Dany Bahar - Lotus Cars

[Fire99]

There are rumblings around the Twitter 'population' that Dany Bahar may have left Lotus Cars.
Lotus are apparently neither confirming nor denying the rumour.

Will be interesting if this is fact or fiction...

[750turbo]

Fire99 said:

There are rumblings around the Twitter 'population' that Dany Bahar may have left Lotus Cars.
Lotus are apparently neither confirming nor denying the rumour.

Will be interesting if this is fact or fiction...

Yep, come on Mr Harris, what do you know?

[jon-]

[Fire99]

750turbo said:

Yep, come on Mr Harris, what do you know?

Aye, he is one of the Twitter 'rumblers'

[Ved]

jon- said:

You saw that today too huh?

Lotus are bonkers and the men in white coats are at the door.

[rallycross]

[quote=Fire99] Dany Bahar may have left Lotus Cars.
quote]


When you say 'left' the company a more fitting departure would be that he was ejected from the company via the passenger seat of the old Bond esprit at vmax (133) on the A11. Good byyyyyyyeeee.

[Some Gump]

If he does, will he have exit music (by some ste rapper) a la WWF wrestlers? He's just as believable and credible as they are, i think it's only appropriate...

[bosscerbera]

History is going to struggle distinguishing which of Nikolai Smolenski and Dany Bahar is the car industry's all-time "Biggest Idiot".

Bahar - stunningly, considering Moleskins' extraordinary achievements - could have the edge due to his global footprint?

May be worthy of a PH poll.

[Fire99]

Well it'll certainly be interesting if the rumours are substantiated...

[TonyHetherington]

I quite liked Bahar. He did a lot of cringe worthy things - the rapper link up most famous of all, of course, but I got to have a chat with him once at Hethel, and he seemed like he genuinely understood the company and where it needed to be.

It may have been marketing puff, knowing I was an enthusiast, but I didn't think so. A shame, if the rumors are true; I liked him.

[BrianDrought]

Perhaps he's left to concentrate on his Chocolate Factory. Nobody else ever seen the similarities with Wonka?

[bosscerbera]

TonyHetherington said:

I quite liked Bahar. He did a lot of cringe worthy things - the rapper link up most famous of all, of course, but I got to have a chat with him once at Hethel, and he seemed like he genuinely understood the company and where it needed to be.

It may have been marketing puff, knowing I was an enthusiast, but I didn't think so. A shame, if the rumors are true; I liked him.

The rapper link up is about as 'excellent' as "Orgasmic Living".

[TonyHetherington]

I quite agree with that

But the new models, a focus on motorsport, it was all good stuff. Apparently not good enough though.

[10 Pence Short]

TonyHetherington said:

I quite agree with that

But the new models, a focus on motorsport, it was all good stuff. Apparently not good enough though.

It's only as good as the reality behind it, though. If it's all powder-puff with no substance, what then?

[Fire99]

TonyHetherington said:

I quite agree with that

But the new models, a focus on motorsport, it was all good stuff. Apparently not good enough though.

And it appears that at least some of the new developments were put on hold, after the sale of the company.

Substance needs to back up the fanfare.

[TonyHetherington]

Well, just look at all the motorsports avenues they opened up. They had Evoras (mostly) in many different championships throughout the globe. The new models was very aggresive - something like 5 new models in 4 years I think it was. And the new models looked good and had a lot of common parts (hence how they could do so many so quickly) but ultimately, even though he got those bits done, it seems the reality is that it hasn't actually made Lotus any money. For the past 3 years or so that have simply spent an awful lot.

But then, it's fair to say that even before Bahar, Lotus were still losing money.

[Fire99]

TonyHetherington said:

But then, it's fair to say that even before Bahar, Lotus were still losing money.

Don't quote me on this but if my scooby-sense is right, Lotus Cars hasn't turned a profit in its own right, since the 1990's.

[groomi]

There's losing money and then there is persuading the bank to open the vault so you can throw a petrol bomb inside while smiling brightly at the manager selling him the line that this is the big bang from which a new world will grow.

[TonyHetherington]

I thought they did ok during the S1/early S2 elise years (??), but you could be right though!

It did seem a bit "make or break" for Lotus with all this investment

[Some Gump]

TonyHetherington said:

Well, just look at all the motorsports avenues they opened up. They had Evoras (mostly) in many different championships throughout the globe.

But then, it's fair to say that even before Bahar, Lotus were still losing money.

Yeah, its a prostigious list...

Put a lotus badge on a renault f1 car.
Put a lotus badge on a gp2 car.
Put a lotus badge on some judd engines.

were any f the evoras even factory teams? I'm sure i read the cars stickered up to look like lotus entries were just title sponsors again?
Problem is in the age of the web, everyone who cares knows its just stickers and badges. Unless you can buy a judd engined elan, it doesn't transfer to perception of pedigree.