Future of Lotus

[jep]

This was a McLaren USP when they started car production in 2009/10. MP4/12c was circa 580bhp new, as this increased to 616bhp, all previous cars got the upgrade. Soft door closers were added free and various other items at your annual service. Many cars also seem to get upgraded info-tainment systems as the early ones were (so journo's said) not very good. Not sure if you had to pay for that, as some are advertised with the original system. 

I don't know if the 720S and newer models get similar FOC upgrades. It certainly made business sense for a new car company to improve a debut model to all vehicles as issues arose in service. 

Justin

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

During the 1980s Victor Gauntlet era at Aston Martin, dealers would basically bring your car back to new condition as part of the service. Dings, paintwork, wheels, under bonnet, you name it. I guess servicing wasn’t cheap, but the owners expected it. A sort of annual factory-backed detailing service, 25 years before detailing really became a thing.

[C8RKH]

Those would be the days when Dealers actually employed time served engineers and craftsmen rather than spotty young "technicians" who had trouble tying their shoelaces without their parent assistance, yet alone trying to sort out and tune carburettors? 

Or when people could actually afford the cars they owned and where not spending half their take home on financing a dream, so they could actually afford to look after the car properly?

My experience of some Dealers (some, not all, as obviously there are very good and good Dealers out there too), particularly the mainstream ones, is that they employ the cheapest, least experienced kids they can get away with. They often do the bare minimum on the service (and not what they should be doing) and aftercare is something they only know exists as they saw the word on a bottle of their wives hand lotion! The Accountant is king!

[ChrisJ]

O/T Nothing to do with the future of Lotus, but a follow on to Andy's post.

Will be discovering what a Mazda dealer is like for servicing in a couple of weeks, but my local Peugeot Dealers service department are a disgrace.

Car in for a service. Called an hour or so later -

• them: you have 4% (or similar) water in your brake fluid, it needs replacing
• me : how much
• them: £30 or so,
• me: OK, do it,
• them: plus your tyres are down to x mm (can't remember the exact figure), we recommend x brand (insert a Chinese ditch finder brand of your choosing) at £90 a corner. 
• me: looking up the brand on black circles, £20-30 each. I said, hold on, what tyres are on the car right now?
• them: I don't know
• me: go and look.
• them (5 minutes later) Goodyear
• me: so a reputable make, why on earth would you offer me cheap as shit tyres at a huge mark up (OK I know why) instead of replacement tyres of a similar standard, like Goodyear, or even as you are a Peugeot Dealer, maybe Michelin as that is the recommended tyre (and also were about £90 a corner). No I don't want your shitty tyres I'll sort it out myself (I really lost it with him)

When I was offered the customer survey (I normally refuse as they want a 10 and they are never worth a 10), they got a 2 or a 3. I was phoned by Peugeot Head Office, the Service Manager, Dealer Principal etc. I think the dealer got a it of hassle for that.

But wait, it gets better....

About 3-4 weeks later, I had a problem with the car. Took it back in

An hour after got the phone call (same bloke)

• them: you have 4% (or similar) water in your brake fluid, it needs replacing
• me: Hold on a minute, have you looked at the service history, you told me the same 3-4 weeks ago, Now either you didn't do the brake fluid change, there's a bigger problem with the braking system which you should have highlighted, or you tell this to every single person. It went downhill after that.
•  

They got another 3 or 4 on the survey, more phone calls, the guy refused to deal with me the following visit.

I no longer own any Peugeots.

 

 

[jep]

The Aston Martin business model (pre-Ford) was very Stella Artois: Reassuringly expensive. Owners seemed to relish getting big bills for servicing. No repairs or upgrades were free. 

I find the whole Aston Martin 'thing' rather amusing and the recent share price collapse from £19 to bankruptcy in under 2 years somewhat sums up the 'smoke and mirrors' business it has long been. 

Long live Lotus! Or to be up to date, Lotus Cars Matter. 

Justin 

[NedaSay]

The Aston Martin business model of former CEO Andy Palmer, did remind me of DB's plan, a product blitzkrieg funded by a loan with low interest and a market floatation. It could have worked, had the market stayed up and confidence stayed high, but the product planning and expenditure looked pharaonic. The market induction was poorly timed and Palmer should have known that from that moment on that he was on borrowed time, the guy planned a brand new factory, a new V12 and a V6, an SUV, 3 mid engined hypercars & supercars, relaunching Lagonda and propping RedBull to the tune of 20m USD per season for the past 4 years... 

I actually like the fact that Lotus is keeping it all secrets for as long as they can. it may be too slow and not proactive enough but better slow  than too soon, too fast and poorly executed...

[NedaSay]

on an unrelated not how about that for a last ICE motorsport hurrah.

https://www.carscoops.com/2020/06/lotus-ultimate-track-car-concept-is-all-about-aerodynamics/

 

Edited June 27, 2020 by NedaSay

[au-yt]

Cannot say I am a fan of all of the design.

https://www.carscoops.com/2020/06/lotus-ultimate-track-car-concept-is-all-about-aerodynamics/#lg=1&slide=6

[NedaSay]

One thing us for sure the future will not be presented at Geneva 2021: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53216329

[Bibs]

Next time you buy some parts, here are the posh new boxes they'll come in! You can't see them here but they'll also have nice new 'genuine parts' holograms on them too. 

[Mark Blanchard]

I recon that concept looks cool.  Nice lines and aggressive.  Looks the business.

[stephenwhyte]

Jeez - if the next Lotus could possibly look anything like this......I’m in!😳👏🏻👏🏻....I’d take it in Fire Red please....although plain red would sit nice alongside the Turbo - one can but dream!😍

[Jason is Chasing]

2 hours ago, stephenwhyte said:

Jeez - if the next Lotus could possibly look anything like this......I’m in!😳👏🏻👏🏻....I’d take it in Fire Red please....although plain red would sit nice alongside the Turbo - one can but dream!😍

 

I'm quite sure many wouldn't appreciate that, but I definitely do, that's artwork a beautiful display in my opinion.  God I hope it's something like this, in manual transmission.  

[Choppa]

Q would be able to modify those exhaust pipes to fire mortars at chasing baddies with ease. My worry would be what happens when its parked and they get full of rain water.

 

[Jason is Chasing]

Okay that's hilarious!  Asking for a friend right?  

 

[Choppa]

Q = character who makes all the gadgets  in the Bond movies

 

[C8RKH]

Okay, that really is hilarious.

About the exhausts, well, it doesn't do the Macca Senna any harm... 

[ramjet]

And here's me thinking that the exhaust flow would just upset the airstream coming across the top of the car which you really want to be as laminar as possible don't you?

And then I could just see some wombat at the shops putting their bags on your recently parked car's tailgate and promptly starting a fire or melting crap onto your car. 'Cos you know they can do that while they are opening their boot don't you?

I thought they banned Lakeside exhaust pipes, which used to be all the rage on Panel Vans when I was a youngster, because passers by could get burnt by the exhaust blowing on them as they walked along the footpath? Well that's what happened here in Oz.

[C8RKH]

On the Senna and in F1 they point the exhaust gas to blow towards the spoiler to increase downforce do they not?

[Bibs]

Wasn't that meant to be the equivalent of the blown diffuser in F1?

[Bibs]

"Provenance is everything"

[Frickin_idiot]

What is that?

Edited July 1, 2020 by Bibs

[Bibs]

You'll find out very soon. Clue is in the text.

[Barrykearley]

Wow a Lotus driving license holder 👍👍

[C8RKH]

It's a map holder so you don't get sent down the wrong street by the satnav.