Another New Lotus - Esprit
Discussion
i dont see why with the right car, Lotus could not compete with the other brands in that range.
Zonda came from nowhere with something even more expensive, and Lamborghini has an history far less intersting than Lotus for exemple.
That's a range of price where price become not very important, people who have such budget can afford anyway, and usuallly look and performance (on paper as these cars are not very often driven hard anyway...) are all what counts for them.
Zonda came from nowhere with something even more expensive, and Lamborghini has an history far less intersting than Lotus for exemple.
That's a range of price where price become not very important, people who have such budget can afford anyway, and usuallly look and performance (on paper as these cars are not very often driven hard anyway...) are all what counts for them.
i also don't see why lotus can't compete, they have some of the best engineering talent in the industry. its just lotus have long been giant killers, thinking outside the box and giving outstanding value / performance per £.
evora creates a niche, the elise/exige created a new category. pitching to the market [mid engine, v10, £120k av.] isn't in line with this.
evora creates a niche, the elise/exige created a new category. pitching to the market [mid engine, v10, £120k av.] isn't in line with this.
Oh my, who do I have to kill to get that on my drive right now?
As for the price, lots of you moan about parts bin door handles and other items - if you don't want that, open your wallet up
£150k for a car that sounds like it may do 200mph, isn't a bad deal - especially as it'll be a rare sigh due to the numbers made.
As for the price, lots of you moan about parts bin door handles and other items - if you don't want that, open your wallet up
£150k for a car that sounds like it may do 200mph, isn't a bad deal - especially as it'll be a rare sigh due to the numbers made.
Edited by LivinLaVidaLotus on Friday 12th June 14:48
shirt said:
saw it in the news stand and flicked through, love everything about it except the price. i don't know why [and i've never owned an example of the marque] but £150k for a lotus does not seem to me to be what the brand is all about.
I think your 100% wrong, this is exactly where the new Esprit should be, compete head on with 430/lambohaving said that, it needs to be better than them in at least 1 key area to compete
Scuffers said:
shirt said:
saw it in the news stand and flicked through, love everything about it except the price. i don't know why [and i've never owned an example of the marque] but £150k for a lotus does not seem to me to be what the brand is all about.
I think your 100% wrong, this is exactly where the new Esprit should be, compete head on with 430/lambohaving said that, it needs to be better than them in at least 1 key area to compete
I expect Lotus to nail the chassis and steering 100% and give the car a feeling of greater agility than it has the right to. It'll be a car for the cognoscenti, not footballers.
People have forgotten what an aspirational marque Lotus were in the 1970s on the back of the Esprit's appearance in Bond films and the achievements in F1.
I would also hope that Lotus are looking around for some dealerships that can properly handle cars and the clients in that sector of the market.
South and West of Bristol there is one dealer who sells Lotus alongside Protons
Probably just car magazine speculation but I read recently that the next Elise is due in 2011 and will have a modular chassis like the Evora. I'd expect modular construction to mean a heavier car but hopefully, if its true, Lotus have something up their sleeve.
Not sure the Esprit has been given the green light by Proton yet either. Hasn't the Evora got to prove itself first?
Not sure the Esprit has been given the green light by Proton yet either. Hasn't the Evora got to prove itself first?
I've been to the factory a few times recently and I'm amazed at how un-Proton it is. Company cars aren't protons, we were shuttled round in GM cars.
I've worked at small telco technology providers that have been bought by big corporates and the whole exterior face of the company changes.
Simon
I've worked at small telco technology providers that have been bought by big corporates and the whole exterior face of the company changes.
Simon
75k for a tuned version of the Evora’s 3.5-litre V6, producing around 300bhp !!!!
The mind boggles... Lotus pricing has been pretty silly for many years now but I refuse to believe they are that stupid; that a 75k supercar will come with some paltry mass produced V6 producing less power than a modern era hot hatch ?
The mind boggles... Lotus pricing has been pretty silly for many years now but I refuse to believe they are that stupid; that a 75k supercar will come with some paltry mass produced V6 producing less power than a modern era hot hatch ?
yes i think the 75k will need a supercharged 350 hp at least V6 not a tuned 300hp v6, but the v8 and v10 sound good
The last esprit was around 60k + with a v8 and 350 hp, so 75 sounds in line with were competitors have gone price wize, but it will need more than 300hp definately, to be honest i'm sure thats some AE creative license there, i doubt they would just give it another 30 hp and leave it at that. Lotus will likely use the rumoured supercharged Evora's V6 as the base i would have thought
The last esprit was around 60k + with a v8 and 350 hp, so 75 sounds in line with were competitors have gone price wize, but it will need more than 300hp definately, to be honest i'm sure thats some AE creative license there, i doubt they would just give it another 30 hp and leave it at that. Lotus will likely use the rumoured supercharged Evora's V6 as the base i would have thought
Edited by peter450 on Sunday 14th June 21:18
I think its bullsh*t by the mag ....a V8 and a V10 maybe, but not a poxy V6 in a "supercar" these days
as for the pics - great photoshop work there, for a car thats not even due for another 2-3 years, I doubt even Lotus know what its going to look like for sure yet, they are too busy sorting the Evora out
as for the pics - great photoshop work there, for a car thats not even due for another 2-3 years, I doubt even Lotus know what its going to look like for sure yet, they are too busy sorting the Evora out
This is probably the car I've anticipated most from Lotus 
sadly I can't afford a £100k plus car, but certainly as a secondhand purchase in the future.
I do hope that Lotus start by releasing the most powerful model. It's all very well doing a George Lucas and releasing things bit by bit so people that really want the final and best product end up buying everything beforehand and thus generating more profit; but the problem is that you never get a second chance to make first impressions, and if the Esprit is released with a 300bhp V6 it'll forever be the car with great handling and feedback but very little power, even when the 500bhp range topper quitely sneaks in two years later...
Not sure what's happened to that amazing simple design that was appearing in the magazines a few months ago. That picture is far too fussy at the front end, and the rear end looks like a bloated Elise, complete with flimsy plastic air intakes
sadly I can't afford a £100k plus car, but certainly as a secondhand purchase in the future.I do hope that Lotus start by releasing the most powerful model. It's all very well doing a George Lucas and releasing things bit by bit so people that really want the final and best product end up buying everything beforehand and thus generating more profit; but the problem is that you never get a second chance to make first impressions, and if the Esprit is released with a 300bhp V6 it'll forever be the car with great handling and feedback but very little power, even when the 500bhp range topper quitely sneaks in two years later...
Not sure what's happened to that amazing simple design that was appearing in the magazines a few months ago. That picture is far too fussy at the front end, and the rear end looks like a bloated Elise, complete with flimsy plastic air intakes
Autoexpress are well known for "exclusives and "first's" which are made up. They have zero credibility as a magazine.
The text contains information that's been around for a while. Lexus engine has been mentioned before (as they are Toyota). Notice they use words like "expected" when talking performance figures. They drawing looks too different to Evora/Elise to be real. Lotus are very secretive as a company so unless it's from a press release or Mike Kimberley interview then it's made up!
Chris
The text contains information that's been around for a while. Lexus engine has been mentioned before (as they are Toyota). Notice they use words like "expected" when talking performance figures. They drawing looks too different to Evora/Elise to be real. Lotus are very secretive as a company so unless it's from a press release or Mike Kimberley interview then it's made up!
Chris
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