Lotus has reopened its UK Driving Academy, giving drivers the chance once again to get behind the wheel of the British manufacturer’s sports cars on track.
After opening in 1999 at Lotus’s Hethel headquarters, it was closed in October last year because Lotus said that high demand for classes was resulting in clashes with new car development on the test track. However, with Lotus now under the ownership of Chinese firm Geely, that decision has been reversed.
In June, Automotive News Europe reported Geely owner Li Shufu as saying he was considering building Lotus cars in China.
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus, said: “Lotus Driving Academies around the world are hugely popular, giving hundreds of people the opportunity to enjoy the pure driving experience of a Lotus sports car in a high-octane environment.
“This popularity has meant that we already have official Lotus Driving Academies in Malaysia, the USA and France.”
#Mondaymotivation – how would you spec your Evora #GT430? #powerandprecision pic.twitter.com/3OK8NFWYYI
— Lotus Cars (@grouplotusplc) July 24, 2017
The basic package, which is called Scare Yourself Sensible, costs £119 and involves time with a professional instructor in an Elise out on the Hethel test track – the same circuit used by the British manufacturer’s test drivers when developing new cars.
There are also ‘licence days’, made up of Bronze, Silver and Gold depending on the advanced driving skills that are taught in each.
Some packages also include tours of the factory and high-speed demonstration laps with the professional drivers.
The academy reopens in August but bookings can be made now via the Lotus Driving Academy website.
