Bahar Suspended

[Bazza 907]

Tony - I agree totally with your comments re DB.

Must be a very uncertain time for those working at Hethel, lets hope that there is a period of stability now.

[Lowtus]

Unfortunately Bahar inherited a basket case from the previous management.

Bahar's plans were not "plans" but dreams. Only a fool would imagine Lotus could meet and beat Porsche (and others) head on from virtually a standing start and in a huge economic recession. It's just taken the idiotic owners of the company a few years to grasp the facts, during which time the company's chances have undoubtedly diminished.

Evora is hopeless (not as a vehicle but as a commercial prospect) and I don't believe for one second the new Exige V6 was always planned. It's so obviously a stop-gap car with the back of Evora srewed onto the front of Exige. This is indeed the "new Elise", namely a rapidly developed car which might actually save the company. And people will buy not because it's better than the new Boxster/Cayman but because it's different from them, an excellent car and not ridiculously overpriced. Whether that can deliver sufficient profit to move the company forward is another question. Maybe it just might if they abandon silly ideas of developing their own V8 (a plan which failed horribly last time) and can craft the Evora chassis into a long-awaited new Esprit...

[ramjet]

Message from Dany Bahar

http://sniffpetrol.com/posts/

[koorby]

Well I for one am deliriously happy driving my overpriced, underpowered Camry-engined and hideously ugly Evora IPS, if I am to buy into the horseshit opinions about the car being flung around here. I guess the fact that Evora has generated over 150 million pounds in sales revenue since 2009 seems to be lost on many people. It singularly bought a whole new customer demographic to Lotus Group but there seems to be too many nostalgic old school Elise/Exige bigots who want things as they were in 2006.

It may not sell in the same volumes as Porsche and Audi, but it got me into a Lotus when I would not have given the ergonomic disaster of a cabin of the Elise a second thought. The future of Lotus is not in Elise variants but new models built on the Evora platform which at least allow non-gymnasts to enjoy as a daily driver like I do.

Sure, the smaller lighter more track focused cars are an essential part of Lotus, but if the group wants to survive it needs to move to larger cars on the new platforms and the Esprit is the first move to the new reality.

Whether DB was instrumental in the Esprit or not is moot. What I am puzzled about is why suddenly based on the discussion in this topic the Evora is seen to be the cause of so much apparent trouble and bad decisions when the opposite is in fact true.

Edited June 8, 2012 by koorby

[arbell9]

Available in sniff petrol's shop

[Kimbers]

LMAO! Nice,

Well I for one am deliriously happy driving my overpriced, underpowered Camry-engined and hideously ugly Evora IPS, if I am to buy into the horseshit opinions about the car being flung around here. I guess the fact that Evora has generated over 150 million pounds in sales revenue since 2009 seems to be lost on many people.

What I am puzzled about is why suddenly based on the discussin in this topic the Evora is seen to be the cause of so much apparent trouble and bad decisions when the opposite is in fact true.

Well said that man!

[Bibs]

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/lotus_boss_dany_bahar_sacked_as_malaysian_owners_change_direction_for_norfolk_car_maker_1_1404258

Mr Bahar meanwhile, who has declined to discuss the situation publicly, is believed to have instructed lawyers from London law firm Edwards Wildman Palmer to represent him.

[Kimbers]

Sniff Petrol have changed their title to:

SNIFF PETROL

"The misused company funds of motoring"

http://sniffpetrol.com/

[Bibs]

A nice balanced piece by Joe as ever... Lotus are doomed it seems!

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/06/08/oh-danny-boy/

[Robert Crooks]

and the usual thoroughly objective view from Kimbers too......

[red vtec]

How has Lotus ended up in such a mess?

From what I can see you have:

1) A road car section that lumbers from one disaster to another, with only one modern model whilst the others are coming towards the end of there life cycle. A raft of new models that are just clays at the moment, The "New" Esprit is like the second coming of Christ. know one knows when it may be, in the same time Ferrari, Porsche, Aston etc have all launched and retired multiple new models, by the time Lotus launch the Esprit it will be old hat, All the others will be on yet another new flagship model, F70, New Mclaren F1 etc etc

2) An engineering division that is rated highly

3) A F1 team that is only there in name after a legal punch up with a "Team Lotus" which is now Caterham, yet what a lot of people raved on about when Fernadez first took it over.

I'm totally lost. I wish Lotus well, but by God it needs sorting out quick, otherwise there is going to be yet another WW2 Airfield in the English countryside with weeds growing in it.

