Lotus plans to take on Ferrari and Porsche - but this is no 'Bahar Dream'

Geely has plans to make Lotus a proper Ferrari and Porsche contender (Lotus Esprit pictured)

Lotus is now under the ownership of Geely owner Volvo, and it looks like the Chinese firm plans to restore Lotus to the top of the luxury sports car tree.

It’s seven years since ex-Ferrari man Dany Bahar arrived to take over Lotus and return Hethel to the world stage as a competitor at the very top of the luxury and supercar tree.

Bahar’s grandiose plans included a new Lotus Elan, a new Lotus Esprit, a new Lotus Elite and even a Lotus Eterne flagship saloon. Bahar even planned to build a new V8 engine for Lotus which would be ‘more authentic’ than anything from Ferrari or McLaren

Bahar wanted Lotus to be the Aston Martin of Norfolk, but his plans were built on sand and the whole sorry debacle turned from promise of a glorious future for Lotus to Bahar’s acrimonious departure and legal action from all sides after Bahar was ousted from Lotus in 2012.

Lotus owners, Proton, hunkered down, appointed Aslam Farikullah to run Lotus and have spent the intervening time trying to turn Lotus in to profit by titivating their existing, but ageing, line-up and have succeeded in staying afloat and even turning a small profit.

But there’s a new game in town for Lotus now as Geely, owners of Volvo, has snapped up Proton and in the process got their hands on Lotus. And that holds much promise for the proper resurrection of Lotus.

Having proved they can buy a Western car maker, give it its head and support it financially with Volvo, Geely clearly isn’t afraid to be ambitious and pragmatic. And that augers well for Lotus.

With Geely and Volvo’s know-how and money, Lotus’s already established plans to deliver a lightweight SUV will be delivered by using the Volvo platform underpinning the new XC40, which will probably be built in China, but it’s the sports car angle which holds the most interest.

Speaking to Autocar, Geely boss An Cong Hui said that they are busy making plans to re-build the Lotus heritage, and once more make it a company which sits alongside Porsche and Ferrari in the desirability stakes.

That may sound like a Bahar nightmare once more in the making, but Geely has the nous, technology and bank balance to make it happen.

Watch this space. And let’s hope a new Lotus Esprit finally makes it in to production, although, if it does, it will probably be a hybrid or electric Esprit.