- “It’s exceptional and I’m a big
fan” said ex-F1 champion after lapping Hethel track
- Jenson was a special guest at
Hethel premiere of all-new Lotus sports car
- Emira would give a lot of
supercars a run for their money” says long-time Lotus fan and customer
(Hethel,
UK – 6 July 2021) –
“It’s exceptional and I’m a big fan” – the words of former F1 world champion
Jenson Button after more than 30 laps of the Hethel test track during the
launch celebrations for the all-new Lotus Emira.
A film of
his exclusive world-first test drive was played to the on-site audience and
tens of thousands of viewers from around the world watching the livestream on
the Lotus website and social channels.
Jenson
commented: “You always expect a Lotus to have good mechanical grip through the
low-speed corners but there was plenty of downforce in the high-speed corners
too. That means the feeling of great balance is the same no matter how you’re
driving it. It’s exceptional and I’m a big fan.”
Finding the
right position when behind the wheel for the first time is key for every
driver, not just the professionals, and Jenson said once he’d done that the
Emira “just felt right”. He added: “The overall position of the gearstick in
relation to the wheel, the pedals, everything was where it should be and that
gives you great confidence from the start. I love the infotainment system too,
which has everything you need and is really simple so you can get back to the
important part, which is the driving.”
The
everyday useability of the Emira didn’t pass him by either, thanks to the high
levels of comfort, functionality, technology and practicality. “The Lotus
purists will love it, and the thing that people new to Lotus will love is the
premium quality of the interior. When you’re in there you’re immersed in the
seat and cockpit, and there’s a lot of lower back support so it will be
comfortable for long journeys. That’s going to surprise people.”
Jenson said
one element of the car had stunned him. “I’m still in shock at the price.
Starting at under £60,000 it’s fantastic and means so many people are going to
have the opportunity to experience it first-hand. It’s being called a junior
supercar but it would give a lot of supercars a run for their money… and it’s
more comfortable than most of them!”
Jenson is a
long-time Lotus fan and customer of the all-electric Evija hypercar. In March
this year it was announced that Lotus Engineering, the consultancy division of
the business, is collaborating as Technical
Partner to JBXE,
Jenson’s Extreme E race team. A Chief Engineer with expertise in electric
powertrains joined the team for the second round of racing
in Senegal last month, helping JBXE to finish on the podium for the first time.
In May there was news of further collaboration
when bespoke British coachbuilder Radford – with which Jenson is involved –
announced its first limited-edition project would be a modern rework of the
iconic Lotus 62 sports car, created using Lotus technology.
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