Lotus Eletre

[C8RKH]

I have definitely read somewhere that Lotus engineers "consulted" on the new electric London Taxi and it is one of the reasons the new vehicle is much bigger and yet weighs less than the old diesel one INCLUDING batteries which is impressive engineering really.

 

[au-yt]

I can only speculate an early intervention has already taken place

https://www.evo.co.uk/volvo/xc40

[hedgerley]

2 hours ago, C8RKH said:

I have definitely read somewhere that Lotus engineers "consulted" on the new electric London Taxi and it is one of the reasons the new vehicle is much bigger and yet weighs less than the old diesel one INCLUDING batteries which is impressive engineering really.

 

Let's not forget Lotus already has form with electric taxis. Back in 2012 Lotus built one for use during the London Olympics, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell range extender to keep the battery topped up. I suspect the timing of the Lotus acquisition meant little involvement in the development of the new one, but I'll bet they are all over it now.

https://www.lotuscars.com/engineering/case-study-hydrogen-fuel-cell-taxi

[C8RKH]

Don't also forget that Lotus Engineering have been consulting on other makes of cars for decades! 

[theelanman]

can Lotus hurry up please.......

I've just caught myself looking at a Porsche Panemera.............and thinking I could live with it

 

please feel free to punch me if I buy a Porsche 

[NedaSay]

No need for violence, but we will probably vilify you to no end... 

[Colin P]

1 hour ago, theelanman said:

can Lotus hurry up please.......

I've just caught myself looking at a Porsche Panemera.............and thinking I could live with it

 

please feel free to punch me if I buy a Porsche 

For about a nano second I thought about one as well when they bought out the estate version (as it wiped off some of the FUGLY). Went to look at one and it was parked next to a Cayenne. The Cayenne didn't overhang the kerb and had about 12 inches at the front of the parking space. The Panamera however overhung both ends of the parking bay. They are rediculously long. (5.2M compared to a Mondeo Estate at 4.8m)

 

[NedaSay]

3 hours ago, theelanman said:

can Lotus hurry up please.......

I've just caught myself looking at a Porsche Panemera.............and thinking I could live with it

 

please feel free to punch me if I buy a Porsche 

It seems they also have a sedan luxobarge coming at some point...

https://www.ft.com/content/a889f410-467e-11e9-a965-23d669740bfb

[electro_boy]

See I don’t mind the Panamera so much, ignoring it’s fugly looks for a second.  My main problem with Porsche sports cars are they are a bit life less, very competent cars but life less. And in a something like a Panamera where I don’t want so much involvement and engagement the Porsche characteristic works well.

[Advantage]

Buy the Porsche. Nothing SUV shaped from Lotus will be happening in the near or mid future. 

[mayevora]

But... it’s a Porsche. For men who've reached the pinicle of mediocrity - Grab ya plumbs and give them a sharp squeeze man! 🥴 😜

[Advantage]

But Porsche is good SUV manufacturer. Their offerings aren't as competent off-road as the output of Land Rover nor do they have the LR's breadth of ability, but they make a pretty good tarmac based SUV. I wonder if one day the lessons they've learned in making SUVs will trickle down to those funny little sportscars they also make. 

[harrry]

https://www.pistonheads.com/features/ph-features/why-lotus-wont-be-building-an-suv--yet/39817

 

Why Lotus won't be building an SUV - yet

Lotus has tended to replace its CEOs with considerably more frequency than it repaints the factory at Hethel, something borne out by the increasingly faded hue of the mustard yellow colour scheme. The company has never been short on plans - boss-before-last Dany Bahar stood next to concepts promising no fewer than six new models at the 2010 Paris Motor Show - but it has always struggled to find the resource necessary to realise them. Despite numerous slightly-better iterations the most recently introduced core model in the line up remains the Evora, which first appeared in 2010.

But now there's a new owner - Chinese giant Geely - a new boss in former JLR executive Phil Popham and, yes, some ambitious plans, although this time backed with what we're promised will be a very significant investment. Work on tidying up the factory, building a new visitor's centre and restoring Colin Chapman's office has already begun, and it was in evidence when I went to visit Popham earlier this week.

Although happy to talk about the future, he is also determined not to make the mistake of most of his predecessors by leaving hostages to fortune.

"What you'll never get out of me is a sales forecast, because the best you can ever be is correct," Popham says, "we have got ambitious to grow and we will have record years, my ambition is that we will take Lotus volume beyond the previous peaks, but we'll do it in stages."

