Lotus reveals radical new direction

[Motor]

Lotus reveals radical new direction (http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/250659/)
[QUOTE]Lotus is planning a radical shake-up of its heritage as it pushes upmarket to take on Porsche, Ferrari and Aston Martin as part of what it is calling "the dawn of a new era".

The radical restructuring includes dropping founder Colin Chapman's 'lightweight and simple' ethos for all new cars, instead using more complex, more expensive and more upmarket manufacturing techniques.

However, its current range is expected to survive for now - with only the new models adopting the company's radically altered philosophy.

While Lotus has refused to divulge its vision for the company's future until the Paris motor show in September, company owner Proton has held a briefing in Malaysia outlining its plans to make Lotus profitable within five years. Lotus has not made a profit for Proton since it bought it in 1996.

Proton and Lotus chairman Datuk Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh outlined [b]the company's plans to build cars under a new motto, "Tomorrow

[ajh1717]

Sounds like a step in the right direction if they don't stray to far from what they are known for with their light cars.

Just beef up the engines a little bit and make some straight 6 mid engine cars.

[Blue Bomber]

The radical restructuring includes dropping founder Colin Chapman's 'lightweight and simple' ethos for all new carsLotus is dead to me.

[Zero]

Terrible. Just terrible.

[HardtopGTS]

Lotus is dead to me.

yep, same here.

[xantonin]

Disappointing. Yet another luxury sports car manufacturer now.

[Carbonized_GT]

I was expecting news of a SUV.

[blacktsport]

The Esprit wasn't exactly a lighweight but it's one of the best cars Lotus have ever crafted! I think there should be scope to offer both, lightweight and fun roadsters and the likes right alongside heavy hitting Supercars etc. Rather than shift the brand image from one extreme to another, why not just enlarge it and encompass both?

[Gas-n-Grease]

colin chapman will rise from his grave and kill everyone at lotus. the evora should be the biggest and heaviest car they should make.

[marc]

The Esprit wasn't exactly a lighweight

the Esprit was always lightweight.

The first Esprit weighed less than 2200 lbs

Typical weight was in the 2600 lbs range.

[blacktsport]

S4s were 1325kg unladen, 1460kg kerbweight (~3220lbs)
V8's were 1380kg and close on 1500kg with lube and fuel (~3300lbs)

So not exactly lightweight but not as heavy as some of the other contemporary cars. My point was that a supercar bestowed with a V8 and luxury interior was the polar opposite of Colin Chapman's ethos for Lotus sport's cars. That didn't make it a bad car.

I still think they should offer a broad range.

[Dasher17]

If they want to increase sales they need to just make it something slightly more daily driveable. They really have completely shut out the "over 6ft. tall" market with the current design (even though I would love to have one).

[xantonin]

They shouldn't toss out the lightweight designs.

The only reason they're still around is because of that. Yes, perhaps expand into other markets, but don't toss out your entire customer base. That's just a fcuking stupid business strategy.

[Motor]

Update!

Lotus axes dealer network (http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/251283/)
Lotus CEO Dany Bahar has written to the Norfolk firm’s entire European dealership network informing them that their contracts will not be renewed and will expire on 18 July 2012.

The sports car firm is acting within the current terms of its dealerships’ contracts, which outlines that two-year’s notice must be given for termination.

Plans for a radical overhaul of the European dealer network will be revealed in the period after the Paris motor show, the location where Lotus’s new five-year blueprint will be announced, outlining its future building a new range of more luxurious GTs and sports cars.

Lotus has confirmed the current dealer network would be able to apply for new dealerships or franchises under new terms, but it has yet to reveal precise details on what those terms will be.

Lotus' product blitz (http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/254194/lotus_product_blitz.html)
Rash of new models from Norfolk car maker starts with ultimatum to dealers

Radical changes are taking place at Lotus. Auto Express has learned that a raft of new models will debut at the Paris Motor Show in October, including a new Esprit (pictured), two new front-engined GT cars and a new roadster. The models will appear in the form of concepts at the French event.

