RE: Lotus boss Jean-Marc Gales: PH Meets

[Oddball RS]

Tuna said:

Oddball RS said:

And as for cylinder count I don't follow you? cylinder count is on the drop at all manufacturers as it rev limit, its 2014!, putting large capacity heavy lumps in a car is NOT the Lotus ethos. (Do you forget the new Alfa is a 4 pot?) Caterham V12 anyone? this is the existing Lotus market place - the new one died with Bahahahaha. And before you come back with a reply yes I have, and I have owned three since 2000. They need to be light weight, dynamically sharp and pretty at a reasonable price. That way the -ve points can be forgiven. A supercharged V6 Elise is as out of date as a V8 AMG C Class - and evolutionary dead end (that is not my opinion or wish on either count but it is still true).

I'm really just saying that there is a lot of talk on here of improving sales by going for different engines - but there's no magic power plant that will guarantee sales, so it's not worth the cost and complexity of changing that before they address other more significant issues. Whilst people will point to an engine as something that puts them off a particular car, the right package will sell regardless of what powers it.

You're right that the industry is moving towards fewer cylinders with forced induction - but I'm under the impression that's due to emissions legislation rather than customer demand. You say that a V6 Elise is out of date, but the V6 Exige outsells the 4 pot Elise in the current line up, so where does that leave us?

With the core of the problem, the 4 pot Elise is not 'doing it' anymore. Its Neither one thing or the other.

[otolith]

Depending what has been negotiated about fleet average CO2 emissions it might leave Lotus needing to shift some 1.6 cars.

[anonymous-user]

Looks like VW has "out Lotused" Lotus!




This SHOULD be the new Exige^^^^^

[kambites]

I think the six figure price tag might cause slight problems if that was the new exige.

[anonymous-user]

kambites said:

I think the six figure price tag might cause slight problems if that was the new exige.

The, totally sold out, BMW i8 would suggest otherwise!

[Jellinek]

juansolo said:

IMO, what I've said before, plus a price tag of £60-70k. Ginetta can sell a G60 for this money and that's a carbon monocoque car with a bought in V6 engine ...

Edited by juansolo on Monday 29th September 21:23

Not sure if its already been pointed out, but the Ginetta G60 is a boggo steel space-frame chassis with a pretty naff interior and I don't think it is selling at all. Lotus needs to be aiming a go-zillion miles ahead of Ginetta otherwise they should pack up and go home now.