Future of Lotus

[Frickin_idiot]

I am not sure about the sports car market but for sure, most people that I know who purchase new cars do so on Finance. Ensuring that any new Lotus produced has a range of financing / leasing options will be key to increased growth.

[TdM]

I agree, I've never bought a car on finance, but having browsed out of interest, it always seemed that the German cars finance packages were light years ahead of anybody else's. This goes to show why they are so successful.

 

Unfortunately, I think that also is why they can offer them. The more successful you are the easier it is to offer easy money. So on, so forth.

[Frickin_idiot]

Maybe with the backing of Geely, Lotus will be able to offer a more comprehensive package

[Bibs]

https://media.lotuscars.com/en/news-articles/new-lotus-and-fca-bank-partnership-to-offer-attractive-range-of-sports-car-finance-packages.html

NEW LOTUS AND FCA BANK PARTNERSHIP TO OFFER ATTRACTIVE RANGE OF SPORTS CAR FINANCE PACKAGES

 

    •    Improved customer payment choices via multi-year pan-European partnership
    •    Lotus Elise, Exige and Evora all included in new finance packages
    •    Phased introduction by market from July to September
    •    Agreement also covers wholesale funding for retailers, delivering confidence to the Lotus sales network
    •    Another key milestone in the transformation of the Lotus brand

(Hethel, UK – 16 July 2020) – Lotus customers are to benefit from an attractive range of finance products with a new multi-year strategic partnership signed with FCA Bank.

The agreement sees FCA Bank become the exclusive retail finance provider for the UK and nine other European markets. The initiative replaces five existing suppliers with a single solution, creating a one-stop shop across the region that will lead to improved process efficiency and cost reductions.

For Lotus, it’s another significant milestone in the ongoing transformation of the brand. For Lotus customers, it means access to a whole suite of appealing new retail finance products. These include sale, lease and insurance policies on new and ‘approved used’ examples of all three models in the current Lotus sports car range – the Elise, Exige and Evora.

The partnership also sees FCA Bank become the exclusive wholesale finance provider for Lotus. For its pan-European network of retailers, this will give them additional confidence to support the funding of Lotus vehicles for their showrooms and demonstration fleets.

The contract initially covers 10 European markets, which are Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. It will be phased in by market between July and September. Other countries will follow in due course.

FCA Bank is one of the largest specialised car finance companies operating in Europe. It’s a 50/50 joint venture between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Crédit Agricole, and already represents 18 other automotive brands including several outside the FCA portfolio.

Phil Popham, CEO, Lotus Cars, said: “I’m delighted that Lotus and FCA Bank will be working together. This partnership is a huge step forward for customer choice, and yet another example of how we’re transforming the Lotus business. For those who have always wanted to own a new Lotus, they’re now more attainable than ever.”

Giacomo Carelli, CEO and General Manager of FCA Bank, commented: “We are delighted to have been selected as the finance provider for Lotus across Europe. This is a further endorsement of our success in providing finance and mobility services arrangements to strategic OEM partners. Lotus is an iconic British brand and we are very proud to contribute to its continued transformation.”

[C8RKH]

3 hours ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

Worst thing about the rear wing on the GT430 is the lack of herringbone weave. It really looks like an aftermarket addition and gets my OCD twitching when you compare it to the c/f elsewhere on the car.

That's a massive oversight to be honest and a detail that would have been very easy to get right. Sometimes it is the very little things that can grate the most.

[C8RKH]

4 hours ago, TdM said:

A touch off topic, but... It's a wing not a spoiler. A spoiler would be more like a wall stopping airflow.

Actually, it's a wing that "spoils" the look of the car in some peoples eyes. As ever, some love it, some hate it!

By the way though, spoilers can also be very effective at creating downforce, just like a wing. And the fact that the Evora has a gently tapering roof and rear deck actually suits a spoiler for downforce generation and it usually is a good source of consistent downforce.  The down side is that it creates extra drag.

 

 

[exeterjeep]

Photo of my mine. Weave is fine. The lotus c/f wing I got for the S had to be filled flatted and painted.

 

 

23 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

That's a massive oversight to be honest and a detail that would have been very easy to get right. Sometimes it is the very little things that can grate the most.

