TLF were again the lucky invitees of a trip to the Lotus Factory recently for a couple of days. While social distancing is still very much in place, the car parks are looking fuller and there are a good number more members of staff back to work as production continues on the Final Edition Elise & Exige orders for customers across the globe.

We were there to help with getting some ace pictures of a new range of protection for the current range of cars. The Elise, Exige and Evora have had a session with the design team and they’ve produced a selection of products to help keep your car in tip-top condition. They even made a stunning cover for the Evija which was looking every bit the hypercar, and we got the use the factory they are made in for a location and saw a number of cars in various states of build, quite the sight!

Available soon will be indoor covers, outdoor covers, shower caps and body protection kits. Using a new range of high tech fabrics, the covers provide a fit and protection previously unseen. The indoor covers fit like a tailored suit and really know how to not only show off the lines of the car but also offer the protection required. The outdoor covers are, in what is a revolution to us, the same tight fit but with full protection from the elements. Unlike the stiff 3 layer fabrics of old, this is more skin to a soft shell jacket stretched tight over the car and will be much easier to fit and remove with the added bonus of looking much nicer on the car. The shower caps are the same material and both offer full UV protection too. We’ve added a few tasters of the images below to give you an idea of how they will look on the cars. 

What was previously only an option for dealerships, there is now also a range of body and interior protection covers which will mean for those that work on their own cars, you’ll be able to protect your pride and joy while you’re in the garage with a fistful of spanners and ensure the interior remains clean as you jump in and out. 

Other than a new range of protection for your Lotus, the other thing that really stood out this time was the buzz around the factory. Yup, the buzz of excitement that pervades every member of staff we met while on site. We were based in the new on-site dealership which is located in the huge new structure that has been added to factory 8 (is this right?) over the last year. This area also includes the new ‘Delia Pitstop’ restaurant with room for 500 staff at once so there was a constant flow of smiling faces, all of whom appear to be looking forward to what is going to be a very exciting few months and years ahead for Lotus. Sadly we didn’t see any top-secret cars being tested around the track, but if we had, we’d would have let you know! 

Watch this space for more news on more new products and an upcoming flurry of excitement out of Hethel. They’re back, and this time they mean it! 

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