Lotus has just announced that a of October 1st, former Ferrari executive Dany Bahar will take over at the helm of Group Lotus plc. Bahar moves into the position after former Lotus CEO Mike Kimberly retired in July due to health reasons.

At Ferrari Bahar worked as Senior VP of Commercial and Brand, where he oversaw not only the important job of road car sales, but also the lucrative merchandising aspect of the Italian automaker. Previous to to the position at Ferrari, he worked for Red Bull and helped organize the partnership between Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso with Ferrari, as well as the energy drink company’s NASCAR efforts.

“Lotus has a worldwide reputation for innovative engineering and superb sports cars that lead the world in efficiency, design and dynamics,” Bahar said in a  statement. “With the recent launch of the award-winning Evora, there is proof that Lotus is better placed than many to capitalize on the rapidly changing automotive market. I can’t wait to get my plans underway in October.”

One has to wonder if Bahar’s appoitment will usher in an era where Lotus returns its full efforts to the field of motorsports.

Hyundai continues defy doubters, setting a new world record at the world-famous Pikes Peak Hill Climb in a race-prepped Genesis Coupe. Driver Rhys Millen piloted his Rhys Millen Racing Red Bull Hyundai Genesis Coupe drift car to a time of 12:09.397 in the rear-wheel drive Time Attack Class, beating his nearest competitor by 1 minute, 23 seconds and besting even his own previous time by 22 seconds.

“Driving the Genesis Coupe for the first time at Pikes Peak in front of thousands of fans is an amazing experience,” said Millen. “Nothing compares to the pressure and thrill of Pikes Peak while competing against yourself for the record.”

Millen also said the Genesis Coupe performed superbly, even though by the summit the tires were worn down to their steel belts.

The Pikes Peak Hill Climb, which takes place annually on Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs, Colorado, starts at an elevation of 9,300 feet and finishes at an elevation of 14,110 feet – where the air is so think drivers’ reaction times begin to slow and their race car engines lose 30 percent of their power. Drivers drift around 156 corners, nearly missing guard rails and trees, while avoiding cliffs with 2,000-foot drop-offs.

2009 marks the 87th annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the second-oldest motorsports event in America, second only to the Indianapolis 500.

GALLERY: Rhys Millen Racing Red Bull Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Official release after the jump:

Red Bull’s new Cola beverage might not be as popular as the brand’s energy drink, which is strange considering it’s addictive ingredient. No, not caffeine. Try cocaine.

That’s right, during recent tests on the beverage it was found to have trace amounts (4 micrograms) of the illegal drug, prompting officials in six German states to force retailers to pull the products off their shelves.

The amount of cocaine found is too low to be a health concern, however, it is still not permitted in food or drink in Germany. Red Bull has said that is uses coca leaf extracts for natural flavor and said that no cocaine was found in the company’s own testing.

Coca-Cola is known to have once used cocaine in its drinks, however, that practice stopped in 1903. The amount used back then was significantly higher at 9 milligram.

Red Bull currently advertises its new cola drink on its Formula 1 cars.

[Source: BBC News]