US LOT Forum - Questions for Lotus

[Bibs]

TLF and a few other clubs around the world have been invited to a chat with Lotus on Thursday to keep in touch with them and have the chance to ask any questions from the senior members of staff who are:

Phil Popham, Lotus Cars CEO, Geoff Dowding, Executive Director of Sales & Aftersales, Matt Windle, Executive Director of Sports Car Engineering, Simon Clare, Executive Director of Marketing, David McIntyre, Regional Director – APAC and China, Graeme Robertson, Head of Sales, Europe and Ryan Watson, President, Lotus Cars USA.

We can ask a couple of questions each and I've some ideas but given the opportunity, what would you like asked?

[rallyesax]

Great opportunity there Bibs. Not so common for a car maker to give the chance to the enthusiast customers of asking questions to the Board. 

Here I go : Is Lotus planning to do a 'baby' Evija? Something maybe to compete with a Taycan (performance and price wise)

I still enjoy my petrol engine massively more than electric but as things go... Just curious to know. 

[C8RKH]

A couple from me @Bibs

 

1. In a world were performance cars are becoming more sterile and "safe" from a styling perspective, and with the popularity of saloon/hatch/estates with 350bhp+ engines and AWD, how does Lotus see the car for the drivers, the enthusiasts, shaping up in the future with a particular emphasis on the sound, driving dynamics, feel and the real series of occasion just looking at one gives, yet alone being inside and pressing the engine start button?
 

2. Some form of electric/hybrid powertrain in an affordable for the many Lotus is inevitable. However, Ferrari has seen a surge in sales of V12 engined cars, it still sells a large number of V8's. So will Lotus in the short-medium future still find a place for the petrol powered sports car for the driver (for the many, not the super rich few), or will the shift to electric/hybrid now accelerate into the immediate shorter term with the new cars starting in 2021?

 

 

 

[Nelly]

Easy one for me this,

Are we going to see a new Esprit any time soon?

[Mark030358]

Will lotus price most of us out of the market as it seems that's the way things are heading, especially what we have seen in the last threes years (less for more)

[The Pits]

What is the best car they've ever driven?

What is their favourite car currently on sale today?

What is the best Lotus they've ever driven? How does it compare to the above?

What can Lotus do better than any other car maker?

What does Lotus do best?

What does Lotus do worst?

How many Evijas have been ordered?

Why haven't they invested in the current range?

What are they doing to address a reputation for poor build quality among the wider market they are aspiring to sell to?

How can a new range of Lotus cars stay true to Colin Chapman's ethos and appeal to that wider market at the same time?

Industry trends have seen cars get ever bigger, heavier and more complex. How does Lotus 'DNA' really fit in with that?

Geely are investing in motorsport. Why not Lotus?

Lotus cars are exciting, bold, distinctive, innovative and intelligent. Why do we not see Lotus marketing that you could say the same about?

 

 

 

[jep]

My question would be:

What type of car do you think can widen the Lotus brand appeal beyond its current customer base? And will perceived build quality take precedence over weight considerations?

Justin

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Why do you think “connectivity” is important in a Lotus?

[100th_Idiot]

Do they see a future for hydrogen fuel cells?

Do they expect product delays because for the COVID-19 crisis?

Any plans to improve the quality/quantity of the dealer network?

[DarrylV8]

Can we have some (a series of) external/interior teaser pictures and/or sound clips (assuming ICE fitted) of the car being put through its paces (with a bit of commentary from GK) on both the road and test track of the next new model/s?

Even development sketches 

[skiing]

1. What support are they putting in place for older Lotus cars / heritage cars? For example, are they considering similar programs to Fiat Classiche were they re-manufacture parts etc? Factory restorations etc.

2. Are they considering any continuation specials of older models - e.g. 

3. In 2018 after the anniversary celebration it said 'See you next year' - can we have a party to celebrate the return to normal life (when it comes) please at Lotus with lots of cool stuff. 🙂

[Gallandro007]

When are you going to make a practical sports car with a retractable roof?

When are you going to make a 4 seater car. SUV or otherwise.

These are the 2 cars that Lotus needs to make money

[DaveC72]

Which cars on the market today excite you?

Is there anything that you've seen another car manufacturer do and thought, "Damn, wish we'd thought of that"?

What do you drive?

[Snoopy1969]

How about improvement of the dealer network and part availibility (how about a "every part at the customer within 72 hours" guarantee....)

[NedaSay]

What's happening to the Evora GT4 Concept? Will it race when the situation allows it? 

[Bibs]

This was a really interesting and useful meeting today. Lots discussed, lots to share so I'll be publishing a recording of the web chat early next week for all to see

 

 

[DaveC72]

How early? 

 

[Bibs]

Apologies for my face being in the whole thing. Microsoft Teams is new to me! 

