Managing Director Jean-Marc Gales: Lotus builds SUV prototype

G ales: We are still on the right track in Financial year 2016 to generate an operating profit and positive cash flow. We haven't achieved that in the Lotus auto division in the past 20 years. The launch of the Evora 400 in the USA helped us a lot. There are already 300 orders there. The Evora is sold out in the States until March.

Gales: We will sell around 1,800 cars this fiscal year. They are distributed almost exactly across our series - i.e. about a third each on the Elise, Exige and Evora. With the 3-Eleven, we basically sell 70 percent of our cars with six cylinders and 30 percent with four cylinders. In the next year I expect that the Evora will make up a share of 40 percent.

Gales: Around 800. About half of them will go to the USA. Our goal is to sell ten percent on the German market. I would like to have between 80 and 100 Evora there. So far, Germany has been a strong market for the Elise and Exige. We developed the Evora Sport 410 with a special focus on Germany. Many drivers like to drive their car to the racetrack at the weekend. Therefore, it fits there.

Gales: We're thinking about it. We are developing a first prototype internally - only to look at, not roadworthy. We'll concentrate on our sports cars for now. The new Elise will come in 2020. Then we will devote ourselves to the SUV, if it is approved by the supervisory board.