Lotus and Friends Launch the ‘US LOT sessions’ Podcast

Apr 23, 2020

Last year Lotus launched the US LOT Podcast as part of a drive to enhance internal communications across the company. Today, to keep in touch with performance car fans around the world affected by social distancing and self-isolation, the podcast is launched as a new public service broadcast from Lotus: welcome to the ‘US LOT Sessions’.

Season 1: Episode 1 is now available for download, with six more episodes to follow in the coming weeks. Each is hosted by Rob Borrett, Lotus PR Manager, in conversation with a special guest who has a strong connection to, or love of, Lotus.

Episode 1 was recorded at Hethel, UK – the home of Lotus since 1966 – at the end of last year and before the Covid-19 crisis. Rob is joined by Gavan Kershaw, Director of Attributes and Product Integrity for Lotus… but better known as the legendary test driver who has helped shape the performance of its cars for more than 30 years. He’s a motorsport champion, multiple winner of the Autocar Sideways Challenge and designer of the world-famous test track for TV show Top Gear.

The podcast starts in dramatic fashion, with Gavan explaining vehicle dynamics to Rob… at more than 120mph on Hethel’s iconic 2.2-mile circuit. In the coming six episodes, two a week on a Tuesday and Thursday, listeners can look forward to hearing from:

Ant Anstead: TV’s Wheeler Dealer and Master Mechanic reveals how a Lotus Elise saved his life
Magnus Walker: the legendary Sheffield-born ‘LA Urban Outlaw’ car collector shares stories of Lotus ownership
Matt Farah: the American automotive journalist and host of The Smoking Tire podcast chats about driving Lotus cars, including a road trip around California and going full throttle on some its best race circuits
Helen Stanley and Ant Partridge from TV show Goblin Works Garage: the presenting pair highlight which of the Lotus back catalogue they would modify and why
GF Williams: the London-based automotive photographer is best known for his hypercar images, but explains why his Lotus Exige has its own social media following
Alex Goy: the British automotive journalist and Lotus owner tells of a recent trip to Australia, where he took on the famous Mount Panorama circuit – home of the Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race – in a Lotus.

US LOT is the title of the multi-platform internal communications channel which Lotus uses to keep its employees up to date with company news. As well as the podcast, it includes a twice-a-year magazine, an intranet hub and internal TV channel shared across Lotus’ global locations. The title is derived from the company name: Lotus founder Colin Chapman referred to his earliest employees as ‘us lot’ and as a term of affection it has grown to encompass not just the staff, but customers, retailers, fans and the extended Lotus family around the world. Adding to the legend, it has been suggested that Colin rearranged the letters to name his company Lotus. With the Gavan Kershaw interview already completed but the Hethel site closed from 24 March 2020 following UK Government guidance, Rob recorded the remainder of Season 1 in his home garage during the following week. He commented: “With exciting new products such as the Evija all-electric hypercar on the way, Lotus is on an amazing journey. But as a Communications team we’re severely restricted in telling that story at the moment. So I thought we should expand the US LOT podcast platform that we launched last year for our employees, and so the US LOT Sessions was born.” Raiding the pages of his contacts book, Rob quickly pulled together an eclectic mix of Lotus owners, fans, collectors and people from the media world who have declared their love and respect for the brand’s storied past, thrilling present and exciting future. Rob continued: “A massive thank you to Season 1’s guests, who very quickly and very graciously replied to my call in these challenging times. Each has many fascinating stories to tell and it was an honour to hear them. I really hope everyone enjoys these interviews and Season 2 is already work in progress.” The US LOT Sessions podcast is available to download at the following links: iTunes | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher