Tuesday 20th July 2010

What's Lotus Up To? Answers On A Postcard...

Lotus press release promises much, reveals nothing about the new Esprit

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Those crazy guys in the Lotus PR department are still flat out scheming new ways to make us stop and say 'wtf?'.

Hot on the heels of the odd Stonehenge-based release last month, this cryptic little missive arrived in the PH news e-mailbox today:

Press release

73 DAYS TO GO
1975 - Lotus Does the Time Warp

1975. Ah what a year (not so for Nixon advisors but hey you can't please all the people). The Watergate verdicts aside, 1975 was the year we saw Jaws encourage people to stay out of the sea, Margaret Thatcher become the first female leader of the Conservative party and the future face of British football emerge as David Beckham first drew breath.

1975 also marked the birth of another British legend when the Lotus Esprit was officially launched at the Paris Motor Show in October.

Okay, the earth is still spinning around the sun, but wouldn't you agree that those things happening in 1975 changed the world a bit? Just a little bit?

We do.

And what we also know now is that 35 years later, something breathtaking will happen once again. Once more in Paris. Once more at the Motor Show.

Perhaps a new Esprit? Perhaps not. Or perhaps even more?

Feel free to guess what we're up to but ultimately you're going to have to wait and see. One thing is for sure, it'll be worth the wait.

Ends.

So it's official. There's definitely something in the air at Lotus, and possibly something in the water, too. What isn't yet official (yet) is the new Esprit we've all been expecting, but we'll play along with the tease for now...

Meanwhile, here's a picture of a first generation Esprit that was decorating the Lotus stand at the Goodwood Moving Motor Show.

[anonymous-user]

Oh Gawd! first landrover, now lotus, listen here people, cut the crap, just make a decent car,one that doesnt cost 10 squillion pounds, and people will buy it, and NO, you don't need some iffy celebrity endorsment or "lost" style long winded press release rubish to sell it!!!!


Annoyed, of Northampton.

[Mazda Baiter]

What's the betting that it is a limited edition Elise?

Seriously though, wouldn't it be awesome if it was an announcement of an Esprit with the V10 from the Lexus LFA?

[Pistachio]

Well Lotus PR is made up of exiles from Ferrari
The best way to launch a car is to just launch it and watch,....this ....lengthy...roundabout ....way of...revealing ....bit...by...bit gets really b...o...r...i..n...g

[RTH]

Or perhaps this is the new Esprit ?

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/...

[Fetchez la vache]

A lightweight, nimble, diesel Exige

[anonymous-user]

"feel free to guess what were up to"


is it:

A) a pointless and frutless attempt at pushing our brand upmarket into the teeth of extremely strong market segment leaders such as Porsche, at the ultimate expense of our loyal customer who will feel alienated and priced out of the product portfolio....

or

b) lamely trying to distract the motoring press and our customers from noticing that we havent actually got any money to spend on new models, so were just going to dress our old ones up a bit and hope no one notices too much......



wow, i'm getting gumpy in my old age

[dandarez]

Paying too much to overrated PR people...

especially to those who haven't got a clue!

[Ozzie Osmond]

Max_Torque said:

Wow, i'm getting gumpy in my old age

Nope, Lotus really haven't delivered the goods with their recent new products. And if they think they can solve their problems by taking on Ferrari, Lamborghini, Audi, Bentley and Porsche in the "£100,000" segment they're still getting dafter.

Hope to goodness Lotus aren't just going to dribble out yet more Elise/Exige special editions...

[OlberJ]

fkit, i'm reading that as the new Esprit is very nearly here.


signed,
Mr Mentalist.

[jayfish]

It's a new shade of green piping to the Alcantara seats that evokes images of the seaweed 007 drove past in the original Esprit.

[justin220]

V6 Exige
Esprit Concept
Evora SC

[OlberJ]

justin220 said:

V6 Exige

Rumour has it that it won't be the 2GR-FE.

I think it will.

330bhp Exige which weighs about the same as the old one? Yes please!

[tridave]

justin220 said:

V6 Exige
Esprit Concept
Evora SC

+1 other

[jackal]

whatever it is.. you can bet it will cost more than a GT-r/997S/M5/M3 but be well under 275bhp

[justin220]

tridave said:

justin220 said:

V6 Exige
Esprit Concept
Evora SC

+1 other

Yeah that's what I've heard

[Ed.]

Theme park?

[carinaman]

They've bought back the rights to the Lotus 7?

[carinaman]

What would be good was if someone in Wymondham sold some postcards of 'Hethel - home of Lotus'. I even went into the museum in Wymondham looking for some.

[carinaman]

A new entry level Lotus? It's a Caterham 21 with the three cylinder engine from the Aygo and iQ in it?

[OlberJ]

jackal said:

whatever it is.. you can bet it will cost more than a GT-r/997S/M5/M3 but be well under 275bhp

Explain please.