Lotus was founded by Colin & Hazel Chapman in 1948, in London, UK. A maverick engineer and era-defining mind, Chapman believed in the power of simplicity, subtracting the redundant and investing in the essential. Over the years, Lotus has remained true to its founder’s spirit, with countless racetrack victories and engineering breakthroughs to its name.

It is impossible to consider the history of Lotus without a look at the life of Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman – known to all as Colin – who built his first car in 1948. The word ‘genius’ can be overused, but his impact and influence on automotive engineering and global motorsport lasts to this day. He was a designer, engineer, inventor, businessman and pioneering maverick who changed the world.

Colin Chapman was born in Richmond, West London on 19 May 1928 and brought up in Muswell Hill, North London. His father ran The Railway Hotel next to the station in nearby Hornsey. Chapman studied structural engineering at University College London, briefly joined the Royal Air Force – where he learned to fly – and eventually worked for British Aluminium.

In 1948 Chapman built his first car, a modified Austin 7, which he called the Mark 1 and entered into local trials events. The Mark 2 and other vehicles followed, each numbered consecutively first as ‘Mark’ and then as ‘Type’. The Mark 3B was the first to be built for a customer, and eventually there was enough demand – Chapman had reached the Mark 6 by this point – for him to sell cars as kits. In the 1950s he moved through the growing motorsport scene, designing and building a series of competitive racing machines. Road cars followed, the most notable of this era being the Eleven (Type 11) from 1956, and the Elite (Type 14) from the year after.

From the start the cars were named ‘Lotus’ though the exact reason why has been lost over time. The badge on Chapman’s cars featured the name and his initials – ACBC – in a personal monogram. While that logo style has changed over the seven decades since, the basic design remains unchanged.

Eventually Chapman’s drive for motorsport success led to the Le Mans 24 Hour race and then Formula One. His small, lightweight cars often lacked outright power, but superior handling and being lighter than the competition meant they could beat the race entries from Ferrari and Maserati. He is famously quoted as saying: “Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere”.

With Scottish driver Jim Clark at the wheel, Team Lotus won its first F1 World Championship in 1963, and repeated the feat in 1965. Under Chapman’s guidance, and with legendary drivers including Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi, Ronnie Peterson and Mario Andretti, Team Lotus won seven Formula 1 Constructors’ Championships, six Drivers’ Championships and the Indianapolis 500. 

As a businessman, Chapman was instrumental in allowing corporate sponsors to influence race car liveries, and the Lotus colours of John Player Special and Gold Leaf are among the most iconic and best-remembered of the era. With money came the prospect of investment in innovation, which kick-started the transformation of Formula 1 from a pastime of the playboy rich to the multi-billion pound high-tech enterprise it is today. 

The legacy of Chapman’s most creative engineering can still be seen in Formula 1 in the 2020s. Lotus cars pioneered the use of the monocoque chassis to improve strength and safety, increase rigidity and cut weight. Building F1 cars from advanced materials such as carbon fibre was also a Lotus innovation under Chapman, as was the integration of computer-controlled ‘active’ component systems, for example, on the suspension.

Chapman is best remembered as a pioneering engineer, a chassis guru who delivered innovations in light-weighting and vehicle dynamics. But his contribution to motorsport aerodynamics should not be forgotten. It was he who pioneered the relocation of the radiators from the front of the race car to the sides, to decrease the frontal area, cut drag and optimise the centre of gravity. And it was Team Lotus which pioneered the concept of ‘ground effect’ in Formula 1, where low pressure created under the car by use of Venturi tunnels would generate downforce and so improve road-holding through corners. The link between Venturis and Lotus lives on today in the dramatic styling of the Lotus Evija hypercar.

Frequently Chapman’s innovations put Lotus cars so far ahead of the pack that rivals complained and motorsport’s ruling body was forced to change the regulations to ban his ideas.

Nowhere is that better illustrated than on the Lotus 88, the innovative dual-chassis Formula 1 car launched in 1981. Noting that the plural of ‘chassis’ is ‘chassis’ – spelt the same – Chapman realised there was nothing in the rules to stop a car having two of them. One chassis, which included the engine and the driver’s cockpit, was sprung separately to a second chassis which managed all the aerodynamic downforce. Although the car passed scrutineering, other teams protested and the car was banned. It never raced in a Grand Prix.

