Somehow, someway, Bob Lutz just can't escape the headlines, can he?

According to Autonews, the recently-retired former GM Vice Chairman is being coaxed back into the field by Lotus->ke49 Cars, who have shown great interest in tagging Lutz and former Rolls Royce->ke74 CEO Tom Purves to serve as advisors for the company as they seek to spike up sales of Lotus cars from about 2,500 units in 2009 to somewhere north of 8,000 by 2015.

There's no official confirmation yet on whether Lutz and Purves have formally accepted the offer by Lotus, but from what we've gathered, it looks like both have so far been receptive to the overtures by the Malaysian-owned, British sportscar maker.

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"The goal is to make a contribution to projects of the future - improving the quality, the product offerings and the operations of the company," Purves said in a recent phone interview. "It's exciting, and there is no question it is a great brand and has a good future."

The move to tap into two of the biggest names in the auto industry is further proof that Lotus is moving full steam ahead with its brand overhaul. Lotus CEO Dany Bahar made it poignantly clear that Lotus is moving into a different track, away from the fast and lightweight segment and straight into the elite sportscar market where it is expected to take on the Ferraris->ke252 and Lamborghinis->ke44 of the world.

Moving into a market that clearly has no history is a daunting task for Lotus, to say the least. But if they manage to convince Lutz and Purves to join the fold, you can automatically pinch it as an early coup for the ambitious sportscar makers.