RE: Lotus expects to outgrow Hethel

[The Wookie]

LotusOmega375D said:

Just you. It was 9 years ago after all. That’s still a good looking car to me, especially since it would presumably have represented the lower end of the Lotus range. Looks more resolved than an Elise IMO.

Christ, 9 years, I feel old. Seems like only last year I was stood on the stand in Paris frightened that the next piece of trim would fall off the Eterne model when I was nearest it and I’d be blamed

[otolith]

I've not looked at them since they came out. They looked good to me then, now they don't, so perhaps.

[kambites]

fatandwheezing said:

Is it just me, or do those cars, second one particularly, look incredibly dated now?

I agree, they're not nearly ugly enough to be from 2019.

[havoc]

yonex said:

Pistonheads in tenuous fake news Lotus headline.

What’s next, a new Esprit

My thoughts exactly when I saw the headline - wondered if I'd gone back in time 9 years!

I'd love them to do well, but I don't think it'll happen.

[anonymous-user]

havoc said:

stuff

I think many of us are 100% with you in those thoughts.

[E65Ross]

Plate spinner said:

Being PH, should the title not be ‘Hethel expects to outgrow Hethel’?

[LotusOmega375D]

Back in November 2014 then new CEO Jean-Marc Gales said Lotus would sell 2000 cars in 2014, then 3000 cars in 2015 and the same for the next few years until a leap to 10000 cars in the future (presumably based on SUV sales).

5 years later his successor has repeated pretty much the same figures.

It’s like trying to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

[Frimley111R]

LotusOmega375D said:

Back in November 2014 then new CEO Jean-Marc Gales said Lotus would sell 2000 cars in 2014, then 3000 cars in 2015 and the same for the next few years until a leap to 10000 cars in the future (presumably based on SUV sales).

5 years later his successor has repeated pretty much the same figures.

It’s like trying to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

I can see why it seems like that but never before have Lotus had access to not only such huge financial reserves but also access to a manufacturer of high quality mainstream cars which can supply tech, manufacturing support etc.

[Vee12V]

Frimley111R said:

LotusOmega375D said:

Back in November 2014 then new CEO Jean-Marc Gales said Lotus would sell 2000 cars in 2014, then 3000 cars in 2015 and the same for the next few years until a leap to 10000 cars in the future (presumably based on SUV sales).

5 years later his successor has repeated pretty much the same figures.

It’s like trying to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

I can see why it seems like that but never before have Lotus had access to not only such huge financial reserves but also access to a manufacturer of high quality mainstream cars which can supply tech, manufacturing support etc.

Exactly. It baffles me how so many can't understand the difference between both situations.

[Richard A]

fatandwheezing said:

wab172uk said:

Now they are 2 great looking cars. When I saw the 5 car line-up, my first thoughts were "If they build them, I'll be buying a Lotus". And yet .......

Is it just me, or do those cars, second one particularly, look incredibly dated now?

Not just you, but then all the Bahar cars looked pretty characterless to me even at the time.

They all had CAD/CAM "drag and drop features from a menu onto a body in white" type styling, without any real heart and soul.

[LotusOmega375D]

I’m not saying they’re in the same position today. I’m just pointing out the similarity in the predicted sales figures that each CEO has come out with 5 years apart. Maybe Popham found Gales’ old notes in his desk?

[kambites]

Frimley111R said:

I can see why it seems like that but never before have Lotus had access to not only such huge financial reserves but also access to a manufacturer of high quality mainstream cars which can supply tech, manufacturing support etc.

This doesn't necessarily mean they wont screw it up though; it just means they'll have to find more inventive ways to do so.

[tgx]

I believe there is an addage about not counting your chickens...

[JxJ Jr.]

Frimley111R said:

LotusOmega375D said:

Back in November 2014 then new CEO Jean-Marc Gales said Lotus would sell 2000 cars in 2014, then 3000 cars in 2015 and the same for the next few years until a leap to 10000 cars in the future (presumably based on SUV sales).

5 years later his successor has repeated pretty much the same figures.

It’s like trying to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

I can see why it seems like that but never before have Lotus had access to not only such huge financial reserves but also access to a manufacturer of high quality mainstream cars which can supply tech, manufacturing support etc.

The Chinese market is struggling, Geely's profit for the first half of the year fell by about 40%, it's volumes are down by about a third. At the same time China is now a net seller of assets around the world, undoing many acquisitions by Chinese companies that made little sense to begin with. I'm not saying Geely-Lotus falls in to that category, it probably makes a bit more sense than when GM owned it but it's still not necessarily the most obvious marriage. Neither am I saying there is pending doom but it does perhaps look a little less rosy than it did.

[Olivera]

Vee12V said:

Frimley111R said:

LotusOmega375D said:

Back in November 2014 then new CEO Jean-Marc Gales said Lotus would sell 2000 cars in 2014, then 3000 cars in 2015 and the same for the next few years until a leap to 10000 cars in the future (presumably based on SUV sales).

5 years later his successor has repeated pretty much the same figures.

It’s like trying to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

I can see why it seems like that but never before have Lotus had access to not only such huge financial reserves but also access to a manufacturer of high quality mainstream cars which can supply tech, manufacturing support etc.

Exactly. It baffles me how so many can't understand the difference between both situations.

Apart from the Bahar era where they blew several hundred million (£167.8m net loss in 2013), probably more than every other small UK car manufacturer combined for a decade, and produced nothing.

[98elise]

kambites said:

wab172uk said:

Frimley111R said:

3 lines in before mentioning Lotus's most famous employee, Danny B. He's more famous than Colin Chapman!

Yeah. Guy wanted to produce cars people might actually want to buy. What a Dick !!!

It wasn't the cars which were the problem, it was the lack of a remotely feasible plan to deliver them.

Yup...if VW announced 5 new cars in one go you would think "that's ambitious"

For Lotus is was pure fantasy.

[Frimley111R]

98elise said:

kambites said:

wab172uk said:

Frimley111R said:

3 lines in before mentioning Lotus's most famous employee, Danny B. He's more famous than Colin Chapman!

Yeah. Guy wanted to produce cars people might actually want to buy. What a Dick !!!

It wasn't the cars which were the problem, it was the lack of a remotely feasible plan to deliver them.

Yup...if VW announced 5 new cars in one go you would think "that's ambitious"

For Lotus is was pure fantasy.

But it wasn't really though was it? IIRC it was two with different bodys/changes/etc. Bit like McLaren.

[anonymous-user]

Frimley111R said:

But it wasn't really though was it? IIRC it was two with different bodys/changes/etc. Bit like McLaren.

McLarens do actually exist. Which is nice.

[anonymous-user]

rockin said:

McLarens do actually exist. Which is nice.

[kambites]

yonex said:

rockin said:

McLarens do actually exist. Which is nice.

He has a point though. If, ten years ago, someone had said Mclaren would have a lineup and sales anything like they do now everyone would have thought they were mad.