The old motor racing adage says car companies ‘win on Sunday and sell on Monday’, and Chapman’s success on the track ran in parallel with growing demand for his road cars. Iconic Lotus name plates such as Elite, Elan, Europa and Esprit were critically acclaimed for their contemporary designs, light weight and thrilling performance. 

Each further enhanced the reputation of Chapman and Lotus. The Elite (Type 14) was built around the world’s first composite monocoque, while the Elan was recognised for its responsive and class-leading handling. The Europa was the UK’s first mid-engined sports car and expanded sales across the Channel, and British silver screen superspy James Bond’s two associations with the Esprit helped it become an iconic supercar with global recognition.

On 16 December 1982, Chapman suffered a fatal heart attack. He was just 54 years old, leaving his wife Hazel, two daughters and a son.

Throughout its history Lotus has worked with other car companies. The lengthy list includes Vanwall in the 1950s, Ford in the 1960s, Chrysler in the 1970s, Toyota and General Motors in the 1980s. Chapman spearheaded this collaborative approach, and Lotus Engineering has grown to become one of the world’s most respected automotive consultancies.

Chapman’s legacy as a pioneering engineer of road and race cars is unquestioned, and his core philosophy is as relevant as ever. Today, Lotus continues its obsession with lightweight and elegant design, and exceptional ride and handling. The direction and the passion remain unwavering – to continue on the clear path set by Colin Chapman and to stand ‘For The Drivers’.

Hazel Chapman’s contribution to motorsport and the motor industry in the latter half of the 20th century should not be under-estimated. To describe her as merely ‘Colin Chapman’s wife’ is to do her an incredible disservice; in reality she is the co-founder of Lotus, a successful racing driver, a shrewd businesswoman and the rock upon which the Lotus foundations – since 1948, when the very first Lotus car was made – have been solidly built.

Hazel Williams was born on the 21 May 1927 in North London. She met Colin Chapman at a dance in 1944 when he was just 16 and she a few months older. They immediately hit it off and Hazel could immediately see something special about her new boyfriend.

While Colin was studying at University College London, he would regularly give Hazel a lift to her place of work in nearby Warren Street. Colin would always try to set a new course record for the journey.

As the couple’s relationship developed, Hazel’s parents allowed Colin to a build what became the first Lotus – the Mark 1 – in their lock-up garage at the back of their house in Hornsey. Electricity came via an extension lead stretched between the two.

Colin had by then gained a commission into the Royal Air Force, so Hazel continued with the building of the Lotus Mark 1 and then the Mark 2. He left her a list of jobs he thought could be completed by his next period of leave.

Competition success in races entered by Hazel and Colin resulted in new commissions for their automotive services. With Hazel’s commercial acumen, their first Lotus business was formed on 1 January 1952. It became a limited company later in the year, funded by payment of £25 from Hazel herself.

Hazel and Colin married in 1954 and as the business grew Hazel took a seat on the board of a number of their companies, including Lotus Cars, Team Lotus and Lotus Components.

She was not only an astute businesswoman but took on a matriarchal role within the organisation, the epitome of the phrase ‘Behind every strong man is a stronger woman’. She prided herself of working with or meeting almost every Lotus Formula 1 driver right from the start, iconic motorsport names from Cliff Allison, Innes Ireland and Alan Stacey through to Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna and more recently Kimi Raikkonen.

In Team Lotus’ F1 racing heyday during the 1960s and 70s Hazel was often photographed with a stopwatch on the pit wall at Grands Prix around the world, seen with Betty Hill, Nina Rindt, Helen Stewart or Sally Stokes (Jim Clark’s girlfriend). 

While that was an important job, she was far more than a lap-timer. Her contribution to Lotus, and motorsport more generally, is often underplayed. She was a founder of The Dog House women’s motorsport club (the current chair is Jodie Kidd). Her involvement in the development of the Lotus business was almost without equal at the time, in a world where women so often played second fiddle to their husbands.

Widowed in 1982, Hazel recognised that Lotus Cars needed new ownership to secure its future and played an instrumental role in its sale. She became a Director of Classic Team Lotus, the Chapman family business which preserves the cars and legacy of the brand’s global racing success.

Hazel maintained a close interest in all things Lotus, for example, she ‘signed off’ the 100,000th Lotus road car in 2018. Tradition dictated that Hazel was always shown the latest Lotus road car prior to it being unveiled to the public. That wonderful custom continued into the modern era, and she viewed the Lotus Evija with her son Clive Chapman two weeks before its debut in July 2019.

