Lotus Leaving America? Dont Bet on China

News Release from Lotus Cars - UPDATE to Post:

Lotus Cars Limited appoints Lotus China Symphony as the official distributor of Lotus cars in China

Lotus China Symphony (Lotus China ) is based in Beijing and will offer a full customer sales, service and ownership experience for customers in China and will embark on comprehensive marketing activities focused on increasing the presence and perception of Lotus in China.

The full range of high performance Lotus cars will be available in China , the award-winning Lotus Evora, the iconic Lotus Elise and the stunning Exige. Lotus China has initially ordered 100 cars, with the Evora accounting for the majority of these first customer cars, with the remainder being Elise and Exige. This ensures that the exclusivity of the iconic Lotus brand is maintained in such an important market.

Dany Bahar, Chief Executive of Group Lotus said, “Lotus China has joined the Lotus family at a very exciting time - with a new range of sports and super cars on the way, which will complement the current globally selling range, and a new all encompassing motorsports programme, both of which ensure that Lotus is at the forefront of everyone mind as one of the world’s most desirable car brands. The team behind Lotus China has a wealth of experience in premier niche vehicles in the Chinese market and therefore we are delighted that we have teamed up with such a credible and enthusiastic team."

Zhang Li Chen, Chief Executive of Lotus China said, “We are delighted to be the official distributor of this world class sports and supercar brand and we are very much looking forward to introducing the brand to the discerning customer in China. We are investing in new dealerships throughout China to not only introduce the Evora, Elise and Exige but also in preparation for the arrival of the new Lotus super cars starting with the Esprit in 2013. I would like to thank Lotus for this opportunity and I know that we will do the brand proud in this important market!"

Lotus China is based in Beijing and will open its first dealership in the capital in October, followed by dealerships in Shanghai , Chongqing and Guangzhou later in the year. Eight further dealerships are planned for 2012.

The Lotus badge for cars sold in China includes the addition “NYO” lettering (pronounced like the word “new”) to symbolise the importance of the British company’s official entry into China.

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One can only imagine that in-country assembly of these Lotus Cars is just around the corner. After all, even though car sales may be down in China, every Lotus Car sold in China equals a "net add" worldwide!