It’s not every day that you get to witness the past, present, and future of an automotive brand in one place, but this week, with the Goodwood Festival of Speed upon us, this is exactly what visitors will get to experience at the Lotus Stand.
Marking its return to the famed annual hill climb event, Lotus will showcase its radical and futuristic Theory 1, a concept car that is a showcase of design, electric performance, and the general direction of where the storied British marque is headed next. According to Lotus VP Ben Payne, this concept builds on everything that the brand has achieved in its 77-year history.
But perhaps, the biggest highlight for Lotus this weekend will be about celebrating its glorious past in motorsports. With Goodwood celebrating 75 years of Formula 1 in 2025, some of the brightest minds from the world of F1 are descending on the venue. Lotus, a name that pioneered the concept of light-weight grand prix cars with the great Colin Chapman at the helm back in the day, will be in full force at the event, as it honors some of its most successful drivers, Jim Clark and Ayrton Senna.
On display will be the iconic Lotus Type 33, which took Jim Clark to his 1965 F1 title, and sitting alongside will be Senna’s Lotus 97T, the very car that gave the legendary Brazilian driver his first F1 win at Estoril back in 1985. On Saturday and Sunday, at 12:30 p.m., Clive Chapman, son of Lotus founder Colin Chapman, will also share personal stories alongside Chris Dinnage. Once Senna’s mechanic, Chris, is now Classic Team Lotus’ manager.
“2025 marks the 40th anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s first F1 victory at Estoril with Team Lotus, a defining moment for both team and driver. We also celebrated the 60th anniversary of Jim Clark’s unrivalled year of winning the Formula 1 World Championship, Indianapolis 500, Tasman Series, and the Formula 2 Championship.” – Clive Chapman
2025 also marks the revival of Team Lotus, and the new Emira GT4 and a track-ready Emira Cup concept, built to help amateur drivers from their first track days to full competition, will also be shown.
Now, this really wouldn’t be Goodwood without some action-packed events lined up. The Lotus stand transforms into a hub, with Q&As, family-friendly “Lotus Moments,” and inclusion-focused panels hosted by journalist Natasha Bird. The full crop of the current Lotus production models, including the all-electric Evija hypercar, the Emeya super sedan, the Eletre SUV, and the Emira, will participate in the hill climb.
Source: Lotus