GROUP Lotus yesterday upped the stakes in the conflict over the Lotus brand when it announced a surprise entry into the US-based Indy Car series as engine suppliers from 2012.
While there has been speculation that Group Lotus was set to announce its purchase of a 25 per cent stake in the Renault F1 team, spreading its wings further into motorsport has come as surprise news.
Group Lotus, owned by national car company Proton, has the rights to the Lotus road car brand, but there is an ongoing legal dispute over ownership of the famous name in motor sports.
As well as Group Lotus, the rights to the Team Lotus motor sport brand is claimed by AirAsia entrepreneur Datuk Seri Dr Tony Fernandes, who runs the Lotus Racing team that competes in Formula One.
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Thursday's announcement ups the stakes in the legal dispute, with Group Lotus now involved in what is touted as a major rival in open- wheel racing to F1 - Indy Car.
Group Lotus is also moving into GP2 - a feeder series to F1 - and is reportedly in the midst of sealing the purchase of the stake in the French-owned RenaultF1 team.
Lotus will join Honda and Chevrolet as an engine manufacturer when IndyCar unveils its new car design in 2012.
The England-based company will also produce aerodynamic kits for KV Racing Technology.
Engine specifics and the number of cars Lotus will produce engines for was not immediately available, although wire reports also suggested that the Lotus engines supplied will be manufactured by Cosworth.
"It's very important for us to set up the foundation that allows us to succeed," IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said. "We've listened to what's important."
Lotus is well-versed in racing and has ties to the series.
The company served as a sponsor for the No 5 car driven by Takuma Sato this season, and driver Jim Clark used a Lotus chassis when he won the 1965 Indy 500.
Lotus will provide both engine and aerodynamic kits for KV.
"We take racing seriously and we don't just want to put a sticker on a car that we didn't have the influence to help build," Group Lotus chief executive officer Dany Bahar said. "We want to compete with the big guys."
Lotus just beat the Nov 16 cutoff to get on board for the 2012 season.
Bernard admitted the engine package was a surprise development.
"We never felt it was going to be an engine up until a couple of weeks ago," he said.
"They didn't feel they were going to be able to get it."
Honda had been the sole provider of engines and Dallara the chassis, but IndyCar's new ICONIC committee voted earlier this year to open both platforms up to competition.
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