RE: Geneva 2012: Lotus Exige Roadster
Discussion
For all those confused about whether this car does or doesn't look like an Exige, whether it should have been called an Elise instead or confusion over the hard\soft top, I would suggest not going there! I dared to suggest it didn't look very "Exige like" to me either in the other thread about this car but I was promptly told I was wrong and needed my eyesight checking by the Lotus fanboys. 
At any rate this car should still be an absolutely cracking drive and it has a removal roof to boot. £50k isn't too bad for what you get either. I could well see myself in one of these in a couple of years although I'd have to have spec the spoiler and louder colour to make it look more Exige like.
At any rate this car should still be an absolutely cracking drive and it has a removal roof to boot. £50k isn't too bad for what you get either. I could well see myself in one of these in a couple of years although I'd have to have spec the spoiler and louder colour to make it look more Exige like.
Developing a completely new car for a small scale manufacturer is a big ask these days (as Lotus might come to realise soon). Expanding the range to cover a wider market by developing existing platforms makes total sense to me.
Having owned a VX220 and an Elise 190 Sport I think a litle more comfort (or should I say less discomfort) could turn a weekend toy into something altogether more usable. With reletively low weight, a tried and tested power plant and a sub £50k price point, ticks all the boxes for me - whatever they call it!
Now where is the end of the queue?
Having owned a VX220 and an Elise 190 Sport I think a litle more comfort (or should I say less discomfort) could turn a weekend toy into something altogether more usable. With reletively low weight, a tried and tested power plant and a sub £50k price point, ticks all the boxes for me - whatever they call it!
Now where is the end of the queue?
Top speed reduced due to soft top. For those with no eyes, also notice the roadster does not have the front and rear aero components and is more smoothed over to suit a less hardcore vibe.
To previous poster scaremongering about 2 day working etc. There is no mystery here, it is part of the corporate regime in Malaysia that there is a 60 day review period after an acquisition (of parent company Proton) during which certain funds are frozen pending conclusion of the deal. What this means for Lotus is that for 60 days there is a pause in funding coming in, hence the reduced working over that period. The funds are already committed, are not at risk and will be delivered once this 60 period has elapsed. Pain in the bum but nothing suspicious.
To previous poster scaremongering about 2 day working etc. There is no mystery here, it is part of the corporate regime in Malaysia that there is a 60 day review period after an acquisition (of parent company Proton) during which certain funds are frozen pending conclusion of the deal. What this means for Lotus is that for 60 days there is a pause in funding coming in, hence the reduced working over that period. The funds are already committed, are not at risk and will be delivered once this 60 period has elapsed. Pain in the bum but nothing suspicious.
Guvernator said:
For all those confused about whether this car does or doesn't look like an Exige, whether it should have been called an Elise instead or confusion over the hard\soft top, I would suggest not going there! I dared to suggest it didn't look very "Exige like" to me either in the other thread about this car but I was promptly told I was wrong and needed my eyesight checking by the Lotus fanboys.
To be fair, you objected to the use of the Exige name for the convertible version of the Exige, and I said "I find the objections difficult to understand because of their belming idiocy". I didn't say you needed you eyes checking What I love (and hate) about PH is that even if someone wrote a post that we all agreed on we'd still fight to the death about the font being wrong. I don't think anyone has objected to being offered a 350bhp 1100kg Lotus, all of the grief has been over two of the five letters in it's name.
Who cares what it's called - this looks like the car the market has been waiting for.
2-day working? I don't buy that "usual in Malaysia" stuff for one minute. If you can sell your products you keep a factory running. If Lotus could sell its products it wouldn't be having to scramble this car out in the first place.
I don't recall a "convertible V6 Exige" being in Bahar's fancy plans when he announced his new 5 model range! Kimberley and Bahar both failed to see where the market was. I believe this is the right car for Lotus and hope it does very well for them, even if it's a parts bin special. Original Elise was scrambled together in similar fashion and saved the company in the 1990s. Business as usual.
2-day working? I don't buy that "usual in Malaysia" stuff for one minute. If you can sell your products you keep a factory running. If Lotus could sell its products it wouldn't be having to scramble this car out in the first place.
I don't recall a "convertible V6 Exige" being in Bahar's fancy plans when he announced his new 5 model range! Kimberley and Bahar both failed to see where the market was. I believe this is the right car for Lotus and hope it does very well for them, even if it's a parts bin special. Original Elise was scrambled together in similar fashion and saved the company in the 1990s. Business as usual.
sa_20v said:
So they've removed the previously removable roof and called it a Roadster. I love these marketing guys, perhaps they'll take off a wheel next and call it the Exige Three-Wheeler?
Didn't previous Exige have a fixed roof? (Only roofless S2 Exiges I have seen have been approached with a spanner set).KP
KP said:
Didn't previous Exige have a fixed roof?
You have to bear in mind this car has been rushed into the system due to failure of the Evora and in the great Bahar 2010 pipe-dream he's already announced a new Elise somewhere out in the future. So they had to re-allocate a redundant name like Exige in double-quick time!!Ozzie Osmond said:
KP said:
Didn't previous Exige have a fixed roof?
You have to bear in mind this car has been rushed into the system due to failure of the Evora and in the great Bahar 2010 pipe-dream he's already announced a new Elise somewhere out in the future. So they had to re-allocate a redundant name like Exige in double-quick time!!It seems like this is evolving into that 'new Elise' they were on about. It's the most positive development for the Elise in years (compare this to the umpteen 'special editions'), and to be honest if they're persevering with this platform, they're staying closer to Lotus' roots than people have previously thought. I know there's been talk of aluminium bodywork but I don't think the Elise/Exige platform will really change, although they might gradually evolve the styling to look like last year's concept.
As for the Evora - well on paper the new Elan seemed to be the Evora with a different bodyshell. Given the new front-end treatment it seems they're working towards evolving the Evora into the Elan, and I've no doubt a racing programme (already going fairly well) plus race-inspired road cars will get them some success.
I was on the stand yesterday and asked one of the engineers about the new generation of models. It seems they're focusing solely on the Esprit. The engine and transmission are finalised, the chassis will be based on the VVA architecture of the Evora, and the car will apparently be ready by this time next year.
Only problem is, I'm pretty sure they said that last year.
I love this, something about the body looks very different to the standard S3 Elise (which I wasn't keen on), and the spoilerless look really works for me; whereas previous Exiges have always looked cool but not quite ticked my boxes. However I suppose I am an irrelevance because a) I'm not buying new sports cars and b) am 6 ft 5.
Captain Muppet said:
I don't think anyone has objected to being offered a 350bhp 1100kg Lotus, all of the grief has been over two of the five letters in it's name.
Absolutely, I think it's a cracking offering. My concern though wasn't really to do with what it was called but that Lotus just might be diluting the ethos of the original Exige somewhat.
I genuinely think this is my car of the show. Looks absolutely stunning, ballistic performance, will handle like a Lotus should, will have a scintillating supercharged V6 soundtrack and has a proper interior to boot.
I'll take mine in this blue, with a slightly less tan interior (black dash, steering column and wheel, door tops etc) and some anthracite alloys.
The rumoured £55k price tag is the icing on the cake.
I'll take mine in this blue, with a slightly less tan interior (black dash, steering column and wheel, door tops etc) and some anthracite alloys.
The rumoured £55k price tag is the icing on the cake.
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