##Lotus--right##Lotus dealers have been depending on the Elise to attract new customers - and there is still a wait list for the car. But now there is the prospect of the M250, a mid-priced supercar which takes the Elise formula and turns it into slightly more practical transport. The car has been shown at Frankfurt and London, but will not go on sale till later this year – hence the volume increase planned for 2001. About 3,000 cars a year will be built and the launch of the M250 demonstrates how Lotus has used Proton cash to develop successful low volume production capability. Never likely to be a stand alone franchise, but a useful addition to an enthusiast portfolio, the lotus brand is now looking a more serious business proposition.