RE: Lotus previews new Emira interior
Discussion
bcr5784 said:
How much are dealers asking as a deposit? Fully refundable I trust. What delivery dates are they speculating?
I paid £500 to a well known (possibly the best known!) Lotus dealer and they said that customer deliveries would begin in April '22 and I would be looking at June/July '22. However, having waited some time for my S2 Elise back in 2001 and then got exactly 4 days notice of its delivery in May, I'm not too worried when it arrives as long as it does!LotusOmega375D said:
In today’s marketing vernacular it would be called “composite”, I think most would consider it to be good old GRP.
Whats good old GRP though?Modern composites use a range of resins, not necessarily random fibre strands, pre-preg sheets, forming under vacuum, variable thickness.
When directly compared to steel, composite materials can meet or surpass the automotive industry’s material property demands, including low coefficients of thermal expansion for heat conduction, dimensional stability for shape retention, corrosion resistance in wet conditions, and high-impact strength to withstand repeated use.
I would rather have a composite body on a aluminum chassis than a steel body on a steel chassis
Some very desirable cars made of glassfibre
Original Alpine A110
Noble M12
Ferrari 308
Corvette C2, C7 etc
Lancia Stratos
Porsche make a thing of using composites (not CF) in the 992
Summary a composite body is not a negative
Tuna said:
The only thing that scared me in that list was "Range-Rover esque ride quality" - WTF is that? If there's one thing the Evora is consistently praised for, it's ride quality. You can of course suggest it should be marshmallow soft, but at that point, I suggest Sir might consider buying an SUV (Lotus will be selling one) or a Sofa (DFS sell those).
The other problem being that if you make your sports car super-cushiony-soft, not only does it stop feeling like a sports car, it also feels slower than it really is (right up to the point where you're in the ditch). That's a bit of a problem if you want people to be impressed on their test drive.
None of the above are a problem for myself (if I want to go on track days I use a track car..not a road car). I want comfort and the ability to go miles & miles and get out the other end feeling great (Range~Rover esque ride ‘quality’). I think Geely are waking up to the idea of a GT car. I also hear the word ‘profit’ used an awful lot in the MD’s rhetoric. I’m assuming that means a car which appeals a lot more to a wider audience and in particular..the female buyer. They’ll have crunched the numbers on their excel sheets fully focused on the Boxster’s appeal for sure. Hence the vision of SUV’s next. Personally I think they’re on the right lines and a more ‘upmarket’ approach is definitely the way to go. There’s certainly room for a Lotus SUV ‘now’. It’ll be their best seller come the day. The other problem being that if you make your sports car super-cushiony-soft, not only does it stop feeling like a sports car, it also feels slower than it really is (right up to the point where you're in the ditch). That's a bit of a problem if you want people to be impressed on their test drive.
Gary C said:
Sporky said:
Gary C said:
Thats been done many many times. How much better it would have been with a manual
Though as no-one's tried one with a manual, it's just speculation and petrolhead virtue signalling, from people who were never going to buy one anyway.spagbogdog said:
None of the above are a problem for myself (if I want to go on track days I use a track car..not a road car). I want comfort and the ability to go miles & miles and get out the other end feeling great (Range~Rover esque ride ‘quality’). I think Geely are waking up to the idea of a GT car.
Um... Evora. Seriously, ride quality is not a problem in the current range, and not something they need to dramatically change in the Emira. The fact that you appear unaware of this is the bigger issue that Geely needs to address.
Sporky said:
Gary C said:
Sporky said:
Gary C said:
Thats been done many many times. How much better it would have been with a manual
Though as no-one's tried one with a manual, it's just speculation and petrolhead virtue signalling, from people who were never going to buy one anyway.Tuna said:
Um... Evora.
Seriously, ride quality is not a problem in the current range, and not something they need to dramatically change in the Emira. The fact that you appear unaware of this is the bigger issue that Geely needs to address.
I haven’t seen a single Evora on the road this year. I don’t doubt they ride great…but they’re clearly not appealing to buyers (now..and over the past number of years). My point is that they don’t sell enough of them to turn a profit. Personally I think the Evora looks wrong, doesn’t flow and appears back to front / inside out. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it appears to be a bit of a mongrel…and will get easily passed over by plenty of customers shopping in the BMW / Porsche (etc) dealerships (where the Brand identity and ‘image’ is a tad ‘plusher’. Seriously, ride quality is not a problem in the current range, and not something they need to dramatically change in the Emira. The fact that you appear unaware of this is the bigger issue that Geely needs to address.
DonkeyApple said:
True but Aston was totally screwed at the time they needed to source an engine and Merc were the big dog easily able to dictate terms. Aston were only ever going to get what they were given and had to throw in a chunk of the company because they didn't even have the cash.
Conversely, Lotus is an arm of Geely which Merc can't exactly push around unless they want a little slap in China.
The landscape is very different so it would be a big surprise to see Lotus get screwed down like Aston were.
I think at the last AML AGM they said they will now be getting the latest Mercedes tech or at least V8 engines.Conversely, Lotus is an arm of Geely which Merc can't exactly push around unless they want a little slap in China.
The landscape is very different so it would be a big surprise to see Lotus get screwed down like Aston were.
I suspect these will no be being developed much further with the EV rules so they are more willing to open it up to others. Plus the ex head of Mercedes AMG being at AML has probably helped.
spagbogdog said:
Tuna said:
Um... Evora.
Seriously, ride quality is not a problem in the current range, and not something they need to dramatically change in the Emira. The fact that you appear unaware of this is the bigger issue that Geely needs to address.
I haven’t seen a single Evora on the road this year. I don’t doubt they ride great…but they’re clearly not appealing to buyers (now..and over the past number of years). My point is that they don’t sell enough of them to turn a profit. Personally I think the Evora looks wrong, doesn’t flow and appears back to front / inside out. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it appears to be a bit of a mongrel…and will get easily passed over by plenty of customers shopping in the BMW / Porsche (etc) dealerships (where the Brand identity and ‘image’ is a tad ‘plusher’. Seriously, ride quality is not a problem in the current range, and not something they need to dramatically change in the Emira. The fact that you appear unaware of this is the bigger issue that Geely needs to address.
), but Geely's problems are all about getting people to try their cars, not making them "Range-rover-esque".It would be good if Lotus can market the car properly, but sadly, even with Geely I don’t think they will have the budget.
To take on Porsche they need big shiny showrooms in prime locations.
I know many people with Porsche’s, a significant number of them had no idea the Evora existed. They have all loved driving mine, although sadly many are wedded to the badge rather than the drive.
To take on Porsche they need big shiny showrooms in prime locations.
I know many people with Porsche’s, a significant number of them had no idea the Evora existed. They have all loved driving mine, although sadly many are wedded to the badge rather than the drive.
rockin said:
Excuses, excuses, excuses. Build the right car and customers will be forming an orderly queue outside the showrooms.
Nonsense. People are not psychic. The Evora was highly praised by motoring journalists when launched, it remains highly praised, the later version get excellent reviews from people like Harry Metcalf. But the visibility of the brand even amongst the car buying public is woeful.
BMW and Audi have people queuing up to by cars that are decidedly average, why do you think that is?
Edited by blueg33 on Thursday 10th June 04:54
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