RE: Lotus to build Alpine and Infiniti concepts?

[DanDC5]

Let's hope this goes ahead. Lotus deserve a decent chance to show the rest of the world that they're not becoming a gimmicky all mouth PR machine and that they can still build great cars.

[anonymous-user]

Lotus to build Renault Alpines? Yeah, right. Renault has shut down foreign factories to keep the ones at home going and it's not hard to imagine the gendarmes standing by and watching as Renault's irate Dieppe workers blockade and burn any Lotus built vehicles in the same fashion as British sheep exports were torched.

[BoRED S2upid]

That Alpine needs to be built and to look like that. Looks superb if you ask me.

[fwaggie]

If they're going to build two cars derived from the same (Lotus) chassis and underpinnings, one assumes they'll sell them for roughly the same price.

I can see people wanting a new Lotus at, what, £45k?

I can't see people wanting a new Renault at approximately the same price?

And if Renault undercuts Lotus' price, Lotus ain't going to do so well out of the deal.

I just can't see how Renault are going to balance their image with a small £45k 2 door sports car.

[scarble]

This is bulls**t, the A110-50 was supposed to be space framed and based on the Megane trophy and.. not a.. hybrid . If they're going to dilute it I'd rather they didn't build it at all.

[Agoogy]

fwaggie said:

I just can't see how Renault are going to balance their image with a small £45k 2 door sports car.

SOLD!
(limited numbers remember)

[450Nick]

That Alpine is a properly lovely looking car. Really hope they make it, and do it justice with some decent performance.

[dandarez]

When could it arrive?

"If we can make the sums work, we could do it in 30 months," said Norman.
So, high-tech range-extender Renault Alpine mid-engined green sports car for reveal at the Paris Motor Show 2014 and market launch in 2015?

The bigger surprise may be if it doesn't happen...

Really?
The bigger surprise to me will be if it 'does' happen.
Come back in 30 months time. Or... cynical me, probably much sooner.

[scarble]

No, no, no, no, no. This is a travesty and an insult to the original A110.

THIS
SUCKS



Go back to the space-frame turbo monster idea.

[Twincam16]

scarble said:

No, no, no, no, no. This is a travesty and an insult to the original A110.

THIS
SUCKS



Go back to the space-frame turbo monster idea.

I can't see why they decided to call it the A110-50 myself other than the fact they're hoping to release it on the 50th anniversary of the A110. I reckon it'll have more in common with the GTA.

[KDIcarmad]

A Lotus link up to Renault, there is more than F1 linking them. The Europa MK1 had a Renault engine. If I was Renault I would think about taking over Lotus! Think about it, the production side and engineering part are split into two companies, so buy the production and hire the engineering. Would you keep the Lotus name? It has value so yes. Maybe as Lotus-Renault Sport.

[scarble]

Interesting point, the Renault Sport name is fairly respected but I think Lotus versions might have a market.. they could have Lotus Infinitis/Nissans too.. but they've already got Red Bull Infinitis!

[Twincam16]

scarble said:

Interesting point, the Renault Sport name is fairly respected but I think Lotus versions might have a market.. they could have Lotus Infinitis/Nissans too.. but they've already got Red Bull Infinitis!

Not really. There's a mildly warmed over 'by Vettel' version of one of the Infiniti saloons but it's no M5.

[Twincam16]

KDIcarmad said:

A Lotus link up to Renault, there is more than F1 linking them. The Europa MK1 had a Renault engine. If I was Renault I would think about taking over Lotus! Think about it, the production side and engineering part are split into two companies, so buy the production and hire the engineering. Would you keep the Lotus name? It has value so yes. Maybe as Lotus-Renault Sport.

That's not such a bad idea actually, especially if it maintained a link to the F1 cars.

Also, I think I'm right in saying that the V6 engines in the Exige and Evora are no longer being developed by Toyota. Lotus could replace them with 370Z engines.

[Frimley111R]

Twincam16 said:

KDIcarmad said:

A Lotus link up to Renault, there is more than F1 linking them. The Europa MK1 had a Renault engine. If I was Renault I would think about taking over Lotus! Think about it, the production side and engineering part are split into two companies, so buy the production and hire the engineering. Would you keep the Lotus name? It has value so yes. Maybe as Lotus-Renault Sport.

That's not such a bad idea actually, especially if it maintained a link to the F1 cars.

Also, I think I'm right in saying that the V6 engines in the Exige and Evora are no longer being developed by Toyota. Lotus could replace them with 370Z engines.

Highly unlikely tbh. Renaut is struggling with over supply and buying a sports car manufacturer would do little to resolve the problem. do you realise that the Europa you mention was built 40 years ago?

The V6 engines in the Evora/Exige are tweaked by Lotus but are not developed as such (not real need to).

[simonrockman]

I love this idea, but the problem with Alpine is that no-one bought them. Renault could only consider this as a halo/vanity project not a money making one and I don't know that Renault can afford such things.

On a tangential note - this is is PH after all - I was thinking yesterday it would be great to take a Tesla with knackered batteries, rip them out and put in a small battery and range-extender. Maybe a Bladon Turbine. You'd have something ultra-light, all the electrics already in place and so very quick.

[Yeloperil]

I can't imagine in a month of Sundays Renault would put such a programme as Alpine with its historic importance to a company who is well known to be teetering on the edge of extinction.
Until such time as Group Lotus is split or sold to a credible OEM who can fully support them with suitable powertrain technology then they will tread water and DRB-Hycom will continue to loose money as Lotus has done for the past 15 years.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Agoogy said:

fwaggie said:

I just can't see how Renault are going to balance their image with a small £45k 2 door sports car.

SOLD!
(limited numbers remember)

I'm telling you, if they released this based on the tubular megane trophy racer I'd be putting a deposit down.

Remember me Renault? Me & another 150 petrol heads over hear bought your last mental car!

[scarble]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

I'm telling you, if they released this based on the tubular megane trophy racer I'd be putting a deposit down.

Remember me Renault? Me & another 150 petrol heads over hear bought your last mental car!

Bravo to you. If I had the money for it...
Would be a travesty to make it some nasty range extender thing, completely against the ethos of the concept.

[GTRene]

I think its a good idea, I have no problems with that as long as they produce fine and good drivers cars.