An Exige without a roof
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,953
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If they couldn't make money out of the Elise and Exige after all the hype and positive press then perhaps they should not be selling cars. Clearly someone is not running the business very well. I'd love to operate in a niche market with no competition where everyone thought what you did was great and no real viable alternative. I understand economies of scale, but perhaps it is just not a scalable model.
It's a shame the investors want to bleed it dry as it will lose it's soul... (if the above is anything to go by it's well on its way)
it would be just as fast with 20% less displacement, weight and bhp... heck it might even handle better. now there's a thought for Lotus....
they don't NEED more power to sell cars, people love them for what they are (were), this just pushes up the price and squares them to Porsche / BMW and it's not a battle I would pick personally.
It's a shame the investors want to bleed it dry as it will lose it's soul... (if the above is anything to go by it's well on its way)
it would be just as fast with 20% less displacement, weight and bhp... heck it might even handle better. now there's a thought for Lotus....
they don't NEED more power to sell cars, people love them for what they are (were), this just pushes up the price and squares them to Porsche / BMW and it's not a battle I would pick personally.
Former Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 24,771
Likes: 311
From: Stanmore
The new cars have all been put on hold anyway http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/27...y_on_hold.html
Lotus boss Dany Bahar has admitted to evo that much of the company’s development of new models has been suspended following the Malaysian government’s decision to sell its majority stake in Proton.
It’s only three months since evo spent a day with the Lotus CEO at Hethel, where rumours of Proton’s desire to get rid of the British sportscar brand seemed to be effectively disproved by the fact that Bahar had just signed a new four-year contract.
But only a few weeks later, Lotus’s future was thrown into turmoil when the Malaysian Government sold its 42.7 per cent stake in Proton to a large Malaysian industrial conglomerate (DRB-Hicom), which then bought a further seven per cent of Proton’s shares on the open market.
During our exclusive interview in Geneva, Bahar told evo that he was ‘completely taken aback’ when he heard the news, especially when it became clear that, under Malaysian takeover regulations, the whole Proton Group would enter a three month ‘lockdown’ where only normal trading activities could be continued, and anything outside normal business would have to be suspended.
The result at Lotus is that while car production has continued (at a reduced level), much of the company’s R&D work on new models has had to be delayed. This has led to a pushed back launch date for the new Exige S (for which there are already 400 orders in the bag) and the Evora GTE – plus a possible six month delay in the launch of the Esprit, now not expected until early 2014.
And Lotus’s future plans also depend on DRB-Hicom wanting to retain Lotus at the end of this ‘due diligence’ window. To try and ensure it does, Bahar is currently flying to Kuala Lumpur every Monday to talk company representatives through Lotus’ plans and the five-year programme it had agreed with Proton two years ago.
‘This difficult period for Lotus finishes at the end of March and that’s when we will know then whether DRB-Hicom will want to continue with our business plan,’ Bahar admits, ‘I really hope they will but I cannot call it at the moment, it’s still 50:50.’
Whatever happens, Lotus continues to push on with all of its motorsport activities, the opening of its Regent Street Lotus Store in June and will be the featured marque at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year. With so much work already put into the reinvention of Lotus, many of the brand’s fans will be hoping the company gets the green light from DRB-Hocom soon.
It’s only three months since evo spent a day with the Lotus CEO at Hethel, where rumours of Proton’s desire to get rid of the British sportscar brand seemed to be effectively disproved by the fact that Bahar had just signed a new four-year contract.
But only a few weeks later, Lotus’s future was thrown into turmoil when the Malaysian Government sold its 42.7 per cent stake in Proton to a large Malaysian industrial conglomerate (DRB-Hicom), which then bought a further seven per cent of Proton’s shares on the open market.
During our exclusive interview in Geneva, Bahar told evo that he was ‘completely taken aback’ when he heard the news, especially when it became clear that, under Malaysian takeover regulations, the whole Proton Group would enter a three month ‘lockdown’ where only normal trading activities could be continued, and anything outside normal business would have to be suspended.
The result at Lotus is that while car production has continued (at a reduced level), much of the company’s R&D work on new models has had to be delayed. This has led to a pushed back launch date for the new Exige S (for which there are already 400 orders in the bag) and the Evora GTE – plus a possible six month delay in the launch of the Esprit, now not expected until early 2014.
