Lotus LMP2 News

[ramjet]

That's a hell of a time, especially when you are wrapped up in your helmet and racing suit etc. I don't know what the weather was like, but I would hazard a guess he would have been less than comfortable.

From the video, the pit guys can lend assistance by way of supplying him with tools and advice I presume, but that's it?

I certainly don't think it will be the last we will see of this car and other designs, now that someone has stepped 'outside the box'.

Should be more of it.

[rocket63]

This is better;

http://youtu.be/xi_AsxRuyus

[Bibs]

All this cash Lotus spent on 'branding' at Le Mans this year, guess how much they recouped through merchandise sales though?

[rocket63]

Didn't see any Lotus merchandising what so ever in ten days there !

[EmlynTaylor]

Didn't see any Lotus merchandising what so ever in ten days there !

I spent 30 Euros on a cap

[Bibs]

Not from the Lotus stand since once again they took nowt. Only 250,000 face fans there, not like it's a good chance to sell gear

[NedaSay]

Not from the Lotus stand since once again they took nowt. Only 250,000 face fans there, not like it's a good chance to sell gear

And don't you think it's time to get rid of some useless people! You sponsor no,less than four cars and you don't provide tshirts and caps at the race!!! Lotus needs to learn a few things about sponsoring one of them is called activating the sponsorship! Uh the ex CEO was supposed to know about that but then maybe he never attended that class at business school

[Bibs]

Nuts isn't it! I thought this is what Bahar did so well at Ferrari, monetising the merchandise of the brand. Shocking really...

Le Mans 2012 = huge waste of cash but even worse, waste of potential.

[NedaSay]

^^ The same could be said about all Group Lotus under DB motorsport endeavours.

Lotus F1 team is the tree that hides the forrest in this case. Not a single racing program returned any significant results or better media coverage. But again there are reasons for that.

GP2-3 and F3 have always been useless as they are for teams to make money out of drivers, not for manufacturer brands to come and stil the show. Which lotus branded teams haven't anyway.

GT4 & GTE were clearly the wrong choices ; Lotus was supposed to create a cup around it and they never did or haven't done it yet! GTE was probably ok for the car but too much for the engine which tops at 450 bhp while everybody else gets at least 520bhp! GT4 is somewhat popular in national championship series but is non existant in continental series where GT3 are all the rage. GTC/3 is coming but Lotus has to build a motorsport support structure so that teams will not hesitate to buy and use the car.

Indycar has it's own thread so... Lets not even talk here about the upcoming Kart effort or the rallying should be about selling cars only not having an official team...

LMP2... Well a team sporting Lotus colors finished 4th in the greatest race of them all. But it was not a Lotus car and nobody gives a shit about sponsor in Europe Not unless sponsors themselves spread the word. So complete wasted effort once again

There's a new guy in charge of running the day to day ops waiting for a new CEO. I hope he cuts into the fat of this racing sponsorship program cause it's rubbish. It's the most unfocused, brand message diluting I've seen or heard of.

Going back to Le Mans, there's a future and I hope it will be a rational one, the LMP car to be designed by James Key could be what Lotus needs if they focus their efforts on it!

Edited June 24, 2012 by NedaSay

[chandrew]

Nuts isn't it! I thought this is what Bahar did so well at Ferrari, monetising the merchandise of the brand. Shocking really...

Le Mans 2012 = huge waste of cash but even worse, waste of potential.

I have to say that this is typical of Lotus Marketing. It's your job as a marketer to think through the customer path and guide them to the one which you want them to take (usually buy something). I've said it on numerous other posts, Lotus marketing execution has been very bad for quite a long time. Now DB has gone, maybe it's an opportunity to get someone who can sort out the basics. The most creative, innovative campaigns are worthless if you can't execute.

[rocket63]

And there is the rub. There is nothing symbiotic with the Lotus group and that is why it has floundered from one crisis to another and will continue to do so.

[Bibs]

24 H du Mans 2012 from Axel ANQUETIL on Vimeo.

[racefan]

^^ Going back to Le Mans, there's a future and I hope it will be a rational one, the LMP car to be designed by James Key could be what Lotus needs if they focus their efforts on it!

James Key is no longer working for Lotus.... no surprise for me...

[Bibs]

True. The Lotus head of motorsport marketing is leaving this week too.

[NedaSay]

Berro is out?! Really !!! Ok so done with Indycar, GP2, GP3, German F3... Finally !!! and I guess LMP2/1 Oh well! Provided privateers can still by Evora GTC and race!

[Bibs]

No, Head of Motorsport Marketing, Steve Wright. Lovely guy, ex Ferrari and immensely experienced. A real loss IMO.

[racefan]

Unfortunately not Berro, i'm surprised that this man is still in charge for motorsport ..........

[NedaSay]

So am I... I figured motorsport was to be the first area to know massive cuts!

[NedaSay]

Well here it is... Kodewa is showing the first scale model of the Lotus branded T128 2014 LMP2 spec racer!

It's being developped by Kodewa Racing which is owned by Colin Kolles (former Jordan/Midland/Spyker team director more recently head of HRT F1 Team) and german engineering powerhouse EDAG.

Kodewa and EDAG will build, develop and race the car that will also be sold to other privateer teams (if there are any). It fully complies with the 2014 ACO/FIA regulations and therefore will be able to compete in WEC, American LMS, European LMS (if still around) and Asian LMS.

Edited August 1, 2012 by NedaSay

[Bibs]

I wonder what Hethel's involvement in the car will be. That wind tunnel says Mercedes too, doh!

Here's the press release.

Lotus LMP2 is working with full determination on the development of its own LMP2 car that already has taken advanced shape.

Tests in the wind tunnel already took place and more will follow in the next weeks in order to complete first test runs just after the season final of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

A study of the new Lotus LMP2 sports car has been shown in June and now there is a first picture showing the new Lotus T128 during wind tunnel tests and giving a first impression of the look of the new racing car.

The sports car prototype has been developed in accordance with the new regulations set by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and will be a state of the art car in terms of aerodynamics and monocoque design. The Lotus T128 can be run by customer teams in many sports car race series all over the world, for example in FIA World Endurance Championship or the Le Mans Series in Europe, America and Asia.

[NedaSay]

I wonder what Hethel's involvement in the car will be. That wind tunnel says Mercedes too, doh!

Here's the press release.

Well, black and gold paint, some decals and a name... What else can they provide at this point... the V8 engine of the future Esprit a stressed version of it developed by Cosworth!? That would be wishful thinking on my behalf!

I'm just surprised to see this program moving forward!

[racefan]

program is fully founded by kodewa lotus as always recently provide badge and paintwork design.......

[Exploded]

So this is not designed by James Key then?

[Bibs]

I'm pretty sure James Key isn't at Lotus.

[racefan]

that was at different tread James Key is no longer at lotus..........