Japan Lotus Day, staged at the iconic Fuji Speedway and the largest annual gathering of Lotus fans anywhere in the world, gave an enthusiastic welcome to the Lotus Evija on the latest leg of its world tour.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he event is a car festival held in the foothills of Mount Fuji, 50 miles outside Tokyo, and is the ultimate appreciation of the Lotus brand. The festival was celebrating its 10th anniversary, with the all-electric Evija – the world’s most powerful production road car – taking centre stage in front of more than 2,000 enthusiastic Lotus owners and fans.
The event culminated in a stunning parade around the Fuji Speedway circuit, featuring approximately 600 Lotus cars from across the company’s successful road and racing history. It included a 1952 Lotus Six and various race cars from the 1960s, through to numerous examples of the Lotus Elise, Exige, 3-Eleven and Evora.
Also attracting attention was a Lotus 78, a championship-winning F1 car which took seven wins and nine pole positions, and through the genius of Lotus founder Colin Chapman kickstarted the pioneering ‘ground effect’ era of aerodynamic development in F1.
The extraordinary number of Lotus cars on display reflects the brand’s popularity in Japan, which stems in part from the 1970s when a Lotus Europa starred in a famous serialised adventure and racing ‘manga’ called The Circuit Wolf. The largest annual gathering of Lotus fans and cars anywhere in the world, Japan Lotus Day also features several races series, a concours d’elegance, circuit taxi rides and trade stands.
Shigenori Ogura, F1 commentator, journalist and Japan Lotus Day fan, said: “Japanese car enthusiasts are totally in love with Lotus. The fans who come to Fuji show so much passion for the cars – both old and new – that it really blows you away.”
Prior to the event the Evija was guest of honour at the BH Auction, an exclusive automotive sales event in Tokyo. Attendees were given one-to-one access to the all-electric hypercar in a private viewing area.
The most powerful and dynamic road car produced in Lotus’ 71-year history, the Evija sets new standard for performance and is a statement of intent for the brand’s ambitious future.
