Fellow Motorist: Dan Balmer, regional director, Lotus Asia Pacific & Middle East

Dan Balmer, 47, oversees 19 Lotus markets including Dubai. We chat with the Briton at the Singapore launch of the Lotus Eletre.

How long have you been a motorist in Dubai?

Five years, from 2018 till now. 

What do you like about motoring in Dubai?

The open space and very wide road system. You don't have to drive very far, about half an hour to an hour, to get to desert nothingness, which looks like Star Wars land!

What do you dislike about motoring in Dubai?

You have to guess what the other drivers are gonna do, they're unpredictable. And they are aggressive drivers who drive very close to you, even tailgating. But you get used to it and become less angry about it. Just don't take it personally. 

What is your company car?

It will be an Eletre R in Kaimu Gray, delivery in Dubai early next year. We have to wait for our Eletre customers to collect their cars before I can, of course. In the meantime, I've been driving an Emira with 6-speed manual gearbox since December 2022.  

Is the Eletre more "Lotus" or more "luxurious"?

This is a hard question to answer! The Eletre is still genuinely a Lotus in the way it drives, but it now has much more luxury and technology than Lotus had in the past. i would say the Eletre is about 60 percent luxurious and 40 percent Lotus. 

Dan Balmer's first car was an Austin Metro, when he was a 17-year-old teenager.

Read More: Fellow Motorist: Andre Brand, general manager, Porsche Singapore

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