The global performance car brand Lotus Cars drew attention with a program emphasizing F1 heritage at the 'Goodwood Festival of Speed 2025' held in West Sussex, England, from July 10 to 13.
Through this event, Lotus presented a 'once-in-a-lifetime' exhibition encompassing the brand's past, present, and future, sharing deep impressions with the attendees. In particular, the concept car 'Theory 1' displayed at the main stand of the Lotus booth showcased Lotus's vision for the future to numerous Goodwood visitors.
This year's event held special significance as it commemorated the 75th anniversary of F1. Lotus exhibited the 'Lotus Type 33', which won the F1 championship with Jim Clark in 1965, and the 'Lotus 97T', the car that marked Ayrton Senna's first F1 victory. Attendees participated in a special interview session with Clive Chapman, the head of Classic Team Lotus, and Chris Dinnage, Ayrton Senna's chief mechanic and team manager, reminiscing about legendary moments.
In particular, legendary race cars such as the Lotus Type 25, Type 49, and Type 78, which led the great achievements of Team Lotus, stirred nostalgia among long-time F1 fans. Additionally, Lotus showcased its entire lineup, including the hypercar Evija, hyper GT Emira, hyper SUV Eletre, and mid-engined sports car Emira, during the hill climb sessions, eliciting an explosive response from the audience.
Lotus announced its official return by unveiling the 'Emira Cup' race car at this event. This model is developed based on the production mid-engined sports car Emira and is designed to cater to everything from the first track day for entrants in the Lotus Cup series to full-fledged racing.
During the event, Natasha Bird, a prominent British journalist and host, conducted daily Q&A sessions at the Lotus booth, leading meaningful discussions on the expansion of inclusivity and diversity in the motorsports industry through conversations with participants.
Ben Payne, Vice President of Design at Lotus Group, stated, "Theory 1 is a model that opens a new chapter for Lotus, and I am happy to present it at this event." He added, "Theory 1 aims to further expand the definition of high-performance vehicles based on all of Lotus's achievements over the past 77 years." He also mentioned, "Lotus aims to achieve 'uncompromised driving' through future cars that harmonize digital and analog functions, thereby providing the ultimate immersive driving experience centered on emotion, functionality, and connectivity to customers."
Clive Chapman remarked, "2025 marks the 40th anniversary of Ayrton Senna's first F1 victory at Estoril, and it is also the 60th anniversary of Jim Clark's legendary season in which he triumphed in the F1 World Championship, Indy 500, Tasman Series, and F2 Championship." He continued, "The talents, technical understandings, and passions of both drivers made Team Lotus's great achievements possible. Fans visiting Goodwood will also have a vivid time reminiscing about the careers of legendary drivers alongside iconic Lotus vehicles."
Meanwhile, Lotus Cars Korea, which is responsible for Lotus's domestic business, is expanding brand awareness through aggressive marketing activities, including participation in the Seoul Mobility Show, launching an electric vehicle exchange program, operating a department store pop-up store, and hosting track drive events. In the second half of the year, various marketing activities will be actively carried out to convey Lotus's unique motorsport DNA and premium sensibilities to more consumers.
[OSEN]