It has been reported in the press that Lotus, part of the Proton Group, has stunned the motoring world at the Paris Motor Show by announcing five new models. They are the Elise, Elite, Espirit, Elan and Eterne; all the new models will use Hybrid technology.

Along with the new models will be a new price list, with an entry model of £35,000 and the other models ranging from £75,000 to £120,000, so realistically we are talking about a rather different type of client, from the current purchaser of a Lotus.

So who exactly was “stunned” by this news? If you would like one of the new Lotus models you will have to wait until 2016, not the most stunning of news to a would be purchaser. Particularly as some of them, by that time, will probably have got married and will be driving a VW Sharan on the school run; hardly the same wind blowing through your hair image.

The models will no doubt be more exciting especially the Espirit; many feel that the current Elise could have been exciting if only they had made it into a proper sized car, rather than like one of those expensive electric toy cars you see at Harrods.