The history of Lotus Cars is quite a fabled one. Founded in 1952 by British engineer Colin Chapman, it is arguably one of the most famous names in Formula One racing, having been the chariot for the likes of Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti and Ayrton Senna. They have been an active competitor in F1 for 36 years (1958-1994) with 7 constructor champion titles. Lotus’ racing pedigree in F1 is rivaled only by Ferrari, who started racing just a few years earlier. Incidentally, Lotus finally returned to F1 this year after a long hiatus.
Lotus has also been very influential as a consultancy and technology development company for the automotive industry. They were involved with designing the DeLorean DMC-12 (the car from the Back to the Future series), providing suspension design for several manufacturers (remember those “Handling by Lotus” emblems on Isuzus?), and powertrain development (Ecotec engine) for GM. They also provide the chassis and about 40 percent of the components in the Tesla Roadster!
After being owned by GM and the former owner of Bugatti, since 1996 Lotus has been controlled by Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd, also known as Proton, a Malaysian car company.
Most of us know or think of Lotus from a single model, the Esprit, which was produced in several iterations between 1976 to 2004. The body was originally penned by renowned Italian automotive designer Giorgetto Giugiaro with engines ranging from an underpowered 4 cylinder to a turbocharged V8 in its final version. Most of us remember the Esprit from Pretty Woman as well as Basic Instinct, The Rookie, Taking Care of Business and of course, it’s debut in The Spy Who Loved Me. This car was the subject of many posters hanging on the walls of young boys all across the world, who dreamed of owning the British alternative to a Ferrari or Lamborghini.
Ever since the slow demise of the Esprit for the US market in 2003 in the face of tightening US government regulations, Lotus then became a niche manufacturer with the introduction of the super compact sports car the Elise for the US market in 2005, followed by the Exige. These cars were very light, agile, and relatively reliable since they were using Toyota engines. At a price of around $50,000, the Elise and Exige were popular choices for people who wanted a street-legal sportscar to take to the racetrack or the local back roads without breaking the bank.
When we received the invitation to the Lotus launch party for the LA Auto Show last Friday, we didn’t quite know what to expect. However, we knew something had to be brewing when we discovered they hired Harrison & Shriftman for PR, the best in the business. Coincidentally, the day before the party, we ran into our friend Blair Chang, a star residential broker for architecturally significant properties and professional race car driver in the Patron Cup, who asked us if we were attending the Lotus event. It turns out that the party was to be held at a home in Stone Ridge Estates designed by Blair’s business partner Billy Rose.
Words cannot describe the 11,000+ sf architectural tour de force nestled at the top of Mulholland, but the good news is that it is on the market, and can be yours for a paltry $17.5 million. Check out the link here for pictures of the venue.
http://roseandchang.com/3350stoneridge
Anyway we digress. Upon entering the party, it became clear that Lotus has decided to make the bold and costly move of resurrecting and positioning itself as a premier automotive and lifestyle brand, similar to what Ferrari has done over the last 10 years. The party was intimate, exclusive and no expense was spared to entertain the guests, which comprised of some of the most prominent socialites and actors in town. Two separate bars were serving premium liquor and wine, with hors d’ oeuvres by Wolfgang Puck catering. Lotus cars, old and new, were placed across the yard, with a video over the pool showing vintage race videos and the new Lotus models.
As our “plus one,” we decided to bring along our buddy Tom Chan, owner of Lucent Motors in West LA for some colorful insight into Lotus’ new direction. Tom is arguably the most revered exotic car expert in Los Angeles. If you’re into cars, chances are you have heard of his shop or are one of his customers. He specializes in the repair, restoration, and customization of luxury and sporting automobiles including Lotus. In fact, both Tesla and the local Lotus dealers take their cars to be aligned and configured by Tom on his state-of-the-art laser alignment machine, since they do not have those capabilities in-house. As such, Tom is an expert on modern Lotuses and probably works on at least 1 or 2 a week in between attending to a line of Porsches, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys or other cars that are queued up in his shop by eager owners who usually wait 2 weeks on average for an appointment.
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