Future of Lotus

[Frickin_idiot]

11 hours ago, NedaSay said:

Actually for the new sports cars it is perfect timing if the cars' release really is 2020.

I hope that you are correct! 

[NedaSay]

10 hours ago, Stirling_Villeneuve said:

Ha.... well I wasn't being serious but I can see similarities with the 2 companies, just differences in budget, available funds.... up to now. Exciting times ahead at Hethel, they've got a bit of catching up to do but it's all good provided the new owners respect what Lotus is all about and don't focus too much on SUV's! 

I'm afraid that you will consider that they focus a lot on the SUVs,  JMG's was taking a page of  Porsche playbook and I am quite confident that Geely will stick to that plan and add the EV element to it.

[Sport220]

When on earth is the website getting a revamp and a configurator?

They should have a look at Caterham's new one

[NedaSay]

Probably when they relaunch the brand...  So either around Geneva or 2020... until then there's nothing really wrong with the website it is not sexy and yes configurators for each model would be nice but I think they have other priorities right now. Beside they have just hired or are in the process of a new Web/ media guru let's give them some time.

[Bibs]

https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/geelys-backing-feeds-big-ambitions-lotus

I know the free coffee machines went down a treat

I'm no longer attending GIMS, Lotus won't be there this year.

[NedaSay]

And that means more waiting for the first tidbits of the future coming ...

[NedaSay]

7 hours ago, Bibs said:

I'm no longer attending GIMS, Lotus won't be there this year.

Ok hum any special events on the schedule this year? NEC, Goodwood, Shanghai?

[Bibs]

There will be other 'international events'. 

[yeller77]

Time to be Debbie Downer.

Everything at this point is pure speculation.
This is what Polestar was:

Quote

This is Polestar

Polestar is defined by an ambition to be among the top contenders in world motorsport and to bring forward the strength and agility inherent in Volvo cars.

Whether it's winning championships, or developing performance cars, the goal is always the same: To deliver best possible results. No matter what. Polestar is about motorsport, and motorsport is about driving.That's why they focus on one thing: optimizing driveability. A Polestar vehicle - be it a race car or road car - is always designed to deliver optimal grip and control. The race track and open road may be opposites but both equally demanding. Regardless of surface or purpose, optimal driveability is what makes a driver safe and confident behind the wheel. All Polestar products are developed for people like ourselves - for those who appreciate driving with full control. In other words, when driving matters.

This is what Polestar now is, under Geely, a Tesla competitor:

Quote

Polestar – the guiding star.

We are an electric performance car brand, determined to improve the society we live in.

Pure Progressive Performance

Polestar is an electric performance car brand harnessing refined performance and cutting-edge technology.

Polestar is aiming to bring driving pleasure into a new era with an all-electric product offering of progressive performance cars that are designed and engineered without compromise. This will be combined with a hassle-free ownership and premium services, where all interactions and orders can be performed online.

No one knows what Lotus will be under Geely but Geely.  They will decide what segment they wish to compete in. Lotus has always been a manufacturer of accessible road and track cars that punch above their weight (pun intended). While I've always been a fan of Lotus' growth, with what is being leaked, they could very well be made of unobtanium in the future and lack any trickle down effect to the current fan base or heritage. The Automotive News Europe article got one thing right, that the talk of the stratospheric market segment and $1 mill Lotus sounds a bit "Baharish." The longer they are taking to define themselves, the more glass half-empty I become.

[LF1]

On 21/12/2018 at 01:53, Sport220 said:

They should have a look at Caterham's new one

Yes. It is very good 

[NedaSay]

they have actually updated a few pages on the website... the career centre is finally using the template of the rest of the site and not longer the DB era template. When you read some job vacancies, it seems that at least one current car will get a significant upgrade (see posting below)

And If we go by these indications and follow the logic they've used at Volvo, the Evora could be set for another revamp focussing on the cabin and electrical loom, leaving the body mostly untouched except for maybe yet another set of bumpers. This is what was done for the Volvo S and V60, the  V40. Geely had to get rid of the Ford powertrain and the Drive-E ended being used on the older models while the newer cars were still in drawing or prototype phase. 

Sort By:  Title Date Posted Location 

Chief Engineer - Electrical Systems

Manage and lead the development of all systems in the Electrical Systems domain - electrical architecture, package, wiring and software. In conjunction with the Senior Electrical Management Team, realise the short, medium and long term objectives of the Electrical Department. Responsible for the engineering of all systems in the Electrical Systems domain for our current and next generation sportscars...

Chief Engineer - ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems)

Manage and lead the development of all systems in the ADAS domain In conjunction with the Senior Electrical Management Team, realise the short, medium and long term objectives of the Electrical Department. Responsible for the engineering of all systems in the ADAS and Safety Systems domain for our current and next generation sportscars; Autonomous ...

