LIGHT, FANTASTIC

The history of most British automotive marques is a litany of changing ownership and shifting corporate allegiance. Lotus is no exception: although it had remained under the control of its charismatic founder Colin Chapman from its 1952 birth until his sudden demise in 1982, by 1993 it had passed through several hands – including General Motors and Toyota – to end up the property of Italian entrepreneur and Bugatti brand owner, Romano Artioli.

By this point just two models were in production – the stunning-but-ancient Esprit and the pricy, front-drive Elan S2, and neither were selling particularly well. Lotus could well have failed at this point, but instead it girded its loins, gathered