The news comes as the company served all of its European dealerships with notice. The shock move means all of their contracts to sell Lotus cars will come to an end in July 2012, as part of plans to completely overhaul the dealer network.The Norfolk-based company has confirmed that current dealers will be able to apply for new contracts under new terms.

More will be revealed at Paris, where the firm's five-year plan to dramatically increase profitability through its new range of more upmarket models, which will challenge Porsche and Ferrari more closely.
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_762/car_photo_381085_25.jpg

I can't wait to see these new models.

[Motor]

Update!

New Lotus family is coming (http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/254983/new_lotus_family_is_coming.html)
[QUOTE]Four new models for revamped brand will see reborn Seven, Esprit, plus two hybrids.

British legend Lotus is turning its back on the past and planning a bold new future!

Sources have confirmed that the company will use October’s Paris Motor Show to unveil four new concepts – which will break new ground for a brand known for lightweight, economical sports machines.

First to hit production in early 2012 will be a modern take on the Lotus Seven – a move which could ultimately prove the biggest risk of them all. Sources claim the car is heavier and more comfort- oriented than the original – and even runs such performance-sapping measures as air-con.

And in a potential source of embarrassment for a firm so proud of its engineering expertise, the car was not even conceived, designed or developed at its HQ in Hethel, Norfolk. Instead, the front-engined, rear-wheel-drive, open-top model will be heavily based on an aborted Spanish sports concept, thought to be the IFR Aspid, and may even be built in Spain. A high price of

[HardtopGTS]

This new direction is so still born its ridiculous.
Of course, being that it makes absolutely no sense like Porsche making a suv or 4 door GT hatch/sedan Lotus will probably do fantastic. The only difference being that instead of still producing true drivers cars like Porsche does Lotus seems to be dropping the Elise, Exige and Evora. Frustratingly Lotus could easily pursue this new line up (with the inclusion of the current line up) while still retaining Colin's philosophy. Specially and ironically with the introduction of a new Seven. Even more frustrating is that Colin's philosophy of small and light is absolutely relevant in todays world of new tighter restrictions on emissions. Hope the person(s) responsible deservingly gets tagged in the face with a pie by a true Lotus enthusiast.

[marc]

I don't know about any of you guys, but as awesome as the Elise is, I don't think any of us would actually want to own one.

Seriously, have you ever tried sitting in one? The pedal placement alone (and lack of a dead pedal) is atrocious.

[Dasher17]

I don't know about any of you guys, but as awesome as the Elise is, I don't think any of us would actually want to own one.

Seriously, have you ever tried sitting in one? The pedal placement alone (and lack of a dead pedal) is atrocious.

This.
I said it earlier and someone disagreed. If lotus wants more sales, they need to expand their markets and make something that could be a DD (not like BMW DD, but like porshce DD). Nothing wrong with keeping their light-weight, joyride track cars, but make a trim that can sell to an average joe. I don't think most people even know what a lotus is other than the fact that it's a "nice car".

If I wanted a track car, I'd get a elise..... ok that's a lie. There are too many other practical track cars to choose from.... yea, I used those two words in the same sentence.

[Blue Bomber]

The April Fools joke that keeps on giving... :marky:

[Motor]

Update!

Lotus: 'How we're going to do it' (http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/253233/)
Lotus stunned the world last week with the launch of six new models at the Paris motor show that will take the Norfolk firm right into the heart of Aston Martin, Porsche and Ferrari territory. Many commentators have expressed extreme scepticism over the plans, so Steve Cropley went to meet Lotus's new CEO Dany Bahar for the inside story on how the firm will carry out its radical plan.

“I always had a weakness for this brand,” says Hethel’s rule-changing CEO of the past 12 months, Dany Bahar. “Even while I was working at Ferrari, I knew Lotus was special. But to me, the products weren’t doing justice to the great name and heritage.”

Bahar, who sounds like a soft-voiced Michael Schumacher when he speaks, comes across as a far more emollient character than the person portrayed on the rumour-mill for the 12 months he has so far spent in the main man’s seat at Lotus, avoiding interviews while he put his radical changes into action.

He settles comfortably in an armchair as we talk, resting one leg comfortably on the other and displaying the sharpest trouser creases I’ve ever seen.

