Will Lotus cars make it to 2015?

[Scuffers]

bobo said:

scuffham, quick question as i'm not up on this but wasn't the move into F1 something for nothing, i.e the overall relative cost the co sweet fa ?

Well, it would have been SFA if they had just left 1malysia with the name, but god knows how much its cost in legal fees, then having to buy the name back off tony when they lost the court case.

In the mean time, genII have got the name for nothing, and at this rate, they will probably end up with group lotus for a song too.

[BibsTLF]

GL didn't have to buy the name back from Tony as Tony never bought it from David Hunt in the first place, nor do they race under the Team Lotus banner now.

[Scuffers]

BibsTLF said:

GL didn't have to buy the name back from Tony as Tony never bought it from David Hunt in the first place, nor do they race under the Team Lotus banner now.

so, just to be clear, Tony was never paid NOT to use Team Lotus this year then?

(as that flys in the face of some very public statements on all sides)

[marshalla]

BibsTLF said:

GL didn't have to buy the name back from Tony as Tony never bought it from David Hunt in the first place, nor do they race under the Team Lotus banner now.

I rather thought that TF bought the name (through buying the company) but the brand identity (trademarks) was revoked for non-use. As a result 1Malaysia could race as Team Lotus but would struggle to put anything resembling a Lotus brand on any of their products.

[BibsTLF]

The deal was never completed, TF didn't pay for it in the end and David still owns Team Lotus.

[Dodgey_Rog]

BibsTLF said:

The deal was never completed, TF didn't pay for it in the end and David still owns Team Lotus.

Wasn't there a case pending from David Hunt as he was put out that TF was using his 'Team Lotus' name without actually paying anything for it? Therefore, any leverage value it had, is subsequently zero now?

But then, one would have thought DH wouldn't have permitted the use without being paid in the first place?

[Scuffers]

and no money changed hand....

if only...

[WayneB]

Hmmmm, over two weeks since the new COO Mr.Farrakulah arrived and no press conference to outline his plans for the future of Group Lotus.

When MJK took over from Ogaard Neilsen, he immediately formulated a survival plan and addressed the public to calm fears of the companys demise.

This silence from the new guy sends the message that he is just there to keep an eye on the place till its either sold or bankrupted.

Also unhappy that the reprobates Rosato, Zimmerman et al still have jobs, they need to go If there is going to be a genuine turnaround.

Odd that Lotus have gone from a barrage of useless press releases to absolute silence..............

Edited by WayneB on Saturday 16th June 19:27

[V8 FOU]

One would guess that there is a lot of damage limitation and clearing up after the Bahar departure.
Word is that everything is back on track. The new Esprit WILL be produced. That is,however from a Lotus rep and a dealer......

Keeping quiet is probably not a bad idea really. No news is good news????!!!

[Scuffers]

likewise...

I would suspect the top priority is to sort out relation with the supply chain, so that they can actually make the cars people are waiting for...

I would also suggest we have had more than enough press releases from Lotus for the next 10 years already!

[dkturbo]

Bit off topic but as I started this thread I think I'm aloud. Dug out sales figures by month for Lotus since Bahar started. 2010 average 50 cars a month, 2011 average 20 a month, full chart is here: http://nitroaddiction.co.uk/ So in one year he crashed the sales by 60%. Nice one.

[bobo]

or perhaps... those sales coincided with the rags saying how the evora's gear change didn't work or the fit and finish wasn't up to scratch, bits falling off ? or that the car was over priced for what it was ? or perhaps the car was slower than its nearest rivals ?

too much common sense for a lotus thread ??? yes probably ...

dkturbo said:

Bit off topic but as I started this thread I think I'm aloud. Dug out sales figures by month for Lotus since Bahar started. 2010 average 50 cars a month, 2011 average 20 a month, full chart is here: http://nitroaddiction.co.uk/ So in one year he crashed the sales by 60%. Nice one.

[RYH64E]

bobo said:

or perhaps... those sales coincided with the rags saying how the evora's gear change didn't work or the fit and finish wasn't up to scratch, bits falling off ? or that the car was over priced for what it was ? or perhaps the car was slower than its nearest rivals ?

too much common sense for a lotus thread ??? yes probably ...

Hasn't the press been saying things like that for the last 30 years? Bits falling off was a criticism back in Chapman's day, and fit and finish have never been great.

[bobo]

CORRECT ! ... that might just be why the co has always historically run at a loss ....

by jove we might be onto something !!!!! ahhh then again probably not .... lol .

RYH64E said:

Hasn't the press been saying things like that for the last 30 years? Bits falling off was a criticism back in Chapman's day, and fit and finish have never been great.

[Captain Muppet]

bobo said:

or perhaps... those sales coincided with the rags saying how the evora's gear change didn't work or the fit and finish wasn't up to scratch, bits falling off ? or that the car was over priced for what it was ? or perhaps the car was slower than its nearest rivals ?

too much common sense for a lotus thread ??? yes probably ...

dkturbo said:

Bit off topic but as I started this thread I think I'm aloud. Dug out sales figures by month for Lotus since Bahar started. 2010 average 50 cars a month, 2011 average 20 a month, full chart is here: http://nitroaddiction.co.uk/ So in one year he crashed the sales by 60%. Nice one.

When did the 2ZZ that powered the fast Elises and all versions of the Exige and 211 stop being legal to sell in Europe? Was it the start of 2011?

Oh yes, that would be it.

dkturbo - you should do climate analysis, all sorts of unrelated data you could imagine links between. You know that CO2 emissions have been rising at the same rate as tampon sales? It's true. Bloody women.

[dkturbo]

Bits falling off....yea true, I mentioned somewhere else that I test drove a Lotus and the wing mirror fell off in my hand. Maybe old Dany just sank an alrady sinking ship!

DK Turbo

[Scuffers]

Lol!

There's some rubbish spouted here.....

[dkturbo]

Captain Muppet said:

dkturbo - you should do climate analysis, all sorts of unrelated data you could imagine links between. You know that CO2 emissions have been rising at the same rate as tampon sales? It's true. Bloody women.

Yes you could overlay all the data relating to all the comments in this thread. Thing is the red trendline would be exactly the same. Large car companies overcome these issues and problems every week in an effort to hit their market share, volume and profit objectives, no excuses. Lotus didn't, which culminated in sales dropping.

DK Turbo

Edited by dkturbo on Sunday 24th June 18:49

[bertie]

I'm not commenting on all the shenanigans...here's my prediction of the next 5 years.......

Eprit gets sorted and launched, others 5 models get forgotten.
Elise gets a real proper update.
Evora bobbles on a while being rather too expensive then gets replace by updated version styled like Elite.

What you reckon?

[crofty1984]

Captain Muppet said:

dkturbo - you should do climate analysis, all sorts of unrelated data you could imagine links between. You know that CO2 emissions have been rising at the same rate as tampon sales? It's true. Bloody women.

Pun intended? Urgh.