Future of Lotus

[NedaSay]

That sounds more like it and in a way quite understandable, right now they only have the new Evora GT to sell, even if they were to sell 200 or 250 per annum in the next year, it would not justify broadening the network... It seems they have lost a few dealers recently, lack of offer and support is definitely part of the problem. If they just push marketing a little bit it should help, but until they unveil the newish GT variant of the car, I don't expect things to change much.

As for the dealers asking prospective buyers to put deposit sight unseen, this is far from an unprecedented thing in the industry.

When it comes the price of the GT variant helping the the price of the 400 currently in the dealers lot to bounce back up, I just don't understand the logic. Anytime a new model is introduced the older version price points takes a hit...

Right now, Lotus USA should be busy behind the scene, which in a way matters most, they need to relaunch the brand and can't really mess it up, I trust the new management and ownership will take special care of the US market when they are good and ready.  If they use Volvo dealers  to bolster the network, we won't even see it coming, all the dealers would have to sign NDAs. 

However the first of the new cars could be unveiled  soon (in prototype guise) if they maintained JMG sport car plan. Actually. It could be unveiled as early as the Shanghai motor show in april if Geely feels like peacocking a bit, or Goodwood if they want to make a splash. They are now in the timeframe for a presentation for a car to be on sale in 2020 but if they want to sell the Evora GT in the US, they may want to give it as much time as possible and therefore push any presentation of the new cars as far as they can,  either way time will tell.

[Ccd]

Lotus, as I see it, has two choices in terms of expanding its dealer network. If they are going to continue to rely on and expand the current network, they have to have a wider range of cars in the US.  One car will not cut it.  The other option is to position their cars as “halo” models for Volvo and put their cars in select Volvo dealerships.  The problem with the second option is that is does not set the company up to compete with the likes of Ferrari and I suspect Geely understands this.

So my best guess is that bringing the Lotus 400 GT is a stop gap measure to try to hang onto what’s left of your dealership network in the US and to maintain whatever name recognition you might have in the US as well until the newer models arrive.

[Bee]

€2 million, cool-looking (well, perhaps not front), electric hypercar, stylish interior, 0-60mph in 'under' 2 seconds, 1874bhp, very decent range - Pininfarina's Battista, just unveiled at Geneva. 

https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/first-official-pictures/pininfarina/battista_pf0/

 

Your move, Lotus...

 

 

[au-yt]

Wow another one for the gazilionare members of the More Money Than Brains club, that looks like a 488.

 

[NedaSay]

Hum Lynk & Co and Geely Group Motorsport go to team Cyan Racing have just presented the road going version of their WTCR racer the Lynk and Co 03 sedan 

Ok arguably not exactly a looker but this is not what this car is about, it is pretty much an homologation special. The interesting tidbit of info is what GGM and Cyan Racing got to do with the 2 liter turbocharged and supercharged 4 cylinder Drive-E engine, which is extracting 508 nm between 4500 and 7000 rpm and 528bhp at a ridiculous 7800 rpm!!! These numbers are ballistics. A turbocharged engine pushing until 7800 rpm, I'm sorry but WTF?  Oh and yeah it would be road legal in Europe and China (passing emissions somehow!?!) 

Now I know it is just a 4 cylinder albeit one with unbelievable characteristics on paper not quite the V6, V8 or V10 of the competition but it would make for a very decent entry level engine in let's say an esprit successor.

Also should one mad engineer cast a V shaped engine block  and were to put 2 heads on it you'd theoreticaly get a 4 liter V8 with over 1000hp on tap. Ok it will never happen but what if, what if...

Also, not Lotus but I think Mr Chapman would smile:

 

Edited March 5, 2019 by NedaSay

[au-yt]

I have hi hopes for Lotus, but have they missed the boat when the playing field in the supercar arena with cars like this

https://youtu.be/fkf4Rt6Sgyc

[jonwat]

Today's Times report:

Phil Popham, new chief executive of the Norfolk-based Lotus, arguably the forgotten marque of the British industry, told The Timesthat he would unveil plans for new models at the upcoming Shanghai motor show. Lotus produces 1,600 cars a year.

