RE: Geely plans ?1.5bn Lotus investment

[wab172uk]

Lotus need huge investment, and a line up of cars that isn't aimed at the rich looking for a track car.

Just wait till they announce a new car that's not made of Plastic and smells of Glue. The Protests from the `purists` who've never owned a Lotus will be strong and loud.

I was always disappointed that Lotus's plans for a brand new 5 car line up never happened. I would have seriously bought one. But no one on here liked them. Why? Because they weren't made of Plastic, and weighed less than 600kg

People are never happy. I just hope Lotus start producing a range of cars that are made well, comfortable yet very sporty. Have well appointed interiors that most people would consider an `every day car` (and not just the few), and also aimed at different price points. Don't just aim for the well off.

[suffolk009]

otolith said:

I think they’ve bought the brand, not the cottage industry attached to it, and will reinvent it into something more successful but ultimately less distinctive.

That might be the most insightful post on this thread.

I'm excited for Lotus, but slightly sad that they're unlikely to keep building the sort of cars I really want. They'll be more approachable, a little less severe, and Geely will get Lotus into every Volvo dealership. I expect they will build more Lotus than Chapman could ever have imagined.

And if I were them, I'd be seriously looking at an F1 entry. Turnover of $14.8billion, they can afford it.

[CABC]

wab172uk said:

Lotus need huge investment, and a line up of cars that isn't aimed at the rich looking for a track car.

Just wait till they announce a new car that's not made of Plastic and smells of Glue. The Protests from the `purists` who've never owned a Lotus will be strong and loud.

I was always disappointed that Lotus's plans for a brand new 5 car line up never happened. I would have seriously bought one. But no one on here liked them. Why? Because they weren't made of Plastic, and weighed less than 600kg

People are never happy. I just hope Lotus start producing a range of cars that are made well, comfortable yet very sporty. Have well appointed interiors that most people would consider an `every day car` (and not just the few), and also aimed at different price points. Don't just aim for the well off.

a bit off the mark with generalisations there. conflating 'people' into an homogenous mass, aka PH.
i'm very happy with my cars, and am pretty consistent in my likes/dislikes. Others will have their own preferences
i would say:
there are many happy owners of the Elise who enjoy the car for its purity and lightness.
these people will complain when/if the next gen becomes flabby.
A larger Elise with carpets and padded seats will appeal to more people.
plastic and glue is an irrelevance.
this market segment is very niche, very few sales in total from any and all manufacturers.
heavy sports cars can be very good, but are just not the same on a blat. Some on PH value lightness.
lightness and well appointed interiors tend to involve weight, if not then cost. The A110 is fantastic, but starting price of 50k.
Though with legislation and market demand the way it is, i don't see Lotus ever producing another 30k car.

[noble12345]

If Lotus can take it to McLaren and Ferrari replace the 488 with a Carbon tubbed N/A masterpiece. This might be the best time in history to buy a real car before cars with a soul and heartbeat die and the world slips out of the golden age of freedom and driving pleasure and is forced down into the murky depths of bloated heavy electric crap.

McLaren are going fully hybrid, idk what Ferrari are smoking, so Lotus's first real "super car" might be a 1800kg fully electric 4 door baby wagon. I hope im wrong as id rather drive a one legged drunk donkey.

[noble12345]

wab172uk said:

I was always disappointed that Lotus's plans for a brand new 5 car line up never happened. I would have seriously bought one. But no one on here liked them. Why? Because they weren't made of Plastic, and weighed less than 600kg

People are never happy. I just hope Lotus start producing a range of cars that are made well, comfortable yet very sporty. Have well appointed interiors that most people would consider an `every day car` (and not just the few), and also aimed at different price points. Don't just aim for the well off.

I never liked the "new elise" that much because to me it looked like the "new" original MR2, no bad thing, but not a Lotus. Imo the Elise was a Dino 246 ripp off, the MK2 with hints of 308, it had some beauty. If Lotus can make a modern 246/J50 with a 2 liter turbo RWD and a cool interior i dont care if it weighs 1350kg, id take it over a Boxter/SLK/MX5 or A110. They can make an absolutely amazing car but it has to look amazing too, its a Lotus and to me a Lotus is F1 and the white Esprit flying off a Jetty & turning into a submarine... talking of which the new cars roofs cant leak

Edited by noble12345 on Saturday 11th August 16:14

[smilo996]

The now departed Frenchman wrang ever single penny of sales and development out of the current range and honed each model to its ultimate version. All credit to him and perhaps this secured the level of confidence required to give Lotus a secure future at last, if it happens.

