Future of Lotus

[KAS-118]

In respect of the Lotus SUV - I saw an Alfa Romeo Stelvio today - I guess for an SUV it looked nice, but as I looked at it - it left me rather cold.

What with Volvo SUV's - and Lynk & Co - I don't really see why Geeley would want to bring another SUV into the market - unless of course its an SUV like no-other!? 

[Frickin_idiot]

My guess would be volume.

[NedaSay]

35 minutes ago, KAS-118 said:

In respect of the Lotus SUV - I saw an Alfa Romeo Stelvio today - I guess for an SUV it looked nice, but as I looked at it - it left me rather cold.

What with Volvo SUV's - and Lynk & Co - I don't really see why Geeley would want to bring another SUV into the market - unless of course its an SUV like no-other!? 

It's all about market segmentation and customer's desire for differentiation... JMG made a case for it with DRB-Hicom and it looks to me like Geely and Volvo will be glad to provide.

The piece from the EAP : http://www.edp24.co.uk/business/new-lotus-owner-considers-starting-production-in-china-but-reaffirms-commitment-to-norfolk-1-5078533  

[LazyDonkey]

You could argue that vw don't need a skoda, vw and Audi versions of the same car.... But they each find a customer who often woukdnt consider the other... No matter how identical they actually are under the skin.  Remember we live in an age where most 1 series customers don't know or care thst their car is rwd. 

Lotus producing an suv and building it outside of Norfolk wouldn't bother me if it meant better sports cars and a more rosy future. 

Edited June 26, 2017 by LazyDonkey

[auRouge]

On 2017-6-26 at 07:40, C8RKH said:

I tell you what, FFS, let's just wait and see what happens before all the doom and gloom shall we!  For crying out loud you, me, and no one else has a bloody clue how this going to play out so just calm down and go and make a cup of tea!

Oh, funny how you're happy to be all negative about Brexit but forget conveniently about the devaluation of the GBpound and how it is powering our exports. So yes, raw materials dearer to bring in, but our products are still competitive to export thanks to the lower pound.

Devaluation of the pound a good thing is it? 

I wonder how many parts of your beloved Evora are imported?... then consider what a CEO has to do to convince its owners to invest real money for a new model production line in a country that "no one else has a bloody clue".

 

That £240m Toyota investment was supplemented by £21m UK tax payers money as a condition... Oh goodie, 10% subsidies funded by the UK tax payer.. we should of course pay to upgrade foreign companies plants and help them make money that will of course end up abroad... (Btw UK investment is f@ck all compared to the 10 billion Toyota's just invested in the United States).

 

Then you read what's happening post snap election... in the last 7 days, and forgive me for being slightly concerned:-

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/bmw-boss-reiterates-mini-pull-out-brexit-threat 

 

BMW threatening to write off £2 billion investment in Oxford kind of takes the shine off the tax payer assisted £240m Toyota deal for me personally... Best case scenario, UK taxpayers will subsidise BMW and Oxford stays put, I certainly hope so. It was quietly doing so well, now whether or not you want to debate it.. it's at risk.

 

In the best spirit of this gentlemanly forum hopefully someone will now post something to the contrary and prove I'm too pessimistic and the next Esprit is already in clay back at HQ?

 

Ha, tell you what.. you enjoy drinking that cup of imported tea mate. I drink coffee anyway and believe me I can smell it?

 

 

 

[auRouge]

Haha.. very good!!

Shame fuel, food and raw materials all become more expensive and inflation goes up as a result of the shift..

 

[auRouge]

Back on topic... at least Lotus has a future!

[C8RKH]

I'd forgotten we grow our own coffee beans and don't need to import any more. I'm from the LBHAT&C brigade so swing both ways. Coffee in the morning tea in the afternoon.

As for sibsifdies for car production that has nearly always been the case has it not? Ford engine plant in Wales - subsidy. Aston Martin production in Wales - subsidy. Honda in Swindon - sibsidy. Toyota in Derby - subsidy.I'm pretty sure our beloved lotus has seen the odd subsidy in its lifetime. No new news here. Sure its coffee your smelling? 

But heh, let's talk everything down then we won't be disappointed will we.

Still don't see why Lotus needs a SUV but understand I'm in the minority.

[auRouge]

Haha!! Subsit aside I do ingra tea too

I agree on the SUV thing I think. A small MX5 competitor about £25k basic price would have been an interesting direction instead of following the herd

[auRouge]

I agree Government subzidies?are a good thing, drop in the ocean investment compared to the benefits. Pls don't get me wrong.. my bee is the way it's being negotiated. Its like kids in a playground!

[C8RKH]

Lol @auRouge you know I like a good rant, but non of it is ever personal. It's just a good rant!

I do think Ledsom or whatever her name is had a point.  I mean think about it, the papers and new programmes are all:

"darn, bloody hell, this is crap, I mean, well, my bloody glass is half empty and who's bloody fault is that then"

However, they could be a tad more positive to set the tone and stop us talking ourselves into oblivion:

"wow, hey, look, my glass is still half full. bloody brilliant that. Nice one. Who we gonna toast next?"

