After 4 years, the F1 Chinese Grand Prix was successfully held, and the home debut of Chinese drivers attracted countless attention. "The tickets for the China leg were sold out almost as soon as they were issued, with 70% of the spectators coming from outside Shanghai and 10% from abroad. Together with the racing staff from overseas, more than 10,000 overseas friends have come to Shanghai for motorsports. "This set of data is enough to see the popularity of F1 events in China.
Coincidentally, the Beijing Auto Show is here again after a four-year absence, and this auto show is not lacking in F1 elements - at the Lotus booth, an EVIJA FITTIPALDI Haute Couture Limited Edition worth 26.88 million yuan was watched by countless eyes.
It should be known that the F1 three-piece set created by Lotus founder Colin Chapman has enabled Lotus to win 7 F1 Constructors' Championships, 6 F1 Drivers' Championships, and 81 F1 races. The prestigious and legendary Lotus brought the most expensive show car to the Beijing Auto Show, and conveyed more thoughts in the face of the new energy era of big waves and sands. Of course, there are also surprises.
The most expensive show car was unveiled, and the transformation did not forget to inherit the track gene
At the auto show, Lotus brought the "most expensive show car" and "haute couture group". Among them, the most concerned is the "most expensive exhibition car" EVIJA FITTIPALDI Haute Couture Limited Edition, which is comparable to F1 cars, interpreting what is a pure electric supercar, interpreting the peak value of pure electric supercar, and recreating the legend of the black and gold dynasty and awakening the driving instinct chased by racers.
Not long ago, at the Lotus Brand Day, F1 champion and first owner Jenson Button presented the first test of EVIJA FITTIPALDI in China.
It is reported that the launch of the EVIJA FITTIPALDI Limited Edition is to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the legendary F1 driver Emerson Fittipaldi and Lotus team winning the F1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship, the body color is painted in a special black and gold, the carbon fiber roof is engraved with a hand-colored TYPE 72 floor plan, and the gold Fittipaldi signature is hand-stitched on the dashboard and extends to the rear window side of the body.
The black and gold TYPE 72 wheels seem to quietly tell the history and glory of Lotus.
By the way, the mention of "TYPE" is believed to evoke memories for too many people. TYPE 66, A CLASSIC RACING CAR THAT PAYS HOMAGE TO THE PAST AND LOOKS TO THE FUTURE, AND TYPE 79, SHOWCASES LOTUS' RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF INNOVATION AND PERFORMANCE.
The title of "the originator of aerodynamics" cannot be discarded, with the iconic Venturi air duct and up to 16 pneumatic kits generating a terrifying downforce of more than 1.8 tonnes at a top speed of 350 km/h. Coupled with 2,000 horsepower, it's enough to conquer the world's tracks.
It is worth mentioning that at the Beijing Auto Show, Lotus officially announced that after the Lotus ELETRE R+ and EMEYA R+ broke the record at the Zhejiang International Circuit, Lotus EVIJA X has successfully challenged the "Green Hell" Nürburgring circuit, and won the third place in the fastest lap in the history of the Nürburgring Nordschleife in one fell swoop, and won the honor of "the fastest mass-produced chassis model".
From fuel to pure electric, the transformation does not forget the inheritance and innovation, it can be said to be the most expensive show car, not only in the price, but also in the classic, more than the brilliant, more expensive than its incomparable status and spirit. No matter when and where, no matter what kind of environment, insisting on being a driver's car and insisting on the inheritance of track genes can indeed make people respect Lotus.
Lotus Haute Couture, where innovation meets classicism
除了"最贵展车"EVIJA FITTIPALDI,路特斯展台上的高级定制品牌——Lotus Chapman Bespoke同样引人注目。
The haute couture brand Lotus Chapman Bespoke brought the world premiere of EMEYA Blossom, EMIRA and ELETRE with the ultimate personality, and the legendary TYPE 66 and TYPE 79 that have traveled through time and space.
Innovation is what Lotus insists on, and it is what the haute couture brand Lotus Chapman Bespoke needs to inherit. Just as Lotus turned to the field of new energy, under the main tone of adhering to high performance, the high-end brand has integrated innovative thinking, and created value with users through equal dialogue, inspiration and co-creation.
This is also the biggest difference from ordinary haute couture, innovation and inspiration collide, presenting you with a shocking visual feast and creating a unique haute couture brand.
Taking the world premiere of the EMEYA Blossom Limited Edition as an example, as the first collection product of Lotus lifestyle cars, inspired by the beauty of the four seasons in Chapman Garden, the whole vehicle was designed by the Lotus UK Styling Center to convey pure British aesthetics.
