As part of the opening of its new state-of-the-arts facility in Hethel, Lotus unveiled its latest sports car, the Emira GT4.
The race car was showcased completing laps on the site's test track with former British GT Championship winner and director of vehicle attributes at Lotus, Gavin Kershaw, behind the wheel.
It sees the car manufacturer enter the world of performance GT racing and is the first new model from Lotus Advanced Performance, the bespoke vehicle and experiential division of the business, which was launched earlier this year.
Emira GT4's advanced composite bodywork makes it exceptionally lightweight, which is coupled with Toyota's race-proven 3.5 litre V6 engine and optimised GT4 aerodynamics from the Emira road's exterior design.
The demonstration took place during the opening of the Chapman Production Centre, a new sports car manufacturing facility, which has been named in honour of the company's co-founder, Colin Chapman.
The new sub-assembly centre, which is located in Hethel on the outskirts of Norwich, is part of a £100m investment Lotus has poured into its UK locations.
The facility will be used to make the Lotus Emira vehicles, which are sold globally.
It has the capacity to build around 5,000 cars a year and uses automation to ensure consistent high-quality finish for its vehicles.
As with all its Norwich sites, the centre is powered by 100pc renewable electricity.
Matt Windle, managing director of Lotus, attended the opening with Clive Chapman - son of the firm's founders Colin and Hazel Chapman - and Mr Chapman's sister, Jane Payton.
Mr Windle said: “Lotus is transforming from a UK sports car company to a truly global performance car business and brand, and the new Chapman Production Centre is a symbol of us delivering on that ambition.
"We are proud of our past successes and excited about our all-electric future, which was started all those years ago by our founder Colin Chapman, and I am honoured that Clive and Jane could join us to mark this occasion.”
Along with updating its facilities, investment into its UK sites has seen the car firm more than double its workforce since 2017, including creating hundreds of jobs in Norfolk. Roles recruited for included skilled manufacturing operatives, engineers and technicians.
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