Hazel Chapman died on 13 December 2021, aged 94.

THE LOTUS PHILOSOPHY

Greatness was never achieved by settling for the status quo. Lotus has remained committed to the pursuit of true innovation, introducing cutting-edge technologies and developing advanced materials to meet its uncompromising vision of how a car should look, perform, and feel.

That restless ingenuity is at the core of every car that bears the Lotus badge. And it leads the vital shift to electric drive technology, pioneering a new era of sustainable performance.

It is easy to add more power. But making a car drive like a true Lotus takes passion and courage. It cannot be measured, but it can be felt. Every time you get behind the wheel.

By remaining true to the ethos of founder Colin Chapman, Lotus stands alone as a brand dedicated to pure driver’s cars. Innovative engineering, cutting-edge technologies and advanced materials ensure that every Lotus proves the value of achieving performance through light weight. Reducing mass remains the most effective means of achieving a true connection between driver, car and road – a quality shared by every car to proudly wear the Lotus badge.

Every Lotus benefits from the company’s dedication to outstanding design, engineering and manufacturing. Each car driven around the famous Hethel test track as part of the final inspection process. Ultimately, the only way to truly understand a Lotus is to drive it. Only then can drivers feel the communication, agility and precision that make it one of the world’s great driving experiences.

Lotus Cars is based in Hethel, Norfolk, UK, and is the global HQ for sports car and hypercar manufacturing operations, the Lotus Advanced Performance Centre 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.

DIFFERENT BREED.

SAME DNA.

In July 2019 Lotus launched the Evija, the world’s first all-electric British hypercar, and in July 2021 it unveiled the all-new Lotus Emira, its last petrol-powered sports car and best-of-breed.

LOTUS ENGINEERING

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 TECHNOLOGY INC.

Lotus Technology Inc. is the global ‘intelligent technology’ division based in Wuhan, China (below, left). Its role is to accelerate innovation in the fields of batteries and energy management, electric motors, electronic control systems, intelligent driving, intelligent manufacturing and many more.

Lotus Technology Inc. oversees the manufacturing of the Eletre and Emeya in Wuhan since 2022. European operations are based at Lotus Tech Creative Centre, a state-of-the-art design studio in Coventry, UK, and Lotus Tech Innovation Centre, a world-class engineering facility in Raunheim, Germany (below, right).

FULL COMPANY TIMELINE

1940s
1948	Lotus Founder, Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman, was studying structural engineering at University College in London when he built his first competition car — an Austin Seven special trials car registered OX 9292.

1950s
1950	During his leave periods from the RAF, Chapman built his second trials car. The first Lotus to be usable on the road, it would later win the Wrotham Cup.
1951	The Mark 3 was the first of Chapman’s cars to be called a Lotus. The true origin of the name remains a secret known only to Colin and Hazel Chapman. The Mark 3 was also the first Lotus circuit racer, capable of 0-50 in 6.6 seconds and a top speed of 90mph.
1952	Colin Chapman formed the Lotus Engineering Company with a loan of £25.
1954	Team Lotus is established. The Mark 8 became an overnight success and allowed Lotus to enter international motor racing.
1956	The Lotus Eleven. The tradition of naming models with an ‘E’ begins.
1957	The Lotus Seven. The Lotus Elite. A development of the Seven is still being produced by Caterham today. With a glass fibre monocoque chassis and drag coefficient of just 0.29, the Elite was years ahead of its time. The Lotus Eleven won the 750cc Class of the Index of Performance at Le Mans.
1959	Lotus moved to a purpose-built factory at Cheshunt.