[au-yt]

https://autoshanghai.auto-fairs.com/general-information/

15 to 25 of April, we wait patiently

Edited March 6, 2019 by au-yt

[NedaSay]

6 hours ago, jonwat said:

Today's Times report:

Phil Popham, new chief executive of the Norfolk-based Lotus, arguably the forgotten marque of the British industry, told The Timesthat he would unveil plans for new models at the upcoming Shanghai motor show. Lotus produces 1,600 cars a year.

The wheels and cogs are now in motion, not too much longer to wait...  

[Bibs]

 

Quote

 

drivenation_

Lotus poaches senior Ferrari engineer 
_
The decision of a single engineer you’ve probably never heard of to leave one company for another is probably not exactly earth-shattering news, which might explain why neither the company he’s been with for the last 33 years, nor the one he has just joined felt the need to communicate the fact. But to me at least the decision of Franco Cimatti to leave Ferrari for Lotus is one of the most significant developments in the Lotus story since it was bought by Geely.
_
Franco - I can call him that because I’ve known him for 25 years - was probably Ferrari’s most unsung hero. He came into Ferrari product development in the early 1990s when its cars were the worst in its history - the Testarossa, Mondial and 348 was not much of a stable. His influence was felt almost immediately: he turned the 348 into the F355, launched the 456GT and 550 Maranello and has been instrumental in the design of Ferrari road cars thereafter up to and including the LaFerrari. Few would argue the cars that were engineered on his watch were among the finest in Ferrari history.
_
Given that, it might seem odd to be swapping Maranello for Norwich but ‘the time seemed right,’ he told me yesterday. ‘Geely is serious about Lotus, the funding is in place and the product programme too.’ Franco is very discreet so would not be drawn on what those products might be, but I know him well enough to be sure he’d not have traded Emilia-Romagna for Norfolk without a damn good reason. ‘It was tough at first,’ he says with a smile, ‘but I’ve found Waitrose, so everything’s fine now...’ My hopes for the future of Lotus just went up a few more notches.
_
By @frankelandrew 

 

 

[scotty435]

Wow what a great appointment, there are some great things to come from Lotus in the near future, it’s been a long time since anyone could have said that, me for one can not wait.

[Ccd]

This news also indicates that there might be a big difference between past offerings and future offerings.  The new SUV could be more like the Lambo Urus and the other models could take direct aim at Lambo, McLaren and Ferrari with a price point to match.

[NedaSay]

13 hours ago, jonwat said:

Today's Times report:

Phil Popham, new chief executive of the Norfolk-based Lotus, arguably the forgotten marque of the British industry, told The Timesthat he would unveil plans for new models at the upcoming Shanghai motor show. Lotus produces 1,600 cars a year.

 

@Bibs, dear CEO of our hearts will you be making the trip to the Shanghai Autoshow?

[C8RKH]

20 minutes ago, NedaSay said:

@Bibs, dear CEO of our hearts will you be making the trip to the Shanghai Autoshow?

I think he was last seen doing his pre flight checks!

 

[vd9]

On 05/03/2019 at 11:13, NedaSay said:

at a ridiculous 7800 rpm!!! These numbers are ballistics. A turbocharged engine pushing until 7800 rpm, I'm sorry but WTF?

What's so shocking with a turbocharged engine making it's way to not far from 8k rpm?

[Bee]

The hypercar market is really surprising me, to be honest - Lotus's offering is going to be compared with the Aston Martin Valkyrie and AM-RB 003; the Pininfarina Battista (which seems perhaps the most similar and direct rival); Koenigsegg Jeska; and, undoubtedly, whatever hypercars Ferrari, McLaren (and perhaps even Bugatti) are planning for 2-3 years year's time. The group tests should make for some incredible TV at least! I would never have guessed that the £1-3 million market would have so much product. With them all offering staggering acceleration, 1-2,000 bhp and insane looks, I wonder what will really differentiate the ones that stand out.

 

I'm more interested in seeing which price points/markets they will be aiming their 'regular' sports/super cars - £200-250,000 against the McLaren720S and Ferrari Tributo; £120-150,000 against the McLaren 540/570, Porsche 911 Turbo/Turbo S and AMG GTs; £100-120,000  against the Porsche 911 Carreras and Aston Martin Vantage? 

 

I wonder what, if anything, will be offered below that price point - perhaps a new Elise/Exige in the £45-70,000 range to compete against the Porsche Boxster, BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra. I really hope they retain something of an entry-level car to keep the brand accessible to existing owners/enthusiasts but I won't be shocked if they don't.