And Lotus’s future plans also depend on DRB-Hicom wanting to retain Lotus at the end of this ‘due diligence’ window. To try and ensure it does, Bahar is currently flying to Kuala Lumpur every Monday to talk company representatives through Lotus’ plans and the five-year programme it had agreed with Proton two years ago.
‘This difficult period for Lotus finishes at the end of March and that’s when we will know then whether DRB-Hicom will want to continue with our business plan,’ Bahar admits, ‘I really hope they will but I cannot call it at the moment, it’s still 50:50.’
Whatever happens, Lotus continues to push on with all of its motorsport activities, the opening of its Regent Street Lotus Store in June and will be the featured marque at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year. With so much work already put into the reinvention of Lotus, many of the brand’s fans will be hoping the company gets the green light from DRB-Hocom soon.
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 31,181
Likes: 58
From: Hertford
If they couldn't make money out of the Elise and Exige after all the hype and positive press then perhaps they should not be selling cars. Clearly someone is not running the business very well. I'd love to operate in a niche market with no competition where everyone thought what you did was great and no real viable alternative. I understand economies of scale, but perhaps it is just not a scalable model.
It's a shame the investors want to bleed it dry as it will lose it's soul... (if the above is anything to go by it's well on its way)
it would be just as fast with 20% less displacement, weight and bhp... heck it might even handle better. now there's a thought for Lotus....
they don't NEED more power to sell cars, people love them for what they are (were), this just pushes up the price and squares them to Porsche / BMW and it's not a battle I would pick personally.
It's a shame the investors want to bleed it dry as it will lose it's soul... (if the above is anything to go by it's well on its way)
it would be just as fast with 20% less displacement, weight and bhp... heck it might even handle better. now there's a thought for Lotus....
they don't NEED more power to sell cars, people love them for what they are (were), this just pushes up the price and squares them to Porsche / BMW and it's not a battle I would pick personally.
Give it another five years and everyone will be driving twatty vages anyway.
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,953
Likes: 1
I kind of meant investors wanting to bleed it dry by speculating and making it into something it isn't... Lotus (IMO) will always be a low volume car maker that has many fans that like it for developing and bringing to market a 'back to bascis' approach to sports cars. I would not want to try and take market share from Porsche as will be tough nut to crack. I don't recall Caterham making a 1200kg / 400bhp tourer... they still do what they do well (F1 I hear you say... ?!?!)
Will Lotus ever show a decent return to an investor? who knows, but it should be able to turn a small profit in a small market with it's small following. Clearly that is not enough.
Will Lotus ever show a decent return to an investor? who knows, but it should be able to turn a small profit in a small market with it's small following. Clearly that is not enough.
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 31,181
Likes: 58
From: Hertford
ISWYM.
Well, the new 'management team' seem to want to get their hands on any car company they can play with; there won't be many players left in a few years' time.
I suppose the problem is, Lotus is now being squeezed from below by the Ariels & Ginettas for 'proper trackday' cars and by the 8 6 and 9 8 6 for the part-time playboys.
Kind of the way the MX-5 killed Reliant dead in the 1990s.
Going upmarket is impossible without the resources of the vages or Toyota (or even Honda; the Electric Six won't help) especially as that market is shrinking/collapsing over the next decade.
Unless...the Chinese suddenly get the wealth & penchant for British track toys. Unlikely.
Well, the new 'management team' seem to want to get their hands on any car company they can play with; there won't be many players left in a few years' time.
I suppose the problem is, Lotus is now being squeezed from below by the Ariels & Ginettas for 'proper trackday' cars and by the 8 6 and 9 8 6 for the part-time playboys.
Kind of the way the MX-5 killed Reliant dead in the 1990s.
Going upmarket is impossible without the resources of the vages or Toyota (or even Honda; the Electric Six won't help) especially as that market is shrinking/collapsing over the next decade.
Unless...the Chinese suddenly get the wealth & penchant for British track toys. Unlikely.
Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 33,838
Likes: 23
From: Sunshine Coast - England UK
I had a right go at Lotus at Autosport. They were the only ones with a barrier and security guard around their stand. They also had some private room out the back, and couldn't speak to any of them without being invited in. Very aloof feel to it. Turns out it was some big cheese and the chief suspension designer I was getting stuck into 
They took the barrier down
Decent chaps to be fair, probably under orders but I was concerned they were trying to be a bit 'Ferrari'
They took the barrier down
Decent chaps to be fair, probably under orders but I was concerned they were trying to be a bit 'Ferrari'
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 10,652
Likes: 17
From: Market Harborough, Leics.
