Lotus: no longer a sports car co but a lifestyle brand
Discussion
Are Lotus actually serious about committing corporate suicide?
They've looked at good old Elon Musk destroying Twitter and said "hold my beer!"
It started with a cringeworthy Instagram post - obviously - and ended with an email that was pushed to subscribers/customers that says they are "on a transformative journey from an iconic British sports car company to a global luxury lifestyle brand."
ETA Due to the footnote below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CvPr4iqolL9/?img_index...
"The Stars aligned last night for our new Lotus London Mayfair launch! ✨
Then I receive this email from Lotus today:
“Lotus is in a new era.
“We are on a transformative journey from an iconic British sports car company to a global luxury lifestyle brand. As part of this journey, we are excited to announce that our first major European flagship store on London’s Piccadilly is now open.”
[Emphasis added]
No longer a sports car company, it’s now intended to be a lifestyle brand.
So long then, Lotus, it’s been … emotional.
And as for that noise you can hear? That’s Colin Chapman spinning in his grave with enough revolutions to power the Hethel factory.
Maybe Lotus’ 200+ job cuts could start with their marketing department?
They've looked at good old Elon Musk destroying Twitter and said "hold my beer!"
It started with a cringeworthy Instagram post - obviously - and ended with an email that was pushed to subscribers/customers that says they are "on a transformative journey from an iconic British sports car company to a global luxury lifestyle brand."
ETA Due to the footnote below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CvPr4iqolL9/?img_index...
"The Stars aligned last night for our new Lotus London Mayfair launch! ✨
- ForTheDrivers #LotusLondon
Then I receive this email from Lotus today:
“Lotus is in a new era.
“We are on a transformative journey from an iconic British sports car company to a global luxury lifestyle brand. As part of this journey, we are excited to announce that our first major European flagship store on London’s Piccadilly is now open.”
[Emphasis added]
No longer a sports car company, it’s now intended to be a lifestyle brand.
So long then, Lotus, it’s been … emotional.
And as for that noise you can hear? That’s Colin Chapman spinning in his grave with enough revolutions to power the Hethel factory.
Maybe Lotus’ 200+ job cuts could start with their marketing department?
Moderator edit: no links to your blog please
Edited by RichardHMorris on Monday 31st July 16:03
It’s been painfully obvious pretty much from the takeover that the new owners just see the “brand” as a vehicle to flog their generic wares, rather than continuing the “sports car with USP” lineage. It does come across they view the Elise/Exige/Elan tradition as more of a nuisance (except when it can be milked, naturally) than anything to be supported.
I find Toyota’s products way, way more exciting and engaging than anything Lotus produce now. I never thought I’d be saying that 20 years ago as an excited teenager looking forward to embarking on my driving career and lusting after an Elise.
I find Toyota’s products way, way more exciting and engaging than anything Lotus produce now. I never thought I’d be saying that 20 years ago as an excited teenager looking forward to embarking on my driving career and lusting after an Elise.
It's hugely confusing to me.
Geely take MG. Ignore the dominant history of small popular sports cars, and install a range of dull white goods.....and then finally something that could be considered an MG in the open top thing.
Geely take Volvo/Polestar. Completely buy in to the Swedish design and brand ethos and produce a range of distinctive, 'designed' higher end family cars.
Geely take on Lotus. Lip service to sports and supercar ignore a dominant history of racing and begin to install a dull white good.... whilst launching a cool new brand....
I was hoping these brands would receive funding to become 'more', to emphasise, broaden and improve on their own histories.....like they did with Volvo..
but MG and Lotus appear to be simply a badge/brand/platform to completely change direction and trade products that have literally nothing to do with the brand to date.
Clearly the main idea is to stay in business and be profitable, and that's not been easy as was witnessed by Porsche when they started this ball rolling with the Cayenne... and the raft of high performance houses that followed, all in the name of facilitating the continuation of the enthusiast models. This proved SO popular that Porsche expanded with little SUVs and family cars... further moving away from their heritage...but still investing in the high end class leading sports cars.
Aston, Lambo, Ferrari, all doing broadly similar things.
Thankfully when Aston was bought out, the investor did not wipe the board clean and start making electric city cars.