 

I guess we'll find out in April - fingers crossed!

[Jeanvm]

All these HYPERCARS it's like a ticket to the Moon or Mars, absurd.

[ramjet]

On 05/03/2019 at 12:36, Bee said:

€2 million, cool-looking (well, perhaps not front), electric hypercar, stylish interior, 0-60mph in 'under' 2 seconds, 1874bhp, very decent range - Pininfarina's Battista, just unveiled at Geneva. 

https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/first-official-pictures/pininfarina/battista_pf0/

 

Your move, Lotus...

 

 

I wonder how they can keep getting tyres to stick when that much mumbo is applied to them?

And I'll ask the question.

Where does one hope to be able to use that sort of performance?

At what point will drivers be expected to have the fitness level of a jet pilot and a G suit to assist with leaving the lights after downing a latte at the local Cafe Bistro?

[electro_boy]

On 05/03/2019 at 16:13, NedaSay said:

These numbers are ballistics. A turbocharged engine pushing until 7800 rpm, I'm sorry but WTF?  Oh and yeah it would be road legal in Europe and China (passing emissions somehow!?!) 

I'm no engine guru by a long way but my understanding was that turbos work well only within a smallish window and when you step outside of that window the performance drops off very steeply.  So they are either good at the bottom end, middle or top end.  So I think is very possible to have a turbo that can spin to 7800 rpm but it may have a lot of lag and be rubbish on the bottom and mid end which is where the supercharger comes in to fill in the deficit while the turbo spins up.  I suspect the torque curve won't be flat like a typical turbo engine, lower to mid revs it will be relatively linear as the supercharger is doing its stuff and then step up when the turbo kicks in and then flat.

[rallyesax]

 

4 hours ago, ramjet said:

I wonder how they can keep getting tyres to stick when that much mumbo is applied to them?

 

As long as you don't expect them to last 5k miles, a lot of things are possible 😉

[Bravo73]

5 hours ago, ramjet said:

Where does one hope to be able to use that sort of performance?

I’m not sure that is actually the point of these cars. It’s more about the bragging rights: both for the manufacturer and the owners (either down the ‘pub’ or as they cruise around Harrods). 

[electro_boy]

Yep agree with Jonny, I think its mostly about the prestige of owning it and having the odd fun day round a track in a very special car rather than trying to set the fastest time around Imola or wherever.

I'm sure some of the people are pretty good drivers; I mean having that amount of money and an interest in fast cars ... surely you are going to sign up to a few tack days, experience days and races etc, so some will have a reasonable amount of experience and skill in track driving.  But compared to a pro driver they are probably lacking by someway so I don't think many if any are going to be able to extract the full potential of these monsters.

[NedaSay]

5 hours ago, electro_boy said:

I'm no engine guru by a long way but my understanding was that turbos work well only within a smallish window and when you step outside of that window the performance drops off very steeply.  So they are either good at the bottom end, middle or top end.  So I think is very possible to have a turbo that can spin to 7800 rpm but it may have a lot of lag and be rubbish on the bottom and mid end which is where the supercharger comes in to fill in the deficit while the turbo spins up.  I suspect the torque curve won't be flat like a typical turbo engine, lower to mid revs it will be relatively linear as the supercharger is doing its stuff and then step up when the turbo kicks in and then flat.

That's the thing, the fact that they are able to extract that much while respecting the regulations is just mind boggling. Just look at the slew of premium hot hatches from Mercedes-Benz, Audi and co, they all top out at some 1500 rpm below the "claimed" numbers this engine is able to get. Not only is this turboed engine able to push high hp way up the rev range but it can also apply some serious torque 504nm from 4,500 and 7,000 rpm with some of it available down low and able to comply with emissions... Most turboed engine top out at 6000rpm or 6500rpm, Up to now Volvo and Polestar topped out at 6000rpm. Yes Mclaren and Ferrari are pushing theirs way higher but we are talking V8 with quite a lot of grunt naturally already. But this is a 2 liter 4cylinder, not exactly a torque machine on its own, Yes there's probably a small electric supercharger lying somewhere doing its thing down the rev range... Still this is mind boggling to me.

