Who Makes Lotus Cars?

by George Kennedy

Lotus is an a British automaker that has long specialized in lightweight sports cars. It has recently expanded into electric vehicles and even an SUV. It was purchased by Geely in 2017, a Chinese automaker

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Who Makes Lotus Cars?

Lotus was founded 1952 by Colin Chapman as a racing team. This famous design ethos was, “Simplify, and add lightness.” In addition to Formula 1 and Formula 2 race cars, it began building road cars that owners could take to the track. This was the makeup of its lineup for many years, and later included higher-end luxury sports cars. Lotus was owned by General Motors from 1986 to 1993, at which point it was acquired by an Italian holding company. From 1996 to 2017 it was owned by Malaysian automaker Proton. From 2017 onward, Geely has owned a 51% controlling stake in Lotus. It builds cars in the UK and in China. The latter is focused on new Lotus EV models.

What Sort of Vehicles Does Lotus Make?

Lotus has always been known for its lightweight sports cars, such as the Seven, Elise and Exige. These cars were “driver-focused,” which is another way of saying they had spartan interiors. The Esprit was the brand’s first GT car, which had more spacious cabin and larger proportions. The Evora was a more comfortable version of its smaller sports cars. Today Lotus makes the Emira, which is a more refined small sports car. It makes the Eletre EV SUV, and forthcoming Emeya EV sedan in China. Lotus also produces an EV supercar in the UK called the Evija.

by George Kennedy

From open-wheel racecars to specialty off-road vehicles, George Kennedy has driven it all. A career automotive journalist, George has been a contributor, editor, and/or producer at some of the most respected publications and outlets, including Consumer Reports, the Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, Autoblog.com, Hemmings Classic Wheels, BoldRide.com, the Providence Journal, and WheelsTV.

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