Will Lotus cars make it to 2015?

Will Lotus cars make it to 2015?

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bertie

8,545 posts

283 months

Wednesday 16th January 2013
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I remember looking to test an NSX with a view to buying a new one back in the day.

I called the local NSX dealer, who were in Birmingham, an hour away, to arrange a test drive.
They told me they didn't have a demo car and didn't do test drives but that they'd happily take an order with a £5k non refundable deposit.

I told them I'd be ok and went and bought a Ferrari 355 from Graypaul who couldn't have been more helpful.

I don't think Honda were really serious in the UK with the NSX.

purpleperil

1,212 posts

283 months

Wednesday 16th January 2013
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bertie said:
I remember looking to test an NSX with a view to buying a new one back in the day.

I called the local NSX dealer, who were in Birmingham, an hour away, to arrange a test drive.
They told me they didn't have a demo car and didn't do test drives but that they'd happily take an order with a £5k non refundable deposit.

I told them I'd be ok and went and bought a Ferrari 355 from Graypaul who couldn't have been more helpful.

I don't think Honda were really serious in the UK with the NSX.
Funnily enough I had a very similar experience with the Lotus dealer in Leicester a few years ago. Left my TVR on the forecourt and went in to enquire about buying a new Elise - the sales guy didn't even want to entertain me unless I was prepared to put down a deposit first. Quite frankly his attitude beggared belief and I promptly turned around and went and bought another TVR from TMS in Melton.

Tuna

19,930 posts

283 months

Thursday 17th January 2013
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purpleperil said:
Funnily enough I had a very similar experience with the Lotus dealer in Leicester a few years ago. Left my TVR on the forecourt and went in to enquire about buying a new Elise - the sales guy didn't even want to entertain me unless I was prepared to put down a deposit first. Quite frankly his attitude beggared belief and I promptly turned around and went and bought another TVR from TMS in Melton.
Conversely, when I walked into the Lotus dealer in jeans and a t-shirt (no sports car parked in the front to establish my credentials), they threw me the keys of their demonstrator and told me to bring it back in an hour. That was back in the day when the only people driving their cars were real petrolheads and they were on the verge of bankruptcy. How things have changed.

Dodgey_Rog

1,986 posts

259 months

Thursday 17th January 2013
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Tuna said:
purpleperil said:
Funnily enough I had a very similar experience with the Lotus dealer in Leicester a few years ago. Left my TVR on the forecourt and went in to enquire about buying a new Elise - the sales guy didn't even want to entertain me unless I was prepared to put down a deposit first. Quite frankly his attitude beggared belief and I promptly turned around and went and bought another TVR from TMS in Melton.
Conversely, when I walked into the Lotus dealer in jeans and a t-shirt (no sports car parked in the front to establish my credentials), they threw me the keys of their demonstrator and told me to bring it back in an hour. That was back in the day when the only people driving their cars were real petrolheads and they were on the verge of bankruptcy. How things have changed.
I remember back in the 80's, the old man lending his Esprit Turbo to customers for weekends, hence why he was the one of the best selling Lotus dealers in the country at the time. It meant we got to ride in some interesting cars in exchange....

Scuffers

20,887 posts

273 months

Thursday 17th January 2013
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purpleperil said:
Funnily enough I had a very similar experience with the Lotus dealer in Leicester a few years ago. Left my TVR on the forecourt and went in to enquire about buying a new Elise - the sales guy didn't even want to entertain me unless I was prepared to put down a deposit first. Quite frankly his attitude beggared belief and I promptly turned around and went and bought another TVR from TMS in Melton.
years gone by, Leicester (Storm) was usually in the top two highest volume dealer for Lotus, at the time, they were a dream to deal with (I brought 5 Elise's from them as well as countless Jeeps etc).

then they got brought, then brought again, (Pendragon?) all went down hill from there, all the 'good' staff went, place is a joke now.

Thorburn

2,398 posts

192 months

Thursday 17th January 2013
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Good dealers can make all the difference - the best have real knowledge and enthusiasm about the brand where as others just don't seem to give a crap. Half the time when I went to Dick Lovett in Swindon I ended up in the Ferrari/Maserati showroom because the Lotus one was locked and they'd give comedy prices on parts and servicing - wanted £350 for a soft-top refurb and when I asked about an A-service they said it wasn't worth them quoting and to go somewhere else. getmecoat

Same applies to all marques though - test drove a pre-reg Fiesta ST at a Ford main dealer before I got my Elise and the salesman didn't know the insurance group or tax band, and told me it had the 2.5l Turbo engine from the Focus ST. When I said I was a cash buyer and not interested in finance, gap insurance, paint protection, etc, he made it pretty clear he didn't want to sell the car to me as he wasn't going to make any commission off of it.

otolith

55,794 posts

203 months

Thursday 17th January 2013
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Thorburn said:
Good dealers can make all the difference - the best have real knowledge and enthusiasm about the brand where as others just don't seem to give a crap. Half the time when I went to Dick Lovett in Swindon I ended up in the Ferrari/Maserati showroom because the Lotus one was locked and they'd give comedy prices on parts and servicing - wanted £350 for a soft-top refurb and when I asked about an A-service they said it wasn't worth them quoting and to go
I had some warranty work done there, but their quote for a routine service was about twice what Simon at BK quoted.

scampbird

265 posts

281 months

Thursday 17th January 2013
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bertie said:
I don't think Honda were really serious in the UK with the NSX.
Let's put it this way - the NSX Honda UK decided to keep as its "show car" is a 3.0 auto. Absolutely the worst variant they could have chosen to show the car off to future journos.

bertie

8,545 posts

283 months

Thursday 17th January 2013
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scampbird said:
bertie said:
I don't think Honda were really serious in the UK with the NSX.
Let's put it this way - the NSX Honda UK decided to keep as its "show car" is a 3.0 auto. Absolutely the worst variant they could have chosen to show the car off to future journos.
Teriffic work there by Honda UK!!

