Elise is A Design Standard

[Balance]

http://www.cosmicblobs.com/lotus/lotus_details.htm

[sandsmuseum]

Here is the original press release from Lotus. It suggests your kids could help design the next Lotus.

Other related news, the Lotus Design Group will not be producing a calendar this year as they do not have enough material that is not sensitive. Sad, I liked the last one...

Michael

From: PR@lotuscars.co.uk
Subject: Lotus Concept Car Contest Lets Kids' Creativity Flow
Date: September 16, 2005 10:17:17 AM PDT
To: PR@lotuscars.co.uk
Cc: PR@lotuscars.co.uk

Lotus Concept Car Contest
Lets Kids' Creativity Flow

Youngsters will use revolutionary Cosmic Blobs 3D graphics software to
create
the car of the future in contest judged by Lotus engineers and designers

PARIS, September 15, 2005 - Group Lotus plc, the UK-based sports car
manufacturer famous for the Elise and Exige, and Dassault Systèmes (NASDAQ:
DASTY; Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), the world leader in 3D and Product
Lifecycle Management solutions, today announced they will invite children to
try their hand at designing the next great automobile. Contestants in the
Cosmic Blobs "Blob Master" Design Competition won't use complicated high-end
computer-aided design (CAD) software to pursue their dreams, but rather
Cosmic Blobs®, the most powerful 3D graphics software ever invented for
kids.

Cosmic Blobs combines the simplicity of modeling clay and the hidden power
of advanced computer graphics design software to let young people easily
create beautiful and imaginative 3D designs. Equally educational and fun,
Cosmic Blobs has no text menus or dialog boxes and is ideal for shaping the
futuristic visions of aspiring car designers.

Finalists will be judged by actual Group Lotus engineers and designers,
renowned for their skill of blending beauty and performance, as seen in the
award-winning Lotus Elise, which weighs a mere 1,984 pounds and goes from
zero to 60 mph in under five seconds.

"Unlike the other arts, product design has not always been easy to nurture
at a young age," said Russell Carr, chief designer at Lotus. "Aspiring
painters have water colors, aspiring musicians have pianos, and aspiring
chefs have their kitchens. In the same way, Cosmic Blobs and Lotus for the
first time can move young designers away from pencil and paper to provide an
environment to realize their boldest ideas."

Contestants start with a digital model of a basic chassis and can push,
pull, stretch, bend, and color blob-like shapes to design their dream car.
The chassis model is available in the special Concept Car section of the
Cosmic Blobs Website at www.cosmicblobs.com/lotus
<http://www.cosmicblobs.com/lotus>.


Contest co-sponsors include Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL:Nasdaq) and ATI
Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:ATYT <http://apps.ati.com/ir/quote.asp>) (TSX:ATY
<http://apps.ati.com/ir/quote.asp>), the world leader in graphics
acceleration technology. Contest entries will be judged on their visual
style, uniqueness, originality and practicality as a concept car. Prize
packs include Apple iPods, graphics cards from ATI, Lotus branded
merchandise (including model cars) and Cosmic Blobs software.
"This contest helps our young customers make meaningful connections between
creativity and common sense and between pure esthetics and practicality,"
said Steven DeBenedictis, product manager for Cosmic Blobs. "Automobiles
reflect many combinations of style, appearance and functionality resulting
from the imagination of creative designers and the planning from skilled
engineers. The Blob Master Design Challenge is an opportunity for young
people to try their hand at bringing beauty and performance together in the
same way that Group Lotus engineers do every day."

The contest begins today and runs through Oct. 15. One winner will be chosen
from each of the three contest age ranges and be crowned an official Blob
Master. The age ranges for the contest are: 7-9, 10-13, and 14-18. Winning
designs will be revealed the week of Oct. 24. More information, including
contest rules and a trial version of Cosmic Blobs software, are online at
www.cosmicblobs.com/lotus.

About Group Lotus plc:
The main operating subsidiary of Group Lotus plc is Lotus Cars Ltd, which
has two operating divisions - Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering: Lotus
Engineering provides comprehensive and versatile consultancy services to
many of the world's OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, offering a full engineering
service from initial concept and project design through development to full
production prototype build. Lotus Cars builds and commercializes Lotus
sports cars, Elise and Exige, and manufactures the advanced composite front
and rear crash structures for the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish. For more
information about Group Lotus plc, Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering, visit
www.grouplotus.com.

About Dassault Systèmes
As world leader in 3D and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) solutions, the
Dassault Systèmes group brings value to more than 80,000 customers in 80
countries. A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systèmes
develops and markets PLM application software and services that support
industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of the entire life cycle of
products from conception to maintenance. Its offering includes integrated
PLM solutions for product development (CATIA®, DELMIA®, ENOVIA®, SMARTEAM®),
mainstream 3D design tools (SolidWorks®), and 3D components (Spatial/ACIS®).
Dassault Systèmes is listed on the Nasdaq (DASTY) and Euronext Paris
(#13065, DSY.PA) stock exchanges. For more information, visit
<http://www.3ds.com/>.

Cosmic Blobs is the result of sustained efforts to share the power of 3D
computer graphics with everyone, including children. The Cosmic Blobs team
is a dedicated group of programmers, mathematicians, artists, and
visionaries - all kids at heart. For more information, visit
www.cosmicblobs.com.

Cosmic Blobs is a registered trademark of SolidWorks Corporation in the U.S.


# # #

Group Lotus Press Contact:
Alastair Florance
+44 1953 608264
aflorance@lotuscars.co.uk
or, pr@lotuscars.co.uk


Cosmic Blobs/Dassault Systèmes Press Contact:
Christine Major
+1 603-559-5837
cmajor@beaupre.com

Frédérique Moureton
+33 1 40 99 68 80
frederique_moureton@ds-fr.com





__________________________________________________ _____

Lotus Engineering - Change the Rules
__________________________________________________ _____
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Unauthorised use, dissemination, forwarding, printing or copying of this e-mail and its contents is strictly prohibited.

Please note that neither Group Lotus plc nor the sender accepts any responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan the e-mail and attachments (if any).

Please note that in order to investigate unauthorised use and compliance with internal policies, incoming and outgoing communications may be monitored and intercepted by Group Lotus plc.

Postmaster at lotuscars.co.uk.

http://www.lotuscars.co.uk

http://www.lotuseng.com

http://www.lotussport.com

Group Lotus plc (company registration no. 606189)
Lotus Cars Ltd (company registration no. 895081)

Registered Offices: Hethel, Norwich, Norfolk, NR14 8EZ, England"

[shay2nak]

oh sh*t! Look at the prizes, there's a remote control Exige! I want one!! Where can we buy one of those?

[wallabyguy]

Here you go.......

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/st...catalogId=3801


It's even capable of 150 mph scale speed

[wallabyguy]

or even better...

http://www.lotuscarswebstore.co.uk/i...&productid=299

[shay2nak]

thanks! I found the Lotus webstore link right after I posted, but was disappointed to learn that it will cost 120 pounds total to send it to me in the US! And only available in yellow.

i don't think Argos.co.uk has shipping outside of England.