It'll be fascinating to see the Chinese business model play out, if the global car buying population want a family car that shares a badge with an old F1 team.... or whether, the brand slowly disappears in the face of broadly similar offerings from other more popular brands.
It could clearly go either way, as MG have been one of (if not THE) best selling brands in Britain of late.... and as such 'old' view points such as mine will die out as we do....
Like when Porsche unveiled the Cayenne - when Lotus became just a badge, it makes me really sad.
Geely take MG. Ignore the dominant history of small popular sports cars, and install a range of dull white goods.....and then finally something that could be considered an MG in the open top thing.
Geely take Volvo/Polestar. Completely buy in to the Swedish design and brand ethos and produce a range of distinctive, 'designed' higher end family cars.
Geely take on Lotus. Lip service to sports and supercar ignore a dominant history of racing and begin to install a dull white good.... whilst launching a cool new brand....
I was hoping these brands would receive funding to become 'more', to emphasise, broaden and improve on their own histories.....like they did with Volvo..
but MG and Lotus appear to be simply a badge/brand/platform to completely change direction and trade products that have literally nothing to do with the brand to date.
Clearly the main idea is to stay in business and be profitable, and that's not been easy as was witnessed by Porsche when they started this ball rolling with the Cayenne... and the raft of high performance houses that followed, all in the name of facilitating the continuation of the enthusiast models. This proved SO popular that Porsche expanded with little SUVs and family cars... further moving away from their heritage...but still investing in the high end class leading sports cars.
Aston, Lambo, Ferrari, all doing broadly similar things.
Thankfully when Aston was bought out, the investor did not wipe the board clean and start making electric city cars.
It'll be fascinating to see the Chinese business model play out, if the global car buying population want a family car that shares a badge with an old F1 team.... or whether, the brand slowly disappears in the face of broadly similar offerings from other more popular brands.
It could clearly go either way, as MG have been one of (if not THE) best selling brands in Britain of late.... and as such 'old' view points such as mine will die out as we do....
Like when Porsche unveiled the Cayenne - when Lotus became just a badge, it makes me really sad.
Geely have nothing to do with MG, that’s SAIC.
I’m finding all the frothing about new Lotus hilarious. Geely have spent millions bankrolling the Emira, Evija and the next generation EV sports cars, so I think they’re taking that side seriously.
The reality is the Elise was a dead end and had no future except as a cottage industry. It was in production for over 20 years and guess how many are on British roads now? It’s under 4000 I think. That’s no way to make money and secure a brands future, no matter how much we love them.
They’re now spending something like £2bn on the “lifestyle” cars. These need to find lots of homes all over the world. They need to sell to the same school run mums that Cayennes and Range Rovers do so those mums need to hear about Lotus. Those mums need to hear about Lotus and the Elise and ancient F1 history isn’t the way - celebrity link up and high end advertising will be the main path.
It’s not a zero-sum game, we can have school run SUVs and sports cars at the same time!
However, that feeling of being in a clique, of being superior beings who only care about driving? That’ll ebb away.
That’s my view, and I’m a serial Lotus owner now.
I’m finding all the frothing about new Lotus hilarious. Geely have spent millions bankrolling the Emira, Evija and the next generation EV sports cars, so I think they’re taking that side seriously.
The reality is the Elise was a dead end and had no future except as a cottage industry. It was in production for over 20 years and guess how many are on British roads now? It’s under 4000 I think. That’s no way to make money and secure a brands future, no matter how much we love them.
They’re now spending something like £2bn on the “lifestyle” cars. These need to find lots of homes all over the world. They need to sell to the same school run mums that Cayennes and Range Rovers do so those mums need to hear about Lotus. Those mums need to hear about Lotus and the Elise and ancient F1 history isn’t the way - celebrity link up and high end advertising will be the main path.
It’s not a zero-sum game, we can have school run SUVs and sports cars at the same time!
However, that feeling of being in a clique, of being superior beings who only care about driving? That’ll ebb away.
That’s my view, and I’m a serial Lotus owner now.
otolith said:
Petrolheads love Lotus being Lotus - just not enough to spend money on one - and then complain when it has to change.
