Lotus debuts in China
Lotus has made an official debut in China, opening up its first showroom in Beijing on Wednesday. Don't expect to find a 'Lotus' headed showroom though. Since the name is already registered in the country, the British car brand will be called Lu Te Si, or Lotus NYO (translated to New Lotus).
Lotus plans to bring three models to China, the lightweight Lotus Elise, the more powerful Lotus Exige and the larger and more comfortable Lotus Evora. The models are expected to be available to order during September or October.
China is currently regarded as having one of the fastest growing economies in the world, which means more car companies are wanting to take a slice of the action. Lamborghini now has seven dealerships in the country due to growing demand of the exotic supercar, while BMW also has China as a top favourite. The German company unveiled the new BMW M5 Concept in Shanghai at this year's Auto Shanghai event in March. BMW M has also come up with a special edition BMW M3 Tiger Edition specifically for the market.
Reports say the Lotus models will enter the market with prices starting at around 800,000 yuan and up to around 1,200,000 yuan. Lotus is planning to bring in just 200 cars annually, which will eventually be available through four different showrooms.
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