Group Lotus has announced that its Hethel plant in Norfolk is to make a new high-performance sports car. The new mid-engined sports car, expected to enter production in Spring 2008, will occupy the sector vacated by the Lotus Esprit that finished production in 2004.
The decision to assemble the new car at Hethel follows a global competition between the Group Lotus manufacturing locations. At Hethel, the firm builds and commercialises Lotus sports cars (Elise, Exige and Europa models) and manufactures the advanced composite front and rear crash structures for the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish.
The Hethel facility is regarded as one of the finest facilities of its kind in the world, helping Group Lotus win the ‘World Class Manufacturer of the Year 2005’ by The Manufacturer Magazine.
Mike Kimberley, chief executive for Group Lotus plc said, ‘We are very pleased that Hethel has been confirmed as the manufacturing location for this vital new car. The decision has not been taken lightly and was influenced not only by our past achievements, but also by firm future commitments to improve the efficiencies and flexibilities within our manufacturing facility. We have a lot of work to do between now and the start of production and this will demand much commitment and hard work from us all at Lotus.’
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