#DRB-Hicom

With rumors of a future for Lotus swirling, the company will live on as its new owner DRB-Hicom has signed off on a three-year plan to fund the British sports car maker.

Lotus Group’s parent company DRB Hicom is predicting some lofty goals for the small sports car company, confident that by 2015 the brand will be selling between  4,000 and 5,000 units per year. 

Lotus production will remain in Britain according to parent company DRB-HICOM’s Chief Operating Officer  Aslam Farikullah.

Far from its conclusion, the saga between Lotus and former CEO Dany Bahar will soldier on now that the ex exec is suing for 6.7 million pounds ($10.6 million).

Following Lotus CEO Dany Bahar’s termination, the brand is abandoning the plan he championed to bring six new sports cars to market using the company’s engines and transmissions. 

Rumors have been quick to swirl around Lotus and its CEO, Dany Bahar, this year including speculation that trouble with the company brewed beneath the surface. Those rumors were repeatedly dismissed, but now the word is out: Bahar has been temporarily suspended.

Poor Lotus. The company that just wants to make cool cars is still caught in the middle of a corporate acquisition that threatens the company’s existence one day and reassuringly cooes to it the next.

Lotus‘ Malaysian owner DRB-Hicom is seking a Chinese buyer for the brand as recently as last night, flying in the face of information included in the automaker’s much-publicized “ rant” press release from April 12.

Earlier warning signs were brought to attention this year when Lotus’ Malaysian parent company Proton sold a controlling stake to another Malaysian conglomerate, DRB-Hicom. As per Malaysian law, Lotus had to halt all business operations and freeze its financial accounts during the 60-day transition period.

Despite terminating its title sponsorship deal with Group Lotus, Lotus is committed to keeping its name in Formula 1 for the imminent feature. Confused? You should be.

It’s hard out there for a sports car manufacturer, especially if it is owned by a larger company.

In a deal eclipsing $410 million, DRB-Hicom purchased a 43 percent stake in Proton, a Malaysian automaker better known for its ownership of the famous British sports car brand, Lotus.