Popham admits that he took some convincing - and several trips to meet Geely's big bosses - to accept the job. He left JLR four years ago, having latterly worked as Global Operations Director, and more recently has been with luxury boat builder Sunseeker. "The brand had huge appeal and a positive legacy, even if the last few years have been fallow in many respects. But I did a lot of due diligence," he says, "I kept asking myself "will this brand work?"

Lotus's position had stabilised under the leadership of last boss Jean-Marc Gales, and the company was even working on plans to build an SUV in conjunction with owner Proton and Chinese outfit Goldstar Heavy Industrial. But day-to-day development spending was tiny. Geely's takeover has reset everything, and Popham says that - in development terms - he has effectively joined a start-up.

Company insiders have told us that we'll see an attention-grabbing new model later this year - one being developed under the name Project Omega - and which Popham said he couldn't talk about yet. But beyond that the good news is an absolute commitment that sportscars will remain at the heart of the brand.

In the short-term that means some more cars spun from the existing architecture. But Popham confirms there will be entirely fresh models beyond these: "We are investing in an all-new platform for sportscars, that's what we will have to do for the future. Obviously that takes time, we have been in the industry long enough to know that doesn't happen overnight. But we're starting now, in the last few months since Geely took over."

Everything will be led from Hethel. Popham says that Lotus will be able to call on resource from elsewhere in the Geely Group - the new design and engineering centre near Coventry will be doing extensive work for the brand. "But the management of any engineering programme, wherever it takes place, is focussed here." Lotus had just 150 engineering staff at the Geely takeover. That's already up to 250, and is on course to reach nearly 500 by the end of the year.

Before the new architecture we're likely to see a switch from Toyota to Volvo-sourced powerplants - the brand's three-cylinder 1.5-litre engine could be a particularly happy fit with a lightweight Lotus - beyond that, electrification will play an increasing role, something the group resources make far easier. But Popham also confirmed that at least some of the next-generation cars will remain conventionally powered; lightweight remains the most important of the brand's core values. "Electrification is on the agenda," he says, "but it's not going to be the only powertrain for us."

What about SUVs? Immediately after the Geely takeover journos were told to expect a Lotus crossover to be rushed to market and sat on an existing Volvo architecture, most likely that of the XC40. Popham confirms that definitely won't be happening. "We've got to make sure that whatever platform we use can deliver the DNA of Lotus - the performance, the dynamics and the light weight," he says, "that means that if we were developing another group platform we would make sure at the planning stage that the requirements of a Lotus product on that architecture are met. What we won't do is take an existing platform and just try to make a Lotus out of it."

Which sounds pretty categorical; don't expect a Lotus SUV any time soon. What we can expect to see is cars that are more practical and everyday viable, with Popham admitting he wants to expand Lotus's appeal beyond its current fanbase.

"I want to make cars that people can have fun with, but which they can live with on a day-to-day basis," he says, "that means the ergonomics, the practicality, the ingress and egress - all the things that make a car easier to live with."

At this point I admit that I drove to Hethel in a Porsche Cayman, one I bought after also considering an Lotus Evora but deciding it wasn't quite everyday enough for me

"That's exactly what I'm talking about," Popham says, "I want to get the people who drive a Lotus and a Porsche and say the Lotus is a better experience but the Porsche is the safe choice... the appeal is there but there's a hesitation about the compromises that could come with ownership. I think we've got a huge opportunity very quickly to take those perceived compromises away."

Things seem to be going well enough for me to drop the B-bomb, and ask a question that references Dany Bahar's time at the head of the brand. While Popham's predecessor got huge flack for the hubris of standing next to what was meant to be a whole family of future models, wasn't the fundamental analysis behind it - that Lotus had to go into more profitable areas to survive - correct?

"We have to engineer the right platforms to create cars with substance," Popham says, carefully, "we'll talk about that as we do it rather than making promises for the future without the engineering intent behind it. But personally, I think the brand has huge potential, I wouldn't define what a ceiling is. We will look at segments based on profitability - if we have to put our prices up to make money then that means we're doing something wrong."

But what about the other side of Bahar's analysis: that Lotus had to stop producing its cheapest models? On this, Popham is adamant that affordability is critical, especially as sales start to expand: "we need to appeal to a greater number of people, both in terms of what the products offer but also the price points. Some of our cars, like-for-like, could well be cheaper, but that doesn't necessarily mean that we're going to take the entry point of the range down."

One final topic before time is out - motorsport. Lotus was born from racing but has been out of the top flight competition for some time. Is there enough in the kitty to return? "We have to be in motorsport, because it's part of the DNA," Popham says cautiously, "there are a whole host of ways - single race series, GT4 and GT3. At the moment our commitment is no more than that we go back in a responsible way producing products that customers want to see and want to drive."