The exterior of the EMEYA Blossom Haute Couture Limited Edition features a hand-painted gradient of body paint, such as the natural transition of petal shade from purple pink to orange, presenting a dreamy and luxurious light and shadow aesthetic. The side skirts are decorated with English floral flowers, which are hand-embossed on the irregular curved surfaces, each of which is a true creation, like a flower that rides the wind.
The interior is adorned with 42 natural gemstones, the famous royal square cut, and sparkling gemstones adorn the crimson interior, creating an elegant and luxurious texture. In order to bring the gemstones to life, Lotus hand-stitches them in a setting that allows them to rest on the petals like a clear raindrop, highlighting the beauty of the precious mood.
It is reported that the car is limited to 88 units in the world and 31 units in China, each with an exclusive number, and the official price starts at 1.368 million yuan.
Classics must not be discarded, and innovation cannot be abandoned. WHETHER IT IS THE "MOST EXPENSIVE CAR" EVIJA FITTIPALDI LIMITED EDITION, OR THE EMEYA BLOSSOM HAUTE COUTURE LIMITED EDITION, IT SHOWS LOTUS'S HERITAGE OF CLASSICS AND LUXURY IN THE NEW ENERGY FIELD, WHILE ALSO ADDING INNOVATIVE THINKING TO MEET THE VARIOUS NEEDS OF HIGH-END CUSTOMERS.
Accelerate the layout of flash charging, and innovation can last for a long time
On the track, Lotus is always a winning general, and when it comes to the new energy market, Lotus is also striving for the top.
All in electrification, all in intelligence, as the first of the world's three major supercar brands, Lotus compared to Porsche, its action is the fastest, but also the most decisive. According to Lotus's strategic route, it aims to form a "3+3" product layout, that is, three sports cars and three life cars, directly aimed at the ultra-luxury pure electric market.
The foundation of Chaohao is already there, pure electricity, and naturally requires more thought.
In order to accelerate the deployment of energy replenishment, Feng Qingfeng, CEO of Lotus Group, announced at the auto show that he and NIO will reach comprehensive cooperation and multi-level in-depth strategic cooperation in battery charging and swapping industry design battery standards, charging and swapping technology, battery asset management and operation, charging and swapping service network construction and operation, charging and swapping model development and customization, and charging interconnection.
And this cooperation between the two parties can be described as a great benefit for Lotus owners. According to the content announced by Feng Qingfeng on the spot, it covers both new and old Lotus owners: for new car owners, the first owner of a new car purchased in 2024 can enjoy a lifetime free flash charging right, and enjoy unlimited times at Lotus flash charging stations and the connected NIO energy replenishment network. For existing Lotus owners (limited to the first owner), the coverage of NIO charging piles will be directly increased, and the flash charging rights will also be upgraded to lifetime free before May 31, 2024 (the specific upgrade time is subject to the notice of the Lotus APP).
As the first all-in electrified and intelligent brand among the world's three major supercar brands, Lotus uses the EPA 800V high-performance architecture to bring users a track-level energy replenishment experience, and a total of 72 Lotus flash charging stations have been put into operation so far.
It should be mentioned that Lotus officially landed on the NASDAQ exchange in February and was successfully listed, which also shows the market's recognition of Lotus's technology in the ultra-luxury pure electric market and pure electric supercars.
With the arrival of the pure electric supercar EMEYA and the acceleration of the layout of flash charging, Lotus has entered the second half of the Vision80 strategy, in the second half, Lotus will further realize the scale effect of globalization.
Only by continuous innovation can we last for a long time, so that the brand will continue to burst out of vitality, so as to walk in the forefront of the times. Lotus's acceleration of the flash charging layout and the cooperation with NIO demonstrate Lotus's care for consumer rights and interests, as well as the thinking of using its own advantages to the fullest, and embark on a unique and innovative route, which also makes a good demonstration for other supercar brands that want to transform.
At last
The Chinese driver's F1 home debut has received a lot of attention, which not only shows that everyone highly respects the perseverance of this talented racing driver, but also shows that the gold content of F1 is high and undiminished. This kind of perseverance is exactly what Lotus has always insisted on and pursued.
In the past, Lotus has always been loved by fans because it often appeared in the world's top races such as F1, but in the new era, Lotus has decisively chosen to transform into pure electric vehicles. In this new field, it is as if a lone hero has stepped out of his own innovative path, and on the basis of inheriting the classics, he has created many innovative records.
For brand development, only innovation is the driving force for continuous improvement, just as Lotus dares to all in new energy, and takes out the spirit of "where the road is, although tens of millions of people go to it", it also makes the brand last forever and walk in the forefront of the times.