1960s
1960	The Lotus 18. The first mid-engined Lotus and first to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix. Stirling Moss. 29th May. Monaco.
1961	The Lotus 21. The first Team Lotus car to win a World Championship Grand Prix. Innes Ireland. 8th October. Watkins Glen, USA.
1962	The Lotus Type 25. The Lotus Elan (Type 26). The radical Type 25 was the first aluminium monocoque chassis in Formula 1. Steered by Jim Clark to four Grand Prix wins. The Elan remained in production until 1973 and is still revered as an all-time-great pure driver’s car.
1963	Jim Clark wins the Formula One Drivers’ World Championship in the Lotus Type 25. Team Lotus wins their first Formula One Constructors’ World Championship. The Lotus Cortina (Type 28) wins the British Saloon Car Championship. The Lotus Type 29 was Chapman’s first Indycar. Driven by Jim Clark, it finished 2nd in the Indy 500.
1965	Jim Clark takes on the world. He delivers another F1 World Championship double in the Lotus Type 33. He wins the Indy 500 in the Lotus Type 38.
1966	Lotus relocates to a new factory built on a former US Air Force base in Hethel, Norfolk. The Type 43 was the first F1 car to use the engine as a structural member. The Elan S3 drophead is launched followed by the mid-engined Lotus Europa (Type 46).
1967	The Lotus Type 49. The first F1 car to be powered by the Cosworth-Ford DFV V8. The launch of the Lotus Elan +2 (Type 50).
1968	Group Lotus PLC established. Tragic loss of Jim Clark in a Formula 2 race at Hockenheim. Graham Hill wins the Formula One Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships in the Lotus 49. Aerofoil wings used for the first time in Formula One.

1970s
1970	Lotus launch the 126bhp ‘Big Valve’ Elan Sprint. The Lotus Type 72 introduces mid-mounted radiators and multi-element wings among other innovations to Formula 1. Another F1 Constructors’ World Championship for Team Lotus. Jochen Rindt wins the F1 Drivers’ World Championship despite tragically losing his life at Monza with 4 rounds still to go.
1972	Emerson Fittipaldi wins the F1 Drivers’ World Championship in the iconic black and gold Lotus Type 72. Team Lotus wins the F1 Constructors’ World Championship. The Lotus Esprit Ital Design concept is shown for the first time.
1973	Team Lotus wins the F1 Constructors’ World Championship for the 6th time. Fittipaldi comes 2nd in the Driver’s Championship with Ronnie Peterson coming 3rd.
1974	The Lotus Type 75 Elite. The bold, avant-garde Oliver Winterbottom designed 2+2.
1975	The Type 79 Esprit is revealed to the world at the Paris motor show. Giorgetto Guigiaro’s dramatic lines and timeless proportions steal the show.
1977	A Monaco White Lotus Esprit with tartan cloth interior stars in ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’. Famous for plunging into the Sardinian sea and turning into a submarine, 007’s latest company car was driven by Lotus test driver Roger Becker for the high-speed stunts and Roger Moore for the close-ups.
1978	Team Lotus dominates Formula 1 with the Lotus Type 79 ‘ground effect’ car. 12 pole positions. 8 wins. F1 Constructors’ World Championship for Team Lotus. F1 Drivers’ World Championship for Mario Andretti. The Type 79 was a development of the Type 78 which pioneered the use of underbody aerodynamics, using ‘skirts’ to generate levels of downforce not previously seen in Formula 1.

1980s
1980	The Type 82 Turbo Esprit is launched in tremendous style at the Royal Albert Hall in London. 210bhp. 150mph and 0-60mph in 5.5 seconds took the Esprit into supercar territory. The first cars were very high specification and finished with the Team Essex Lotus Racing livery.
1981	Two Turbo Esprits starred in the latest Bond film, ‘For Your Eyes Only’. The first, a Monaco White car, was famous for its explosive burglar alarm. The second, painted Copper Fire bronze was fitted with ski racks and used for filming scenes in the ski resort of Cortina in Italy. The revolutionary Lotus Type 88 was the first F1 car to be designed with a carbon fibre monocoque and twin chassis, but it was banned by the sport’s governing body.
1982	The 2+2 Lotus Type 89 Excel was launched in October. Elio de Angelis wins the Austrian Grand Prix in the Lotus Type 91. This turned out to be the last time Colin Chapman would celebrate a Team Lotus Grand Prix victory. Lotus’ inspirational founder died suddenly of a heart attack on the 16th of December. He was just 54 years of age.
1983	Toyota acquires a 16.5% stake in Lotus and begins a period of closer collaboration between the two companies.
1984	30,000 cars produced at the Norfolk factory since 1966. The Giugiaro designed Lotus Etna concept was revealed at the Birmingham Motor Show.
1985	Ayrton Senna joins Team Lotus. On 21st April he wins the Portuguese Grand Prix in the pouring rain at Estoril. This was the first of Senna’s 41 Grand Prix wins. The turbocharged Lotus Type 97T, which won again at Spa on 15th September, was the first F1 car to feature aerodynamic barge boards.
1986	Senna wins the Spanish F1 Grand Prix in April and Detroit F1 Grand Prix in June in the ferocious Lotus Type 98T. F1’s first turbo era reached its peak this year and Renault introduced a pneumatic valvetrain for the 98T which helped produce in excess of 1200bhp in qualifying. General Motors buys Group Lotus.
1987	Team Lotus switches to Honda power and Camel sponsorship for the Lotus Type 99T. The first Lotus to successfully use Active Suspension to win two more F1 victories in Monaco and Detroit. Senna leaves Team Lotus for McLaren at the end of the season. The Peter Stevens restyle of the Lotus Esprit makes its debut at the London Motorfair.
1988	Reigning Formula One World Champion Nelson Piquet joins Team Lotus. As a result, his Lotus Type 100T wears the number 1 for the season.
1989	Lotus launch the chargecooled, 264bhp, Lotus Esprit Turbo SE. It would later star in Hollywood blockbusters Pretty Woman and Basic Instinct. The new, front-wheel drive Lotus Elan (Type 100) roadster is launched at the London Motorfair.

