Festival of Speed to Honor the Pure & Potent Lotus
Innovative, raw driving experience of Lotus will be featured at Goodwood’s 2021 Festival of Speed this July.
Lotus is known for their F1 racers and road-going sports cars. But the marque is especially beloved for its dedication to drivers. That drive led the company to create cars that are thrilling and fun. This year the Goodwood Festival of Speed (July 8 – 11) chose Lotus as their Central Feature. It is a natural fit, as the histories of Lotus and Goodwood are long intertwined. The Lotus 25 still holds the official joint lap record on the Goodwood Motor Circuit.
To mark the honor, Lotus will be celebrated with a special sculpture. This year, the design is being kept top secret until the Festival opens. We do know that it will take a different philosophy and a new, immersive direction. This will allow everyone access to interact, not just those at the event. Interesting.
“We are delighted that Lotus will star as the Central Feature at this year’s Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard. Lotus cars raced with great success at Goodwood throughout the 1950s and ‘60s, including setting the ultimate lap record in 1965,” said the Duke of Richmond. “This year’s Central Feature will serve as a fitting landmark to their past, present and future achievements. The sculpture looks set to be one of the most dramatic and futuristic yet, bringing in elements of interactivity for modern audiences that align with Lotus’ future-facing attitude and outlook.”
This year is an important one for Lotus, with the beginning of a new long-term strategy that sees the end of production for the iconic Elise and Exige sports cars; and the introduction of their much-anticipated replacement, the Emira. Previously known only by the code “Type 131” the Emira name was announced late last month alongside some tantalizing teaser images, with the full reveal expected in the coming months.
This new sports car will make its debut at the Festival of Speed, and will be the final gas-powered Lotus to be made. While Lotus has struggled, they have made significant strides toward an electric future. The all-electric, 1,972 HP, Evija hypercar made its debut at Goodwood SpeedWeek in October 2020.
“Everyone at Lotus is very excited by the opportunity to be the Central Feature at the Festival of Speed,” says Simon Clare, Executive Director, Marketing, Lotus Cars. “This year is a hugely significant one for the transformation of Lotus, and to be giving a public dynamic debut to the Emira at a location so closely associated with Lotus’ success and spirit of innovation will be great for those who can attend, physically or virtually.”
More details of the celebration of all things Lotus will be revealed over the coming weeks, as well as information about how visitors and fans across the world can interact with the latest Goodwood Central Feature.
Photos: Goodwood Festival of Speed; Lotus
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