 

[Bibs]

My OCD can rest easy now the cars are in order

[exeterjeep]

and 2 have got nice rear wings.

[jep]

17 minutes ago, Bibs said:

My OCD can rest easy now the cars are in order

Brown shoes with black trousers still troubling me. 😄

[Bibs]

[exeterjeep]

Busy day then @Bibs

 

Perhaps the cars should all be the same colour.

[Bibs]

Big meeting at 2.30 but other than that I'm all yours

 

[exeterjeep]

Meeting at our vet at 2:30 with 1 of the cats?

[TdM]

Good heel and toe shoes those for the more spacious footwells out there. Excellent coverage for widely spaced pedals.

[exeterjeep]

Think Scott needs a Lotus jacket

[Bibs]

I can't see him in the pic! 

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

3 hours ago, exeterjeep said:

Photo of my mine. Weave is fine. The lotus c/f wing I got for the S had to be filled flatted and painted.

 

 

 

There’s nothing wrong with the quality of the wing per se, it’s just the lack of herringbone pattern that upsets me so much. Have you not noticed it? Must be just me then! The GTE wing has herringbone weave, which matches the rest of the car, eg. Front lip, shark gill access panel, rear registration plate panel and roof/sail panel for those so equipped.

[C8RKH]

3 hours ago, exeterjeep said:

and 2 have got nice rear wings.

They needed somewhere to put the tea and toasted crumpets.

 

16 minutes ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

There’s nothing wrong with the quality of the wing per se, it’s just the lack of herringbone pattern that upsets me so much. Have you not noticed it? Must be just me then! The GTE wing has herringbone weave, which matches the rest of the car, eg. Front lip, shark gill access panel, rear registration plate panel and roof/sail panel for those so equipped.

I know what you mean. I spotted it when I saw my first ever GT430 in Murrays in Edinburgh. I don't have OCD but it stuck out like a saw thumb to me. Anyway, no intention to "diss" a GT430, superb cars. If I was lucky enough to have one though, on the road, the wing would be in the garage.

[exeterjeep]

14 minutes ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

Have you not noticed it?

No..... ducktail, wing and roof etc all look the same to me.

2 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

They needed somewhere to put the tea and toasted crumpets.

Useful for the battery charger.

 

[C8RKH]

The herringbone refers to the central line down the middle of the panels with the carbon shooting out at an angle from it - to look like, well herringbone. You can see it clearly in the image below and it matches on the front splitter, front access panel, roof, ducktail rear hatch and the rear splitter surround. The only place it is missing on the GT430, is the wing. A small oversight, but one that should have been stopped pre-prod/quality control and redone IMVHO. It's the small details that make the difference.

Edited December 23, 2021 by Bravo73

[jimichanga]

Future of Lotus anyone?

I don’t see much of a future for this thread if this pitiful nonsense continues much longer. No wonder Lotus are after new types of customers. Must be torture dealing with you lot!

[NedaSay]

So this is kind of  a sweet end the of year story for those who still believe in Santa...

Spyker is back : https://www.autoevolution.com/news/spyker-will-get-back-at-making-cars-thanks-to-new-russian-investors-178030.html

How does it relate to Lotus some may ask. Well B6 Venator uses a VVA chassis (Evora architecture) and D8 Peking uses and APX chassis, while Spyker used Lotus engineering services on the C8 Preliator.

How will Spyker build them one may ask. I've no idea, last I checked the company had gone into receivership multiple times and creditors were parting the company to bits.

But with russian money one can always set up shop somewhere. What surprises me most is Victor Muller is still the CEO. and i think this comes after  the company third or fourth bankruptcy.

Anyway if Lotus gets money out of this, some bean counters will be happy.

[C8RKH]

On 23/12/2021 at 20:12, jimichanga said:

Future of Lotus anyone?

I don’t see much of a future for this thread if this pitiful nonsense continues much longer. No wonder Lotus are after new types of customers. Must be torture dealing with you lot!

And i thought the Grinch was fictional 😆 Does the lack of continuity not erk you re your 430?

[au-yt]

Play nice everyone, other wise the forum will finish up like the Ferrari chat Australian  section