1990s
1990	The Lotus Carlton. Also known as the Lotus Omega across Europe, it remains one of the fastest saloon cars ever made. 377bhp, 419lb ft of torque and tested at 174mph.
1992	Chris Boardman wins the 4000m Pursuit Gold Medal with a world record time at the Barcelona Olympics on a LotusSport Type 108 Pursuit Bicycle. Doc Bundy wins the SCCA World Challenge Driver’s title driving the Esprit X180R.
1993	Bugatti buys Group Lotus from General Motors. Romano Artioli becomes acting CEO. Lotus Esprit S4 launched, the first production Esprit with power assisted steering. Based on the Championship winning Esprit X180R, the Esprit Sport 300 enters production in May. Two of them enter Le Mans a month later.
1994	The Elan S2 and faster Esprit S4s are launched. An Esprit Sport 300, driven by Thorkild Thyrring wins the British National GT series.
1995	The Lotus Type 111 is unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Named Elise after Chairman Romano Artioli’s granddaughter, it represented the return of Lotus to its founding principles. Simple, pure, innovative and ultra-light, it was an instant hit and remains in production today. Total Lotus production reaches 50,000 in March.
1996	Proton announces an 80% majority stake in Group Lotus. The Esprit V8 is launched with an all-new, Lotus designed, 3.5 litre, twin-turbo, V8 producing 350bhp and 400Nm of torque. Esprit GT1 race car unveiled.
1997	Elise production is ramped-up to cope with demand. The 1,000th Elise rolls off the production line in May. A revised interior for the Esprit V8 and lighter Esprit V8 GT launched.
1998	50th Anniversary celebrated with a party at Hethel. Elise-based 340R concept shown at the Birmingham Motor Show in October. Limited production Esprit Sport 350 and Elise Sport 135 launched.
1999	Lotus launch the Elise 111S and reveal the Opel Speedster concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

2000s
2000	The Lotus Exige is launched at Brands Hatch. Elise Sport 160 also launched before the reveal of the heavily revised second-generation Elise.
2002	Lotus Cars is awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise in recognition for their contribution to International Trade. The V8 Esprit given a facelift to celebrate 30 years since the concept was unveiled in 1972.
2003	After 27 years in production, the last Esprit rolls off the production line. Lotus becomes the shirt sponsor for Norwich City.
2004	The series two Exige is launched at the Geneva Motor Show. The Elise 111R is also launched with the same 8500rpm, 189bhp Toyota 2ZZGE engine. It’s awarded Best Sports Car 2004 by BBC Top Gear, bringing the total number of awards to 50 since 1995. The Federal Elise goes on sale in the United States. Total Elise production reaches 20,000 making it the most popular Lotus ever.
2005	Over 2,300 Elises delivered to the US market. Lotus Engineering reveals its VVA (Versatile Vehicle Architecture) concept.
2006	The Lotus Sport Exige GT3, driven by George Mackintosh and Sam Blogg, wins the British GT Manufacturers Championship. The Elise-based Europa S tourer and Type 1 Lotus watch go on sale. Mike Kimberley returns as acting CEO from May 2006.
2008	The Lotus Type 122 Evora, the world’s only mid-engined 2+2, is launched to universal acclaim. The Elise Type 25 limited edition is launched to celebrate Jim Clark’s racing achievements. 60th Anniversary celebrated at Hethel. Lotus Sport 2-Eleven GT4 race car produced.
2009	CEO Mike Kimberley retires in July. Dany Bahar takes over from October. Claudio Berro is appointed Director of Motorsport and Donato Coco as Director of Design. The Evora wins Top Gear Magazine’s ‘Sportscar of the Year’, Car Magazine’s ‘Performance Car of the Year’, Evo Magazine’s ‘Car of the Year’ and Autocar’s ‘Best Driver’s Car’. Lotus Evora Type 124 endurance racer developed.

