Monday 12th December 2011

PH Blog: Lotus design boss speaks

PH pops the Swizz Beatz question to Donato Coco

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Coco: worked on 458 Italia and ... Citroen Pluriel

"Ah," says Donato Coco, staring intently into his soup. I've been making pleasant conversation with the Lotus design boss over lunch at the RAC and he's been engaging company. And proved, as ever, that designers are always among the more interesting of car suits to chat to at industry events.

But I've just asked him what he thinks Swizz Beatz can teach him about car design. That's Swizz Beatz the music producer advising Donato Coco, whose design back catalogue includes work on the Ferrari 458 and F430 Scuderia. (It also includes the Citroen Xsara and Picasso too but we'll gloss over that for now.)

And we've all had a good snigger about Lotus bringing in Swizz. What does he know about Lotus, and all that? More to the point, I ask Coco, what does Beatz's statement "Lotus ain't about that no more" while gesturing to pictures of iconic Lotus designs like the Elan and Elise mean for those of us who quite like that kind of stuff? And do we really want our Lotuses to be "all about the flash" as Beatz promises?

Can new Esprit shock like the original?

"Look at the Esprit S1 - James Bond, Barbara Bach, is that not flashy?" he asks. Fair point. Indeed, Coco warms to his theme about the Esprit and the way it paid no heed whatsoever to the Lotuses that came before it. Four decades on the shock has diminished but it's clear Coco relishes the opportunity to drop a similar bombshell.

But what about the Beatz thing? Coco is as unapologetic as his boss Dany Bahar. "If Colin Chapman were alive today he would probably be worrying the fans too!" he says. And after a 16-year design 'silence' as Coco puts it the time is ripe to do something radical.

Is courting playboy supercar buyers the way forward? Well, the view seems to be there was no future building minimalist, traditional Lotuses for a dwindling audience of hardcore enthusiasts. Though a few decades back they probably thought the same about the Seven too and now look who's lining up on the F1 grid.

Looks a bit, well, like a 458 Italia

And there's no point building supercars if you're not going to court supercar buyers. Many of whom fit the Beatz mould better than they do your traditional Lotus fan. Put simply, Elise buyers ain't enough to pay the bills.

Proton seems happy to underwrite the project for the foreseeable future too. Like it or not, the Bahar vision is going to play out for some time yet. With Coco's stylistic musings putting some flesh on the bones.

[Ex Boy Racer]

Was that an interview?? Surely you must have discussed something more than that - is there an instalment to come???

[DanDC5]

If it means they create cars as good looking as the concept above and it keeps them in business I'm all for it. Times change and money needs to be made.

[C43]

in these times the rich still keep getting richer so they are the logical target.

C43

[Dan Trent]

Ex Boy Racer said:

Was that an interview?? Surely you must have discussed something more than that - is there an instalment to come???

An informal chat over lunch rather than a proper interview I'm afraid (hence the 'blog' tag) but this is a subject we'll be returning to in more depth, fear not!

Cheers,

Dan

[eein]

I thought 'classic lotus values' were about lightweight and great handling? Surely it's possible, and essential in a modern competitive world, to have this and the modern 'bling' required to appeal to those with money? The story above takes a tone as if to suggest it's a one or the other choice.

[R-Racer]

This Esprit better be in a different league,or Lotus will regret the day they made the decision to take the supercar route while dumping buyers like myself!

[1point7bar]

Can Lotus deliver the carbon and titanium littered technofest to beat the 458, for half the money? Sexy & scary fast (in my budget) please Santa.

[judas]

This all has a whiff of TVR/Nik Smolenski about it - and look how well that ended...

Pandering to the 'new money' crowd (aka footballists, rap 'stars' and East European gangsters) is one thing, but to be crass about it is simply tasteless.

[caine100]

I'm looking forward to a proper Lotus supercar to rival a 458/MP4-12C/Gallardo. They have everything it takes to do it right, I just hope they hurry up and get on with it.

[Carnnoisseur]

Great looking car from all angles, look forward to the confirmed performance data.

[JS100]

'Looks a bit, like well, a 458 Italia'!

No it doesn't!!! Seriously?!!!

Not that the 458 is a good looking car. F40 yup, get it, everything since, maybe with the exception of the TR, has been an eye sore.

New Esprit is an absolute design disgrace. Quibble amongst yourselves, but I can guarantee you one thing, if it looks like this, it will sell a figure close to none. Bland, dis-jointed, and rubbish design.

A huge Lotus fan and currently a Scura owner, and a willing Esprit owner. However not under existing management or if this is the best they can do. To compare to original Esprit is insulting!

[MonteV]

Mr Coco. Never heard of him before. Ah, the Pluriel, such a brilliant car. Brilliant packaging. Brilliant engineering. Hats off.

[1point7bar]

Esprits were(are) pretty and delicate to look at. I think they lacked the sledgehammer top end of a modern supercar. V8 didn't address the chassis rigidity
issue of central backbone design. Can the name rise phoenix-like in a different genesis?

[sunsurfer]

1point7bar said:

Can Lotus deliver the carbon and titanium littered technofest to beat the 458, for half the money? Sexy & scary fast (in my budget) please Santa.

Short answer is no.
If Lotus build something better than the 458 then naturally they will charge for it. Either the same or more than a 458.

[r1ch]

Liking the back end of that.

[1point7bar]

sunsurfer said:

Short answer is no.
If Lotus build something better than the 458 then naturally they will charge for it. Either the same or more than a 458.

Charge what the market will stand and all that. Is Lotus as premium a brand as F Expensive Repairs Replacements and Rebuilds Involved?

[Richard A]

Dany Bahar said:

There's no future building minimalist, traditional Lotuses for a dwindling audience of hardcore enthusiasts.

He's right! We're dwindling. The future is all bright, shiny, fashion victimy and full of lots of 'ickle styly bits!

[donna180]

Thought Pininfarina designed the 458.... Interior work on the 458 ok.....!

New Coco Lotus designs look great though.

[carinaman]

The back end view reminds me of the centurion helmet logo/badge used by that Nimrod Aston Le Mans racer.

[carinaman]

Or a VAG hot hatch:

http://www.topgear.com/uk/assets/cms/8736b42a-0500...