Lotus, makers of the famed F1 racing cars, are offering customers an experience that is sure to make buying a car more memorable and, well, intimate. It is offered subject to availability, due to unsurprisingly high demand. The experience, known as ‘Handmade in Hethel’, is self-explanatory, as Lotus cars are handmade in Hethel.

Lotus customers will have the opportunity to witness Lotus sports cars in the making at the company’s Hethel headquarters, which is also where they will excitedly receive their brand new vehicle straight from the factory. Customers may choose from two Delivery Experience options. ‘Option One: The Home of Lotus’ gives you an immersive tour of the factory where your car was hand-built, from chassis to all the finer details that bring the vehicle to life. It also includes a Classic Team Lotus Heritage Tour of a selection of the 50 Monoposto Team Lotus design types created from 1957 to 1990 – a treat likely to entice any Lotus fan.

To help you bond even more intimately with your new car, Lotus will present you with a personalised, premium-leather photo book ‘showing [your] car from the start of its production to its final quality sign-off, along with a framed image of the handover as a memento of the day’. As the day can be quite eventful, refreshments and lunch are also provided.

‘Option Two: The Ultimate Lotus Experience’ involves everything from the first option and includes add-ons such as an adrenaline-filled test drive on a Lotus track with three familiarisation laps in your spanking new car, alongside a Lotus instructor.  See how your ‘special baby’ came to life in Hethel: Option One: The Home of Lotus, priced at £840.00 for two people (customer and companion). Option Two: The Ultimate Lotus Experience, priced at £999.00