London, UK – September 15 – Lotus announces D.N.A. x DNA, an immersive exhibition opening at the Lotus Mayfair showroom as part of London Design Festival 2025, where Lotus serves as the festival’s official automotive partner.

The showcase explores how the brand’s pioneering design and engineering philosophy, Digital, Natural, Analogue (D.N.A.), has shaped generations of groundbreaking innovations and continues to define the future of performance:

Digital – representing the immersive, intelligent, and intuitive experience.
Natural – bringing to life emotional, connected, human-centric design.
Analogue - Lotus’ continuous advancement of performance engineering.

Seamlessly blending together these core design principles with the latest design and engineering innovations, as well as cutting-edge technologies, enables Lotus to simplify and enhance a car’s experience and performance – making it feel like a car you wear.

“This is an important moment for Lotus today. It’s a powerful reminder to everyone of our rich heritage - the design and engineering breakthroughs that have shaped the automotive world and beyond. And its proof that we are still that same pioneering brand. Lotus will always innovate, always push boundaries, and always lead the way,” said Ben Payne, Chief Creative Officer, Lotus Group.

The activation opens a dialogue between heritage and possibility, bringing together experimental materials, prototypes, and projects from Lotus’ archives that embody the brand's relentless innovation, culminating in a raw encounter with the award-winning Lotus Theory 1.

Lotus Eleven
A lightweight icon of motorsport, the Lotus Eleven revolutionised racing in 1956, with its advanced aerodynamics and lightweight aluminium body. Its record-breaking success at Monza and multiple Le Mans class wins cemented Lotus’ reputation for performance through engineering ingenuity.
Lotus Type 88B
A radical car in Formula 1 at the time. The Type 88B was the first to feature carbon fibre monocoque chassis in 1981, as well as introduced the twin-chassis concept, separating aerodynamic downforce from suspension. Though banned from racing as other teams refused to race against the car, it remains a symbol of Lotus’ fearless pursuit of disruptive ideas in performance engineering, safety and handling.
Lotus Structure Isolation and Dynamics (SID) Prototype
The SID prototype was a revolutionary experimental research vehicle that combined active and passive suspension technologies to explore advanced vehicle dynamics. Key features included advanced suspension system, dynamic performance and handling, active rear steering, comprehensive data acquisition, and modular suspension mounting. It was the first time that a full understanding of the driver subjective (feel) vs objective (data) could be understood, measured and developed for vehicle dynamics and handling by engineers. The technologies and methodologies developed influenced subsequent Lotus models and contributed to key advancements in the automotive industry.
Lotus Theory 1
The award-winning design study that encapsulates the Lotus ethos for the future. Theory 1 fuses digital intelligence, natural human-centric design, and analogue performance precision, delivering an experience that is immersive, intuitive, and emotionally engaging.

Through Lotus Engineering, the brand’s world-class innovation hub supporting Lotus and customers globally, the exhibition reveals how the Lotus design philosophy transcends the automotive industry, highlighting its global impact.

This includes the iconic Lotus Type 108, from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Breaking world records and winning the gold medal ridden by Chris Boardman, the Lotus Type 108 applied the company’s motorsport expertise in aerodynamics, composites and advanced manufacturing methods. Lotus Engineering developed an aerofoil frame design, to deliver a forward force in a cross wind or when the bike was ridden on an oval velodrome, to reduce drag and increase speed. It marked a significant leap forward in bicycle design, and setting the stage for future aerodynamic innovations in the sport.

D.N.A x DNA Exhibition Details

Lotus Mayfair, 73 Piccadilly, London W1J 8HS
13-20 September
Free Admission
For more information, please visit: https://www.lotuscars.com/en-GB/ldf2025

ENDS

Note to Editors

Further information on Lotus Eleven

Lotus Eleven’s success at the Monza track in 1956 was marked by a number of record-breaking achievements by Mac Fraser, where he successfully broke existing records for the 1100cc class:

50 km Record: 135 mph (217 km/h).
Fastest Lap: 143 mph (230 km/h).
One-Hour Record: 137.5 mph (221 km/h).

Further background on Lotus Structure Isolation and Dynamics (SID) Prototype

The SID project served as a groundbreaking platform for technologies that continue to shape modern performance vehicles. This includes:

A lightweight glass fibre and Nomex honeycomb chassis, which was a stiff yet featherweight structure that provided the perfect foundation for testing radical new suspension systems.
Computer-controlled active suspension, powered by electro-hydraulic actuators capable of adjusting in microseconds. This system allowed the car to adapt instantly to road conditions, offering unmatched comfort and precision. It could seamlessly balance high-speed stability with low-speed manoeuvrability, effectively controlling roll stiffness in real time.
A research hub for new technologies that would define future automotive engineering, including drive- by-wire steering, four-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, and experimental tire designs. Engineers could directly modify suspension parameters from a laptop - a remarkable and revolutionary concept at the time.

Further background on Lotus Engineering

Through Lotus Engineering, the company’s world-class innovation hub and consultancy service, Lotus has consistently challenged convention and redefined what’s possible in design and technology. From its origins in motorsport to today’s digital solutions and new approaches to manufacturing, Lotus Engineering has grown into a global leader whose expertise extends far beyond the car industry. Its work in materials, sustainability, aerodynamics, and digital engineering has shaped products and techniques worldwide.

About Lotus

Lotus is a global luxury technology brand built on solid foundations and a rich heritage. Since the formation of Lotus in 1948, it has been pioneering true innovation, introducing cutting-edge technologies and designs to meet its uncompromising vision of how a car should look, perform and feel. It is made up of a high-performance sports car operations unit, Lotus Cars, and a leading luxury mobility provider, Lotus Technology. Together, we are setting a new standard for automotive excellence.

Media

globalcomms@eu.lotuscars.com

For Lotus Cars social media please follow:
https://www.facebook.com/LotusCars
https://x.com/lotuscars
https://www.instagram.com/lotuscars
https://www.youtube.com/grouplotus
https://www.linkedin.com/company/group-lotus