Future of Lotus

[NedaSay]

Have you zapped the part when Geely did make an offer for Aston and got turned down!! Also both Lotus and Geely have the capability to engineer an engine, Lotus has had a NGE on the shelves for years that does pretty much have the same spec.Geely has a V6 that does seat on shelves to and they want nothing more than to put this engine front and centre, I don't see why they wouldn't do it... Many pundits do mention the Toyota engine GR-FKS as the next engine of choice for the interim sports car. I find this mind-boggling, when it would mean that Geely and Lotus have to pay royalties to Toyota, when they have a completely suitable design seating not only on design shelves, but actually being produced at a slow rate right now! The next gen of Lotus, i.e not that new top end car, are likely to be powered by a 4cyl turbo possibly hybridized,  because this is where the market has been going... Before EV do take over,  Yes top end versions may receive the V6. the thing is, Lotus is now part of a group and will play the group card has often as possible ; it's already visible on a very few elements of Evija (most notably the seats).  Also, we know Aston is hurting for cash flow right now, and stranger things have happened, but essentially they would be sharing this brand new engine with a direct competitor of their upcoming  Valhalla... I know Lamborghini and Audi have done this, but here's the thing, it's all VW group.... It would be awkward to see Lamborghini giving Ferrari an Engine don't you think?! Same way, McLaren is unlikely to prop Aston and yet their engine is ready to be dropped in any car there is.

We are talking about luxury cars here, nobody needs to produce or drive a V6 but people and companies do build them for the prestige and also to showcase their technological ability. In the case of Aston they also want to stop paying royalties to Daimler-Benz  just Like JLR are developing a new 6 cyl to replace the old V6 and V8 that they still to this day get built at a german Ford factory. Companies want and need to control their destinies in the context they evolve in, paying royalties will be avoided, tech colabs will be favoured but group logic will be the paradigm in which they operate.

[au-yt]

10 hours ago, NedaSay said:

the new aston V6 is longitudinal the engine bay in  current lotuses only allows for transverse lay out. So nope.

That's only because the current rear sub frame is set up for transverse easy mod.

[C8RKH]

Just as an analogy.

My Dad has a bakery were I can but bread and cakes at cost price. Your saying I should go to Tesco instead and pay gull retail, are you not?

Why would I do that?

[au-yt]

I think this is what you meant

"My Dad has a bakery were I can buy bread and cakes at cost price. Your saying I should go to Tesco instead and pay retail, are you not?"

My comment was more related to the sub frame being easily modified for any engine setup, not in relation to where the engine came from.

[C8RKH]

2 hours ago, au-yt said:

I think this is what you meant

"My Dad has a bakery were I can buy bread and cakes at cost price. Your saying I should go to Tesco instead and pay retail, are you not?"

My comment was more related to the sub frame being easily modified for any engine setup, not in relation to where the engine came from.

But it was in the "context" of the AM engine and you were saying effectively you can just modify the subframe so therefore the AM engine could fit so it should be considered. That was the inference anyway.

But hey, life is short and may be shorter still if I start coughing, so, all is good. Stay healthy and look forward to the new Lotus.

[electro_boy]

I think it would be great to see Lotus develop a car with a longitudinal engine.  It should lead to a lower centre of gravity and allow the car to handle even better.  Possibly even opening them up to use different more high performant gearboxes to give better and more reliable shifts?  would the packaging help out with hybridisation too?

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

There already has been a longitudinal Evora hasn’t there. That mule with the Ferrari motor that was shown in a lock-up on here.. Where is it now?

[C8RKH]

I'm sure I have seen an Elise/Exige with a Ferrari engine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbrUniSbX4c.

But not an Evora. Any pictures / links?

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

 

[C8RKH]

oooh. looks promising!👍

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

The thread is 4 years old and the car was already old then. Actually looks more like a supercharged Toyota V6 to me. But certainly longitudinal layout.

[brian.s.henry]

4 hours ago, electro_boy said:

@electro_boy
 

 Geely has a DCT recently patented and available...I’d say this would be a possible tool moving forward.  
 

https://patents.justia.com/patent/10520064

Edited March 25, 2020 by brian.s.henry

[NedaSay]

The fact that Lotus can engineer a longitudinal engine bay and have it ready is a no brainer... The idea that Lotus an AM shall share an engine because said new engine looks cool not so. The idea that interim may have a longitudinal engine seems logical we should see it next year. The AM engine is set to appear in a car for the first time in 2022. AM is doing all they can to remain in the news right now. the fact that Lotus has been integrated by Geely-Volvo in the new powertrain company is another indicator of where Lotus will get their new engines https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/volvo-geely-form-stand-alone-engine-business

[NedaSay]

6 minutes ago, brian.s.henry said:

 

They have more than the patent, the gearbox does exist and comes with a whole bunch of models  http://global.geely.com/intec/g-power/

However,  at the time being that DCT is for front engine transverse application, and is focused on more pedestrian engines mating,  with max torque input set  at 330 nm.  It doesn't mean that a new casing for longittudinal application cannot be created nor that the torque can't be raised...

Lotus do have a patent for a a high torque 7 speed DCT, they also have the blue prints for a lightweight V6 engine,  they've also had the ability to get the chassis out and about as per the spyshots and we know that chassis has seen a longitudinal lay out before.  For the rest  we'll have to wait and hope we are still here after Covid...

[electro_boy]

thanks all for the links above.  interesting reading.

I wonder what the performance difference was between the engine layout in terms of handling and what the price difference to manufacture was?

I'm guessing Lotus felt cost / performance ratio of transverse was better overall hense thats what they chose?

Edited March 25, 2020 by electro_boy

[scotty435]

It was all about two extra seats in the back.

[C8RKH]

[au-yt]

8 hours ago, C8RKH said:

I'm sure I have seen an Elise/Exige with a Ferrari engine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbrUniSbX4c.

But not an Evora. Any pictures / links?

Don't forget the Hennessy Venom its basically an Elise tub with new subframes

[NedaSay]

IT'LL BE WORTH THE WAIT

What will be worth the wait???

Are we talking Evija, Covid 19 vaccine or first drive post confinement, or an upcoming model here?

Edited April 1, 2020 by NedaSay

[Barrykearley]

Don’t wait - the roads are empty - get thrashing the car to the chemist 👍

[tim_marra]

With all the idiots about showing their true colours, whether on the weekly shop, the inability to practice social distancing etc I'd be worried about leaving the Lotus anywhere out of site on the road in case someone takes offence at your choice of transport for your essential journey. I've sorn'd mine 

[Barrykearley]

Did the Esprit yesterday - but that’s not likely to move anytime soon. The Evora is my daily car and gets used as such. Picking bits up earlier in the week from The suppliers was ace.

[NedaSay]

Come to think of it... Is Lotus' bad luck is kind of legendary?

Every time that they try to grow, the company is hit by mean adverse events. it happened in the late 70's, to a lesser extent in the early 90's. then it happened in the early 2010 with DB antics and the financial crisis remnants and now that they have a strong backer for the first time since GM and Toyota, the world economy goes to shit again...

 

[C8RKH]

12 minutes ago, NedaSay said:

then it happened in the early 2010 with DB antics ...

 

That wasn't bad luck. There was nothing lucky about it...

[Royal]

@NedaSay 

I alluded to this in my July 5th post last year.