RE: New Vehicle Dev Chief Engineer at Lotus

[yellowtang]

61GT said:

JamStar said:

I was going to ask what car he's sitting in in the picture but worked out it's a Lotus Elan...

...if anyone's interested. No just me. Ok.

Nice...

Edited by JamStar on Tuesday 9th December 14:56

Lotus Élan?

Esprit, surely?!

[The Pits]

Matt Becker leaving Lotus is a big deal.

But anyone in any doubt about his successor's abilities only needs to drive a Lotus 211 or any recent Lotus Motorsport car.

I have heard rumours about Matt Becker's departure but such a talented, well known and well respected engineer can only have had many lucrative offers to work elsewhere over the years. It's more remarkable that he stayed as long as he did. Porsche have only just worked out how to get a fast car to ride properly. Matt Becker was doing it 20 years ago.

[smilo996]

New Esprit.
Better quality interiors
Get the Italians to redesign the Evora.

[smilo996]

New Esprit.
Better quality interiors
Get the Italians to redesign the Evora.
.....

Any buy Cosworth.

[Junglehop]

Very sad to hear a Lotus "Head" and individual responsible for the "feel" of so many Lotus cars will be leaving.... Overall its a shame that most people don't buy cars based on handling or feel, if that were the case then we would see a lot more lotuses around. Unfortunately simply a badge can have mare allure. The ride and handling of many Lotus cars can be attributed to the hard work of Mr Becker (Jnr & Snr)

I'm sure I heard that that Matt is off to Aston... who have far deeper pockets than Lotus! no doubt he was poached for his skill and expertise. Sad to see him leave the brand that he has put so much into and has so much history but I wish him all the best.

[JSV6]

Big thanks to Mr Becker. Terrible waste of talent if he's going to Aston Martin.

[mikey P 500]

Good luck to matt Becker (we used to live next door to them when I was growing up Roger Becker) so my memories of matt's driving were getting lifts in the back of various hot hatches before he was a big name at lotus.

[NJH]

The Pits said:

Porsche have only just worked out how to get a fast car to ride properly. Matt Becker was doing it 20 years ago.

I don't know which tripe is worse, Mr Demon or some of you Lotus lot. Are you seriously claiming that none of the 928, 944, 968 models or recent boxster/911s rode well? Utter fanboi tripe.

[Impasse]

Good luck in your new ventures, Matt. I'm sure both Dave Marler and Gavan Kershaw will keep up their good work and the marque's reputation for fine handling cars is still in good hands.

[DJRC]

NJH said:

The Pits said:

Porsche have only just worked out how to get a fast car to ride properly. Matt Becker was doing it 20 years ago.

I don't know which tripe is worse, Mr Demon or some of you Lotus lot. Are you seriously claiming that none of the 928, 944, 968 models or recent boxster/911s rode well? Utter fanboi tripe.

Not in the same league as a Becker, Becker and Kershaw product. Roger was considered merely a guru, Matt & Gavan have long been regarded as the best in the world at what they do. Despite the much eulogising over Mike Cross.

Not a fanboi, I run 3 German motors!

[braddo]

It's a sad day for Lotus when the Becker connection has finished after so many years. I assume it is a case of cutting costs and starting with the most expensive people? Or, did Mr Becker decide the time was right to finally take up an offer elsewhere?

But either way, best of luck to Mssrs Marler and Kershaw. May Lotus remain the king of the ride/handling compromise.

[Stelvio1]

mrdemon said:

" Exige auto"

woo hoo

just drop a nice engine into a Evora and bring one up for sale at £55k with 380BHp under the 220 Co2 limit at 1250kg.

I do wonder what all the guys in Lotus are doing behind their desks, making up SD Elise's with new paint jobs !!!
or now Exige V6 ltd ed paint jobs it seems.

Mr Demon well I never! - I do recall he was known as Corporal Slow on Lotus trackdays

[mrdemon]

Yep that's me, fan boy wanna be's :-p

Btw my weights on e cars were FACTs not made up bull st, no wonder I left SELOC :-p

[Impasse]

braddo said:

It's a sad day for Lotus when the Becker connection has finished after so many years. I assume it is a case of cutting costs and starting with the most expensive people? Or, did Mr Becker decide the time was right to finally take up an offer elsewhere?

Matt made the decision to leave of his own volition.

[wobert]

I think Gavan is a worthy successor to Matthew, both learned from the ground up what Lotus is about.

I did my HNC with Gavan at Norwich City College in 1994, when I was also employed by Lotus Engineering

[EK993]

kambites said:

And what was the development budget of Audi's new mk3 TT?

The Evora is obscenely heavy (as is the Exige V6) and I make no claims to understand why, but I very much doubt it's because didn't try to make it as light as was viable with their budget. The Evora's weight isn't going to come down significantly without a big price hike.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 9th December 15:21

Then it's pretty much all over for Lotus isn't it? They only make one type of vehicle - a sports car. If they are now not able to have any significant competitive advantage over even an Audi TT on their main selling point - lightness - how are they going to survive? What's left?

[61GT]

yellowtang said:

61GT said:

JamStar said:

I was going to ask what car he's sitting in in the picture but worked out it's a Lotus Elan...

...if anyone's interested. No just me. Ok.

Nice...

Edited by JamStar on Tuesday 9th December 14:56

Lotus Élan?

Esprit, surely?!

Indeed, I was questioning the previous poster who thought it may have been an Elan.

[61GT]

Frimley111R said:

Oh god, its you again.

[SidewaysSi]

mrdemon said:

kambites said:

"Just"?

I'd love to see a 1250kg Evora, but it ain't going to happen without a six figure price tag.

what's the weight of Audi's new MK3 TT again ?

I'll tell you 1230Kg

If Lotus cannot make a sub 1300kg Evora it's a bad show.

Even my Boxster is only 1275Kg

Not hard to make a light car esp a Lotus.

Here we go again. The Boxster isn't really as good to drive though is it? It's certainly no GT3 that's for sure

[The Pits]

EK993 said:

Then it's pretty much all over for Lotus isn't it? They only make one type of vehicle - a sports car. If they are now not able to have any significant competitive advantage over even an Audi TT on their main selling point - lightness - how are they going to survive? What's left?

Do you really want Lotus to go under? That's how your post comes across.

By the way, making only one type of vehicle is a good thing. All those people, all that talent focused on doing only one thing - making sports cars, not wasting time and money trying to make SUVs handle. That's why the cars are so focused and why those that like such things tend to be underwhelmed when driving anything else.

I don't believe the word Porsche was mentioned in the title, so why would any Porschophile bother themselves with this thread? It's weird enough being a British Porsche fanboy but a British Porsche fanboy wasting time in a Lotus thread? Time to call the life coach!