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First Production Exige S comes off the Assembly Line

Lotus Chief Operating Officer, Aslam Farikullah stood proudly by the production line and talks about the significance of this event

How do you feel about reaching this particular milestone?

Aslam Farikullah: We are very proud of the Exige S. It marks the first step towards consolidating and then growing the company. I know that customers have been eagerly waiting for this car, and I assure them that it will be worth the wait. We wanted to be sure that we had a product that was absolutely ready before launching it. We are confident that the right time for the Exige S is now.

Our new philosophy is simple: We will keep announcements about our planned products to a minimum. New models will only be launched when the product and timing is right. Once we do launch a new product, we will ensure that we can deliver to customers anywhere in the world as scheduled.

What else will be different at Lotus under your leadership?

Aslam Farikullah: Our emphasis now is on the finer details of what we do. I believe that the ability of our engineers and workforce makes them among the best in the world. We will leverage on this key strength as we revitalise and strengthen the Lotus brand.

We can all look forward to exciting times ahead as we bring the company to the next level. But I am not a fan of the limelight; I will let our cars do the talking.

So what is your vision for Lotus?

Aslam Farikullah: I want the Lotus name to become a by-word in the automotive industry for integrity, which means delivering quality products on the dates we say we will deliver them. As a start, we will refocus our human resources in order to further strengthen our Quality Department by 20%, clearly demonstrating our future intent.

I would also like to reiterate that DRB-HICOM is committed to the future of Lotus. When I arrived I found a company full of talent, ambition and pride in the Lotus name. It's my job now to re-galvanise the company and we will be doing that by investing in our existing talent.

Photo gallery: Lotus Exige S Roadster