The new cars have all been put on hold anyway http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/27...y_on_hold.html
Lotus boss Dany Bahar has admitted to evo that much of the company’s development of new models has been suspended following the Malaysian government’s decision to sell its majority stake in Proton.
It’s only three months since evo spent a day with the Lotus CEO at Hethel, where rumours of Proton’s desire to get rid of the British sportscar brand seemed to be effectively disproved by the fact that Bahar had just signed a new four-year contract.
But only a few weeks later, Lotus’s future was thrown into turmoil when the Malaysian Government sold its 42.7 per cent stake in Proton to a large Malaysian industrial conglomerate (DRB-Hicom), which then bought a further seven per cent of Proton’s shares on the open market.
During our exclusive interview in Geneva, Bahar told evo that he was ‘completely taken aback’ when he heard the news, especially when it became clear that, under Malaysian takeover regulations, the whole Proton Group would enter a three month ‘lockdown’ where only normal trading activities could be continued, and anything outside normal business would have to be suspended.
The result at Lotus is that while car production has continued (at a reduced level), much of the company’s R&D work on new models has had to be delayed. This has led to a pushed back launch date for the new Exige S (for which there are already 400 orders in the bag) and the Evora GTE – plus a possible six month delay in the launch of the Esprit, now not expected until early 2014.
And Lotus’s future plans also depend on DRB-Hicom wanting to retain Lotus at the end of this ‘due diligence’ window. To try and ensure it does, Bahar is currently flying to Kuala Lumpur every Monday to talk company representatives through Lotus’ plans and the five-year programme it had agreed with Proton two years ago.
‘This difficult period for Lotus finishes at the end of March and that’s when we will know then whether DRB-Hicom will want to continue with our business plan,’ Bahar admits, ‘I really hope they will but I cannot call it at the moment, it’s still 50:50.’
Whatever happens, Lotus continues to push on with all of its motorsport activities, the opening of its Regent Street Lotus Store in June and will be the featured marque at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year. With so much work already put into the reinvention of Lotus, many of the brand’s fans will be hoping the company gets the green light from DRB-Hocom soon.
It’s only three months since evo spent a day with the Lotus CEO at Hethel, where rumours of Proton’s desire to get rid of the British sportscar brand seemed to be effectively disproved by the fact that Bahar had just signed a new four-year contract.
But only a few weeks later, Lotus’s future was thrown into turmoil when the Malaysian Government sold its 42.7 per cent stake in Proton to a large Malaysian industrial conglomerate (DRB-Hicom), which then bought a further seven per cent of Proton’s shares on the open market.
During our exclusive interview in Geneva, Bahar told evo that he was ‘completely taken aback’ when he heard the news, especially when it became clear that, under Malaysian takeover regulations, the whole Proton Group would enter a three month ‘lockdown’ where only normal trading activities could be continued, and anything outside normal business would have to be suspended.
The result at Lotus is that while car production has continued (at a reduced level), much of the company’s R&D work on new models has had to be delayed. This has led to a pushed back launch date for the new Exige S (for which there are already 400 orders in the bag) and the Evora GTE – plus a possible six month delay in the launch of the Esprit, now not expected until early 2014.
And Lotus’s future plans also depend on DRB-Hicom wanting to retain Lotus at the end of this ‘due diligence’ window. To try and ensure it does, Bahar is currently flying to Kuala Lumpur every Monday to talk company representatives through Lotus’ plans and the five-year programme it had agreed with Proton two years ago.
‘This difficult period for Lotus finishes at the end of March and that’s when we will know then whether DRB-Hicom will want to continue with our business plan,’ Bahar admits, ‘I really hope they will but I cannot call it at the moment, it’s still 50:50.’
Whatever happens, Lotus continues to push on with all of its motorsport activities, the opening of its Regent Street Lotus Store in June and will be the featured marque at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year. With so much work already put into the reinvention of Lotus, many of the brand’s fans will be hoping the company gets the green light from DRB-Hocom soon.
This is old news and was general knowledge in January. Bahar has chosen to talk to press now.
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