Lotus in the post DB era

[Knightewolfe]

Going a little off topic here. Bibs, check your PM's.

[benjamincalleja]

Off topic, does anyone know when the said penny punchers will pay their outstanding bills to bilstein/eibach so I can buy the 2006 suspension update for my car...it's out of stock everywhere and word is they are on credit hold.

[Kimbers]

According to my sources they have paid off all their outstanding debts, but some companies, like maybe the one you are talking about, have had issues whilst DRB got cash flow under control, that have made them ask for payment in advance.

[benjamincalleja]

Eek, how is that going to work then. Will I need to wait for them to get enough people after a set to place an order. I sense a group buy thread if that's the case!

[Kimbers]

May be wise anyway, might get a cheaper rate, non?

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

I'm beginning to think it may be wise buy an R8...

[Kimbers]

Hehe. I know you aren't the biggest fan of DRB mate, but they are getting there.

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

I wish I shared your optimism. When they finally get 'there', wherever that may be I definitely won't be driving a Lotus. 

[NedaSay]

Waiting for more exciting Lotus stuff to come out of Hethel, Lotus Cars and Lotus lightweight structure must be getting ready to provide their first chassis to Spyker or maybe just build the B6 Venator altogether before the cars are shipped to the Netherlands for cockpit stitching.

 

 According to worldcarfans.com

 

 http://www.worldcarfans.com/113101464439/spyker-b6-venator-to-use-a-lotus-built-engine---report

 

 

 

Now Spyker had once the capability to build cars at their factory in the netherlands but the manufacturing ceased when Muller purchased Saab and the company was offloaded to some third party who then had a few cars made by CPP in Coventry with Help from Lotus  for chassis tuning since that Muller got his company back and designed the brand new Venator and there where rumors of the cars being based on either the Evora or the unfortunately DOA Artega GT.

 

It appears that the Venator is indeed based on the Evora VVA platform - which was quite obvious from the side pics taken from the Venator spyder shot in Pebble Beach last summer.

 

 

Not only will the Venator get VVA but it will also get the Toyota GR-FE  in Lotus tune  so that means a minimum of 345BHP on tap even though Muller advertized 375 bhp in Geneva earlier in the year.

 

Spyker spoke about  selling 200-300 cars a year so that would be good news for Hethel.   

 

First deliveries scheduled for Fall 2014.

Edited October 15, 2013 by NedaSay

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

Hang on a mo... 

 

What we have here is a sports convertible based on the Evora chassis powered by the Evora engine, priced almost around Evora money. Spyker say the car will delivery " a rare combination of heritage, design, performance and exclusivity", ( even if it does look like a slightly tweaked Evora with a Maserati gob! ). 

 

So how come Spyker can do this with a bunch of Lotus spares while Lotus canned the Evora convertible? 

 

 

Edited October 15, 2013 by Stirling_Villeneuve

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

It could be a great thing if it came from a company known for its' heritage, design, performance and exclusivity... i.e. Lotus!

 

I'm pretty sure I read the end of the Evora convertible somewhere here...

 

Bibs... what the word? 

[NedaSay]

Did they? I thought they were still working on it? A soft top Evora could/should be a great thing!

 

Buddsy

I think - hope - they were just trying to make the case for the car work, on its own Evora may have been in trouble but with Venator and Spyker money then it becomes possible to fund the roof development.

 

A few month ago I wrote on this very forum that the Spyker deal could mean great things for Lotus, Spyker needs knowhow and manufacturing right now they are just a little more than a design office and a network of renascent network of dealer. But Muller always had big plans in terms of becoming a niche manufacturer Their D4 Peking SUV is still in the cards and may also use VVA platform in its APX guise. They need engines and so does Lotus, the GR-FE lifespan is coming to an end and Toyota may not develop a replacement for this engine as they are going 4 cyl only for their mainstream brand and transverse V6 for their premium brand,

 

A few months back DRB higher ups said the next milestone in lotus history would be 2016, that would see cars coming with new engines at the heart of all things. Maybe the deal with Spyker that dates from 2008 - signed under MJK's guidance - means that Lotus will be able to get the V8 ready for production and possibly also a derived V6 shared by Lotus and Spyker and underwritten by  DRB and Youngman, Spyker partner.

 

Youngman efforts to purchase Saab have gone badly and they can't source tech from anywhere, they need an engineering arm able to get it done. This could mean a lot of subcontracting work for an engineering firm like Lotus and probably generate opportunities to develop big things like: whole platforms,  engine, transmission, suspension settings...

 

Youngman is a dwarf on the global car market with barely 49,000 cars sold in 2012 and 4 factories - pretty much idled - capable up to 700,000 cars. Yet they have invested 35 M into Spyker until now. China is trying to avoid an automotive doomsday by making it extremely difficult for chinese to buy cars. Youngman may therefore never get to use the capacity of its factories and decide to focus on premium products developed by Spyker and made in China : less volume - more margin. But we know that Spyker cannot develop products as they don't have the facility or workforce while Lotus has both and a wealth of experience, and has just added  a few staff.

 

 

In addition DRB may enjoy sharing the expenditure and Youngman needs a product with appeal Youngman and Proton already have a connection as  Youngman is infamous for using the Lotus brand on their chinese made Proton cars:  http://www.youngmanlotus.com/   

Edited October 16, 2013 by NedaSay

[softlips]

A soft top Evora will not be built!

[hedgerley]

Infiniti have just announced that the 'two seater sports car with a hi-tech hybrid drivetrain' inspired by the Emerge-e which garnered rave reviews two years ago, based as it was on the Evora 414e is definitely in their product plan as one of two halo cars for the brand.

 

OK, inspired by does not been based on and built by Lotus of course but as we all said at the time, a Tesla-type deal with Infiniti would be another nice little earner for Lotus. Here's hoping....

[TBD]

A soft top Evora will not be built!

Because it will be a Spiker :-) 

Edited October 16, 2013 by TBD

[softlips]

Because it will be a Spiker :-)

This is more likely

[Bibs]

A soft top Evora will not be built!

 

So you insist. When I asked Aslam, he wasn't so sure. 

[Kimbers]

I was under the impression that it was always in the plan, but priority was given to paying the massive debts and getting the Exige S finished to fulfil their orderbook and get some cash flow going. I will ask next time I am sitting with my engineer mates. 

[Bibs]

The Exige S has a 4 month wait, Evora 5 months and Exige Cup 7 months. The order bank is healthy right now! 

[TBD]

Well that gives you a pretty straight business target: increase sales and production such that the order books stays full.

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

Is the wait due to a bulging order books or.... a lack of parts? 

 

Just thinking out loud here...

[Bibs]

50 cars a week are heading out of the gates...

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

Is that the entire workforce? 

[Bibs]

[Exploded]

A friend of mine ordered an Elise 2 weeks ago, he will have it in 4 or 5 weeks... So it's not that busy...