They both refer to the same contents of the glass after all, but they could not be poles apart in the intent, or the opinion, that they convey.

We have our backs to the wall. We have 27 countries who want to wreak retribution on us (Oh yes they do, don't believe the smiling bullshit of they do not want to punish us - for some - the French and Belgians, this is payback time. big style).

It would be nice if for once our press actually got behind the government and sought out the positives to exploit. Who knows, maybe even the politicians would turn over  a new leaf and actually be positive too.  Ledsom was not trying curtail the freedom of the press like some buffoons pronounced, she was merely making the point that maybe we all get behind the negotiations and positively try to influence and see the good side, rather than demonstrating about stuff that hasn't happened yet, may never happen yet, etc.... 

I'm getting tired of everything being a battle. Of the cheap political point scoring. Of the false promises from all sides. Of all the bloody negativity that is around. Christ, it's not as if the UK is a bad place to live - it's a bloody brilliant place to live if you really think about it.

[auRouge]

I recently tried switching off from the UK press whilst working abroad for 3 months... within a week my skin glowed, hair started growing back and creases disappeared! Amazing

[C8RKH]

But was your glass half full or half empty?  

[Chillidoggy]

Let's see now......

• Italian wheels
• Japanese rear lights
• French tyres
• American brake system
• American fuel injection
• Italian brake calipers
• French gearbox
• singaporean air-con compressor
• French alternator
• Italian starter motor
• American headlamp pod motors
• French clutch
• French coolant header tank
• American turbo
• Welsh driver/garage supervisor

All fitted to my 1995 Esprit, 22 years ago. Well, not the last one, obv.

 

I no longer care where cars are built, or what components are fitted to them when it comes to it. And I don't suppose the vast majority of buyers do either, as long as the car's good. Yes, I would prefer British-built, but it's simple economics: no car sales, no money, no business, no Lotus.

[DanR]

As to all the foreign bits Lotus use, I believe the supercharged v6 had its original genesis and development in Australia around 2006. Toyota Australia together with Harrop Engineering did the work. Lotus learnt of it and the rest you know.

https://www.carsales.com.au/car/trd/aurion/

  https://www.harrop.com.au/

 

[auRouge]

Li sounds like he's gotta plan.. 

"This is just like what we have done with London Taxi Company, engineer in Britain, design in Britain, built in Britain. We see no reason to move 50 years of combined experience to China – let them do what they do best – in Britain," Shufu stated. "Geely is fully committed to revitalizing the Lotus brand which will include new investment and a widened car range," and furthermore to make "the Lotus brand a global one, staying true to the brand’s heritage." To the credit of current CEO Jean-Marc Gales, Lotus, over the past year, has generated a profit for the first time in 20 years. Geely also owns Volvo, which it purchased from Ford a few years ago.

http://www.carbuzz.com/m/Article.aspx?Id=39854

 

 

[NedaSay]

I just hope that the plan can be put into motion asap, last time Lotus changed hands it was under DB and the company just went from the old Proton ownership to the new Proton ownership under DRB. It brought the company to a complete standstill in terms of new product development.

This year there's no official Lotus presence at Goodwood, it was not part of the plan to be there this year as JMG said it. Actually Lotus will not attend any car show at all this year. but that was before the Geely takeover. The company still has one or two products to unveil this year the roadster is supposed to be presented later this year and a mistery higher spec Evora (with more carbon) was also muted earlier in the year. Geely will want to display its newest acquisition and should also present Lynk and Co 01 while Volvo is set to present the XC40 at this year IAA so maybe just maybe Lotus could piggy bag on one of its siblings or there will be the LAAS in december to present stuff this year.   

[Ccd]

I'd be surprised to see any new product prior to the 2018  Geneva Auto Show in March, especially with the change in ownership

[Advantage]

Whit Geely/Volvo announcing that they will only be producing electric or hybrid cars from 2019 I wonder where that leaves Hethel?

[theelanman]

producing petrol cars in the UK?......

think the Volvo stuff is the stuff they'll make in China.....

it'll take some time and cash to develop the Lotus Hybid further.......the Evora Hybrid was very complex and is also now not in the hands of Lotus.....

I presume the technology might be....but who knows who kept what as it was only a development program

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

What's the problem with hybrid anyway? I've never driven one, but you're still getting a petrol engine and if it's good enough for the hypercars and the new NSX?

[theelanman]

nothing wrong with Hybrid for me.........as long as it works

 

[USAndretti42]

Except they are heavy and you are lugging around two cooling systems as well as inverters and high-voltage, high-current wiring with batteries that are not very environmentally-friendly in their production.

[USAndretti42]

For example a cutaway Evora Hybrid.

 

[theelanman]

according to the article (about the Volvo announcement) hybrid tech can be as little as the stop start feature............

and you can turn that off if you want.............