RE: Lotus SUV design patents leak

[Frimley111R]

GranCab said:

Will it be made of plastic ?

Yes, and metal. Like every other car. What an odd question.

[blearyeyedboy]

I'm particularly interested in the bigger picture.

Let me post something from the forums in 2002, when the Cayenne was first revealed. Nothing ever changes, really...

richb said:

Oh my God that is awfull, what on earth do Porsche think they are doing! I hate the BMW lorry with avengance because of what it stands for but at least as lorries go it looks ok'ish, but this is absolute crap! Looks like the tail end of an Astra estate with an'ickle wing grafted onto the front of a Nissan Micra. Porsche deserve to be slaughtered for this one chaps!

Most of us will still view Porsche's Cayenne with suspicion, but it has paid for the financial security of the company that then made the 918.

Balls to whether I like it or not; they can build mobility scooters or fork lift trucks for all I care. It's worth it to keep the company solvent enough to produce the cars we love. Let's face it, Lotus haven't been good at staying solvent over the years, so perhaps this will be the time to change that forever.

[joshleb]

I'm feeling it's a mix of Megane and F Type on a raised chassis.

[unsprung]

"Simplify, then add groceries."

[Herbs]

Tuna said:

kambites said:

SWoll said:

So a rebodied XC60 or 90?

Most likely an XC60 I'd imagine.

Given the time scales and the fact they're setting up manufacturing with another company in Asia for it, I doubt it's a rebodied anything. It's not aiming to be launched until 2021 - the current XC60 will be getting a little bit 'previous generation' which is not a good basis for a launch model in a new segment.

If they're serious about making an impact, it's got to do something interesting with the packaging, and genuinely reduce weight. VVA may be the key - it would be nice to see it in use in that form.

Could be based on the next gen XC60 for all we know.

[CanoeSniffer]

Frimley111R said:

CanoeSniffer said:

Really, really, properly pissed off about this. Surely purist manufacturers should see that this sort of cashing in on the bandwagon trend hurts their brand image?

I don't believe it does. Do you think less of Porsche and their awesome sports cars because they make a 4x4? If you look, they are going from strength to strength. IMO it only hurts if they drop sports cars for SUVs, but none have.

Truth be told, I never viewed Porsche as a purists manufacturer- much more biased towards the mass market than Lotus.

I understand the need (and opportunity) to raise funds, but given that the majority owners aren't short of a penny or two I wish they could just settle for their takings from that segment of the market with the XC60/90 and leave Lotus to do what Lotus do.

[mr_fibuli]

Lotus Ebola. Makes you think of Africa, and the Dakar version could be the Ebola Wildcat.

I actually think it looks pretty good.

[maffski]

Ikobo said:

SWoll said:

So a rebodied XC60 or 90?

I'm thinking the new, smaller XC40 that comes out next year?

The new Volvo XC40 - from £27,905

I think you're right

[MadmanO/T People]

TartanPaint said:

Lotus Emulate
Lotus Eyesore
Lotus Eulogy
Lotus Eveready (hybrid)
Lotus Ebrious (non-hybrid)
Lotus Enlarger
Lotus Egomaniacal
Lotus Ejaculate

I think Lotus Embarrassment sums it up perfectly.

[Ex Boy Racer]

Lotus Elephant surely?

[jstatham1974]

Shouldn't it have Rover Metro mirrors?

[Leggy]

Lotus Bandwagon....

[Evilex]

Lotus Excruciate

[otolith]

Lotus Entropy.

(c.f. heat death of universe, Hell freezing over)

[Paddymcc]

Looks a bit Toyota chr from the side.

[anonymous-user]

PH said:

from the Elise-style front-end to the Exige-aping back. I

Really? I'm trying, but i just see a generic "grilly" front end (could be a jag, porka, or even a Kia) and the back, well, kinda looks a bit like a Fezza 599 tail lights but that's about it......

[andy_s]

Max_Torque said:

Really? I'm trying, but i just see a generic "grilly" front end (could be a jag, porka, or even a Kia) and the back, well, kinda looks a bit like a Fezza 599 tail lights but that's about it......

There's the Europa S roof scoop, the high petrol cap (x2?), headlight shape/integration, round rear light assemblies, pinched waist, back deck over wheel arch, complicated rear (Evora!), diffuser.
Things that are a bit different are the non-central exhaust(s) and the front grill shape, more or less.

I think it looks champion - hopefully an interesting alternative to Q3, Macan et al, and very like the XC40 bar the styling....

[RenesisEvo]

Looks rather similar to the Jaguar E-Pace, just a bit wider and without the bulge in the bonnet:

[Loyly]

For all their efforts, they struggle to sell sports cars. Trying to flog these awful SUV's is another game entirely, but if that's what it takes to survive then good luck, Lotus.

[oldtimer2]

Lotus Emetic should do nicely. It describes the universal reaction provoked when traditional sports car manufacturers decide to make a SUV.

Quite why they need a patent for this drawing escapes me. Perhaps they are trying to provoke a response from another SUV maker to get publicity.