Last week saw a major milestone event in Group Lotus’ history as the first Lotus showroom in China was declared officially open for business. The formal opening ceremony at the showroom in Beijing was overseen by senior representatives of Group Lotus and Lotus China alongside Clive Chapman, the son of Lotus Founder Colin Chapman.
China-based sports car enthusiasts had their appetites for the Lotus brand whetted with the first public unveiling of the Evora GTE Road Car and the F1-inspired customer race car, the T125 before being introduced to the rest of the current Lotus line-up. The Beijing Showroom features six models, the Elise R, Elise SC, Evora, Evora IPS, Exige S 240 and the Exige S 260.
Speaking at the launch Li-Chen Zhang, President and CEO of Lotus China said: “This is the first showroom that the Lotus brand has set up in China since entering the Chinese market on June 15 and it’s a very proud day for all of us who believe so strongly in the brand. We truly believe that the Chinese market will completely embrace the Lotus philosophy of performance through lightweight and innovation through clever design – we sold around 300 units before we even opened the showroom so the initial interest and orders put forward indicate that our faith in the brand is well placed.”
Group Lotus Chief Executive Office Dany Bahar said: “East Asia and in particular China represents an interesting market for Lotus and this latest development is a crucial step in the strategic plan we have for expansion within this important region. We see many exciting opportunities for growth within the Chinese market and we could not ask for better partners than Lotus China to join us on this journey. The response we have had from China to the current and new Lotus range has been incredible particularly the demand for the Evora GTE Road Car – this activity confirms our suspicions that now is the perfect time to really push in this market.”
The showroom, situated in the fashionable Chaoyang district, also represents another key event in Lotus’ journey as it’s the first showroom in the world to adopt Group Lotus’ new corporate identity alongside a dedicated boutique for Lotus Originals. Covering a total area of 600m2, the uniquely designed showroom has two floors, the first is dedicated to the cars, sales and Lotus Originals with offices on the second. A further ten showrooms are expected to be opened in China in 2012.
