Major upgrades coming to Hethel
Home to Lotus for over 50 years, development ensures Hethel remains the heart of Lotus. As the company prepares for the culmination of its 70th celebrations, Lotus has unveiled the latest stage in its investment plan, which will see the 100 acre site undergo extensive development and renovation work.
With a new Customer Experience Centre, Heritage Centre and Museum designed by architects Feilden+Mawson and submitted for planning, the British marque has outlined a bold vision for its future at the famous Hethel facility, its home for over 50 years. The plans were unveiled just ahead of the company’s 70th celebrations in Norfolk, marking the anniversary of the founding of Lotus by engineering genius Colin Chapman.
Combining the creation of brand new facilities and the renovation of some of Hethel’s historic sections, the scope of the work perfectly reflects the company’s ambitions going forward. The planning application also includes a spacious, modern new restaurant catering for all staff and visitors to the Lotus site.
Speaking at the unveiling of the plans, Group Lotus’ chief executive officer, Mr. Feng Qingfeng said: “The progress of these developments at Hethel demonstrates our commitment to Lotus and its bright future. Hethel is rightly the centre of the brand and what better place for customers, aspiring owners and staff to experience our values? Hethel is, and will always be, the heart of Lotus and our plans are the next step in readying the site for the next 50 years.”
The future of Hethel
Dynamic and modern in their design, the plans for Hethel are the next chapter in the story of the famous site. In 1966 Lotus’ founder Colin Chapman reimagined the old WW2 airbase as the company’s headquarters and manufacturing facility that have evolved into the Lotus of today, encompassing all aspects of the modern sports car company.
The new purpose-built Customer Experience Centre will be located alongside the pitlane of the famous test track to create a focal point at Hethel and afford fantastic views across the entire site. Showcasing the Lotus brand and its range of vehicles, it will provide a destination for customers as they develop the specification for, and later return to take delivery of, their vehicles. With a two-storey display area, the building will include private vehicle specification salons and delivery areas, as well as preparation and service facilities.
An impressive Heritage Centre and Museum will also be created, incorporating the site’s original main office and executive suites. This extensive renovation and conversion work will provide a modern space, fit to display a wide range of Lotus vehicles and exhibits. Bringing the original executive suite, including Colin Chapman’s office, to life, the Heritage Centre and Museum will allow visitors and staff to experience the history and heritage at the heart of Lotus.
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Alongside the Heritage Centre and Museum, a modern new restaurant facility will extend forward from the existing buildings to create an impressive, and uniform façade. With views over the garden areas of the site, it will provide hospitality facilities for a wide range of activities.
The site’s existing clubhouse (the control tower of the former airbase) will be extensively renovated as part of the plans. Located near the test track, it will incorporate a new roof terrace and modern facilities for track-based activities and customer or staff events.
As well as the new buildings, the development of Hethel will see extensive enhancements and the landscaping of the site, including improvements to access, parking areas for staff and security.
(Press release from Lotus)
Elliot Moss drives a Lotus 18
It seems appropriate that on the day Elliot Moss, Stirling’s son, drives a Lotus 18 for the first time, courtesy of Classic Team Lotus, Stirling was winning the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix, the first Formula 1 win for Lotus, exactly 50 years ago. This was also the first time Elliot had ever driven a single seater let alone a race car on a race track, so the timing and type of car driven was very fitting.
The reason for Elliot driving is to demonstrate the Lotus 18 at the Classic Team Lotus Festival on 20th June 2010 at the Snetterton Race Circuit, along with 33 Formula 1 cars from the Lotus’s Formula 1 history. The festival will also feature the newest Lotus Formula 1 car on track, the T127, and its drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli.
As Stirling is still recovering from the injuries he sustained from his accident back in March, Elliot will drive the Lotus 18 in a demonstration run, alongside a other Lotus Formula 1 cars around the Snetterton track. Stirling’s son did not follow his fathers professional career path, he is a trained chef and now run’s the family’s property business with his wife Helen who was present at Hethel to witness a little bit of Lotus and Moss history being made.
[via stirlingmoss.com]
Lotus HQ and Test Track is now on Google Street View
Press release from Lotus:
The iconic British sports car manufacturer opens its doors for an exclusive behind the scenes tour of the site and a virtual drive around the famous Lotus Test Track.
Lotus invited Google to record a testing session of selected Lotus cars and to give fans of the legendary British sports car brand a chance to look around normally hidden areas of the Lotus Headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk. On the Lotus test track, sharp eyed Street View users will spot the Lotus 2-Eleven being driven quickly and enthusiastically (just as it is intended to be!), a research and development Lotus Exige 265E which is fuelled by sustainable, environmentally friendly ethanol and a number of prototypes of the new Lotus Evora.
Nigel Marshall, Head of Facilities Management for Lotus said, “We decided to give Street View users an opportunity to look around part of the Lotus HQ and to virtually drive the Hethel Test Track. Only a select number of drivers have driven the Lotus circuit over the years, but now anyone can get a closer look at where some of the most iconic British sports and racing cars have been tested and developed. To see some dynamic track driving of the Lotus 2-Eleven just check out the North Hairpin!”
Matthew Prestopino, Google’s Head of Street View Operations in Europe said, “Being invited to come and drive alongside some of the UK’s coolest cars was a real treat. This is the first ever circuit in the UK to be photographed for Street View and car fans are going to love taking a virtual tour and locating their favourite Lotus cars in action on the track”.
The Street View of the Lotus Headquarters can be viewed here:
http://3.ly/LotusCarFactoryGoogleStreetView
Users can access street-level imagery of the Lotus site by zooming into the lowest level on Google Maps, or by dragging the orange “Pegman” icon on the left-hand side of the map onto a blue highlighted road such as the Lotus test track.
The perfect lap of Hethel
Check out this great video of Gavan Kershaw (Executive Engineer, Chassis Department) describing a lap of the Hethel track in a Lotus 211.
And once you’ve seen that watch the full-on flying lap below.
Click through to read the Drivers Republic review of the naturally aspirated Lotus 211