The Pits

4,289 posts

239 months

Thursday 17th January 2013
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Scuffers said:
paradoxically, that's exactly what's wrong with it (compared to the Elise/Exige).

since when is Lotus ownership about practicality?
Scuffers you might not realise it but you appear to be in total agreement with me.

I'd seek immediate medical advice!

eek

Dblue

3,251 posts

199 months

Thursday 17th January 2013
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The Pits said:
You really think an NSX looks bland next to a 1990 Porsche 911?

Can't really argue with it if you do but that's not how I remember it in 1990 at all.

The point was merely to illustrate that it is not as simple as making a car better for less money.

People aren't objective about expensive cars, nor should they be. Fast, expensive cars are objectively pointless. Lotus need to appeal on a more emotional level. The Evora is objectively better than an Exige, it's more practical, easier to get in and out of, it's more rigid, more technically advanced and more expensive to make. All it really lacks the Exige's hardcore, quasi-racer appeal. Look which one everyone wants.
That is a very fine summation of the problem.
And I have to agree re the NSX which at the time seemed to be a very glamorous thing indeed. No point second guessing it from the present day in the light of huge horsepower and willy waving we see nowadays.

I would also suggest that Lotus for the reasons you listed above remain a pretty impressive brand. But they desperately need proper high end dealers and some stability.


Thorburn

2,398 posts

192 months

Friday 18th January 2013
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scampbird said:
Let's put it this way - the NSX Honda UK decided to keep as its "show car" is a 3.0 auto. Absolutely the worst variant they could have chosen to show the car off to future journos.
Genius move - now when they bring out the new one all the journalists will compare it to a 3.0 Auto original and it'll seem fantastic.

Andyk44

29 posts

135 months

Sunday 27th January 2013
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Is it me or does the new 2015 NSX in the photo below look alot like what was to be our future Esprit?


marshalla

15,902 posts

200 months

Sunday 27th January 2013
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Andyk44 said:
Is it me or does the new 2015 NSX in the photo below look alot like what was to be our future Esprit?
Probably, but most of the current stylists/designers seem to have been taught from the same textbooks and had the originality beaten out of them.

Stelvio1

1,153 posts

226 months

Wednesday 30th January 2013
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Was down at Hethel last week, good to see cars being built - can't wait for my new Exige, although not yet got a delivery date smile

The quality is really first class on the cars I viewed

scary

104 posts

235 months

Wednesday 30th January 2013
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Dipping a nervous toe in here, what seems to be the problem from outside, is that a certain type of person loves a Lotus. And that person hasn't so much money. So when a new Lotus is £30k, but does 0-60 in 6, those people are going to spend less money on a second hand Lotus, or an MX5.

Meanwhile at the other end, the sheep, will always drive mercs, audies etc. Speaking as a 40 year old woman, most of my middle aged contemporaries decide they'd like a sports car, they go for something 'safe' and they buy a Merc. They're mental but nothing I say and no amount of lending them my car shows them sense (I've driven a Lotus for 11 years).

At the moment, to me, it looks like Lotus is stuck between two markets, its entry-level cars are priced beyond the reach of the petrolheads who love them and its premium cars are aimed at the kinds of people who will only ever buy a merc. The Lotusaholics who grow up, who used to drive esprits are driving exiges.

The way out, I guess, might be to make a cheaper elise and not to worry if it's a bit of a beast - like the early ones - and save the velvet glove stuff for the more expensive cars. I'm not saying I don't love the 'civilised' aspect of my 1.6 (don't laugh at me, I like it) but I'd have been happy to settle for less damping at 25k.

Perhaps they need to educate people about the slight product shift there has been, normal people I mean, not petrol heads, or accept defeat and return to their old market.

Not sure if that makes any sense, I've had rather a lot of rioja.

I am aware I could well be talking complete bks and worse, repeating something said earlier on the thread, I've read a lot of it but not all, but basically the problem seems to be a product shift, without addressing the new market.

Edited by scary on Wednesday 30th January 23:07


Edited by scary on Wednesday 30th January 23:07

otolith

55,794 posts

203 months

Thursday 31st January 2013
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I think ultimately a Lotus is a niche product, and niche products are seldom cheap to make. If you can't afford that, you have to compromise and have something more like what Mr Average wants.

Thorburn

2,398 posts

192 months

Thursday 31st January 2013
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Went up to Hethel yesterday to take a look at the production line and chat with a few people about how things are going. I've written up a short piece on the over on SELOC and have some pictures online as well.

Article: http://www.seloc.org/articles/guides/on-the-line-w...
Photo Gallery: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.473508672...

Graeme and Jamie were both very straight talking with any questions asked - if they weren't being honest with us then I sure as hell wouldn't want to play poker with either of them! Also a big thank you to both of them and James Haskey for the opportunity to take a look around and a rare chance to get some photos on the production line.