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Future Lotus Models Won' t Just Be Built In The UK

Jan. 19, 2019 3:35 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz / 10 Comments A new $1.3-billion factory is being constructed far, far away. Last year, Chinese automaker Geely took over Lotus vowing to turn it into a luxury rival for Porsche with a nearly $2 billion investment. Part of Geely's strategy to reinvent Lotus was to increase production with investment into China. This same strategy has worked wonders for Volvo, which is also under Geely ownership. Autocar reports that Geely is now moving forward with its plans to produce Lotus vehicles in China with an all-new $1.3 billion factory. This new facility in Wuhan will mainly be responsible for building Geely models but will also work on Lotus' future SUV. Lotus said in a statement, "Lotus Cars is undergoing an exciting resurgence with the backing of Geely, and expanding the brand's manufacturing footprint globally is a key part of the company's strategy." The first part of this strategy includes a Porsche Cayenne-rivalling SUV arriving in 2020, which will aid in "restoring Lotus into being a leading global luxury brand." The next part of the plan includes a limited-run, $2.5 million all-electric hypercar, which should debut later this year in concept form. Even though the company's SUVs will be built in China, Lotus says it is committed to keeping jobs at its Hethel factory in the UK. A company spokesperson said, "Lotus and our shareholders are fully committed to manufacturing at Hethel for Lotus sports cars and expanding our HQ here in Norfolk with investment in the site and recruitment of staff." This means the next generation of Lotus sports cars like the Elise and Evora will still be hand-built in England, just as they have been for decades. Lotus sold 1,630 cars in 2018, its best figure since 2011 and an increase of 2% compared to 2017. Once the company adds an SUV to its portfolio, there's no telling how high its sales figures will climb. Lotus Lotus

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Lotus Evora 400 Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top