Member Article

Expansion at Silverstone Park for ‘engineering marvel’ Lotus

World famous sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars’ largest UK dealership has expanded at Silverstone Park with a move into new 11,000 sq ft premises.

Lotus Silverstone completed its relocation during British Formula 1 Grand Prix week. The franchise specialises in new and used Lotus cars, servicing, track cars and motorsport parts sales.

It is the second largest new car dealership for Lotus in Europe and joint first in the UK in terms of new car volume and sales.

It joins other leading high tech, automotive and motorsport names to have taken advantage of new industrial accommodation built by Silverstone Park developer MEPC as part of a 125,000 sq ft speculative development with Enterprise Zone status.

Other businesses include motor racing teams Mercedes-AMG F1 (Formula 1) and DS Virgin Racing (Formula E), mobile communications expert MLL Telecom, low-carbon vehicle specialist Twintec-Baumot and niche vehicle manufacturer David Brown Automotive.

Managing Director Matthew Haskins commented: “Our new home gives us almost three times the space of our previous premises and is much more professionally and efficiently laid out.

“This helps with perception and first impressions and gives the customer confidence in the business approach and product. Visibly our display of the current Lotus range – Elise, Exige and Evora – can now all be moved under one roof.

“It also means we have far more clinical workshop space which is important as servicing is a big part of our business – it puts trust in the customer and gives them a better experience.

“Above all it future proofs the business and enables us to grow in an environment with clear spaces and lines with a F1/motorsport look and feel.”

Famed for its engineering expertise and success in Formula 1 in the sixties, seventies and mid-eighties, the Lotus name is built on innovation.

“Innovation is a buzz word at Silverstone Park and Silverstone of course is synonymous with motorsport so being here gives us an edge, a USP.

“Lotus’ cars really are engineering marvels thanks to its expertise in areas such as chassis design with the use of aerospace technology and light-weighting.

“Our market research shows people we deal with day to day come from engineering world and of course we are right in the middle of the Silverstone Technology Cluster,” added Matthew, who also believes that MEPC’s development of the estate is giving its occupier businesses confidence for the future.

He continued: “The attention to detail and drive for quality… very often at business estates or science parks you can be let down by the dirtiest or ugliest unit!

“However the standards that MEPC have maintained and have going forwards… the expectations they set make us confident we won’t ever have a problem of bringing customers into an area like that.”

Find out more about the companies based at Silverstone Park by visiting silverstone-park.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sarah Ross .