Emira

Make
Lotus
Segment
Coupe

Of all the manufacturers making an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year, Lotus is perhaps the one that needs to be there the most. It's a small, niche brand that upended its lineup of lightweight barebones sports cars in favor of the heavier, more lavishly equipped Lotus Emira as its final ode to combustion before it becomes an EV-only brand. It's also a brand that needs to pull the kind of money Goodwood attracts with its latest hypercar, the Lotus Evija.

But most importantly, it's the brand that needs to bring mainstream awareness to its electric luxury SUV, the Eletre. And as much as those names sound more like trendy children's names, each of them is present at Goodwood this year in what Lotus is terming the ultimate three-car garage.

You could argue that the Emira and Evija fill the same niche in some ways as two-seater sports cars, but the Emira is arguably much easier to live with daily, while the all-electric Evija is a nearly-2,000-horsepower weapon of track destruction. The Hethel-based brand has also showcased its most track-focused car in the Emira GT4 race car. Never a brand to 'show-and-shine' instead of getting in on the action, Lotus is sending the GT4 and the regular Emira up the hill several times across the span of the weekend, along with the Evija and Eletre to show off the future of the brand.

Showing off sporty performance is all well and good, but ultimately, this is a strategic marketing decision for the British marque. Matt Windle, Managing Director, explains. "Last year we were the featured marque at Goodwood Festival of Speed and all eyes were on the Emira. The attention it attracted and the deposits we took on the stand were phenomenal."

This year, however, the Eletre SUV has attracted a strong amount of attention, no doubt from loyal followers of the brand excited for what comes next - even if the 900-hp version of the SUV is some way away. "What an amazing first day at Goodwood - with such a passionate and knowledgeable crowd it never disappoints!" said Windle. "The Lotus stand was busy from the moment the gates opened at 7 AM, and was great to see the fans new and old getting up close to our cars and chatting with our team."

Although, Windle calling it a "stand" is a little bit of an understatement. It's a massive display large enough to be considered an entire vehicle showroom. It's a sign that the brand is investing in itself and its marketing, which it surely has to do if its to return to its former glory.