Yup just like the Porsche beards forever banging their worn out Luddite drum.Branding works.....look at Ferrari and especially Porsche now but nearly bankrupt not that long ago. Ok many old timers don't like this image and approach but in an increasing diluted moyoting world as we approach the twilight of ICE theres no denying the world is a much better place for the majority of these cars being available to buy for petrolheads.
Unfortunately for Lotus the Emira s
tstorm launch style over substance m.o. has not done them any favours and add bad timing warfare parts supply issues delays and huge cost increases since launch £10k price increase on the V6 after 11 Aug has resulted in depositors cancelling and a glut of unsold already built cars many weird spec which is already biting Lotus badly in the arse as are the build issues/warranty claims on the back of a woefully incapable dealer network and will inevitably result in hugely declining Emira residuals and brand erosion as Autumn and Winter approaches.Unfortunately timing has not been good to Lotus although there is hope and whilst I cancelled my Seneca (fully built) original price V6 FE order nevertheless still have an i4 order in...... for now.
Blind faith to the underdog and all that.
:Owning a sportscar is a lifestyle choice ... ergo Lotus were always a lifestyle brand.
The difference now is that they have big money to spend which comes with the need to make big money hence chasing a differnt lifestyle.
The world has changed - most of us here don't like it but it's hard to see how being an independent maker of niche sportscars based on standard engines and then selling them at Porsche prices is a viable business model anymore.
The difference now is that they have big money to spend which comes with the need to make big money hence chasing a differnt lifestyle.
The world has changed - most of us here don't like it but it's hard to see how being an independent maker of niche sportscars based on standard engines and then selling them at Porsche prices is a viable business model anymore.
Mark-C said:
Owning a sportscar is a lifestyle choice ... ergo Lotus were always a lifestyle brand.
The difference now is that they have big money to spend which comes with the need to make big money hence chasing a differnt lifestyle.
The world has changed - most of us here don't like it but it's hard to see how being an independent maker of niche sportscars based on standard engines and then selling them at Porsche prices is a viable business model anymore.
A lifestyle brand they might have been but an entirely different lifestyle. Lotus of old is open roads, fresh air, sporting endeavour, actual driving dynamics etc.The difference now is that they have big money to spend which comes with the need to make big money hence chasing a differnt lifestyle.
The world has changed - most of us here don't like it but it's hard to see how being an independent maker of niche sportscars based on standard engines and then selling them at Porsche prices is a viable business model anymore.
The new lifestyle is the world of wannabees celebs, riches, worthless fashion, meaningless fashion brands, style over substance, vacuous nonsense. A load of old b
ks. I'm out.It’s the same story with Jaguar too. People on the internet get mad when it doesn’t look like something William Lyons would pen and they too do the spinning in grave thing putting words in a dead man’s mouth. Never buy a new car and bang on about the old days.
These companies are businesses not charities and not there so people can buy 10 year old cars and never have any real customer relationship with the brand. To survive in the modern world they all have to adapt and if they don’t they will die because “fans” generally don’t buy cars new.
These companies are businesses not charities and not there so people can buy 10 year old cars and never have any real customer relationship with the brand. To survive in the modern world they all have to adapt and if they don’t they will die because “fans” generally don’t buy cars new.
otolith said:
Petrolheads love Lotus being Lotus - just not enough to spend money on one - and then complain when it has to change.
This exactly. Complaining about it not being for Lotus drivers - there are almost zero Lotus drivers. That’s the problem.
Investing in creating a new car, but aiming it at Lotus drivers would be a completely bats
t crazy thing to do. Conquest, conquest, conquest. Or die.
Another decade, another world of dreams.
It really is incredibly hard for any prospective volume car maker to break into the mainstream. There are some seriously big players in the game who aren't going to give up their leading positions lightly. Even at the junior end of the sportscar market you'd need some big cojones to take on Mazda. Which is presumably why nobody's daft enough to try.
It really is incredibly hard for any prospective volume car maker to break into the mainstream. There are some seriously big players in the game who aren't going to give up their leading positions lightly. Even at the junior end of the sportscar market you'd need some big cojones to take on Mazda. Which is presumably why nobody's daft enough to try.
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