2010s
2010	The Lotus name returns to Formula One, the pinnacle of motorsport. Lotus announce the new 2011MY Lotus Elise in July.
2011	Elise Club Racer is announced. The Lotus test track re-opens on 21st June after extensive modernisation. The opening ceremony is attended by Nigel Mansell, Jean Alesi, Vitaly Petrov and Bruno Senna. The first V6 powered Exige is unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
2012	DRB Hicom buy a majority stake in Proton. Lotus headline the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Over 45 historic and modern Lotus race cars set times on the famous hill climb course, blasting past a huge sculpture commissioned to celebrate Lotus’ past and present racing achievements. Entitled ‘Past, Present and Future’ a Lotus 49, Lotus 79, Lotus 99T and Lotus E20 were suspended high above the lawn outside Goodwood house. The supercharged Lotus Exige V6S wins Evo Magazine’s ‘Car of the Year’ award, sharing joint honours with the Pagani Zonda.
2014	Jean-Marc Gales appointed as the new CEO. The aerodynamically advanced Elise S Cup was launched along with an automatic version of the Exige V6S.
2015	Lotus Evora 400 launched at the Geneva Motor Show. The extreme, 410hp 3-Eleven was launched at Goodwood.
2016	The promise of lighter, faster models if fulfilled with the launch of the Lotus Evora Sport 410 and Elise Cup 250 at the Geneva Motor Show. The Exige Sport 380 is unveiled in November.
2017	The Exige Cup 380 is revealed in April. The Evora GT430 announced in September. Production of both cars is limited to 60 units worldwide. The most powerful Exige to date, the Exige Cup 430, is unveiled on 9th November. Geely Holding Group buys a 51% stake in Group Lotus.
2018	Geely announces Mr Feng Qingfeng’s appointment as CEO of Group Lotus plc in June. Lotus celebrates its 70th Anniversary at Hethel in September. Phil Popham is appointed Senior Vice President – Commercial Operations for Group Lotus and CEO – Lotus Sports Cars on 1st October. Lotus Evora GT410 Sport and Exige Sport 410 launched.
2019	In July Lotus unveils the Evija – the first all-electric British hypercar. With a target power output of 2,000 PS, it is the world’s most powerful series production road car. The mid-mounted battery pack echoes the celebrated Lotus mid-engined sports car layout. Production will begin in 2020 and is limited to just 130 cars – in tribute to its Lotus ‘Type’ number, 130. Lotus announces the Evora GT, the most powerful road-going Lotus for North American markets, to critical acclaim from media. Lotus partners with British Cycling to create a new track bike for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, postponed to 2021 as a result of Covid-19.

2020s
2020	Work to transform the Hethel site starts, with a new production facility for the Evija, a new factory for future sports car production, and a new restaurant for employees and visitors. Covid-19 means Evija production is postponed until 2021.
2021	Lotus confirmed production of the Elise, Exige and Evora sports cars will end during 2021. Final Edition versions of the Elise and Exige are revealed. Matt Windle is appointed Managing Director, Lotus Cars. Lotus unveils the Emira, the last petrol-powered sports car and the ‘best of breed’. Production of the V6 First Edition will begin in 2022. Lotus Technology is a new division of the business based in Wuhan, China. It will manufacture a range of premium lifestyle EV vehicles starting in 2022.
2022	The Lotus Tech Creative Centre, a new design hub for Lotus lifestyle cars, opens in Warwickshire. Lotus Advanced Performance, a new experiential and bespoke vehicles division, is launched. Lotus unveils the Eletre, the company’s first SUV and first mainstream EV.