Future of Lotus

[DarrylV8]

Lotus following some of the big boys. The future of car buying?

[Bibs]

To be fair, Lotus are actually leading some of the big boys, they're trailblazing in the agency model of retail sales before some of the very large players in truth. 

[thebartman]

Why do I get the sense that an "Agency" model may leave owners high and dry should a "real-world" problem happen with a vehicle? - i.e. who "owns" the problem?

It's OK to buy online - but what about fixing mechanical issues etc.?

I can't see Hethel or an Agency showroom coping with a product recall or malfunctioned vehicles?

 

[NedaSay]

They retain authorized repair centres to handle the warrantied work, don't they?

[exeterjeep]

They will certainly need to sort things out, particularly when the type 132 joins the Emira out on the roads.

[Matt W]

Lotus misses the point yet again. If you're spending that sort of money you surely want the experience of trying and buying, not just going online and doing click and collect - I know I would, but then I'd not buy from Lotus again, they're clueless when it comes to customer care. New lotus appears to be focusing more on those people that see a cars looks as the primary reason for buying, and this Internet sales model seems to allow them to distance themselves even further from the customer. 

And is it just me that finds it amusing that all other manufacturers have service centres, but lotus calls them repair centres. Are they finally accepting they have 1980`s skoda build quality? 

[mdavies]

In my earlier post on this fundamental change to the Lotus buying and ownership experience, I completely missed what Autocar points out: that Lotus will rule the second hand market too.

Now, further to that, I project that the Lotus embrace will also affect what those that have paid the Lotus-defined price for "their car" can do as modifications: I expect pretty well nothing unless they are willing to risk the car being cast into darkness outside the Lotus ramparts when they want to trade it in.

Will dealers be allowed near a car no longer entirely original?  (I've privately sold the soft-top delivered in the boot of my Elise. I had no expectation of it or use for it - crumbs, the car is damned!)

So a "Lotus Universe", as that of Musk's Teslas or of Apple products, offering benefits to those willing to enter and play by its rules - and if not, beware.

Very sadly the emergence of this new Originator/User concept will, I fear, reduce "owning a new Lotus" to foregoing much of what "ownership" used to mean: having something that previously an owner could regard as wholly their own: to treat as they wish, and, if and when they might want, to dispose of it into market of free "Dealers" (Ha!) or private purchasers, at a price determined only by its condition, and the views of potential purchasers, free to act without the control or influence of some external authority - that of Lotus, the Master of its World.

Much is being lost, IMO.

And the prospect of an Emira of my own is seeming more remote.

Edited March 2, 2022 by mdavies

[stephenwhyte]

So…..glass half-empty then?😉

[NedaSay]

15 hours ago, mdavies said:

In my earlier post on this fundamental change to the Lotus buying and ownership experience, I completely missed what Autocar points out: that Lotus will rule the second hand market too.

Now, further to that, I project that the Lotus embrace will also affect what those that have paid the Lotus-defined price for "their car" can do as modifications: I expect pretty well nothing unless they are willing to risk the car being cast into darkness outside the Lotus ramparts when they want to trade it in.

Will dealers be allowed near a car no longer entirely original?  (I've privately sold the soft-top delivered in the boot of my Elise. I had no expectation of it or use for it - crumbs, the car is damned!)

So a "Lotus Universe", as that of Musk's Teslas or of Apple products, offering benefits to those willing to enter and play by its rules - and if not, beware.

Very sadly the emergence of this new Originator/User concept will, I fear, reduce "owning a new Lotus" to foregoing much of what "ownership" used to mean: having something that previously an owner could regard as wholly their own: to treat as they wish, and, if and when they might want, to dispose of it into market of free "Dealers" (Ha!) or private purchasers, at a price determined only by its condition, and the views of potential purchasers, free to act without the control or influence of some external authority - that of Lotus, the Master of its World.

Much is being lost, IMO.

And the prospect of an Emira of my own is seeming more remote.

Lotus is preparing for the next gen vehicles, the EV.

