February 6, 2012

Lotus launches, motoring press groans.



There was a time when the motoring press were invited to lavish launches of new Formula One cars and showered with swag and free food. Then the economy took a turn and some teams went on a "look at me, I'm saving money". bender.

This year, only Mclaren did the traditional big launch, inviting the paddock-passerati to Woking to show off their mothership, their 2012 fighter and their bitching catering business.

Ferrari was planning on feeding tortellini to all but a freak snowstorm forced them to cancel and just release pictures and information online. Nobody noticed the difference, except those expecting a prancing horse tote bag.

Now, granted, a trip to Enstone in January, may or may not be an exciting proposition, but Lotus just dropped all pretense and produced a pretty cool, internet ready package, eliminating the traditional press outright.

The clip starts out with the YouTube's own Formula One Guitar sensation and then moves with a 5thGear presenter and with tweet friendly pit lane reporter Will Buxton, through a 20 minute infomercial. Too long? probably but you get all you care to know about the new E20.

E20 because it's definitively not a Renault, it's a Lotus now after being Renault, Benetton and Toleman, ah tradition!.
The E20 is not looking as radical as last year's car, with a "low step" nose and push rod front suspension.

Lotus will be on track this week at Jerez along with all other teams except for Caterham Marussia.

(tx Timur for the clip!).

5 comments:

  1. I think you mean E20, not R20 ;) E for Enstone... just round the corner from me.

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  2. Yup, brain fart . Thanks for catching it How is Enstone in January anyway?

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  3. I thought Caterham was going to be there, and not Marussia....

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  4. oy...yes, clearly I should not have gotten out of bed this morning.

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  5. oh and as Scarbsf1 confirmed, this isnt even a new car, just the R19 with some new bits on it.

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