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Mitsuhide Akechi
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Friday October 1, 2010
Lotus scores a first in Paris
By YUEN MEIKENG
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PARIS: Group Lotus plc became the first sports car manufacturer to launch five cars at one go when it unveiled five models at the Paris Motor Show 2010. Proton Holdings Bhd group managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said the company, a subsidiary of Proton, became the first to launch five cars at the same time after working on them for nine months. “It is an audacious and ambitious effort. But in order to turn Lotus around, that is what we have to do,” he told reporters during the unveiling of the cars at the Carrousel Du Louvre on Wednesday.
Classy beauties: The Lotus cars on display at the Paris Motor Show held at the Porte des Versailles exhibition hall Thursday. — Bernama
The cars – the Lotus Elan, Esprit, Elite, Elise and Eterne – were launched at the Paris Motor Show 2010 held at the Porte des Versailles exhibition hall here yesterday. Proton chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh said the cars would be released in the market one by one every year starting with the Elan in 2012.
He said the launching of the five cars was proof of Proton’s achievement in transforming Lotus. “Proton, as the owner of Lotus, is responsible in returning the company back to its glory,” he said. On the cost of producing the cars, Mohd Nadzmi said: “We are not doing this (producing all five cars) in one go. Lotus has been instructed to find its own financial sources but we will still assist them.”
Group Lotus chief executive officer Dany Bahar said all the five sports car models were integrated with hybrid technology. On whether the cars would be produced in Malaysia, Bahar said: “Any car can be produced in Malay_sia. We need to look beyond boundaries but all options will be considered.”
