Lotus:A new dawn on channel 4

[Bibs]

You mean Matt Windle? Matt Becker's at AML now sadly and I thought they showed the VP cars there - those are Validation of Production which teaches them how to build them properly.

 

[Tim H]

I have enjoyed all the media and peoples comment views on the forum about the new lotus model, and it looks a super car. The thing I picked up the most on the ch4 program was the time it took to align the engine to the main car. Whether they had used factory simulation software that high lights the human interaction on assembling the car? It detects access issues at an early stage,  It looked difficult for the guys using torque wrenches with extensions.

 

[21gg]

That torque wrench that went round 2or 3 corners was mad 🤣😂

[DarrylV8]

Shame Gavan and his team were not interviewed in depth (unless we are to see a follow on program later on this year), at Goodwood last week engineering team were giving lots of technical information on the car and the attributes 

i got the impression last weekend and from the internet review earlier in week that Lotus were given time to get the Emira right rather than letting the first owners do the development work post delivery as was the case previously when Lotus had little/no funding 

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

I enjoyed it. Possibly the most important moment was the TV advert during the first commercial break. I wonder if we’ll see that again? Shame about the trim shop though.

[freefall_junkie]

1 hour ago, Bibs said:

You mean Matt Windle? Matt Becker's at AML now sadly and I thought they showed the VP cars there - those are Validation of Production which teaches them how to build them properly.

 

Ah yes, too early on a Sunday, brain not in gear 🙂 I was thinking of Gavan Kershaw.

[exeterjeep]

1 hour ago, Tim H said:

The thing I picked up the most on the ch4 program was the time it took to align the engine to the main car

They said that they were hoping to get it done much quicker, when in production this was the first time they put it on the chassis, it looked more than just the engine/box, it was massive. 

The documentary made Lotus look a bit like a family firm that happened to make a few cars. It reminded me of a program about Morgan that was on over 25 years ago.  I really hope that they get the production sorted and get the cars rolling off the 'line' asap.

[ramjet]

I hope the show pops up on YT at some stage.

[glen8]

Here you go

 

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AmoWhF0hiXW1grIImTqHWdjVT6vGZw?e=j9JMYN

[ramjet]

Link doesn't work. Blank page just sits there. Thanks for trying though.

Just tried it again. Now it is working.  

[Tim H]

My point about putting the engine / gearbox subframe to the main car structure was, if this was done in factory simulation software it will tell you any issues before you get to reality. That is why you use simulation, it tells you before you get to first time build and you can make modifications to the structure the design intent model.

[simonb]

I did wonder whether the engine alignment issues were toyota specific; and that Emira was designed around the AMG rather than toyota, and the other "made to fit"

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

2 hours ago, exeterjeep said:

They said that they were hoping to get it done much quicker, when in production this was the first time they put it on the chassis, it looked more than just the engine/box, it was massive. 

The documentary made Lotus look a bit like a family firm that happened to make a few cars. It reminded me of a program about Morgan that was on over 25 years ago.  I really hope that they get the production sorted and get the cars rolling off the 'line' asap.

That was Troubleshooter with ICI industry big-wig Sir John Harvey-Jones, aired back in 1990. From distant memory he completely misunderstood the company and just couldn’t get his head round their low volume family business model. Morgan is still around though, unlike many others…

[exeterjeep]

5 minutes ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

Morgan is still around though, unlike many others…

They had a major shake up awhile ago when the MD in the film Charles,  lost control of the company. and is only a small stakeholder. They will need to work with others to get sorted for the change to electric models. I doubt if they will get an investment of 100m or so.

I really hope Lotus get on with the car now, also the length of time it has taken to get the Evija into build. Suggested it will start being built later this year after Emira is under way. People who put deposits down for Evija, may get fed up of waiting.

[PhilT]

25 minutes ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

he completely misunderstood the company and just couldn’t get his head round their low volume family business model

In fairness to JHJ and watching the programme at the time and reading the book (no T shirt unfortunately), I'd say the Morgan family completely misunderstood how to profitably make low volume sports cars. JHJ was very conservative in his advice: re-purpose the function of the existing (scattered) buildings to create more of a process flow, let the craftsmen use power tools where that would be helpful, increase the price of the car to reduce the 5 year wait list and reduce build slot gazumping. Morgan were blind to common sense...

[jep]

I enjoyed the documentary and I assume there will be follow-up installments. I hope so.

We should not forget COVID delays to Evija and perhaps Emira planning. I am impressed by the strategy of Emira launch to date.  

The closing of the trim shop, whilst sad for those involved, is a telling sign of the seriousness of Lotus intent. They will henceforth assemble cars at Hethel, not build them, just as all other volume manufactures do. Morgan they do not want to be - and in actualite never have been anything like, as Lotus is an engineering group of the very highest class. 

Delighted for Russell Carr, who has stuck it out at Lotus through so much change. I had not appreciated his family history prior to last night. Touching and yes, perhaps explains the blue Emira.

Go Go Go Lotus!

Justin

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

54 minutes ago, PhilT said:

In fairness to JHJ and watching the programme at the time and reading the book (no T shirt unfortunately), I'd say the Morgan family completely misunderstood how to profitably make low volume sports cars. JHJ was very conservative in his advice: re-purpose the function of the existing (scattered) buildings to create more of a process flow, let the craftsmen use power tools where that would be helpful, increase the price of the car to reduce the 5 year wait list and reduce build slot gazumping. Morgan were blind to common sense...

It worked though. My friend was a serial Morgan customer since the 1960s. He would collect his new car and place an order for the next at the same time. So the “waiting lists” were of more interest to media headlines, than the company itself.

[PhilT]

In no sense did it 'work'. You support my point in your last sentence. No PROFESSIONAL manufacturing organisation is less interested in waiting lists for its products than the media.

[windymiller]

just watched and indeed very interesting !! so isnt it mad though that for years lotus have been at the cutting edge in inovation, design and performance but so so sadly that just hasnt turned into profit !! now i love "business" and will never stop learning but how can such an inovative company struggled for so many years ? fingers crossed the emira is a turning point ok its not quite the ltd edition models of the past but without a volume car lotus has an un clear future

[ramjet]

Aww rats! I got sleepy last night and went to bed only 16 minutes into the Documentary.

Reloading today and it says that the user may have exceeded their sharing rights. The item no longer exists or is unavailable.

I'll go on what you guys say about it.

[Evotion]

On 17/07/2021 at 19:29, emstan said:

It was quite a nice one, wasn't it? Nothing we didn't know already (right?), but it was cool to actually see the people who'll be building our cars.

A signed autograph and plaque in the engine bay from the Robot would be nice. 😃

[ramjet]

I'm able to watch it again now. They say that Lotus is building it's first new car in 10 years.

Isn't the Emira their second new car in 10 years?

[Evotion]

I think the Evora was launched in 2010.

It;'s been a long wait!

[Bibs]

2008 for the Evora.

They probably meant or said first new sports car. The Evija is an EV hypercar. 

 

 

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

No-one remembers the V6 Exige launched in about 2012.