[ramjet]

Mr Bahar meanwhile, who has declined to discuss the situation publicly, is believed to have instructed lawyers from London law firm Edwards Wildman Palmer to represent him.

Gosh. I didn't see that coming.

[Bibs]

Steve Cropley ‏@StvCr

Shoot me down maybe, but I'm not happy Bahar's left Lotus. He had a plan. Now, unless Hicom blokes have remarkable insight, we have a vacuum

[gt111]

A nice balanced piece by Joe as ever... Lotus are doomed it seems!

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/06/08/oh-danny-boy/

Just his photo on his blog makes me want to punch him..... But I'm not sure why.

[Bibs]

Can't imagine

[rogerch]

Available in sniff petrol's shop

Ordered !

[Gus82]

I think its important that the new CEO shares their plan very soon. It doesn't need to be overly specific, however it would keep confidence in the road car business relatively high if they revealed:

1. If & when the Esprit will be launched and if the brief for this car has substantially changed for the purposes of the new plan (i.e. is it cheaper more expensive, has a different engine, aimed at higher or lower volumes etc.)

2. What will be the next all new model after that and approximately when will work start on this product (i.e. are they broadening the range or focusing on improving the product in the mid engined sectors they currently compete in).

3. Also an indication of how and where some of the savings will be made. Again no need to reveal anything too detailed but given the situation it might produce confidence that they are not trimming the development budgets but perhaps one or two racing programmes, not needing to expand Hethal to build the front engined cars (assuming they won't now be built) if thats the case etc.

If Lotus are to reveal as has been suggested significantly updated versions of the Evora at Goodwood, which along with the Exige S could begin the businesses all important sales renaisance, they need to make the company appear solid and a going concern going forward. So outlining these details BEFORE this would be well advised, and the sooner the better....

Whilst I believe that what a lot of Mr Bahar was trying to achieve was right his biggest flaw was perhaps not managing expectations leading to all the cynisism that has dogged Lotus since the Paris 2010 motorshow. Being upfront and setting realistic short term goals could therefore work wonders.

Edited June 8, 2012 by Gus82

[simonb]

I hope they keep 3/5 of the new models planned.

The Esprit is what everyone wants Lotus to succeed with

The new v6 Exige will show the shortcomings of the original elise chassis, it needs a bit more width and a lower sill to compete with boxter / cayman (like a short evora - so new Elise is needed

The new Elan is the one they could bring to market quickly. Rebody an Evora, in the way that the VX / Europa are related. Bet you could get it to market before the Esprit, and it would show Lotus are not spent

[Gus82]

With the progress they made with the Evora I would stick with its name rather than calling it an Elan. Personally I would rather keep the Elan name for a potential Lotus sub-brand that could sell an MX5 rival in conjunction with a volume manufacturer such as Renault or Kia or someone else.

From that Skiddmark article a few weeks back I suspect the cars revealed at Goodwood could be very desirable and hopefully will be core models rather than GTE type limited editions. I could imagine them being very close to the Elan concept too though.

Edited June 8, 2012 by Gus82

[Bibs]

I don't think the plan was for me to keep it!

[DarrylV8]

I don't think the plan was for me to keep it!

In that case can you please send the Evora to Nott's whilst we wait on more info of the GTE road car

[Bibs]

As I said earlier in this thread, I think he's been pushed aside so DRB can do what they want with the company. I sincerely wish that it's to continue with certain aspects of the plan and push Lotus into profitability and not to chop it up and sell/close.

Dany was misguided at times with the parties/rappers/lavish spending but I think he's left a good mark on the factory, certainly. The last couple of years they've got through a lot of money, but a certain percentage of it has gone on the workforce, the factory and the Evora/Exige/Esprit which will be the positives he leaves behind.

Whoever is the CEO of the company, so long as he has Lotus best interests at heart I'll support them as best I can if they are doing the right thing. I'm a Lotus enthusiast first and foremost and want to see the company do well.

[nigeninja]

I'm a Lotus enthusiast first and foremost and want to see the company do well.

and so say all of us

[basalte]

Absolutely ! ....and as said elsewhere it`s good to hear Mr. Aslam is an engineer. I look forward to hearing of his discussions with Mr. Beatz concerning the history of the limited slip differential.

[Kimbers]

Lmao. I would suspect Mr Beatz may not be involved for long.....dunno why, just a hunch!

Hey! You think he paid for his car or is it one of those the press have talked about?