Quote Originally Posted by Autocar.co.uk
A majority stake in Proton is to be sold to Volkswagen, according to Asian business reports, passing control not only of the Malaysian state-owned car-maker to VW, but also of British sports car-maker Lotus.

Autocar's sources suggest that VW is to take a 51 per cent stake in Proton, which it will confirm in an announcement to the press on February 8. Proton, in turn, has owned an 80 per cent stake of Group Lotus, the company within which Lotus Cars operates, since 1996. The sale would therefore leave Hethel's best-known brand firmly under the control of Wolfsburg from now on.

The sale of Proton has been mooted since the middle of last year. Various bidders have been linked with its acquisition, including General Motors and PSA Peugeot-Citroen.

The implications that the sale might have for Lotus will remain unclear until the sale is made public.
VAG's quest for total global domination shows no signs of abating. Let's hope that if the takeover goes through that VW leave Lotus farily autonomous and that they don't have to fall in line with the overall VAG marketing strategy. For example, the forthcoming Esprit could be seen to be in very close competition with the likes of the Audi R8, and also the 997 Carrera (don't forget Porsche have a big stake in VAG). I'd hate to think the Esprit could be somewhat neutered or even shelved altogether to fit VAG's business model. However, I'd certainly feel a lot happier with Lotus in VAG's hands than if it had gone to some of the other bidders, especially General Motors. It should afford Lotus some genuine long-term financial stability, something it hasn't had for a long time (if ever).