The other night, our team had dinner with Willy Tee Ten, the big boss of the Autohub Group, the consortium that owns and manages such businesses as Mini, Rolls-Royce, Ford Global City, Click Auto Rental and V-Kool, among others. This year, that portfolio of motoring brands will welcome an exciting addition when the group brings in British sports carmaker Lotus.
Tee Ten revealed that the brand launch in our market could happen as early as July, although it could also be pushed back to a much later date this year owing to the challenges involved in putting up a new company in the country. The Lotus showroom will be constructed right beside those of Mini and Rolls Royce in Bonifacio Global City.
According to Tee Ten, they're currently in the process of finalizing their papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and that they could soon start firming up their orders. Asked if they already have buyers seriously waiting for units, he said yes.
Tee Ten added that the plan is to introduce all three models--the Elise, the Exige and the Evora--in the Philippines. The estimated pricing range? "It will be from P4.1 million for the entry-level Elise to about P10 million," he reckoned. We're guessing the most expensive model would be the Evora S, pictured above.
Lotus Cars, which was founded by legendary Formula 1 car designer Colin Chapman in 1952, is enjoying a sort of brand revival these days, thanks in large part to the marque's return to F1. Although the current Lotus F1 Team is owned by investment firm Genii Capital, there is no denying that the brand's recent involvement in the pinnacle of motorsports has helped it regain much of the popularity it lost after the original Team Lotus quit the sport at the end of the 1994 season.
Are you excited for the coming of Lotus?
