Ongoing issues with Lotus production have slowed the progress of appointing a local distributor.
Last year Driven visited the British manufacturer as Australian Lotus agent Ateco prepared to launch the brand officially for the first time here.
But, when DRB Hicom took a solid stake in Malaysian owner Proton earlierthis year, CEO Danny Bahar's vision of "new era Lotus" took a hit while its plans were analysed and production halted.
Bahar had revealed a string of upcoming new models on an ambitious schedule through to 2017. It included an Elise, a stroppy Esprit aimed squarely at Ferrari's 458, an Elan and even a wee city car.
The production line, which includes building Tesla's all-electric Roadster, is again in full swing. Kiwis wanting to get their hands on one will have to wait even longer.
"It's happening more slowly than expected, with everything that's going on with the parent company at the moment. We've got over 100 orders for Lotuses in Australia - so it's pointless us opening another business in NZ and adding to that situation," Ateco's Edward Rowe told Driven this week.
"We don't expect to have full supply again until at least September."
