The word is out that Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus, has signed a fresh four-year contract following a meeting with parent company Proton last week. His original contract was due to expire next year. “The Proton dedication to our plans has always been solid, and the decision to extend my contract a year early is a signal of that commitment,” Bahar said.
The ex-Ferrari man came into Lotus back in October 2009. He then formulated an ambitious five-year business plan that was unveiled for the world to see at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. At the French capital, Lotus brought out a full range of sports cars that it will use to challenge the likes of Porsche. Besides the fantastic five, which ranged from the next Elise to a Aston Rapide style four-door, Lotus also has plans for a small city car called Ethos.
Of the lot, the first on the scene will be the new Esprit in 2013. Lotus is also planning to develop its own V6 and V8 engines for its future range.
To support the road car grand plans, Group Lotus is putting motorsports and racing heritage as a main pillar. This has seen it got into Formula 1 as a sponsor to Renault. The team will race next year as Lotus after a long battle with Tony Fernandes’ Team Lotus. The company also returned to Le Mans and is involved in IndyCar in America.
© 2011 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.
This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 13 Dec 11 07:04:34 +0000.
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