RE: Lotus - Geneva 2015

RE: Lotus - Geneva 2015

Author
Discussion

otolith

56,193 posts

205 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
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Jellinek said:
particulary references to the 400 being a "true supercar" when everyone knows it is a Cayman competitor.
It's clearly not a supercar, but I think that reflects more on the hyping of the Cayman - the Evora doesn't get compared to the Cayman's real class competitors - the Z4, TT, SLK.

moribund

4,033 posts

215 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
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Managed to sit in the Evora 400 on the Lotus stand at Geneva today. Very comfortable and seems like a decent new layout on the dash. Just wanted to drive it straight away, which wasn't true of every other car I sat in...

The looks were striking and seemed to hold their own with plenty of interest despite being opposite the McLaren stand. It looked good in the flesh although some aspects wre perhaps a touch heavy handed for my taste.

Had a good chat with a guy on the stands and found out that the car is very much a prototype which was finished only a few days ago. The switches on the dash for instance are not real, they're simply there to show the layout. He thought production would be Q4 this year.

Dr Jezz

54 posts

120 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
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SidewaysSi said:
If they can get some preferable lease deals that should help too I would have thought? Surely with the cars' minimal depreciation, that should be relatively simple? As long as they managed supply/demand etc.

An Evora for less than an AMG or little more than a Golf R should work.
Given the recent lease deals on the Golf R (which disappeared pretty quickly), that would take some doing.

DonkeyApple

55,400 posts

170 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
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Claudia Skies said:
DonkeyApple said:
Some marketing can be very cheap. Having the cars seen in London in the right places at the right time, driven by the right people is cheap.
Have you been to the Lotus store on Regent St? They don't bother to show their cars amongst the piles of union jack cushions and other over-priced tat.
In afraid not, it's a long time since I was a teenager.

Given that the only people on Regent St are kids and tourists then it seems the right place to be to get a brand pushed out using the Chinese tat model though. So long as it is revenue positive as their are cheaper ways than leasing ABC frontage in W1.

Do we know whether it is an entity owned by Lotus cars or one of the London branding units that operates their own business selling licensed products? That would be interesting to know as these ventures aren't usually run by the lnt and themselves.

Jellinek

274 posts

276 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all
DonkeyApple said:
Do we know whether it is an entity owned by Lotus cars or one of the London branding units that operates their own business selling licensed products? That would be interesting to know as these ventures aren't usually run by the lnt and themselves.
Lotus are currently recruiting for a Store Manager at the Regent Street site, so I assume its a wholly owned Proton venture. Perhaps they could start selling Proton merchandise also? I mean, surely the two brands will sit seamlessly together on the shelves just as they will in the showroom Mr Gales....

Fastpedeller

3,875 posts

147 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all
Jellinek said:
Lotus are currently recruiting for a Store Manager at the Regent Street site, so I assume its a wholly owned Proton venture. Perhaps they could start selling Proton merchandise also? I mean, surely the two brands will sit seamlessly together on the shelves just as they will in the showroom Mr Gales....
Why should Proton be involved? lotus is owned by DRB Hicom, only Proton connection is that they are both Malaysian isn't it?

Europa1

10,923 posts

189 months

Monday 9th March 2015
quotequote all
Fastpedeller said:
Why should Proton be involved? lotus is owned by DRB Hicom, only Proton connection is that they are both Malaysian isn't it?
DRB-Hicom bought Proton, of which Group Lotus is a wholly owned subsidiary.

Europa1

10,923 posts

189 months

Monday 9th March 2015
quotequote all
moribund said:
Managed to sit in the Evora 400 on the Lotus stand at Geneva today. Very comfortable and seems like a decent new layout on the dash. Just wanted to drive it straight away, which wasn't true of every other car I sat in...

The looks were striking and seemed to hold their own with plenty of interest despite being opposite the McLaren stand. It looked good in the flesh although some aspects wre perhaps a touch heavy handed for my taste.

Had a good chat with a guy on the stands and found out that the car is very much a prototype which was finished only a few days ago. The switches on the dash for instance are not real, they're simply there to show the layout. He thought production would be Q4 this year.
What is it like to get in and out of with the new sills?

Impasse

15,099 posts

242 months

Monday 9th March 2015
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It's a non-issue.


Europa1

10,923 posts

189 months

Monday 9th March 2015
quotequote all
Impasse said:
It's a non-issue.

That does look like quite a change, which has to be good news when it comes to the inevitable comparisons against the Porsche [insert model of choice regardless of whether it is actually a direct competitor]

moribund

4,033 posts

215 months

Monday 9th March 2015
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As above, no problem at all getting in and out. Obviously it's pretty low down but no gymnastics required.

Craikeybaby

10,417 posts

226 months

Monday 9th March 2015
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That does look like progress. Hopefully they are able to roll those upgrade out across the range too.

gm77

98 posts

121 months

Monday 9th March 2015
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I'm just waiting to check that the car seats fit in the rear. If so, I'm in! There's nothing out there for me that ticks all boxes and also allows me to take the family as well. And I'm in the 30-40 age group!

Claudia Skies

1,098 posts

117 months

Monday 9th March 2015
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Craikeybaby said:
That does look like progress. Hopefully they are able to roll those upgrade out across the range too.
Unfortunately the Exige is very constrained by its old tub so realistically we must wait for the next brand new car.

otolith

56,193 posts

205 months

Monday 9th March 2015
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Claudia Skies said:
Unfortunately the Exige is very constrained by its old tub so realistically we must wait for the next brand new car.
CAR interview with the Lotus CEO;

Will some of the updates extend to the Exige S?

'Yes. We will do the same to the sills to make it easier to climb into and out of, and the engine will get the intercooler and the extra power.'

saaby93

32,038 posts

179 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
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What happened to the years of development that said they needed high sills, but now not?

leglessAlex

5,475 posts

142 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
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I'm guessing they discovered it's better to have a slightly more flexible car that people can actually get into than a super stiff one that puts people off!

otolith

56,193 posts

205 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
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Or they've found a compromise. Maybe they've increased the wall thickness there or something?

blueg33

35,972 posts

225 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
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It was years ago that they said it needed years of development. QED

zebedee

4,589 posts

279 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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gm77 said:
I'm just waiting to check that the car seats fit in the rear. If so, I'm in! There's nothing out there for me that ticks all boxes and also allows me to take the family as well. And I'm in the 30-40 age group!
I got 2 random not especially small ones in the back no problem