RE: Caterham: the future

RE: Caterham: the future

Author
Discussion

TonyHetherington

32,091 posts

249 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
quotequote all
shoestring7 said:
Any yet now more than 50% of Porsche's output are four door, front engined cars...
Blimey.

RTH

1,057 posts

211 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
quotequote all
The 21 was a nice car but too expensive for the market.

£40,000-£50,000 will be far too much to sell in worthwhile numbers.

ewenm

28,506 posts

244 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
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Mork of Ork said:
Stick the 125 bhp 3 cyl Ecoboost engine from Ford into the mk1 Elise Chassis. Perfick!
To create a lightweight, revvy, RWD, 2-seat sportscar... ah, they already have one of those. I don't think they need to try to steal sales from their established product.

madmover

1,725 posts

183 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
quotequote all
Certainly some interesting words. I'm intrigued to see what they come up with but that said I would like them to keep manufacture in the UK if possible as I think this is important for them as a Brand. 40-50k is alot but I think there is a strong market for it assuming they produce something that people do want to part money with and feel like they are getting the value you'd expect for 40-50k. People buy R500 and special editions for similar money no problem so there's no reason why they wouldn't upgrade or people wouldn't buy if the car they came up with could justify such a price tag. It would be nice to see them introduce something new sub 30k I think but from reading this, and one of the Caterham forums it would appear to be unlikely anytime soon. Hopefully it'll all work out for the best, as a financial director he did okay by the looks of things and he seems to realise what boots he's there to fill so lets just hope he lives up to everything he says. smile

Bill

52,485 posts

254 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
quotequote all
ewenm said:
Mork of Ork said:
Stick the 125 bhp 3 cyl Ecoboost engine from Ford into the mk1 Elise Chassis. Perfick!
To create a lightweight, revvy, RWD, 2-seat sportscar... ah, they already have one of those. I don't think they need to try to steal sales from their established product.
Although if they're going to break out of the (perceived at least) kit car market it wouldn't be the daftest way to start.

DJRC

23,563 posts

235 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
quotequote all
Its not going to be an Elise of any sort because then you have 2 different chassis and chassis tech. Double your costs, fk all in return.

It will be basically a 7 chassis with a coupe body. Or in other words it will be a 21-esque affair, but this time with a proper roof affair, opening doors+ windows and boot.

Its not fking rocket science to work out.

ewenm

28,506 posts

244 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
quotequote all
Bill said:
ewenm said:
Mork of Ork said:
Stick the 125 bhp 3 cyl Ecoboost engine from Ford into the mk1 Elise Chassis. Perfick!
To create a lightweight, revvy, RWD, 2-seat sportscar... ah, they already have one of those. I don't think they need to try to steal sales from their established product.
Although if they're going to break out of the (perceived at least) kit car market it wouldn't be the daftest way to start.
Plenty of people (even on PH) describe the Elise as kit-car-like. I doubt Lotus will sell the Elise chassis design and tooling so Caterham would need to develop their own version anyway. I reckon a 2+2 coupe would be a better option.

MX7

7,902 posts

173 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
quotequote all
DJRC said:
It will be basically a 7 chassis with a coupe body. Or in other words it will be a 21-esque affair, but this time with a proper roof affair, opening doors+ windows and boot.
Agree. G40R'ish.

rev-erend

21,404 posts

283 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
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Has anyone driven the 21 ?

Or own one ?

KernowSwiss

14 posts

140 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
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"How many times over the past 10-15yrs have we read, in all forms of press "Caterham can't continue to survive on just the Seven, and all its iterations" ?

Well, here in Switzerland the 7 is dead as of 1st jan 2013 - It will no longer be legal for new registration due to the open wheel design and new pedestrian safety legislation....

If this type of legislation slowly spreads over Europe, which is not out of the question, the market for the 7 may shrink considerably...

ewenm

28,506 posts

244 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
quotequote all
rev-erend said:
Has anyone driven the 21 ?