 

CAD Engineer (Current Engineering)

Key Role Duties and Responsibilities: To support the Lead Engineer for current products within the Body Engineering Department. To help resolve line build issues, cost down opportunities and quality improvements. The role provides the opportunity to experience the implementation of a varied range of advanced engineering technologies into Lotus products

[Sport220]

Not liking the sound of this... Too much luxury and upmarket talk

[KAS-118]

Hopefully this is just a blip https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2181127/chinese-carmaker-geelys-shares-plunge-116pc-after-annual-sales

[au-yt]

3 hours ago, Sport220 said:

Not liking the sound of this... Too much luxury and upmarket talk

I hearing that, more commercial softer based products for the wider market....

[NedaSay]

2 hours ago, KAS-118 said:

Hopefully this is just a blip https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2181127/chinese-carmaker-geelys-shares-plunge-116pc-after-annual-sales

This is not a blip, the Chinese car market has been slowing lately... Geely's shares like all other Chinese carmaker are taking a bath right now. US-China trade war is/was not helping.  

However according to analysts, Geely remained a buy  as of September 2018 https://seekingalpha.com/article/4203878-geely-poster-child-buy-blood-streets. Geely Group (ZHG) is still set for global expansion with Lynk & Co still poised to enter both the European market in the next four years and the US market shortly after that. Proton is gearing up for Asean re-expansion while the Geely 's own brand is also expanding in Latin America, the middle east, and Eastern Europe.  Volvo is also in rude health, they just ended 2018 with a third consecutive record year...  https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/media/pressreleases/247393/volvo-cars-sets-new-global-sales-record-in-2018-breaks-600000-sales-milestone

So for the long term, the big picture is still quite good.

[TLF News]

Lotus shows strongest sales since 2011

[NedaSay]

It could have been a better year, had they been able to deliver the GT430 in the US. While having an Evora roadster would have pushed sales way up, I think. But coulda woulda shoulda.... Good news all the same... 

 

Funny no mention of Lotus car sales in mainland China yet...

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Still only 54% of the 3000 sports car units JMG was expecting by now. It probably was the right time to let him go.

[NedaSay]

True that, but then again with two cars that cannot be sold on the biggest sport car market on the planet, a variant that never came to fruition, a marketing budget that was a simple line with only one or two zeros. I don't think he did poorly. He had no development big development budget to speak off and yet he managed to get it appears two upcoming sport cars in the pipeline...  Now I'd rather focus on income  and profit before or after taxes than sales number, sure with investment being made the profits may not  be all that because of the expenses generated by all the new stuff they are working on... But presumably these 1600  were the most profitable cars Lotus has ever produced in its history, I wonder how much they made for the company.

[Black Forest Power]

Sales in Germany:

2018                 199       (83 Exige V6 / 75 Elise / 24 Evora / 17 others)

2017                 199

2016                 151

2015                 142

2014                 115

2013                   72

2012                   56

2011                   84

2010                 160

2009                 107

2008                 102

Source: www.kba.de

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

What are the 17 "others" in Germany? 3-11s?

Interesting to see the percentage of those two markets:

UK = 17% of worldwide sales

Germany = 12% of worldwide sales

Also the UK figure of 274 units across 19 UK dealers averages out at 14 cars per dealer, so <1.2 cars per month. Clearly some dealers do a whole lot more than that, but others correspondingly less.

[NedaSay]

53 minutes ago, Black Forest Power said:

Sales in Germany:

2018                 199       (83 Exige V6 / 75 Elise / 24 Evora / 17 others)

2017                 199

2016                 151

2015                 142

2014                 115

2013                   72

2012                   56

2011                   84

2010                 160

2009                 107

2008                 102

Source: www.kba.de

17 others? The only other "new" car Lotus has been selling is the 3 Eleven... 

[TBD]

1 hour ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

What are the 17 "others" in Germany? 3-11s?

Interesting to see the percentage of those two markets:

UK = 17% of worldwide sales

Germany = 12% of worldwide sales

Also the UK figure of 274 units across 19 UK dealers averages out at 14 cars per dealer, so <1.2 cars per month. Clearly some dealers do a whole lot more than that, but others correspondingly less.

Those are surely the 311's. Komotec (Lotus am RIng) alone has sold a dozen or so. I believe the jump from 72 to 115 in 2014 is, in fact, largely due to KT becoming a full dealer. Also Carsten has been growing strong.

[Black Forest Power]

57 minutes ago, NedaSay said:

17 others? The only other "new" car Lotus has been selling is the 3 Eleven... 

Sure, the 17 others must be vehicles not properly registered under their precise model description. Therefore, most of them must belong to the three main models. Really strange is the fact that in the official KBA-statistics of 2018 for Lotus you can find one car registered under Diesel and two cars as four-wheel drive – or is all this a hint from secret new vehicle design and developments under Geely test driven already? 😂

Going to our state registration agencies in Germany with a new Lotus it is always more or sometimes less funny how they try to “press” the data of the COC on a form until you receive your ‘Zulassungsbescheinigung’.

[DarrylV8]

4WD yes please Lotus yes even if electric, need to move with the times.