[Andrew C]

Can we talk 16 minutes sorry but have we not heard all this before. Yes it was difficult times before corvid 19  now even more .  The chat about dealers very   interesting  specially here in Northern Britain  (Scotland)  as we still do not have one. Now little or no support for a Lotus owner here. We have a independent Specialist who i do not  speak for but seams to have no support from the factory.  U K customers now forgotten not much of a market here for Lotus thats how we feel. As a long term Lotus owner and enthusiast some of the best days was going back to the factory to get the car serviced and visiting the factory you had a fantastic facility get back to using it. You produced the best ever platform  for a sports car the Aluminium tub of the Elise to which still has not been beaten come on it can still be developed more. You have to once again engage with the public playing your cards as close to your chest just is not working as so many of the young say Lotus WHO. As Mclaren have learned from you you must now learned from Mclaren. It upsets me to see how much has been lost at Lotus over the last 10 years another company  would have closed by now .

Andrew 

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Thanks for publishing this Bibs. Most of the questions were fairly specific to the caller (eg. Club support, obsolete parts supply, sales of diagnostic equipment (!)), rather than about the future of Lotus and the new products to come. We did learn from PP that  we will see the new sports car next year, so not in late 2020, as some had hoped. He was also quick to stress its enhanced connectivity and storage! Best news for me is that there will still be a V6 offering.

[Bibs]

I did question (!) some of the questions. We were all given advance warning and I though with the Lotus attendance some heavy hitters were required. My actual question came from a suggestion from Mike Kimberley. If anyone alive knows the company best, it's most certainly him. 

[C8RKH]

52 minutes ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

He was also quick to stress its enhanced connectivity and storage!

I am sure I speak for many on here when I say "oh, fooking great, my knees are trembling with anticipation" as a result of that for the driver focused statement. I am now firmly in the camp that the lunatics are firmly running the assylum, into the ground.

I have a Volvo S90. A truly lovely and very well made piece of Geely loveliness with all the connectivity you would want and enough storage space int he boot for a full acid house party! It has a huge 12" screen in the centre, if you talk to it it talks back, it has app on my phone, it has a bloody sim card in the boot and it's own mobile wifi network. All of this is super dooper when I am gliding about leisurely on long luxurious journeys.

Frankly, do I want all this shite and its distraction in a driver focused sports car? Do I shite. I've got over the shock and awe of the technology in the S90. Now, it mostly just annoys me. The screen and having to use it for everything is a distraction when driving. The RADAR cruise control is a bloody pain in the arse so I switch the RADAR off and just have normal cruise. The most fun is speaking to the car! 

I am at a total loss as to what is taking so long to develop at Lotus and why it is taking so bloooooody long. It feels like it is now management by a million committees. I do hope I am wrong. I really hope that I am wrong.

 

[blindside]

"For the driver"............. but not on track. Maybe unintended give aways, but some of the comments did not give the impression that collectively they are performance car enthusiasts; the marketing guy in particular.

I can totally understand why they want to move into the 'premium' segment from a profit perspective. Also why they want to focus more on the US & Far East markets. However, the discussion did not address any of the bigger questions around where they are taking Lotus. Plus the interaction between Phil Popham the senior team seemed disjointed; as if they had not collectively worked through the detail & were not entirely on the same page. 

On the plus side all due credit to Phil Popham & the senior team for taking the time and making the effort to talk to the Clubs.

 

 

[yeller77]

Thanks to Bibs for participating and posting this as well as the senior team to see the value in participating. It was at least good for a Yank to hear someone say that the US market was a "priority." To be fair, though, that has been said before to limited success, mainly the S2 Elise and Exige which demonstrated a limited lifespans, along with carefully selected Evora models. No point in bringing up that it was also said perhaps a decade ago something to the effect that "all future Lotus cars will built for all world markets." It was a nicely coordinated podcast, clearly challenging with lots of moving parts, albeit with the SELOC chap not seeming to know how to queue. What has always concerned me, though and in the same vein as Bibs question, is that in all the parade of leadership probably since the MJK tenure, their elaboration of what they want for the Brand to a man always begins with all of the efforts they went through to understand what makes a Lotus a Lotus. While I'm sure they've all wanted to do a good job and great (sometimes grandiose) things, it'd be nice to have leadership that had that knowledge and passion for the Brand going in.

Also good to have them throw some reasonable scraps for some Classic Lotus support in the future, although it may seem more difficult in practice the more they move away from the classics. I'd have to wonder, not knowing if Clive would have any interest at all, if a factory supported (easier than factory managed) collaboration with CTL to form Classic Lotus Cars for service and parts support similar to what the factory used to do could be considered. While we have a broadly experienced aftermarket sales and service community on most continents, to continue to have a "factory authority" for restorations seems invaluable. I can think of no better curator of the "Colin era" of Lotus cars than Clive. There can surely still be a large cadre of ex-Lotus employees out there that could be instrumental in that effort. 

Just spitballin' here. Enjoying the podcasts so far, and I hope the US LOT podcasts can continue beyond the quarantine era.

[The Pits]

Not saying anything!

Just one small suggestion. If Lotus are looking for more accessible driving events, where their cars can be driven properly, without breaking Swiss traffic laws or risking any PR disasters, without the need to pay a few hundred quid to close a road (the cost of a trackday anyway), may I suggest they consider using the test track that they drive past on the way to work every morning?