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That's nice to know, however, when you look at what they do for Chinese customers versus UK ones.... But then we probably get better treatment in the UK than others in other countries.

If I had a pound for every car manufacturer who threatened to pull out of the UK I'd be able to buy a drink in a top Mayfair establishment. We had all these threats of Brexit, and what happened? Sweet FA. And, the same thing will happen here. It's just nonsense as always.

Ah, I see. So it's all basically bull shit, just like just about everything to do with "marketing". Got it. I was really confused as struggled to see how something inert like a number plate could be 4D due to the lack of the "time" element which i had been comprehensively taught was the 4th dimension. As for 5D, 6D, 7D or whatever, it just really proves that the world is just full of mindless cretins, both in terms of the people who make this shit up, and people who swallow it! Thanks all.

I guess you were confirming what I was reluctant to say, which is what future does Hethel really have "when", not if, the manufacturing stops. As for the redevelopment, it's a brownfield site isn't it so I am sure a way will be found that justifies its use over potential green belt etc. I'm not a local though, so no idea of the politics around it but there does seem to be a lot of development happening all over Norfolk.

It was a serious question by the way....

4D? I get length, width, and depth. But what's the fourth Dimension?

So many variables with the "Ring" time including weather, tyres, etc. As this seems important to you I am assuming the car will spend a lot of time on track. Given that, surely you'd be better off looking at a V6 Exige?

It's not that the Lotus ethos is not sustainable, after all Caterham still survives. Ginetta is still going. The MX5 continues to sell etc. Lotus, for whatever reason, was not content with being a small volume car manufacturer pandering to a niche. You had the Bah Bah sheep mentality that seemed to think that Lotus should b e up their with Ferrari, Porsche, Bentley, Aston Martin et al. The brand, unlike some of the products, has just never had that cachet. Oodles and oodles of cash have been wasted chasing that "dream" whilst arguably, at the same time, moving the products away from the hard core fan base. We now have a situation where Lotus is basically a Chinese owned and run company. There is little real difference, at the very top, to how Lotus and MG are now run by the Chinese and increasingly dominated by the needs, desires and direction of that home market. MG did not have the manufacturing base to contend with in the UK, so they are more overt in terms of their Chinese ownership, but their products are largely well made, do OK in the reviews, and are selling like hot cakes to the masses making their Chinese owners some good money and reinforcing the value of the brand etc - revenues up by 122% and profits up from £4.3m to £54m in the past year). Whilst Lotus has moved to the upper "premium" market, MG has focused on cars consumers can afford to buy in large numbers. Lotus on the other hand, has continued its ever stretching move to the upper premium sector, with new products, for new consumers in a new market, and like MG, the manufacturing legacy (and the customers attracted by it) in the UK is less and less important to the market they are chasing. I am totally aware that Lotus as a company has a perfect right to change, adapt, and move on. However, let us not for one minute pretend that the Lotus we see now, and in the future, has much to do with the legacy of Chapman, Hethel, Kimberely etc. Yes they will "use" the legacy for marketing, but that is increasingly all I believe it is, just marketing. Lotus is dead. Long live Lotus.

I think it will struggle to reach £60k. I really do not like the ones with the glass "400" model hatch and three piece spoiler. A big downgrade, obviously only in my opinion, to the full carbon hatch.

Reading that press release I worry about the long term future of Hethel, the signs are there that Hethel will just become a manufacturing only location which, if we're honest, leaves open the future possibility to consolidate all manufacturing in China. Yes, there has been a significant investment in Hethel but that woukd be largely recouped if the site was sold off for housing etc.

I know they get a hard time but I submitted my 2023-24 Self Assessment last Tuesday, online, to HMRC. I've never had any issues dealing with Self Assessment in over 25 years. The tax man owed me over £7k apparently, and it was in my bank account this morning, just over a week later. That made me happy! Credit where credit is due, that's a great service!

Yeah sorry, been oot and posts overlapped. Couldn't you sell this as a "story" to the Sun. I'm sure they'd run it! So much for everyone being treated equally. You could of course decide to identify as a woman..... Just saying 👍

That sounds better @Kimbers! It would seem that sexism is rife and knows no bounds in our judicial and Police system.

Can you not now apply for a restraining order re the internet and other contact? Sorry, may be a dumb ask....

Which Lotus model are you advising us to steer clear of?