DOHA: The official opening of the brand new Lotus showroom in Doha marked with the unveiling of Lotus Evora 400 sports car. The new Lotus Qatar facility on Salwa Road is the result of a partnership between Lotus Cars Middle East the distributor for Lotus cars in the region and Universal Motors offering new and existing customers the opportunity to experience the famous brand first hand.

The showroom was opened by Jean-Marc Gales CEO of Group Lotus Plc and Sheikh Mohammed bin Ahmad Al Thani President Universal Motors. The opening ceremony included guests and senior management officials from both businesses. The Lotus Exige was also on display.

Jean-Marc Gales said: “When it comes to high performance and highly desirable sports cars Lotus sets the standard and we have never had a stronger or faster line up. Qatar remains an important market with great potential and with Lotus Cars Middle East and Universal Motors we’re looking forward to welcoming the next generation of customers in Qatar to the Lotus brand.”

Sheikh Mohammed bin Ahmad Al Thani said: “We are excited and proud to represent the globally recognised brand of Lotus in this market. We have a great deal of knowledge and experience of the automotive industry in Qatar and are committed to providing exceptional customer service. This new standalone Lotus showroom signifies the return of Lotus to Qatar and will allow Universal Motors to display our products and support our customers to the highest levels. We are looking forward to a long and successful partnership.”

Jonathan Stretton Regional Director of Lotus Cars Middle East FZ-LLC said: “Partnering with Universal Motors is the next step in our expansion for Lotus Cars Middle East and demonstrates our commitment to expanding the brand and its presence in the region. Lotus’ cars are world famous being both exclusive and delivering an unrivalled blend of performance and style. We are delighted to be working with Universal Motors to introduce Lotus’ outstanding range of sports cars to Qatar.”

As one of the latest showrooms in the Lotus Cars Middle East portfolio Lotus Qatar is a key part of the plans to expand the Lotus brand across the region by developing both existing and new markets. Lotus Cars Middle East now has dealerships in the United Arab Emirates Qatar Kuwait and Lebanon with further market and showroom launches planned in the near future.

Lotus cars: Speed and style

With a power to weight ratio of over 300 hp / tonne the Lotus Exige is regarded by many as the fastest real-world point-to-point supercar. Reaching 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds the Lotus Exige perfectly demonstrates the Lotus design philosophy of ‘lighter and faster’ and sets the benchmark for performance and handling both on road and on track.

The Lotus Evora 400 has already received praise and accolades from customers and media in Europe and Asia and has reaffirmed Lotus as the maker of some of the finest lightweight pure and most efficient sports cars sold today.

Already on sale in Europe and Asia and soon to enter to the North American market the Lotus Evora 400 has already generated great excitement worldwide. The Lotus Evora 400 and the Exige have both been extensively and rigorously tested in the Middle East specifically for the particular extreme climate demands of the region.The Peninsula