korean and Chinese producers. I’m sure Geely wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

[Foxy87]

Thanks for the link, I'd missed that and could only find the interactive map which seems to have less information on it!


It does indeed, wonder why the split... will find out next week, I'm going to be down on the Thursday.

Try to get some first hand info about future of V6 and hoter versions

 

[Tokion]

Just keep in mind that Geely recently has appeared as one of the car manufacturers that have switched from pure electric only to also develop and produce ICE engines (to some extent).

It would only be natural that Lotus as a brand was allowed to keep producing and selling one ICE model

I am obviously not too optimistic, and I even realize that the Lotus Group isn’t only Geely, but it is a complex structure with other Chinese investors as well as other non-Chinese investors (mostly determined to develop Lotus as an electric car brand).

Lotus Tech and L Catterton Asia Acquisition Corp announce closing of business combination - Lotus Cars Media Site

media.lotuscars.com

I think it will be interesting to communicate with Matt Windle and other UK managers at the upcoming UK event to see what the current state of affairs @Hethel is like, and where these managers feel their division is heading (apart from the electric Type 135).

 

[PsymonR]

The entry list for the Festival of Speed has been released: link

As far as road cars go on the hill it is all electric this year:

• In First Glance: Emeya S, Emeya R
• In Supercar Run: Evija, Evija X

The Evija is also in the shoot-out.

 

[EspritGuy]

The entry list for the Festival of Speed has been released: link

As far as road cars go on the hill it is all electric this year:

• In First Glance: Emeya S, Emeya R
• In Supercar Run: Evija, Evija X

The Evija is also in the shoot-out.

Drive it like it's escaping an import tariff.

 

[Tokion]

The entry list for the Festival of Speed has been released: link

As far as road cars go on the hill it is all electric this year:

• In First Glance: Emeya S, Emeya R
• In Supercar Run: Evija, Evija X

The Evija is also in the shoot-out.

By now it is an «eX-Evija» just after a very promising start. Probably some new carbon body panels and a bit of computer rewrite will make it operational again Will be interesting to see if it reappears tomorrow Friday and through the weekend

 

[PsymonR]

Well the Lotus stand is a decent size I'd say, though don't know how it compares to previous years. Has Emira, Eletre, Emeya, Evija. Wasn't able to get any info from the chap we were talking to on the stand about base or future versions.

The second smaller stand on the plan is a separate merch stand, though someone had forgotten to produce any external branding for it! Apparently it was being printed and due to land later in the day than when we went by the stand.

Saw all but Emeya on the hill, not sure if the Emiras on the hill were just for today or not. Didn't see the Evija X crash, but picked it up just after in replays on one of the big screens.

No pics to share at the moment as haven't extracted anything off the camera yet.

 

[sidepieceracing]

great run up the hill --

 

[dgrace]

At least it didn't oil the track like the Emira GT4 last year. Maybe next year they'll just go ahead and grid the Lotus at the back.

 

[Tokion]

Well the Lotus stand is a decent size I'd say, though don't know how it compares to previous years. Has Emira, Eletre, Emeya, Evija. Wasn't able to get any info from the chap we were talking to on the stand about base or future versions.

The second smaller stand on the plan is a separate merch stand, though someone had forgotten to produce any external branding for it! Apparently it was being printed and due to land later in the day than when we went by the stand.

Saw all but Emeya on the hill, not sure if the Emiras on the hill were just for today or not. Didn't see the Evija X crash, but picked it up just after in replays on one of the big screens.

No pics to share at the moment as haven't extracted anything off the camera yet.

Thanks for good Lotus information from the Goodwood Festival of Speed location. I wish I could be there.

Instead I am continuously running the YouTube stream at my main TV here in Tokyo.

Will appreciate any follow-up information (not sure if you will be there for several days?). Is the Emira 2.0 (i4) also present, and (if so) is it being run up the hill? I have read through the Lotus PR material for Goodwood which only mentions Evija, Emeya, and Eletre.

Particularly interested in if the damaged Evija X will be repaired and revived during the festival period, and/or if there is any information about what really happened?

Did you see MD Matt Windle around the Main Lotus stand.?

Sorry, too many questions

 

[PsymonR]

Will appreciate any follow-up information (not sure if you will be there for several days?). Is the Emira 2.0 (i4) also present, and (if so) is it being run up the hill? I have read through the Lotus PR material for Goodwood which only mentions Evija, Emeya, and Eletre.

I was only there yesterday so no chance to do any follow up. I'm sure at least some of the Emiras on the hill were i4. Away from the official Lotus stuff I'm sure there were more (customer) i4s in the performance parking areas than there were V6s.

The Thursday is more manufacturer focussed and that combined with the lack of Emiras on the hill climb entry list makes me think that they were only going up the hill on the first day. I didn't notice any Emeyas going up the hill (but with so much to see and do away from the track action I didn't see everything that went up).

Did you see MD Matt Windle around the Main Lotus stand.?

Sorry, too many questions

I didn't, but don't necessarily read too much into that as was only at the stand for a small proportion of the day.