I don't think many people will try to modify their EVs  as no mechanic will have the knowledge to get into the inverter box and start changing settings and coil. I think the ICE vehicles will remain easily modifiable. and if ones buy the car outright one will do what he pleases with it... Trading your modified vehicle in with a dealer is always at the dealer discretion but from experience doing 10,000$ of mods to your car rarely bring 10,000$ extra value at trade in.

Lotus agents will enforce Lotus rules on their secondary market that's what Lotus has been working toward with their Lotus Approved program. That's what Ferrari has been doing for a while, don't dare messing with something that Maranello deems perfect you may not get to buy another one of their car if you do.

The Emira will be the last of its kind, enjoy it while it lasts

[Bibs]

https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2943855534/?refId=iFVA6Y%2BoTXiMiUjQCpWUxw%3D%3D

Retail Manager - London. 

[exeterjeep]

Particularly like the need to be able to  ...

Translate Lotus brand strategy to your team

[yeller77]

  Credible, trustworthy & respectful

Dam, I'm out...  

[C8RKH]

5 hours ago, Bibs said:

https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2943855534/?refId=iFVA6Y%2BoTXiMiUjQCpWUxw%3D%3D

Retail Manager - London. 

Anyone else get frustrated that employers never seen to want to publish salary details these days?

So what would a Retail Manager get paid?  £25k? £35k? £45k? £55k?  How do people know what to expect?  Personally, I think it is done this way these days by all employers so they can try to get people on the cheap.

5 hours ago, exeterjeep said:

Particularly like the need to be able to  ...

Translate Lotus brand strategy to your team

Ahh, if it's assimilation they want then this guy would be the ideal candidate...

 

[thebartman]

D’oh ! , Where’s 7of9 😢🤔

[Bibs]

https://www.easternpowerhouse.uk/post/the-future-of-electric-vehicles-is-in-the-east-of-england

[jonwat]

What the Lotus Emira means for Britain’s iconic sportscar brand 

[jep]

"There’s also a lot of interest in licensing Elise, Exige, and Evora"

Matt Windle words......Elise I expected but not the others. It will be interesting to see where this goes.

Justin 

[yeller77]

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/business/lotus-completes-redevelopment-of-hethel-site-8775966?fbclid=IwAR08EGOTgoWvXnURByB-mTcvHmrbl_HGPBSK1fYQtDeaoamRfb4By-7dViw

Quote

Originally, the sports car manufacturer had been planning to build a customer experience centre, heritage centre and a museum on the site. But a spokesperson said that this is now no longer going ahead, although the previous building was demolished 18-months ago as it was structurally unsound. 

There are, however, plans to build a museum on the site over the next few years. No further details about this has yet been made available. 

Under current plans, heritage can wait, I reckon.

[jep]

That's a shame but understandable. 

Justin 

 

[C8RKH]

Just more fuel to fire in my mind that Lotus 2.0 has no or little interest in old Lotus.

[exeterjeep]

I would say that is true of the parts of Lotus that are new and not at Hethel. I think that those who work at Hethel still have a true feeling of Lotus' history. But as time marches on the Chinese manufacturing side of the business will be more significant..

[Andyww]

4 hours ago, C8RKH said:

Just more fuel to fire in my mind that Lotus 2.0 has no or little interest in old Lotus.

But they did recently pay top whack to buy Chapmans Turbo Esprit back. They have been doing a lot of heritage photoshoots and featuring Esprit especially in promo material.

None of this happened until quite recently. In past times they unloaded the Bond promo cars and the active suspension car, everything was cleared out.

[exeterjeep]

But that seems to relate to the keen Lotus chaps at Hethel?

[jonwat]

Interview with Lotus boss Matt Windle 

[jep]

Hard to argue with any of that. You have to give the market what it wants, especially when you have tried to give them what they should want (Evora) and the audience failed to show up (apart from the usual suspects).

Boy, am I glad they made Evora but I'm also delighted they are making Emira.

Justin