RE: New Lotus in the brew?
Tuesday 7th September 2004
The new Lotus GT?
Lotus registers new design with the Patent Office
Lotus Cars has lodged a car design with the Patent Office. It's neither an Elise, nor the new Exige. In fact the closest resemblance is to the canned M250 project. Could it be the much rumoured GT?
What does registering a design mean? According to the Patent Office, a registered design is a monopoly right for the appearance of the whole or a part of a product resulting from the features of, in particular, the:
- lines
- contours
- colours
- shape
- texture
- materials
of the product or its ornamentation.
To qualify for registration, a design must be new, which means that it must not be the same as any design which has already been made available to the public. It must also have individual character which means that the overall impression it produces on an informed user of the design must differ from the overall impression produced on such a user by any design which has already been made available to the public. In assessing individual character, the Design Office takes into account how much freedom the designer had in creating the design.
Registration can last for a maximum of 25 years and is a property that, like any other business commodity, may be bought, sold, or licensed.
Lotus remained unavailable for comment. We'll be following this one closely.
More here.
Discussion
Is't the Lotus seven a patented design? and the Porshe 911?
Why this design I have no idea, but maybe, they will be using some of the design details in future concept/production cars.
I know Chrysler has done something similar in 1995/6 on some concept design renderings.
Who really knows what's the thinking behind this move....
Why this design I have no idea, but maybe, they will be using some of the design details in future concept/production cars.
I know Chrysler has done something similar in 1995/6 on some concept design renderings.
Who really knows what's the thinking behind this move....
Sorry to be pedantic, but this is not a patent. As Ted describes, it's a registered design - they are not the same as patents. There are lots of different ways of protecting intellectual property - trademarks, copyright, patent - registering a design is one of them.
Which one you pick depends on a number of factors - there's more discussion here
>> Edited by MEMSDesign on Tuesday 7th September 12:08
Which one you pick depends on a number of factors - there's more discussion here
>> Edited by MEMSDesign on Tuesday 7th September 12:08
MEMSDesign is correct, patents cover how something works, while any protection for this would cover how it looks, making it a registered design. Still handled by the patent office, but quite a bit cheaper.
That said, you don't actualy need to register a design to have the rights to it, you automatically have the rights to a design as soon as you come up with it, which makes me wonder about this being a PR stunt, as suggested before. After all, why aren't the motoring journos constantly keeping an eye on newly registered designs for scoops?
If it is genuine, I note the Vauxhall wheels and distinctly VX220-like rear haunches, suggesting it could be a proposal for a VX220 replacement, or a Vauxhall Exige. The proportions suggest it is definitely based on an Elise chassis anyway.
That said, you don't actualy need to register a design to have the rights to it, you automatically have the rights to a design as soon as you come up with it, which makes me wonder about this being a PR stunt, as suggested before. After all, why aren't the motoring journos constantly keeping an eye on newly registered designs for scoops?
If it is genuine, I note the Vauxhall wheels and distinctly VX220-like rear haunches, suggesting it could be a proposal for a VX220 replacement, or a Vauxhall Exige. The proportions suggest it is definitely based on an Elise chassis anyway.
Spotted the VX220/Speedster wheels etc too, this could well be a study for a new model based on the GM car, as production hasn't got that long left to run and what will happen to it after that? It could easily be resurrected as something else. There was also a piece in this months EVO about a design study for 2+2 Elise based car.
Golden Boy said:
Spotted the VX220/Speedster wheels etc too, this could well be a study for a new model based on the GM car, as production hasn't got that long left to run and what will happen to it after that? It could easily be resurrected as something else. There was also a piece in this months EVO about a design study for 2+2 Elise based car.
2+2 in an Elise chassis
They were pushing it with 2 fully grown adults. Z
racefan_uk said:
Similar shape. With the intellectual properties of the lines and shape, it could stop certain other car designs becoming reality... maybe?
Unlikely. In order to have a 'passing off' action upheld, I believe you have to prove that there was intent to cause confusion between their product and yours. Registered designs are more useful when someone tries to use an image of the product on merchandise etc.
Edited to add: It might be ok as a 2+2 actually, further pictures on the Patent Office website suggest a stretched wheelbase.
>> Edited by D-Angle on Tuesday 7th September 17:30
I'm not sure what this is, but whatever it turns out to be, it's fugly IMHO 
If I had to stick my neck out, I'd say it's Proton's answer to the Hyundai Coupe. It bears no family resemblance to any Elise/Exige/M250, nor does it share any styling ques. It just doesn't "feel" like a Lotus styling design. Commonality of parts (Elise windscreen & VX wheels) is to be expected from a small company such as Lotus, who are probably (and hopefully!) developing it for their parent company. Then again, the Proton badges could be there as a deliberate misdirection!
I have no doubt that this is related to the last Lotus "prototype" we saw on the cover of Autocar. That yellow car was a test hack - if Ford wants to test new kit, it stuffs it under the body of a Mondeo, but what do Lotus have? I think they hacked up that body to test some kit for this car, whatever it turns out to be. It would be interesting to see how the proportions of the yellow car match those of this new design. Certainly the isosceles trapezoid front air intake and squared-off side intakes are both there, plus the Elise windscreen.
