The Lotus range revealed !!
Discussion
There is a sixt car in Paris! http://www.paultan.org/photo/index.php?album=paris...
They are trying to do too much too quick...imagine if Audi had launched the TT, the R8, the RS4, the S5 all at the same time back in the early 90s....the customer was not ready, they had to slowly change peoples opinions of the brand with incremental steps.
Lotus think they can make a Ferrari calafornia competitor, a Aston Rapide competitor, a 911 competitor etc etc and change the worlds opinion on Lotus in one fell swoop.
...and its counter productive anyway, which other company shows us all 6 cars it will build over the next 5 years, by the time some of these come to market they willbe old hat....just like the Lexus LFA, too long a development with too much shown too early, when it launches its an anti-climax.
Shame, i like Lotus.
Lotus think they can make a Ferrari calafornia competitor, a Aston Rapide competitor, a 911 competitor etc etc and change the worlds opinion on Lotus in one fell swoop.
...and its counter productive anyway, which other company shows us all 6 cars it will build over the next 5 years, by the time some of these come to market they willbe old hat....just like the Lexus LFA, too long a development with too much shown too early, when it launches its an anti-climax.
Shame, i like Lotus.
I totally agree - although saying that - they all look the same anyway, so not sure it matters too much.
Loving the Elise and Esprit.
Loving the Elise and Esprit.
bruh_la said:
They are trying to do too much too quick...imagine if Audi had launched the TT, the R8, the RS4, the S5 all at the same time back in the early 90s....the customer was not ready, they had to slowly change peoples opinions of the brand with incremental steps.
Lotus think they can make a Ferrari calafornia competitor, a Aston Rapide competitor, a 911 competitor etc etc and change the worlds opinion on Lotus in one fell swoop.
...and its counter productive anyway, which other company shows us all 6 cars it will build over the next 5 years, by the time some of these come to market they willbe old hat....just like the Lexus LFA, too long a development with too much shown too early, when it launches its an anti-climax.
Shame, i like Lotus.
Lotus think they can make a Ferrari calafornia competitor, a Aston Rapide competitor, a 911 competitor etc etc and change the worlds opinion on Lotus in one fell swoop.
...and its counter productive anyway, which other company shows us all 6 cars it will build over the next 5 years, by the time some of these come to market they willbe old hat....just like the Lexus LFA, too long a development with too much shown too early, when it launches its an anti-climax.
Shame, i like Lotus.
Personally I was least impressed with the new Esprit. That should have been my next car.
But one look at this photo and the new team at Lotus are immediately forgiven.
Mine's a new Elite.
580 or 620 bhp supercharged Lexus V8. Convertible. 2+2. Lotus handling and steering.
This really could be something special.
You have to commend proton for throwing the kitchen sink at Lotus. If they go down at least it will be in a blaze of glory.
But one look at this photo and the new team at Lotus are immediately forgiven.
Mine's a new Elite.
580 or 620 bhp supercharged Lexus V8. Convertible. 2+2. Lotus handling and steering.
This really could be something special.
You have to commend proton for throwing the kitchen sink at Lotus. If they go down at least it will be in a blaze of glory.
bruh_la said:
They are trying to do too much too quick...imagine if Audi had launched the TT, the R8, the RS4, the S5 all at the same time back in the early 90s....the customer was not ready, they had to slowly change peoples opinions of the brand with incremental steps.
Lotus think they can make a Ferrari calafornia competitor, a Aston Rapide competitor, a 911 competitor etc etc and change the worlds opinion on Lotus in one fell swoop.
...and its counter productive anyway, which other company shows us all 6 cars it will build over the next 5 years, by the time some of these come to market they willbe old hat....just like the Lexus LFA, too long a development with too much shown too early, when it launches its an anti-climax.
Shame, i like Lotus.
Its not too much too quickly, the model program staggers out over 5 years, the first being in less than 2 years and every year after. They have the heritage, they've shown they make a decent car, its the next step for them otherwise they'll stay stagnant. In order to raise their business model/brand, this is fundamental for their survival, the flagship being the Eterne which will be circa £150k i dare say. Great looking cars, and if you look at the comments when they launched the Evora, it was very mixed, these have been received very well and so they should, they're great looking cars, you know what you expect from a Lotus and i'm sure these won't disappoint. I can see Porsche well and truly in their cross hairs.....Lotus think they can make a Ferrari calafornia competitor, a Aston Rapide competitor, a 911 competitor etc etc and change the worlds opinion on Lotus in one fell swoop.
...and its counter productive anyway, which other company shows us all 6 cars it will build over the next 5 years, by the time some of these come to market they willbe old hat....just like the Lexus LFA, too long a development with too much shown too early, when it launches its an anti-climax.
Shame, i like Lotus.
Would you buy a Porsche Panamera or a Lotus Eterne, i think the Lotus looks stunning!!
Positive hat on.........
Wow, very ambitious perhaps the flexible architecture might mean the underneathy bits are similar (chassis, harnesses, crash tests etc).
Eeyore mode:
They managed to overshadow the lauch of the Evora S, not ideal.
Where are all these V8 depreciation loving sports car millionaires gonna come from that dont want a more established brand and dont mind travelling 100 miles to the dealer or dont want something greeny that their firms demand they buy which has half the depreciation?
Supposedly charging dealers for the privilege of selling cars means they probably dont really have the cash, etc etc.
Oh lordy is a British car company ever going to make sustained year-on-year-decade-long-new-models-coming profits?
At least the pound is going to crash further this year (trillion deficit which they are only just tickling with = more £ printing).
Why not make one really good car thats is cheap to make and do lots of versions of it.
A 4 pot can make 350hp when properly cooled / charged, why bother with anything heavier/thirstier than that.
Five year plan, Stalin etc.
Anyway, fook it, what do i know, not much!
so good luck and lets see what happens.
Wow, very ambitious perhaps the flexible architecture might mean the underneathy bits are similar (chassis, harnesses, crash tests etc).
Eeyore mode:
They managed to overshadow the lauch of the Evora S, not ideal.
Where are all these V8 depreciation loving sports car millionaires gonna come from that dont want a more established brand and dont mind travelling 100 miles to the dealer or dont want something greeny that their firms demand they buy which has half the depreciation?
Supposedly charging dealers for the privilege of selling cars means they probably dont really have the cash, etc etc.
Oh lordy is a British car company ever going to make sustained year-on-year-decade-long-new-models-coming profits?
At least the pound is going to crash further this year (trillion deficit which they are only just tickling with = more £ printing).
Why not make one really good car thats is cheap to make and do lots of versions of it.
A 4 pot can make 350hp when properly cooled / charged, why bother with anything heavier/thirstier than that.
Five year plan, Stalin etc.
Anyway, fook it, what do i know, not much!
so good luck and lets see what happens.
bencollins said:
Supposedly charging dealers for the privilege of selling cars means they probably dont really have the cash, etc etc.
You mis-understand how that works, its a £1m investment in the franchise, ie, premises, corporate identity, everything brand orientated. They're looking for partners with other premium marques to sell along side, that have experience in the customer care they're trying to portray. Lotus would sit nicely alongside Bentley, Aston, Jaguar, Land Rover for example, as they don't really compete in the same markets, (apart from Aston with the Rapide) but Lotus would always struggle as a stand alone dealership, they need other manufacturers that compliment their offering.You think when Porsche demanded the whole network change to the worldwide Porsche style "experience" centres, which is pretty much the blueprint for a dealership nowadays.
The same demands are being to Mclaren dealers as well, when you look at the whole decor and what goes behind them, you can see what they're doing.
My dealer, Murray in Edinburgh, runs an Aston Martin dealership (stunning showroom) as well as Rolls Royce, alongside Lotus. Its always interesting wandering over whilst waiting for my car to take a look at the Astons.
But if I were to be in the market, it would be a Lotus AND an Aston. They are two distinct markets. With the new line-up it will be Lotus OR Aston. I really wish Lotus luck with that one.
As for me, desperately looking forward to and saving up for the new Esprit (at the previous price point, £75k) and resisting all attempts by my dealer to get me into an Evora - all I'll say is I will be booking my Evora test drive fairly soon (but keeping my Esprit V8-GT)
That's not to knock the new range and design direction, I'm sure they'll all be stunning cars to drive. But for a diehard Lotus fan and Esprit fanatic, they are probably not for me. Unless my lottery numbers come up.....
But if I were to be in the market, it would be a Lotus AND an Aston. They are two distinct markets. With the new line-up it will be Lotus OR Aston. I really wish Lotus luck with that one.
As for me, desperately looking forward to and saving up for the new Esprit (at the previous price point, £75k) and resisting all attempts by my dealer to get me into an Evora - all I'll say is I will be booking my Evora test drive fairly soon (but keeping my Esprit V8-GT)
That's not to knock the new range and design direction, I'm sure they'll all be stunning cars to drive. But for a diehard Lotus fan and Esprit fanatic, they are probably not for me. Unless my lottery numbers come up.....
Dodgey_Rog said:
bencollins said:
Supposedly charging dealers for the privilege of selling cars means they probably dont really have the cash, etc etc.
You mis-understand how that works, its a £1m investment in the franchise, ie, premises, corporate identity, everything brand orientated. They're looking for partners with other premium marques to sell along side, that have experience in the customer care they're trying to portray. Lotus would sit nicely alongside Bentley, Aston, Jaguar, Land Rover for example, as they don't really compete in the same markets, (apart from Aston with the Rapide) but Lotus would always struggle as a stand alone dealership, they need other manufacturers that compliment their offering.You think when Porsche demanded the whole network change to the worldwide Porsche style "experience" centres, which is pretty much the blueprint for a dealership nowadays.
The same demands are being to Mclaren dealers as well, when you look at the whole decor and what goes behind them, you can see what they're doing.
Being positive again, the current line up is excellent, especially the elise SC which i reckon is the best lotus ever and fulfills all the boxes; fast, practical, good ownership proposition, open air, nice looking, decent mpg, japanese base hardware etc etc. Whats not to like?
Edited by bencollins on Friday 1st October 17:30
bruh_la said:
Dreadful, all of it, generic styling that is out of date today and will be terribly old hat come 2015 (elise launch) The face looks Japanese and p1ssed off.
Nothing there looked like a Lotus to me!
Got it in one.......as I have said elsewhere, not relevant to Lotus heritage, may as well have called them something else. Entering the 'luxury' market just when cars like this suffer catastrophic year on year depreciation is commercial suicide.Nothing there looked like a Lotus to me!
Edited by Ipelm on Friday 3rd December 23:46
Just read this interesting article;
Lotus dealers will be required to invest at least £1 million each in revitalised dealerships to move forward with the ambitious British sports car brand.
The move will almost halve its network, favouring fewer, larger showrooms with staff who can help it raise its game and become a real competitor in the prestige market.
The Paris Motor Show saw Lotus reveal plans for five new models by 2015 which, it says, will re-establish it as a global supercar brand.
The launches include models that will retail for more than £100,000 and which will court customers familiar with Porsche and Aston Martin levels of customer service and facilities.
Currently, all 21 Lotus franchised dealerships in the UK are under termination. New contracts will be signed by July 2012. However, Lotus admits some retailers will not be willing to make the minimum £1m investment to meet its new franchise standards.
Chief commercial officer Andreas Prillmann told AM: “There are some dealers who won’t make the investment or who can’t make it.
“I think they will voluntarily look for different opportunities. It’s not their world, in the prestige sector.
“But we have some dealers already with other premium brands who will understand what we ask for. It’s not over the top, but it is how best to serve the customer.”
Urban dealers
Lotus wants a UK network of 10 to 12 dealers in or near major cities, supported by more authorised repairer sites. Prillmann said each dealership would need to retail a minimum of 40 new cars annually in order for the business case to be viable.
Each dealership will be at least 500sq m in size, with a bespoke brand entrance, showroom space for at least five new cars, service workshop, used car display and adequate customer parking. In specific cases, such as central London, Lotus would consider dual-level dealerships or split sales and aftersales locations.
Workforces will typically number nine to 12 personnel across sales, aftersales and customer service.
Prillmann is confident of successfully revitalising the network. He joined Lotus earlier this year, having reorganised the business model and franchised network of Ferrari. Prior to that, he had conducted similar exercises while at Porsche and Aston Martin.
He is conscious that the club-like enthusiasm already present in the network, where retailers hold regular dealership events and host track days, must remain integral to Lotus’s distribution.
Close customer relationships
“Our aim in taking Lotus to 8,000 units a year is always to have one-to-one relationships with customers. Each dealer will sell around 40 to 50 cars a year and will have dedicated people who will sustain very close relationships with our customers.”
Existing partners include AM100 groups Pendragon, Cambria Automobiles, JCT600 and John Martin Group, while a few Lotus dealers run the franchise alongside used sports or classic car operations.
The UK is a key market for the British sports car maker, alongside mainland Europe and the USA. Particular emphasis will be given to the US.
Group Lotus said it had been turned down by the British Government for a £40m loan in order to upgrade its factory in Hethel, Norfolk, in preparation for the new models’ production, which it said would create some 1,200 extra jobs.
The carmaker said it hoped to build the new models at Hethel, but due to difficulties over government support was now considering building some elsewhere, such as in central Europe.
Lotus’s vision: the cars
* The first new car, a 615bhp V8-powered Esprit at £110,000, will go into production in October 2012. Lotus claims optional hybrid technology will keep its CO2 emissions down to around 250g/km.
* In 2013 it will be the turn of the £75,000 Elan, with a 445bhp 4-litre V6 at its heart, before 2014 will herald the 615bhp V8-powered Elite 2+2 coupe, priced around £115,000.
* An Eterne four-door grand tourer is planned for 2015, priced around £120,000, and it will be joined later that year by a new 318bhp Elise with a 318bhp turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, priced around £35,000.
AM Online said:
Lotus halves network and demands £1m investment
Friday 3 December 2010, 14:45Lotus dealers will be required to invest at least £1 million each in revitalised dealerships to move forward with the ambitious British sports car brand.
The move will almost halve its network, favouring fewer, larger showrooms with staff who can help it raise its game and become a real competitor in the prestige market.
The Paris Motor Show saw Lotus reveal plans for five new models by 2015 which, it says, will re-establish it as a global supercar brand.
The launches include models that will retail for more than £100,000 and which will court customers familiar with Porsche and Aston Martin levels of customer service and facilities.
Currently, all 21 Lotus franchised dealerships in the UK are under termination. New contracts will be signed by July 2012. However, Lotus admits some retailers will not be willing to make the minimum £1m investment to meet its new franchise standards.
Chief commercial officer Andreas Prillmann told AM: “There are some dealers who won’t make the investment or who can’t make it.
“I think they will voluntarily look for different opportunities. It’s not their world, in the prestige sector.
“But we have some dealers already with other premium brands who will understand what we ask for. It’s not over the top, but it is how best to serve the customer.”
Urban dealers
Lotus wants a UK network of 10 to 12 dealers in or near major cities, supported by more authorised repairer sites. Prillmann said each dealership would need to retail a minimum of 40 new cars annually in order for the business case to be viable.
Each dealership will be at least 500sq m in size, with a bespoke brand entrance, showroom space for at least five new cars, service workshop, used car display and adequate customer parking. In specific cases, such as central London, Lotus would consider dual-level dealerships or split sales and aftersales locations.
Workforces will typically number nine to 12 personnel across sales, aftersales and customer service.
Prillmann is confident of successfully revitalising the network. He joined Lotus earlier this year, having reorganised the business model and franchised network of Ferrari. Prior to that, he had conducted similar exercises while at Porsche and Aston Martin.
He is conscious that the club-like enthusiasm already present in the network, where retailers hold regular dealership events and host track days, must remain integral to Lotus’s distribution.
Close customer relationships
“Our aim in taking Lotus to 8,000 units a year is always to have one-to-one relationships with customers. Each dealer will sell around 40 to 50 cars a year and will have dedicated people who will sustain very close relationships with our customers.”
Existing partners include AM100 groups Pendragon, Cambria Automobiles, JCT600 and John Martin Group, while a few Lotus dealers run the franchise alongside used sports or classic car operations.
The UK is a key market for the British sports car maker, alongside mainland Europe and the USA. Particular emphasis will be given to the US.
Group Lotus said it had been turned down by the British Government for a £40m loan in order to upgrade its factory in Hethel, Norfolk, in preparation for the new models’ production, which it said would create some 1,200 extra jobs.
The carmaker said it hoped to build the new models at Hethel, but due to difficulties over government support was now considering building some elsewhere, such as in central Europe.
Lotus’s vision: the cars
* The first new car, a 615bhp V8-powered Esprit at £110,000, will go into production in October 2012. Lotus claims optional hybrid technology will keep its CO2 emissions down to around 250g/km.
* In 2013 it will be the turn of the £75,000 Elan, with a 445bhp 4-litre V6 at its heart, before 2014 will herald the 615bhp V8-powered Elite 2+2 coupe, priced around £115,000.
* An Eterne four-door grand tourer is planned for 2015, priced around £120,000, and it will be joined later that year by a new 318bhp Elise with a 318bhp turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, priced around £35,000.
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