But why an SUV, if Chapman ever thought that Lotus would make a vehicle larger than a Volvo estate, he would likely have closed the company. It is such a lame and sheeplike business decison.

However if this also secures new versions, a replacement Esprit and a long and successful future for Lotus, so be it.

[suffolk009]

smilo996 said:

The now departed Frenchman wrang ever single penny of sales and development out of the current range and honed each model to its ultimate version. All credit to him and perhaps this secured the level of confidence required to give Lotus a secure future at last, if it happens.

But why an SUV, if Chapman ever thought that Lotus would make a vehicle larger than a Volvo estate, he would likely have closed the company. It is such a lame and sheeplike business decison.

However if this also secures new versions, a replacement Esprit and a long and successful future for Lotus, so be it.

Chapman would have probably invented the SUV. It's easy to forget that at the time of his death Lotus had designed the DeLorean, and was selling Esprits and Excels. He was apparently after emulating and competing with Mercedes' sports car lineup.

[otolith]

wab172uk said:

Lotus need huge investment, and a line up of cars that isn't aimed at the rich looking for a track car.

Just wait till they announce a new car that's not made of Plastic and smells of Glue. The Protests from the `purists` who've never owned a Lotus will be strong and loud.

I was always disappointed that Lotus's plans for a brand new 5 car line up never happened. I would have seriously bought one. But no one on here liked them. Why? Because they weren't made of Plastic, and weighed less than 600kg

People are never happy. I just hope Lotus start producing a range of cars that are made well, comfortable yet very sporty. Have well appointed interiors that most people would consider an `every day car` (and not just the few), and also aimed at different price points. Don't just aim for the well off.

I assume you own a Porsche, since they already make exactly what you want?

[lotuslover69]

1.5 billion is more investment than mclaren had when they built the mp4-12c, it is more investment than TVR has to build its TVR Griffith. With 1.5 billion they could do a hell of a lot, considering how much they have already achieved with so little.

There is no Sports car in mainland China and Lotus could easily fill that void, with this kind of investment it is obvious Geely plan for Lotus to become something along the lines of Ferrari or Lamborghini. Lotus has one of the most respectable race pedigrees of all the car manufacturers, if Brabham can come out with a 1 million + hyper car then why can't Lotus?

Edited by lotuslover69 on Sunday 12th August 15:32

[anonymous-user]

lotuslover69 said:

With 1.5 billion they could do a hell of a lot, considering how much they have already achieved with so little.

That's not in line with the facts.

The reason they've ended up in Chinese ownership is they've previously had so much yet achieved so little.

I would love to see Lotus rise to new heights after so many previous false starts.

[andy_s]

Exciting times, be interesting to see how they get on. Selfishly hoping they stick to at least one model that embodies the 'Lotus spirit' of a cheapish two-seater car that looks stunning, handles brilliantly and goes like stink; but yeah, bring in an interesting enough but popular SUV, a modern Éclat/Elite for the executive sport market and a halo Esprit to give McLaren some competition and I'd be happy enough.

[DonkeyApple]

I don’t but much of any money that materialises will be going towards sports cars. It’ll be mostly going towards delivering generic everyday cars that the masses will buy in bulk.

[Tickle]

DonkeyApple said:

I don’t but much of any money that materialises will be going towards sports cars. It’ll be mostly going towards delivering generic everyday cars that the masses will buy in bulk.

Seems to work for Porsche, sell family cars in volume and develop the performace cars off the back of it.

Hope they stick to their roots with a lightweight in the range with some nice new material tech in the drive train and chassis. I understand that to get volume more usable cars are needed.

Great news though, especially if they keep the engineering development and knowledge in the UK.

[DonkeyApple]

Tickle said:

DonkeyApple said:

I don’t but much of any money that materialises will be going towards sports cars. It’ll be mostly going towards delivering generic everyday cars that the masses will buy in bulk.

Seems to work for Porsche, sell family cars in volume and develop the performace cars off the back of it.

Hope they stick to their roots with a lightweight in the range with some nice new material tech in the drive train and chassis. I understand that to get volume more usable cars are needed.

Great news though, especially if they keep the engineering development and knowledge in the UK.

I suspect that it’s just about the only way to get it to work unless you have a truly top end product and extremely strong brand.