"I don't see us going back into Formula 1 any time soon, if at all," he adds, wryly.

While journalists love writing about exciting new projects and daring new directions, there's something reassuring about Popham's clearly prudent approach to his new job. Lotus has had plenty of bosses who were good at sketching out grandiose schemes. Now it has one who seemingly determined to deliver on the basics and actually turn the brand around.

Edited March 16, 2019 by harrry

[NedaSay]

I for one believe it is all smoke and mirrors, Geely has already obtained approval for the future home of the SUV to be built, If Popham and Geely like the work done by Lotus Design team prior to Popham appointment then it is a matter of months 24-36 to get it ready for market. If they did not like it then it is back to square one and you add another 24 months to develop the vehicle from the ground up.

 

[Bee]

Good grief, everyone's at it!

 

https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/spy-shots/bugatti/suv-crossover/?fbclid=IwAR0uoh9qh2yhTPEB3PeEYlVMXw-JuwODs2zT0TdVydCXZlUxjwEq2Doj1aU

[NedaSay]

You wouldn't think VW would refuse Bugatti finally generating a bit of cash would you? A Bugatti SUV would probably get to use as much commonalities in underpinnings with the like of Bentayga, Urus and Q8, all the while being significantly bigger, better, stronger and more expensive ; and that Bugatti W16 in the front... The ultimate status car for your valet or butler, or the one the significant other will be able to use. 

In the meantime the bulk of the development on the SUV is probably continuing at speed in one of Geely's secret lab at one of their R&D site

"Geely is the fastest-growing automotive company in the world. They have tremendous resources we can tap into," Popham said. "Although Lotus is increasing quite rapidly our number of engineers – 150 came on board last year, and we'll probably take on the same number again this year – we are also subcontracting packages of work to Geely engineering teams."

https://uk.motor1.com/news/316456/lotus-suv-retain-brand-dna/

Edited April 6, 2019 by NedaSay

[auRouge]

On 16/03/2019 at 10:09, Advantage said:

I wonder if one day the lessons they've learned in making SUVs will trickle down to those funny little sportscars they also make. 

Indeed it has. PDDC (Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control) was first developed and introduced on the Cayenne. It has since been offered on the 911 (991 onwards)... helps keep it flatter on the limit therefore increasing traction and reducing lap times. Worth 5 seconds around the Nurburgring. 

Porsche sells 5 times more non sports cars than it does those funny little sports cars.. thus benefiting from all that extra R & D. 

[C8RKH]

On 12/04/2019 at 00:40, auRouge said:

Indeed it has. PDDC (Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control) was first developed and introduced on the Cayenne. It has since been offered on the 911 (991 onwards)... helps keep it flatter on the limit therefore increasing traction and reducing lap times. Worth 5 seconds around the Nurburgring. 

Porsche sells 5 times more non sports cars than it does those funny little sports cars.. thus benefiting from all that extra R & D. 

Porsche is a van manufacturer that sells Sports cars on the side, Lotus hopefully will continue to be, into the future, a sports car manufacturer that sells vans.

The only Porsche products that really interest me are the race bred GT cars, the rest are just meh to be honest, but I appreciate others like them and that's fine for them.

Lotus really needs to put the Motorsports team back together at Hethel. 

[auRouge]

I feel the same about anything mainstream these days. It’s all become too alike. The necessity of having to share chassis and engines creating variants to become profitable has been at the cost of character. It’s all boring.

 

[Bibs]

https://paultan.org/2019/04/29/lotus-suv-gets-rendered-based-on-patent-drawings/

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Good to see they've dropped the controversial plan to have larger diameter front wheels than rears. That looked weird. Also short people need not apply: the fuel filler is about 6ft off the ground!

[Advantage]

Needs a winch. a snorkel and knobbly tyres.  

[oilmagnet477]

On ‎15‎/‎04‎/‎2019 at 10:04, auRouge said:

I feel the same about anything mainstream these days. It’s all become too alike. The necessity of having to share chassis and engines creating variants to become profitable has been at the cost of character. It’s all boring.

 

If you go back far enough, that's pretty much how a lot of car companies evolved - putting different bodies on the same underpinnings. Agree in principle though, there's a lot of the same boring shite out there....

[tim_marra]

22 minutes ago, Advantage said:

Needs a winch. a snorkel and knobbly tyres.  

Or maybe just the Jaguar badge re-instated....

[theelanman]

but its a volvo.....XC90 or XC70...or XC60

 

any which way....Im gonna get me one when they come out...........

I need a lotus to carry bigger kids...........