LONDON — Lotus Group has promoted Ben Payne to move of design following the dying of Peter Horbury at age 73 in June.

Payne was previously chief artistic officer at Lotus Know-how liable for the model’s Chinese language-built SUVs and sedans.

Primarily based in Coventry, central England, he most lately led the design growth staff for the Lotus Eletre giant SUV.

Payne joined Lotus proprietor Zhejiang Geely Holding in 2018, working on the firm’s Geely Design facility in Coventry, later renamed the Lotus Tech Inventive Centre (LTCC).

Payne will now additionally oversee all design for the Lotus model, together with its sports activities automobiles.

Payne labored carefully with Horbury, a much-admired determine within the business who held prime design positions at Ford and Volvo throughout his profession.

“Having labored extraordinarily carefully with Peter over the previous 5 years, it’s an honor to be taking over this new position, and I’m excited to additional elevate the model globally,” Payne mentioned in an announcement.

Payne has beforehand labored for Aston Martin, Bugatti and design consultancy Makkina.

Horbury was changed as Geely head of design by former Bentley design chief Stefan Sielaff in 2021, however regardless of promising to take a step again he stayed to assist information Lotus design following Geely’s takeover of the British sports-car model.

“I need to say the Lotus tasks that we have began, I’m going to seek out it arduous to allow them to go. They’re so thrilling,” Horbury instructed Automotive Information Europe in an interview in 2021.

Geely is overhauling Lotus to take it from being a distinct segment producer to world efficiency model by 2028, difficult the likes of Porsche.