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Q&As with lead
exterior designer Daniel Durrant and lead interior design Jon Statham
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Each discusses their
inspiration and the challenges in creating this thrilling new Lotus sports car
Receiving its world premiere at Hethel, Norfolk, on the evening of Tuesday 6
July, the design of the Lotus Emira is beautiful, timeless, memorable and
modern. Above all, it looks like a Lotus, with optimised proportions and an
athletic shrink-wrapped body which visually describes Lotus’ legendary agile
driving characteristics.
Led
by Russell Carr, Design Director, Lotus, the lead exterior and interior
designers of the Emira are Daniel Durrant and Jon Statham. Combined, they have
close to 40 years of experience in the Hethel design studio and have worked on
countless other projects. Those have been both for Lotus and for clients as part
of the consultancy services offered by Lotus Engineering.
The
Emira is the first Lotus sports car to carry the new design language showcased
on the award-winning Evija hypercar. It’s a contemporary look with sculpted
surfaces and technical detailing, delivering exotic supercar appeal in the
sports car segment. A new and more premium approach for Lotus in terms of forms
and materials, it is also a leap forward in interior refinement and technology.
Below, Daniel and Jon explain their work on the all-new Lotus Emira.
Q&A
with Daniel Durrant
Age:
40
At
Lotus:
Senior Designer, worked at Lotus for 12 years
On
Emira:
Overseeing design and development of the exterior
Lotus CV highlights:
- (2014) – Lotus Exige LF1 Special Edition
- (2015) – Lotus Evora 400 exterior programme
- (2017) – Lotus Exige 430 Cup
How
did it feel when you were selected for the role on the Emira?
I
was thrilled to have my theme selected for the Emira. I have worked on many
Lotus programmes in the studio, so to take the lead exterior design role was an
amazing opportunity and a huge responsibility. I am a Lotus fan and our products
are very special.
When
did you start work on the Emira?
My
first sketches were done back in 2018.
Where did your inspiration come from?
It
came from all over. The Evija was a strong reference point, and Lotus has a rich
technical and visual library to draw from. I like the shapes seen in military
fighter jets. There’s often a softness to their overall surface forms but with
taught creases. Shapes found in nature can also be a great inspiration – an
attacking shark nose or the muscular haunches seen on a pouncing cheetah, for
example.
Can
you describe the exterior of the car in five words?
Sculptural, athletic, agile, elegant, alive.
What’s your favourite part of the car?
I
think that the sculpture around the body side air intake is my favourite. The
surfaces are incredibly three dimensional and designed to channel the airflow
into the bodyside duct. There aren’t many cars in the world with this amount of
form and drama in them, technical and beautiful. We always intended the Emira’s
design language to be that of a baby supercar.
What
has been the biggest challenge on the Emira?
It’s
been finding the right balance of sportiness and sophistication from a visual
perspective. It needed to look light, focused and agile without ever looking too
aggressive or intimidating. It also needed to look premium without being too
conservative. From a technical perspective, the sensor positions and ADAS radar
module were the trickiest parts to incorporate. The front end is extremely low
to the ground – just as a Lotus should be – but this creates challenges when it
comes to positioning them. These components are very small but devilishly
awkward.
Can
you describe what the design process has been like?
As a
team we followed the regular Lotus design process, going from theme sketches,
scale models and eventually to a full-size clay model. We tried many design
ideas through the process before the final theme was chosen, and the technical
and aerodynamic package evolved along the way as we honed the design. We always
wanted close visual and philosophical harmony with the Evija. It was important
that both products looked related to each other, but also performed technically
in their own way given they’re very different cars. Overall it’s been rewarding
and, as with anything that’s worth doing, challenging at times. Getting to this
point, where the car is going into production, is very satisfying.
Why
do you think the Emira is important for Lotus?
It
shows that we can appeal to a broader range of customers while retaining the
spirit of what makes it a true sports car.
What’s next for you in Lotus design?
It’s
on to the next project which, of course, I can’t tell you anything about. It’s
going to be exciting though.
Q&A
with Jon Statham
Age:
54
At
Lotus:
Interior Design Manager, worked at Lotus for 24 years
On
Emira:
Overseeing design and development of the interior
Lotus CV highlights:
- 2000 – Lotus Exige Mk I
- 2002 – Lotus Esprit facelift (lead exterior designer)
- 2006 – Lotus 2-Eleven (lead exterior and interior designer)
- 2016 – Lotus Exige 430 and Evora 430
How
did it feel when you were selected for the role on the Emira?
I
consider it a privilege to work on such an important car for Lotus. To be
involved in the full development programme, from initial sketches to production,
has been challenging and rewarding in equal measure.
Why
do you think the Emira is such an important car for Lotus?
I
see the Emira as a big step forward on many levels. We’ve had a massive push on
quality, technology, functionality, useability, desirability – it’s all there.
It has a contemporary interior with good proportions. It isn’t too hardcore and
will have broad appeal whilst still being ‘For The Drivers’.
Where did your inspiration come from?
The
Lotus Evija has obviously been a massive inspiration for the whole team, but
there are also elements of the S1 Esprit in there.
Can
you describe what the design process has been like?
I
feel really proud of my small team and how effective we have been. Jennifer
Andriamamonjy’s interior theme was the one chosen and manages to blend
sportiness with modernity and quality. Harvey Rabenjamina has worked really hard
on steering wheel and seat design. A shout-out to our digital modellers and
studio engineer Josh Router also deserves a mention. Together we have worked
quickly and efficiently, all pulling in the same direction.
What
has been the biggest challenge on this project?
We
started work on the car in November 2018 and from the outset we knew that
interior packaging would be the tricky element. We wanted the Emira to have
outstanding ergonomics to make it as engaging as possible, and to do that while
finding space for all the components was the challenge.
What
is your favourite part of the car?
Above all else, I’m very proud of the cohesive nature of the interior design. It
just exudes quality. I also think the instrumentation graphics are spot-on and
perfectly suit the character of the car. Lotus has created its first ever
digital design team to develop the HMI and we’ve worked closely with them. I’m
really happy with the results.
What
is next for you?
I
have learned a lot from this programme working in what is effectively a new
team. It will be good to take this experience into the next programme.
Images and text copyright Group Lotus PLC
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