Future of Lotus

[C8RKH]

2 hours ago, exeterjeep said:

perhaps the factory are cracking down on using the brand name??

 

Probably, shame they're not putting more effort into getting their cars sorted.

Met an Emira owner at the weekend. Every single body panel on his car had paint bubbles and bubbling. It looked terrible, and Lotus not really covering themselves in glory with their responses, probably because they're focused on the wrong things. Remind me again, for how many decades has this been an issue in one way or another?

The Emira owner beside him, was on his second. The first one was rejected due to the number of issues with it.

I think @jep that a move to selling Lotus Biscuits and toilet paper might be a positive one.

[Bibs]

2 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

Probably, shame they're not putting more effort into getting their cars sorted.

Ever seen a lawyer with a spanner?

[C8RKH]

I'm sure they'd be as useless with a spanner as anything else.

Not sure a spanner would be any use in a paint shop either.

 

Edited July 16 by Bravo73

[jep]

I did actually buy shares in Lotus. Fortunately, it's the biscuit company, to date no loss or gain, I could only afford one share. Bite size. 

Justin 

[ChrisJ]

They are rather expensive aren't they.

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

One of the biggest boasts about the Emira was the massive investment in the world leading paint shop and subsequent paint quality checks. They should ask for their money back.

[C8RKH]

1 minute ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

They should ask for their money back.

He is!

[C8RKH]

Interesting article, raises some pertinent points.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/opinion/new-cars/volvo-about-out-lotus-lotus

[pat_t]

Polestar are interesting in the context of this thread aren't they? seeing as they're Geely owned, and their bread and butter is selling premium sporty EVs to the mainstream. 

They didn't exist 15 years ago, last year they sold ~7k cars in the UK. 

Lotus have a brand name presumably with a lot more Cache in China or else I don't see what Geely stand to gain from pitching the two brands head to head against each other globally.

If I was Geely I would either a) let Polestar and Lotus combine engineering forces/platforms/powertrains/driving dynamics and create models more akin to how VAG do it with Cupra/SEAT/VW/Audi/Skoda do, with what is more or less the same car, just with subtle styling differences and character differences.

or b) let Polestar do the EV/SUV thing altogether, and U-turn on Lotus doing premium heavy cars that don't fid the brand ethos. If you have to, just badge the Polestars as LOTUS in China only. Bring back the Exige V6 - controversial decision but I think it would be a popular move in Europe. Dedicate some investment to homologating the Exige V6 in the USA. Again it would be a popular move, you'd sell the the first 500 units there instantly and it should be pretty problem free as it's a well proven platform. 

Porsche have announced they are abandoning ICE'd Caymans. That'd be a market opportunity for Lotus to capture with Exige V6/Emira V6 if they can take it, especially as nations roll back EV-only legislation dates.

 

But what do I know... 😆

 

[Bibs]

New AI showroom...

https://bit.ly/3WfMpXn

[mdavies]

On 18/07/2024 at 11:32, pat_t said:

.................. or b) let Polestar do the EV/SUV thing altogether, and U-turn on Lotus doing premium heavy cars that don't fid the brand ethos. If you have to, just badge the Polestars as LOTUS in China only. Bring back the Exige V6 - controversial decision but I think it would be a popular move in Europe. Dedicate some investment to homologating the Exige V6 in the USA. Again it would be a popular move, you'd sell the the first 500 units there instantly and it should be pretty problem free as it's a well proven platform. 

 

Teleg today:

Porsche has abandoned its sales targets for electric vehicles (EVs) amid waning demand from customers.  The German car manufacturer previously said that EVs would account for 80pc of its new vehicle sales by 2030. But bosses have now watered down that goal, saying sales will depend on uptake and how the technology develops around the world.

Are you listening, Geely Lotus?

[Bibs]

https://www.canaries.co.uk/content/city-renew-primary-partnership-with-lotus

[Kimbers]

I see Lotus just wasted a load of money in a trademark dispute with Motus Commercials.

Lotus loses trademark dispute against Motus (fleetnews.co.uk)

[Bibs]

They've been chasing down a large number of companies that use Lotus in their name recently. Waste of time/money, without a doubt.

[exeterjeep]

does that include SWLC?

[Kimbers]

Well for a start Motus aren't Lotus (they are one of my customers). Secondly they are Motus Commercial Vehicles, Not Group Lotus or Lotus cars.

[C8RKH]

Oh and Motus starts with an M, Lotus with an L.

Yet more effort and focus on frivolity, yet Emira's still leaving the production line with significant issues?

[kkv444v]

It seems strange that Motus is deemed not to be similar to Lotus but the Lotus mark is now being restricted so that it doesn't count in areas where Motus operate. That sounds like there is a similarity! Peculiar thing to be going after, anyway.

SWLC might be different, if not two-fold, since they are not uniquely Lotus; I imagine it sits better for their Noble customers that they are not just named after Lotus.

[ChrisJ]

Unforeseen outcome

Quote

Motus won on all counts, so much so that MILS has restricted Group Lotus’ existing trademarks (some of which have been in place since 1957) from protections against all land vehicles to motor cars only.

 

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Good time to start selling “Lotus” bikes?

[exeterjeep]

or tractors or buses or trains or military vehicles.

[C8RKH]

Snatches defeat from the jaws of victory. 

[ChrisJ]

That was the phrase I was looking for.

[mg4lotus]

Now, if anyone was trading as Rotus in the Chinese market they would stand a chance in the court of Benny Hill.

 

[KennyN]

Rearranging the deck chairs springs to mind.  How much longer can those at the top survive?  You can only shuffle the middle so many times before it becomes apparent where the issue lies.