“We want our new cars to be as big as the brand itself,” he explains. “The previous management tried hard to do that with the Evora, but they had to leave everything else the same. Our new plan means we have the opportunity to change everything — to do things from a better position — and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Bahar readily acknowledges outsiders’ worries about his plan — raising the investment, finding the buyers, delivering the quality — and deals calmly with them, one by one. “Our investment is confirmed,” he insists. “Our shareholders have lost a lot of money at Lotus over the past 14 years, and they wanted to stop that. There were two options: sell the company or run it to its potential. They made the second choice.”

But just how dependable is the solvency of Lotus’s owner, Proton, given its well-known past losses and market difficulties? Bahar points to its strong links with the Petronas oil company and with the Malaysian government.

“They’re strong,” he says. “They have their own aggressive plan to lift production to a million cars over the next five to seven years, from around 350,000. Besides that, they’re fun to work with. They have 1000 engineers of their own, and Lotus is already making use of those as capacity allows to work on third-party engineering projects. It’s a great partnership.”

Bahar insists that although his name is on the recovery plan, it wasn’t simply something he dreamed up. “I asked people,” he says. “I'm not a car guy. We did lots of research and I consulted people I trust, some of whom liked the idea so much they now work in the business. That part feels good; knowing there are people who believe we can do this thing just as passionately as I do.”

Downsides? Bahar is disappointed by the reaction of the UK’s coalition government to Lotus’s requests for loans to finance its plant development. “We were asking for loans,” he says, “not grants. We could have 1200 new manufacturing jobs here under the new plans. They complimented us on our presentation, and the whole thing looked a no-brainer. But we learned it wasn’t a no-brainer…”

Now, Bahar says, they’ll make more use of outside suppliers. “We’ll do what we have to do here, but we’ll outsource things that aren’t our speciality — just like every other modern manufacturer does. That, and clever design, will help a lot with the quality thing. We won’t try to be experts at leather work. We’ll find people who can deliver it.

Bahar, a study in coolness, becomes almost excited when the talk turns to motorsport. “Lotus’s DNA is based on racing,” he says. “No other company has ever had such a wide spread of success: F1, other open-wheelers, Le Mans, sports cars, GTs. Why would we discard such treasure, when it’s where the brand’s authenticity comes from?

“Besides,” says Bahar, “racing has a big impact on the road cars. After they have been tested by the best drivers, you feel safe to take them to the maximum."
http://cdn.media.autocar.co.uk//NonCar/Lotus/201099113334645234x155.jpg :thumbup:

[HardtopGTS]

He sure talks like a car guy. Odd that he doesn't consider himself one.
As long as he keeps at least one small LIGHT model that shines on the track.

[Motor]

Update!

<object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5xpkXYvNRlE&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5xpkXYvNRlE&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object>

[Motor]

Lotus 'plans to build V8 engine' (http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/254594/)
[QUOTE]Lotus is planning to power the new Esprit with its own design for a V8 engine, company boss Dany Bahar has revealed to Autocar.

The company is currently doing a feasibility on the possibility of an all-new, Hethel-engineered V8 which would appear in the 2012 Esprit and a V6 for the new Elan and other models he admitted.

[The__J__Factor]

[QUOTE]Future Lotus production in doubt following loan rejection
By Brett Davis | April 15th, 2011

Lotus has been very busy lately, creating five fantastic-looking concept cars that were unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Concepts like the Lotus Esprit, Elan, Elite, Eterne and Elise, all of which received great feedback. Unfortunately, the chance of all of these models actually going into production is looking grim.



Lotus applied for a

[The__J__Factor]

Future Lotus production in doubt following loan rejection
By Brett Davis | April 15th, 2011
Leave a Comment
Lotus has been very busy lately, creating five fantastic-looking concept cars that were unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Concepts like the Lotus Esprit, Elan, Elite, Eterne and Elise, all of which received great feedback. Unfortunately, the chance of all of these models actually going into production is looking grim.



Lotus applied for a

[The__J__Factor]

NC being ****?

http://www.caradvice.com.au/115205/future-lotus-production-in-doubt-following-loan-rejection/

[Nlkko]

Is it me or the car in the pic looks like a baby lambo?