RE: Lotus 'Small Car Platform' production landmark
Tuesday 21st April 2015
So as well as the Elise's 20th anniversary, Lotus has another milestone to mark in 2015: 40,000 models have now been made off the 'Small Car Platform' at Hethel, the bonded and extruded aluminium structure first seen two decades ago.
This was a little different!These have predominantly been Elises but there are the lesser-spotted little Lotuses to remember as well. The Europa, 340R, 2-Eleven and of course both S1 and S2 Exiges were built from the Small Car Platform. The same technology was also used to underpin the Evora. Today the refined and developed platform weighs 68kg and, well, the Elise is still pretty amazing to drive, right?
Lotus 'Small Car Platform' production landmark
Hethel has made 40,000 Elise-derived cars, hopefully a few more to follow!
This was a little different!
The 40,000th Lotus built off this platform is, appropriately enough, a 20th Anniversary Elise. And what's next for small Lotus sports cars? Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales: "The platform will continue to be developed, improved upon and form a solid and dependable base for future new models demonstrating the production flexibility of the technology." So the Elise is safe for a little while yet!
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Discussion
Al U said:
Genuinely didn't know modern Europa's existed! I have done a bit of research but can't seem to find much, how man were sold, why they stopped making them etc. Can anyone tell me more?
A VX220 Turbo in drag. Got slammed for being a bit ugly on launch but it's grown on me over time. The squeaks, knocks and rattles are starting to get to me after 4 years of VX daily use so I might well look at the slightly more 'GT' Europa next.redroadster said:
And still can,t make money from it after all development costs been paid why is that ? .
40,000 cars (including Vauxhalls and Teslas) in 20 years, so less than 2,000 Lotus sales per annum, built by more than 1,000 people at the factory. Those numbers just don't add up to profit.Al U said:
Genuinely didn't know modern Europa's existed! I have done a bit of research but can't seem to find much, how many were sold, why they stopped making them etc. Can anyone tell me more?
They only built 456 of them, and according to an ad in the classifieds there is only only 116 of them left in the UK.The Crack Fox said:
Interesting and careful choice of words by Lotus. It's pitched as a success story for the lotus brand, and it is, but a chunk of the volume they crow about will have been VX220s and Tesla Roadsters. Tesla banged on about how American their car is yet I saw completely finished Tesla Roadsters coming off the line at Hethel. Lotus's future surely depends on getting another big collaborative project like that, or a new owner. I'm a big Lotus fan, by the way, trying not to knock them here...
I wish BMW would buy Lotus.
BMW, or any other manufacturer, would only buy another company if there was a business case to do so. These potential purchases have to go infront of some board, with prof & losses projected over the next 5-10-15 etc years. If there's a minus sign in the wrong place, it'll be a non starter.I wish BMW would buy Lotus.
Furthermore, I think that Lotus' customer base compared to BMW's is just noise.
Much that I would like some big OEM to buy them and allow use of theri 4, 6 & 8 cyl. engines, I don't think that the numbers stack up.
Edited by Bill on Sunday 26th April 17:48
Cant think of anything worse than BMW buying up Lotus after the hash they made at running Rover group. Plus how did Tata make a success of Landrover and BMW couldn't? Reason is a board of directors that dont understand the brand or customers and try to shape into the same mould as their own.
They just need to fit this car with a decent engine, the best of the bunch, the VX220 Turbo was a supercar slayer when mildly mapped. I think a cheap off the shelf turbo unit, such as the ford ecoboost (like the zenos) would be great boost in performance
They just need to fit this car with a decent engine, the best of the bunch, the VX220 Turbo was a supercar slayer when mildly mapped. I think a cheap off the shelf turbo unit, such as the ford ecoboost (like the zenos) would be great boost in performance
jl34 said:
They just need to fit this car with a decent engine, the best of the bunch, the VX220 Turbo was a supercar slayer when mildly mapped. I think a cheap off the shelf turbo unit, such as the ford ecoboost (like the zenos) would be great boost in performance
Commercially, I think you are probably right, and I think that's the route they will eventually have to go down - small, powerful naturally aspirated engines are becoming rare, and supercharging doesn't get the emissions performance they are eventually going to need.Personally, I'd rather have a turd in the passenger seat than a turbocharged engine in an Elise, but that's the likely direction of travel.
I love N/A engines, but there isnt anything suitable to really make this car go as fast as the customer demands for £30-£40K with the packaging available. If you drive a VX220 Turbo with a good map , you will be staggered how capable it is
otolith said:
Commercially, I think you are probably right, and I think that's the route they will eventually have to go down - small, powerful naturally aspirated engines are becoming rare, and supercharging doesn't get the emissions performance they are eventually going to need.
Personally, I'd rather have a turd in the passenger seat than a turbocharged engine in an Elise, but that's the likely direction of travel.
Personally, I'd rather have a turd in the passenger seat than a turbocharged engine in an Elise, but that's the likely direction of travel.
The 40,000 doesn't include anything other than Elise, Exige, Europa, 2-Eleven and 340R.
Lotus built 7,700 cars for GM (VX220/Speedster) and 2,500 cars for Tesla (Roadster) and they're not included in this figure. It doesn't include any of the one or two-offs either such as the Elise Type 115 Racer or the Pininfarina Enjoy Concept etc. If you did count them, the total would be well over 50,000...
Lotus built 7,700 cars for GM (VX220/Speedster) and 2,500 cars for Tesla (Roadster) and they're not included in this figure. It doesn't include any of the one or two-offs either such as the Elise Type 115 Racer or the Pininfarina Enjoy Concept etc. If you did count them, the total would be well over 50,000...
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