Lotus Lightweight Structures Limited
New Lotus Manufacturing Company Offers Greater Flexibility, Lower Weight Solutions
and Reduced Time to Market for World’s Motor Industry.
Group Lotus plc, the world famous sportscar manufacturer and globally renowned automotive
engineering consultancy, announces the creation of Lotus Lightweight Structures, following the
acquisition of Holden Lightweight Structures Limited today, 15th May 2008.
Lotus Lightweight Structures, which employs 120 skilled engineers, technicians and sales
staff, will be based at the former Holden Lightweight Structures Limited site in Worcester, UK
and will continue to manufacture light weight aluminium and composite structures and
components for its extensive client base as well as growing its business globally through the
company’s association with Group Lotus plc.
Lotus Lightweight Structures will continue to assemble the award winning Lotus Elise, Exige
and Europa aluminium chassis as well as the all new chassis for the yet to be launched Lotus
Project Eagle.

The strategic acquisition of Holden Lightweight Structures Limited and the subsequent
creation of Lotus Lightweight Structures enables Lotus to:
· Create, adapt and change its range of products quickly and effectively, catering for
changing global customer demands.
· Provide an additional in house manufacturing facility.
· Add an additional manufacturing solution for Lotus Engineering’s global client base,
providing lightweight aluminium and composite vehicle components and structures.
Mike Kimberley, Chief Executive of Group Lotus plc, “I am delighted to announce the creation
of Lotus Lightweight Structures following the strategic acquisition of Holden Lightweight
Structures Limited. With this facility, we will continue to expand and lead the world in
lightweight vehicle research, development and production to help our global client base find
ways to reduce the weight and cost from their vehicles. Weight reduction is one of the most
attainable ways to lowering CO2 emissions in vehicles today, as well as improving fuel
economy and performance, and we have a duty to share our technology with the world’s car
makers for everyone’s long term benefit.”
Mike Kimberley continues, “Lotus Lightweight Structures provides additional facilities,
capabilities and expertise to the Lotus Manufacturing portfolio. The Worcester facility, and
dedicated team, complements our Hethel Headquarters and does not substitute any of the
operations in Norfolk, but instead enables our strategic global expansion programme to
proceed to plan. We are now just ten weeks from the unveiling of the next all new Lotus, code
named Project Eagle at the British Motorshow, and we are working hard to bring this fabulous
2+2 to the market in the Spring of 2009. The Project Eagle chassis structure will be the first
product from our new Lotus Lightweight Structures facility. We look forward to increasing our
support to customers, clients and new ecologically driven projects worldwide.”

About Group Lotus plc:
The main operating subsidiary of Group Lotus plc is Lotus Cars Ltd, which has two operating divisions -
Lotus Engineering and Lotus Cars. Lotus Engineering is an internationally recognised automotive
engineering consultancy based in Norfolk, UK. Global facilities include those in Michigan (USA), Kuala
Lumpur (Malaysia), Shanghai (China) and offices in Germany and Japan, with rapid expansion in new
territories such as South East Asia and the Gulf States.
Lotus Engineering provides comprehensive and versatile consultancy services to many of the world's
OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, offering a full engineering service from initial concept and project design
through development and integration of the complete vehicle to meet all worldwide markets and
customers to full production. This includes third party 'niche vehicle' engineering and manufacture
worldwide.
Lotus Cars builds world class, prestige, high performance sports cars for sale in 37 countries. These
include the iconic Lotus Elise, and the Exige and Europa. Lotus is a global high-tech company,
expanding rapidly and committed to driving forward technology for both Lotus Cars and its Engineering
clients, spearheading research into such areas as hybrids, electric vehicles and renewable fuels.