Lotus To Be Offloaded by Proton?
Discussion
Dave Hedgehog said:
the elan was nice, the esprit too complicated and unreliable, the elise is just an ugly slow bathtub for hairdressers, the exige is about passable if your a midget and can actually get in one and the new stuff is silly money.
Spot on as far as i'm concerned...IMHO!!OlberJ said:
Aye cos that V8 Esprit flagship will go just nice with the R8 and the Gallardo and the 918...
Mental, the lot of ye.
i think we are assuming this would get dropped if vag get there paws on lotus. although saying that the R8 and gallardo are both 4wd and more GT than hardcore, so maybe there is room for a hardcore rwd sports carMental, the lot of ye.
vag cant really expand much more they have most bases covered, they dont have anything to compete with the hard core low cost enthusiast market / track day market and lotus could fit
otolith said:
I think the problem is rather that the aspects in which they are the best cars for the money are not particularly important to many of the buyers of sportscar shaped objects, and the compromises Lotus makes in order to excel in those aspects are unpalatable to said buyers.
As a fellow Elise owner, I think you are spot on.I dearly hope they prosper but the markets they are going for, price apart, are in my opinion not too bothered about the Lotus-ness.
But, what they have been doing hasn't been profitable for years so change was needed. Fascinating to see how it unfolds.
But my original post was prompted by an article I read on Bloomberg at a very quiet time of year for news...at the moment it's just the opinion of a a couple of blokes as to what could happen. I keeps being picked up and repeated, like PH have done, but it's still the same story getting rehashed at the moment with no new or real facts:
http://news.google.co.uk/news/more?q=lotus&hl=...
Edited by limpsfield on Tuesday 3rd January 20:13
Dave Hedgehog said:
vag cant really expand much more they have most bases covered, they dont have anything to compete with the hard core low cost enthusiast market / track day market and lotus could fit
Do you think a company the size of VAG will be bothered whatsoever with the concept of selling 800 specialist cars at a low price a year? New Elise, or release a special edition a1 s line with bluetooth on tick?Dave Hedgehog said:
i think we are assuming this would get dropped if vag get there paws on lotus. although saying that the R8 and gallardo are both 4wd and more GT than hardcore, so maybe there is room for a hardcore rwd sports car
vag cant really expand much more they have most bases covered, they dont have anything to compete with the hard core low cost enthusiast market / track day market and lotus could fit
You're in dreamland.vag cant really expand much more they have most bases covered, they dont have anything to compete with the hard core low cost enthusiast market / track day market and lotus could fit
That's not Lotus anymore.
If they go that backwards they are as good as dead and will dissolve into nothing in a few years. They need to bring out he Esprit and for it to be amazing. It's the only way they have any proper future.
Raitzi said:
We got the first lotus dealer here(Finland) couple years ago. Too little too late. Isn't lotus still selling ok in UK?
IIRC 278 cars were registered in UK from January to November. That includes all the factory cars for directors, test vehicles, cars for their European advisors nad VIPs et cetera. Those add up to roughly 50 cars. That means that only 230 cars are sold in the dealerships.Hedgerley said:
And as already mentioned, Bahar has brought a lot of very talented people into Lotus to deliver the plans, working alongside existing Lotus gurus such as Becker and Kershaw who retain key roles.
... and some have left. Roger Becker has retired. Caterham is building a development team for the new vehicle and this team is lead by Tony Shute of Elise fame. I wouldn't be surprised if other Ride & Handling gurus join Caterham in the future.OlberJ said:
You're in dreamland.
That's not Lotus anymore.
If they go that backwards they are as good as dead and will dissolve into nothing in a few years. They need to bring out he Esprit and for it to be amazing. It's the only way they have any proper future.
lotus stopped being lotus along time ago in my mindThat's not Lotus anymore.
If they go that backwards they are as good as dead and will dissolve into nothing in a few years. They need to bring out he Esprit and for it to be amazing. It's the only way they have any proper future.
there current business model does not work so something has to change, I am mearly putting forward a possibility, i know its weak but most of the alternatives will end up with lotus gone forever
i dont know how you return them to the haydays of chapman tbh, the guy was a genius
The analysts are quoted as saying that Lotus is not a good fit with Proton as they are in different regions and markets. I think this shows a US-style blinkered vision. Tata bought JLR to give it access to new markets, not just with technology but through understanding. BMW bought Land Rover before them to give them great 4WD technology and expertise in SUV. If Proton wants to grow into western markets, the expertise available at Lotus - both technical and in market knowledge (remembering the business includes a consultancy with lots of experience working with GM) - will be very useful. The problem is not the fit, it is wheather they should have a six model plan that makes them a potential financial black hole. And has anyone thought about the cost of strenghtening the dealer network so they can sell six models?
Strider said:
The analysts are quoted as saying that Lotus is not a good fit with Proton as they are in different regions and markets. I think this shows a US-style blinkered vision. Tata bought JLR to give it access to new markets, not just with technology but through understanding. BMW bought Land Rover before them to give them great 4WD technology and expertise in SUV.
The 'good fit with Proton' comment by the analysts confirmed to me that they're just city boys trying to talk up a deal. Asia is a hugely important market to Lotus (and any car manufacturer right now) - possibly more so than Europe, which is economically weak and struggling with an increasingly aged population. It's telling that the GTE was launched in the East first, and should bring some good money into Lotus in the next year.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff