Friday 16th March 2007

Spyker looks set to buy Lotus?

Rumours swirl around Hethel company

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Lotus Elise: going Dutch?

Is Lotus going Dutch?

Autocar reports that Spyker has been sniffing around the Norfolk-based sportscar maker -- even though it's only recently spent some £50 million buying the Midlands F1 team.

Once owned by GM, Lotus could be up for sale if the purchase of Lotus' Malaysian parent company Proton goes through (see link below), as VW is reported not to be interested in retaining Lotus -- hardly surprising now that Porsche has its hands firmly on the tiller in Wolfsburg; it wouldn't want a rival company in the group.

Proton owns 80 per cent of Group Lotus, the umbrella company under which Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering operate.

Links

• VW looks set to buy Lotus
• Autocar

[scotty_917]

it'd be a good way to go as Spyker's don't compete in the same market as Lotus....for sure

[kurtiejjj]

Well not the same market though, but how on earth is spyker financing all this? I have the utmost respect for Victor Müller and what he build up over the past few years, but are they not aiming a bit high with this one? They're not exactly making big profits. However there are a lot of rich arabs, dutch bussiness involved who probaply wouldn't care missing 50 million.

If this sale would go through it would mean that Lotus will stay in the same price bracket but what about the new esprit? However Muller is quite an impressive marketing man so I'm sure he knows what he's doing.

[996gt3rs]

I wonder if he would brand the F1 team as Lotus?

[fausto]

996gt3rs said:

I wonder if he would brand the F1 team as Lotus?

Lotus F.1 branding was said (middle '90s) to be property of David Hunt...

if Spyker buy Lotus I just hope it'll stricltly remain a Lotus, I'm not a fan of some unessential features of their sportscars, really....

[gizmo.mp3]

996gt3rs said:

I wonder if he would brand the F1 team as Lotus?

I wondered that too... I'm not old enough to remember Lotuses winning anything in F1, more cruising around at the back. Mind you, I suspect that's what the Spykers will be doing this year anyway!

[rpm100]

Ooo how exciting, because we all know that spyker make superb handling cars with beautiful looks and functional light weight interiors. Combine these with the fact that spyker seem to have a secure financial infrastructure in place, and it sounds like lotus is finally in safe hands.

It sound like a match made in hell.

Come on guys how much would it cost to buy lotus? 20-30 mil. I’ll put a tenner in and start the ball rolling

[scotty_917]

rpm100 said:

Ooo how exciting, because we all know that spyker make superb handling cars with beautiful looks and functional light weight interiors. Combine these with the fact that spyker seem to have a secure financial infrastructure in place, and it sounds like lotus is finally in safe hands.

It sound like a match made in hell.

Come on guys how much would it cost to buy lotus? 20-30 mil. I’ll put a tenner in and start the ball rolling

I'll match that tenner and raise you twenty!...

[wab172uk]

Just hope that Spyker don't try to take lotus up market, and up the price at the same time. Lotus has suvived by selling to it's core market. Price that core customer out, and watch sales fall very quickly.

Will be interesting to see what happens

[pist'n broke]

I'm obviously a lot older than you Gizmo as I remember being enthralled by the Lotus F1 team.

Lead by the genius of Colin Chapman, it introduced many innovations to F1. I'm no expert and no doubt I'll be corrected but I remember

1. Introducing the engine as a stressed part of the chassis.
2. Helping in the development of the Coswoth V8
3. Aerodynamic aides i.e. wings
5. Ground effect
6. Active suspension

I'm sure there are many more too.

It was sad that Chapman got involved in the DeLoreon fiasco and the F1 team and sports car production went belly up.

[northo]

wab172uk said:

Just hope that Spyker don't try to take lotus up market, and up the price at the same time. Lotus has suvived by selling to it's core market. Price that core customer out, and watch sales fall very quickly.

Will be interesting to see what happens

I doubt it - the Spyker C8 drives like the car Lotus would have built if it built a £200,000 car. The two companies would make a great team.

[mchammer89]

pist'n broke said:

I'm obviously a lot older than you Gizmo as I remember being enthralled by the Lotus F1 team.

Lead by the genius of Colin Chapman, it introduced many innovations to F1. I'm no expert and no doubt I'll be corrected but I remember

1. Introducing the engine as a stressed part of the chassis.
2. Helping in the development of the Coswoth V8
3. Aerodynamic aides i.e. wings
5. Ground effect
6. Active suspension

I'm sure there are many more too.

It was sad that Chapman got involved in the DeLoreon fiasco and the F1 team and sports car production went belly up.

If i remember correctly the ground effect was banned from F1 because it made the cars too fast, well done Colin, thats the 7 and ground effect that you've developed that were "too fast to race" what a cool guy

Edited by mchammer89 on Friday 16th March 12:57

[mark3man]

Lotus is more than a few thousand great sports cars every year - remember the huge amount of consultant engineering work they do (or used to do) for the larger car manufacturers. A suspension here, a cylinder head there, that was the expertise being sold. The car production was another part of the Group. And the name for F1 went a long time ago.

[alfanatic]

pist'n broke said:

I'm obviously a lot older than you Gizmo as I remember being enthralled by the Lotus F1 team.

Lead by the genius of Colin Chapman, it introduced many innovations to F1. I'm no expert and no doubt I'll be corrected but I remember

1. Introducing the engine as a stressed part of the chassis.
2. Helping in the development of the Coswoth V8
3. Aerodynamic aides i.e. wings
5. Ground effect
6. Active suspension

You can add introducing monocoque tubs to F1, mid-engined cars, gas turbines and 4wd to the Indy 500, introducing the modern F1 shape with the Lotus 72 (radiators moved from the nose to sidepods between the front and rear wheels), the famous "queerbox" gearbox which removed engine braking from the Lotus 79...

[Fire99]

Lotus has been responsible for some great moments in motoring history and they have always seemed to be a supremely skilled bunch.
I do feel a bit sorry for Lotus as they seem to be pushed from owner to owner over the years.. I guess its the drawback with being a 'niche' type company..

Anyway If Spyker take over i hope they keep the brand 'Pure' if you get what i mean.
On the car front i would like to see something different, like a new Esprit.

Lotus's to me all seem to look like versions of the same car these days..

Anyway pinkies crossed..

[dinkel]

Spyker is already a client of Lotus Engineering . . . The new Esprit was seen with Dutch plates only a few weeks ago . . .

Muller is a financial wizard . . . I would not say genious

Did you guys see the Zagato Spyker?

Imagine a Zagato Lotus. Or an Esprit with an Audi V8 in. Already Cosworth grown . . .

Future's looking bright . . . if Muller stays sensible.

[Peeved]

Could work if they remain quite seperate. I read that the C8 had an awful turning circle and the handling was a bit wonky.

Spyker C8 - Handling by Lotus would definitely be a good thing.

If anyone knows, how much exactly is a C8 Spyder? I've read conflicting articles from £134000 to $190000

Peeved

[chickensoup]

Proton really will not be remembered as having done much for Lotus
Elise is product of Bugatti / Arteoli (spelling) era, so other than a couple of bodymoulds and killing M250 & Esprit dont think Proton will have added much.

Shame that VW dont see Lotus as part of the plan, to have low volume / low weight derivatives using Audi powertrains would be a super place for Lotus to reside.

[runnersp]

If Spyker buys out Lotus I really hope it works out for them. I really do. I may get crucified for saying this but it smells a little Smolensky to me...

Edited by runnersp on Friday 16th March 13:30

[flashygee]

Muller is a financial wizard . . . I would not say genious

Attention-Many Peoples have said the same about NS.
However-Spykers are great Cars,with extreme good Buildquali
and Audi Engines.
We must wait and see what the Future brings.

[Peeved]

runnersp said:

If Spyker buys out Lotus I really hope it works out for them. I really do. I may get crucified for saying this but it smells a little Smolensky to me...

Edited by runnersp on Friday 16th March 13:30

Can't see it myself, but each to their own. At least Spyker have a motoring history!