Talking Classics With Alex Alloro

Alex Alloro is the Lead Connectivity Engineer at Lotus Cars as well as a racing driver. We recently sat down with Alex to discuss his life and all things automotive.

This is how our conversation went:

You describe yourself as a petrol head, where did this love come from?

There must have been some glitch when my DNA sequence was created. It’s not something that was transmitted by my parents, but it has always been there, that undescriptive excitement for motor vehicles.

It must have come from when my mum used to take me to this park, where they had the coolest electric bikes and mini-F1 cars, with the classic livery such as the iconic red and white. I guess it must have also come from there.

You’re obviously heavily involved in the automotive industry with your job at Lotus. Could you tell us about your role?

I am responsible for overseeing the infotainment and connectivity systems on the Emira project. It is an incredibly exciting role as I am involved in every stage of the project, from design to production. My primary responsibility is to ensure that our systems meet customer and program demands while also adhering to legal regulations. This involves collaborating with various aspects of vehicle engineering, with designers, manufacturing, engineering, quality control and more.

As the system owner, it is essential for me to ensure that my colleagues have access to the most up-to-date information related to our system.

Lotus are moving towards more electric vehicles, do you believe this is the future of the automotive industry?

It is legally the future of the automotive industry, at least in Europe as we know with the petrol ban comes into force from 2035. Manufacturers must adapt to these regulations and massively invest in these technologies if they want a chance to survive in a competitive environment.

Do I believe in it? Yes, I think EVs have their share in the market, they are convenient, innovative and can be fun to drive. However, I do not believe in it as a unique solution, it is for me an irrational decision on many levels. I hope that other alternatives, such as synthetic fuels will prove to be a good enough alternative to face the current environmental challenges and also give us more choices. 

Why did you choose Lotus as a brand to work for? What do you enjoy the most?

Lotus has undoubtedly impacted the automotive and motorsport world with its innovations and successes. The brand emphasis on innovation and driving experience is what made me choose Lotus Sports Cars as a company to work for.

It is a great feeling to have the chance to work on such engaging products, inspired by a great legacy.  People around there are passionate which makes it a very motivating environment. 

The most thrilling aspect of my role is undoubtedly testing and validating the systems, especially at the vehicle level, witnessing the project come to life.

Could you tell us a little more about your racing and where this interest was sparked?

I think those little cars in the park are where it all started, and then came my time with racing video games which I loved. It’s always been a dream to become a racing driver but I always heard it could not be achieved if you are not starting go-karting at a young age, and I want to prove them wrong.

I started competitive go-karting in 2020 when I was 25 years old and have now worked my way up to race car in 2023. I currently race an MK Indy Cup200, which is a Lotus Seven inspired car powered by an Hayabusa engine. The Cup 200 is a very exciting multi-class championship, racing along with other prototypes, which makes it very competitive.

What is your greatest racing achievement and what is your next goal?

My greatest achievement at this time is making it to the grid with a car I entirely built myself in less than 3 months.  

Although I was disappointed with my first results,  someone reminded me that ‘’To finish first. You must first finish ‘’. It definitely was not an easy journey and making it to the track was the proof I never gave up on that grid. My next goal now is to reach the podium in 2024!

You have one tank of petrol left and can never drive again… what are you driving and where are you going?

Very difficult question, but it will probably be a Ferrari F40, driving between my home town on the French Riviera to the top of the Alps.

Enjoyed Talking Classics With Alex Alloro?

Take a look at the entire Talking Classics series for more interviews with other influential people.