More details on Lotus

[MDS]

Via Racer.com


Lotus has confirmed it will return to the Indy car scene this year. Although full details are yet to be confirmed, it is expected a Lotus-branded team will run two Dallara-Hondas in the full IZOD IndyCar Series season under the "Team Lotus USA" banner, in a partnership with an existing team. Team Lotus USA will have no links to the Lotus-branded F1 team that is making its debut this year.Autocar reports that Lotus, which has also concluded a partnership arrangement with Cosworth, is believed to be considering a bid to supply engines when the new Indy car chassis and engine formula begins in 2012. The Lotus/Cosworth partnership includes the supply by Cosworth of high-performance engines based upon existing Toyota powerplants for future Lotus cars, and the assembly by Cosworth of racing engines for all motorsport activities which are based on Toyota powertrains. The first application of these race engines will be for the V6 engine in the new Lotus Evora Cup racing car. A turbo V6 is believed to be one of the top contenders to be the new Indy car engine specification.

http://www.racer.com/lotus-confirms-indycar-series-plans/article/164876/

[ykiki]

They'll have 2 full season cars this year? I wonder who their partner team will be?

[champcarray]

My initial reaction is that this is a very smart way to 1) demonstrate commitment and 2) begin collecting info about what it takes to complete in the IRL. The concept of Toyota-based Costworths is interesting...

[MDS]

They'll have 2 full season cars this year? I wonder who their partner team will be?

KVRT

[Chamoo]

KVRT

So who gets the second Lotus car if it's true? Or do they brand both James Rossiter and Takuma Sato as Team Lotus USA? Or do they run a fourth car?

[MDS]

So who gets the second Lotus car if it's true? Or do they brand both James Rossiter and Takuma Sato as Team Lotus USA? Or do they run a fourth car?

That I can't answer. My guess would be that Mario Moreas or Paul Tracy would get the fourth KV/Lotus seat, or another English driver like Anthony Davidson or maybe even a rookie like Adam or Graham Carroll, but Takuma and E.J. have both signed with KV and ran KV liveries and numbers.

[ArrowsFA1]

The first thing that struck me about this was 'when is a Lotus not a Lotus'?

Team Lotus USA will have no links to the Lotus-branded F1 team that is making its debut this year.
How many uses for, or owners of, the Lotus brand are there?

[I am evil Homer]

1 surely...owned by the Malaysians? The own Lotus Tech and obviously the F1 team. Perhaps the owners are 'allowing' a team to use the name at a cost...sort of how McDonalds are franchises not actually owned by McDonalds the corporate entity?

That way they get exposure in the US without actually having to own a team outright.

[V12]

While the F1 team is criticised for not being the "original" Lotus, at least they are building their own cars and can claim some sort of tenuous link. But a Lotus branded Dallara... I mean Colin Chapman didn't run a Kurtis or Watson or whatever for Jim Clark did he...

Still, if it helps the car count and all that...

[Chamoo]

1 surely...owned by the Malaysians? The own Lotus Tech and obviously the F1 team. Perhaps the owners are 'allowing' a team to use the name at a cost...sort of how McDonalds are franchises not actually owned by McDonalds the corporate entity?

That way they get exposure in the US without actually having to own a team outright.

The Lotus team actually isn't owned by Lotus Group.

[MDS]

There's a lot of buzz about A1GP champ Adam Carroll signing a deal in the next couple of days to race in the IRL, there's been some speculation that its going to be at Anderitti Autosport, but I have it on a pretty good source that KV should be a four-car team this year b/c of the deal with Lotus, and Adam Carroll is a logical choice for Lotus, he's from the U.K., has fairly decent name ID, has some money behind him and has been turned down for F-1, again.

Personally I think it would be great if he landed at Lotus, which might well be a stable team over the long term. He's young enough he could have an lengthy career in the ICS, and is really too old to be an F-1 rookie.


The Lotus team actually isn't owned by Lotus Group.

Yes and no. Lotus is owned by Proton, which is a Malaysian car company. Proton is one of partners of the Malaysian group that owns Lotus F-1 racing, and lent the name to the team. The soon-to-be announced Lotus Indy deal is being backed by Lotus cars, not Proton. So in a round about way, the parent company of Group Lotus actually owns a stake in Lotus F-1 Racing.