Or own one ?
Some friends of mine own 3 of them (just over 6% of the entire production hehe)

ewenm

28,506 posts

244 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
quotequote all
MX7 said:
DJRC said:
It will be basically a 7 chassis with a coupe body. Or in other words it will be a 21-esque affair, but this time with a proper roof affair, opening doors+ windows and boot.
Agree. G40R'ish.
yes I'd imagine Caterham are closely watching the sales of the G40R, as well as the GT86 and BRZ.

Bill

52,485 posts

254 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
quotequote all
ewenm said:
Plenty of people (even on PH) describe the Elise as kit-car-like. I doubt Lotus will sell the Elise chassis design and tooling so Caterham would need to develop their own version anyway. I reckon a 2+2 coupe would be a better option.
That's my point, ish. It's not a huge step for them, but I get your point re theElise tooling.

Tuna

19,930 posts

283 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
quotequote all
suffolk009 said:
Good grief.

A car company with an icon like the 7, and they want to make something else, in another country. Madness.

Most small manufacturers would be delighted to have such a product. Porsche can't kill off the 911. Morgan are still making the same car.

Hope this acoountant chap isn't thinking of his brilliant new five car line-up....
From what I understand, it's Tony Fernandes that's driving all of this, not the new CEO. It fascinates me that Fernandes stewardship of the company is seen in a very positive light, when Lotus (as a whole, not any given owner/CEO) cannot do right according to many commentators. His aspirations for Caterham are... interesting. Until we see the fruit of all this it's just wild speculation whether he's the saviour of British sportscars, or a ransacking invader.

The new direction is not news - and of course the Lotus associations won't end any time soon as Tony Shute is an important part of the team producing the new car.

A far more interesting question is what happened to Ansar Ali, and where is he now?

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
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Frimley111R said:
Lotus never made any money out of the Elise/Exige so why try to copy them?
Did Lotus ever make any money out of the 7?

I suspect the truth is closer to "Lotus made money out of the Elise/Exige and pissed it up the wall".

A Scotsman

1,000 posts

198 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
quotequote all
[quote=KernowSwiss

Well, here in Switzerland the 7 is dead as of 1st jan 2013 - It will no longer be legal for new registration due to the open wheel design and new pedestrian safety legislation....


[/quote]

The Swiss also report their neighbours if they put their bins out on the wrong day so it wouldn't surprise me at all if they banned the Seven.

That not withstanding it seems to me that Caterham are now in the process of committing hari-kari. Fortunately we still have Westfield and that company seems to be run by people that are enthusiastic about cars!

TinyCappo

2,106 posts

152 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
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I dont really mind but as the average driver is getting bigger can they make one for us without recaro shaped arses and that are taller than 6ft4...


lovoing the sound o the 900cc 125hp ecoboost lump

sunsurfer

305 posts

180 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
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Sounds a good move to me to diversify the products so the whole company is not reliant on the seven.

Something like a Ginetta G40R sounds like where they're heading and if they can do this at say £35k and make good profits then I think it's a goer.

Usually I enjoy insulting accountants but let's give the guy a chance to show us the vision of a new Caterham.
We live in exciting times - a new Caterham for the first time in 20 years.

sunsurfer

305 posts

180 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
quotequote all
Another engine for the entry level car could be the Fiat twinair.
Two fizzing cylinders being revved to the red line to get all 84hp should make one characterful engine sound.

ewenm

28,506 posts

244 months

Wednesday 18th July 2012
quotequote all
A Scotsman said:
That not withstanding it seems to me that Caterham are now in the process of committing hari-kari. Fortunately we still have Westfield and that company seems to be run by people that are enthusiastic about cars!
Which Caterham employees/management do you think aren't enthusiastic about cars? The new CEO apparently has a 7 and tours in it (according to someone on the Ansar Ali leaves thread).