[au-yt]

On 07/03/2019 at 17:48, Jeanvm said:

All these HYPERCARS it's like a ticket to the Moon or Mars, absurd.

I totally agree but the way it’s going a trip to the moon will be cheaper 

[Bibs]

https://www.ft.com/content/a889f410-467e-11e9-a965-23d669740bfb

Quote

New Lotus Cars boss Phil Popham has launched a major turnround after a cash injection of several billion pounds into the lossmaking brand from new owner Geely. With losses mounting, the industry veteran, who took over last October, is facing a significant challenge, despite the group’s rich motoring heritage as a pioneer of Formula One racing cars and the use of its vehicles in James Bond films. Losses at the company in the 12 months to March 2018 grew to £36.3m following several writedowns, with accounts for the nine months to December last year expected to show a further £16m of pre-tax losses. “I’d seen the potential comeback of Lotus before. I wanted to make sure there was substance behind it [before taking the job], and it was very clear that there was,” Mr Popham said in the first interview since starting the post back in the autumn. It has been a lack of investment and poor sales that have hit the company in the past, which Mr Popham hopes can be rectified with the help of new Chinese owners Geely that took a majority stake in the company last year. The group, which will invest “billions” into the business over the next five years, poached Mr Popham, a former Jaguar Land Rover executive, from Sunseeker Yachts to spearhead the revival. The Geely investment will allow Lotus to refresh its sports car line-up, expand into new vehicle types, launch electric cars, hire more engineers, and revamp its ageing factory in Hethel in Norfolk, Mr Popham said. The scheme will see Lotus’ output rise from 2,000 cars a year to about 5,000, with additional manufacturing facilities needed in the future as the company widens its portfolio to include sport utility vehicles, grand tourer cars and saloons. “At some point, we will need to manufacture outside of Hethel,” he said. Options include a new UK site, extending Hethel, or building elsewhere in the world. While rival carmakers cram more and more technology into their vehicles, Lotus remains stubbornly analogue — its cars do not have keyless ignition, while two of its three mainstream models lack power steering, to allow greater engagement with the road when driving. Yet the result, a visceral dynamism to its vehicles that comes alive on undulating country roads, is too niche, conceded Mr Popham. Recommended Inside Business Jonathan Ford The real problem for carmakers isn’t Brexit or China, it’s weight “It’s fair to say, I think, that we need to broaden the appeal of the brand,” he said, adding people should be comfortable using the vehicles every day. His role as chief executive of Lotus Cars sees him run all aspects of the business and report to Feng Qingfeng, who is chief executive of Lotus Group and the chief technical officer of the wider Geely group. The deepening pre-tax losses to £36.3m to March 2018 compared with from £12.2m in the previous year were due to writing down the value of tooling used to build current models. The company also had to pay back a previous government grant because it did not hire sufficient number of people. However, revenues rose from £83.7m to £100.3m in the 12 months to March, while underlying earnings before interest and other measures rose to £2.2m from a loss of £1.5m a year earlier. Geely is not focused on making a quick profit from the business, with no plans to extract dividends from the unit for the duration of the plan, though Mr Popham is keen to stem the losses in order to use Geely’s funds to invest in new technologies rather than prop up the current business. Lotus will automate parts of its plant, which currently hand builds many parts of its cars, as well as refurbishing much of the site and buildings that have sat part-constructed on the site for years because of under-investment by past owners. A key question for Lotus is how quickly the group embraces electric vehicles, which seem inevitable as the future of motoring but goes against the company’s core skills of building lightweight vehicles. “At the end, you can build a fairly light-ish car”, Mr Popham said, explaining that heavy batteries are compensated for by losing heavy parts of the internal combustion engine. The other advantage is that electric cars, with batteries built into their base, have low centres of gravity, improving their handling, he added. The company did make the first electric sports car, collaborating with Tesla to fit a battery to the shell of a Lotus Elise to make the Roadster in 2010, but since then has sat out of the technology race. Access to Geely, which is planning a suit of electric vehicles through its Volvo, Polestar, Lynk & Co and Geely brands, allows Lotus to use battery technology from the wider family, reducing its development costs. It also has access to a wide pool of engineers, including 20,000 at Geely’s headquarters, but will also double the number of engineers on its site to about 500 this year, compared with 180 that were employed when Geely bought the company at the start of 2018.