[k]
>> Edited by [k]ar| on Tuesday 7th September 17:56
If I had to stick my neck out, I'd say it's Proton's answer to the Hyundai Coupe. It bears no family resemblance to any Elise/Exige/M250, nor does it share any styling ques. It just doesn't "feel" like a Lotus styling design
. Commonality of parts (Elise windscreen & VX wheels) is to be expected from a small company such as Lotus, who are probably (and hopefully!) developing it for their parent company. Then again, the Proton badges could be there as a deliberate misdirection! I have no doubt that this is related to the last Lotus "prototype" we saw on the cover of Autocar. That yellow car was a test hack - if Ford wants to test new kit, it stuffs it under the body of a Mondeo, but what do Lotus have? I think they hacked up that body to test some kit for this car, whatever it turns out to be. It would be interesting to see how the proportions of the yellow car match those of this new design. Certainly the isosceles trapezoid front air intake and squared-off side intakes are both there, plus the Elise windscreen.
[k]
>> Edited by [k]ar| on Tuesday 7th September 17:56
I wonder have they missed the boat? I went for a factory tour at Farboud on Saturday and I think they look very similar. Only the Farboud is a real car that you can drive 
600bhp AUDI V6 so it goes as good as it looks. Handling, brakes and finish are stunning too. They are hoping for sub £50K launch price. If Lotus arn't worried the likes of Noble and TVR should be...
Steve, 996TT
www.theratpac.com
600bhp AUDI V6 so it goes as good as it looks. Handling, brakes and finish are stunning too. They are hoping for sub £50K launch price. If Lotus arn't worried the likes of Noble and TVR should be...
Steve, 996TT
www.theratpac.com
I think I know - the new Esprit. There were rumours in Autocar and Auto Express of a new platform that would allow Lotus to produce both an Esprit replacement and a new Excel (front-engined 2+2). Victor Kiam was planning to also introduce the eventual replacement for the Elise as more of a Porsche Boxster rival also based on the platform, as he reckoned the future was limited so far as the Elise's appeal was concerned (said nothing of the VX220 though).
I'd like to see all this happen as it would be back to the late'70s/early '80s, when Lotus and Porsche rivalled each other in every area.
I also reckon the 'surprise' will be a forgone conclusion in the modern world of supercars - the new Esprit will break 200mph.
I'd like to see all this happen as it would be back to the late'70s/early '80s, when Lotus and Porsche rivalled each other in every area.
I also reckon the 'surprise' will be a forgone conclusion in the modern world of supercars - the new Esprit will break 200mph.
I did a spot of further investigation on the Proton homepage at www.proton.com rather than the UK site. Go there and click on the turquoise Gen-2 at the bottom left of the screen.
Now compare the front and rear styling ques on that car, to this "Lotus" GT. There is the family resemblance and design continuity I was looking for and found lacking in any Lotus design. This is not a Lotus we are looking at IMHO, although I concede it may well become the chassis/basis of some future car(s) produced and marketed by our favourite company.
It's all there. Look at the shape of the headlights and the lower central trapezoid air intake (inverted on the GT). Look at the alloy wheel designs. Then consider the rear end treatment - the rear light cluster of the Gen-2 is mirrored on the GT's back end, albeit exaggerated and modified to include the ventilation slots, and the GEN-2's boot lid shape is carried through in the GT design by it's own boot lid and the reg-plate cutout.
Now, I can totally see a Lotus version based on this design, but I think it would look markedly different. Stick s2 Elise headlights on, a dividing strip up the radiator exhaust, round rear lights and an integrated lip spoiler & diffuser, and I think it would be getting there, but in it's current guise, I think we are looking at a Proton Coupe - a budget Lotus, just like a VX220, eh?
. And I'll bet the development hack is the angular yellow car on the Autocar cover. Not only can they work on this Proton GT, but they can presumably then test the bits for, say, the Esprit/Excel replacements (if based on the same platform) on that same yellow development car without arousing further suspicion.
[k]
>> Edited by [k]ar| on Tuesday 7th September 20:54
Now compare the front and rear styling ques on that car, to this "Lotus" GT. There is the family resemblance and design continuity I was looking for and found lacking in any Lotus design. This is not a Lotus we are looking at IMHO, although I concede it may well become the chassis/basis of some future car(s) produced and marketed by our favourite company.
It's all there. Look at the shape of the headlights and the lower central trapezoid air intake (inverted on the GT). Look at the alloy wheel designs. Then consider the rear end treatment - the rear light cluster of the Gen-2 is mirrored on the GT's back end, albeit exaggerated and modified to include the ventilation slots, and the GEN-2's boot lid shape is carried through in the GT design by it's own boot lid and the reg-plate cutout.
Now, I can totally see a Lotus version based on this design, but I think it would look markedly different. Stick s2 Elise headlights on, a dividing strip up the radiator exhaust, round rear lights and an integrated lip spoiler & diffuser, and I think it would be getting there, but in it's current guise, I think we are looking at a Proton Coupe - a budget Lotus, just like a VX220, eh?
. And I'll bet the development hack is the angular yellow car on the Autocar cover. Not only can they work on this Proton GT, but they can presumably then test the bits for, say, the Esprit/Excel replacements (if based on the same platform) on that same yellow development car without arousing further suspicion. [k]
>> Edited by [k]ar| on Tuesday 7th September 20:54
Gassing Station | General Lotus Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff