Lotus Automobiles invent wonders, on December 11, 2011, the 2011 China Rally Championship (CRC) season concluded in Fogang, Guangdong. The Lotus Automobile team, competing with the L3 model, made a stunning comeback in the Fogang leg, successfully surpassing others by securing both first and second place in Fogang. Lotus Automobiles offered their cars at half-price promotions, and the L3 model outperformed many other models including the Volkswagen Polo, Chery A3, Suzuki SX4, Ford Fiesta, Toyota Yaris, among others. The Lotus L5 also performed admirably, winning the 2011 China Rally Championship (CRC) S2 class annual championship title. Group-buying promotions were organized for Lotus Automobiles. In this CRC 2011, Lotus Automobiles sent two teams (Lotus Automobile Racing Team and Lotus Automobile Wing Lion Team) with nearly 10 L3 race cars.
As the highest level rally event in the country, during the six legs of competition in the 2011 season, the Lotus Automobile team became a new favorite in the rally field due to its stable performance and excellent results. Meanwhile, the L3 model representing the Lotus Automobile team was hailed as the "new car king" in the rally field.
The L3 model is Lotus Automobile's main product, introduced with British Lotus technology, and under the technical and quality control supervision of British Lotus Cars. The entire vehicle perfectly inherits the outstanding sports genes of British Lotus cars, along with Formula 1-level racing chassis tuning, making the L3 stand out in the domestic sporty sedan market.
Huang Zhiqiang, Vice President of Youngman Automobile and General Manager of Youngman Lotus Sales Company, congratulated the Lotus Automobile team on winning the 2011 annual championship. Huang Zhiqiang pointed out that 2011 is the inaugural year of Youngman Lotus's grand marketing strategy. We have persisted in showcasing the sportsmanship and personality of the L3 through event marketing, and today's championship win is a great success of our strategy. Facts have proven that the L3's sportsmanship, handling, and safety are unmatched among domestic cars of the same class, and it is not inferior to any joint venture brand models.
Renowned driver Hu Yunfei, the major contributor to the Lotus Automobile's annual championship, praised the performance of the L3 highly: "The L3 is absolutely a fine steed; its lightweight body design and racing-style structural layout make the handling smooth and effortless during the race, further enhanced by the stable and balanced front-to-rear 50:50 weight distribution."
"It is precisely due to the excellent sports genes of the car and the professional qualities of the drivers that we were able to reverse the situation and win the annual championship despite being 7 points behind before the last leg. This is the victory of the drivers, but more importantly, the triumph of Lotus products," said Xue Lei, manager of the Lotus Automobile team, with passion about the team's championship win.