Does Lotus really have no plans for future Exiges?

[Dacone]

Are they completely pulling the plug on their light weight rockets?

[Dacone]

Sorry if this has been done on here, i'm new to Pistons forums.

Edited by Dacone on Sunday 12th December 04:49

[Gabber]

I was at a factory visit some two months ago and ask the person who did the tour "what about the Exige..."He smiled a bit and said can't tell you but watch the pages...

[Dacone]

Thats some thing then, just cant help wandering if its gonna be a similar model, all the potential, the chassis etc. The cars too good to be just shunned and I can't imagine Lotus pulling the plug....I suppose the future of the Exige hangs in the success of their new venture.

Although, the thought of a five door, luxury, Porsche Panarema lotus equivalent does make a happy lotus fan a tad queazy.

[Scuffers]

Dacone said:

Thats some thing then, just cant help wandering if its gonna be a similar model, all the potential, the chassis etc. The cars too good to be just shunned and I can't imagine Lotus pulling the plug....I suppose the future of the Exige hangs in the success of their new venture.

Although, the thought of a five door, luxury, Porsche Panarema lotus equivalent does make a happy lotus fan a tad queazy.

I bet they get pushed into a V6 Elise with the engine from the Evora.

only problems will be it being over 1,000Kg's having a high COG , being slower than the one it replaces and the price tag being the wrong side of £40K

[Dacone]

Scuffers said:

Dacone said:

Thats some thing then, just cant help wandering if its gonna be a similar model, all the potential, the chassis etc. The cars too good to be just shunned and I can't imagine Lotus pulling the plug....I suppose the future of the Exige hangs in the success of their new venture.

Although, the thought of a five door, luxury, Porsche Panarema lotus equivalent does make a happy lotus fan a tad queazy.

I bet they get pushed into a V6 Elise with the engine from the Evora.

only problems will be it being over 1,000Kg's having a high COG , being slower than the one it replaces and the price tag being the wrong side of £40K

Yeh thats sounds about right.

[cyberface]

All I want is for the car to have a front suspension pickup redesign so small bumps to the front wheels (kerbs, tree stumps in grass verges, etc. - minor accidents that would be a few hundred quid to fix in any other car) don't result in write-offs.

My insurance costs after 18 years claim-free motoring, with a history of fast cars, additional instruction, track experience, yadda yadda, have rocketed to nearly £2000 a year to insure my car simply because of one low-speed slide and a nerfed front passenger side wheel. The suspension bent the pickup point, the insurers wrote off the car, hence £25,000 claim against me and now it's costing me a fortune to insure anything (my tatty 10 yr old Suzuki SV650 is more than £600 to insure. Idiocy).

Apart from that, the car is perfect. The fact that the Cup 260 car is essentially similar to mine but 200 kg lighter means that it's still possible to have an 800 kg Exige if you want one - mine is a bit fat compared to earlier models but equally I could enjoy more than a 1000 miles trip in all weathers to the South of France and back via the Alps, and so could my passenger girlfriend - she really enjoyed it and she's not a natural petrolhead.

Couple that with everyday feasibility even in the snow - I've been driving mine every day as a commuting car because my normal car can't get traction on the ice) - and the low fuel consumption due to low weight and small-engine efficiency, and fuel prices going ever-upwards… it's utterly brilliant.

I'm still in love with these things - it's not as if I've only had the Exige a couple of weeks - this is my second example. This is better than the previous one, then again it's higher spec. I wouldn't want them to get any heavier but a V6 would be nice purely for the characterful sound of the engine. If Lotus can make my car 200 kg lighter, then surely a decent V6 isn't 200 kg heavier than the engine in my car? The trick is to find one that isn't bigger physically, because larger physical size means the frame carrying the engine has to be bigger, adding weight, etc.

I can't seem any reason to change mine other than if it's stolen or destroyed I love it. But if Lotus were to continue developing the Exige with the same philosophy, maybe the next car would be better than my version, etc. and there'd be reason to consider upgrading if finances were to permit. Right now, if the 'next Exige' is a slightly smaller Evora then it's not really an Exige, is it?

Size is almost more important than weight on 'fun driving roads' in the UK - width being the most important dimension. The Evora is a LOT bigger than the Exige and even a 1000 kg Evora wouldn't be ideal on B-road blasts...

[Scuffers]

cyberface said:

The fact that the Cup 260 car is essentially similar to mine but 200 kg lighter means that it's still possible to have an 800 kg Exige if you want one

like to see the evidence of this....

Lightest factory cars I have seen are still well over 850Kg's (and more like 900+)

[cyberface]

Scuffers said:

cyberface said:

The fact that the Cup 260 car is essentially similar to mine but 200 kg lighter means that it's still possible to have an 800 kg Exige if you want one

like to see the evidence of this....

Lightest factory cars I have seen are still well over 850Kg's (and more like 900+)

So would I - as usual I'm going on what I've been told and filtering out the people I consider to be *most* full of BS. If you can't trust the factory then you have to take each car and weigh it and I haven't got the facilities to do that.

TBH Simon it really does sound like I need to get my car on corner weights to find out the truth doesn't it? My car has everything except the Touring Pack, and is *meant* to be 930 kg but we all know it's more than that. I'm desperately hoping it's less than 1000 kg but if you're saying the Cup 260 cars are more than 900 kg (and Lotus told me they are hundreds of kilos lighter than my 'normal road spec' Exige) then that suggests my Exige is getting on for 1100 kg, which it doesn't *feel* (the Noble and TVR were in that space, and both felt heavier than the Lotus).

Hell, this can go on for ever until we have real numbers. Where can I get my car corner weighted, or at least weighed accurately? Sounds like the factory figures are as reliable as TVR's power outputs. I'll be at Brands on a trackday on Saturday, is it likely that there'll be any kitted-up outfits testing there who'd bung my car on their weights for a few quid?

I don't know what the baseline is other than what's in the documentation - and it's not just you who is casting doubt on its truthfulness, so really I need to measure and get the facts.

[Scuffers]

cyberface said:

Scuffers said:

cyberface said:

The fact that the Cup 260 car is essentially similar to mine but 200 kg lighter means that it's still possible to have an 800 kg Exige if you want one

like to see the evidence of this....

Lightest factory cars I have seen are still well over 850Kg's (and more like 900+)

So would I - as usual I'm going on what I've been told and filtering out the people I consider to be *most* full of BS. If you can't trust the factory then you have to take each car and weigh it and I haven't got the facilities to do that.

TBH Simon it really does sound like I need to get my car on corner weights to find out the truth doesn't it? My car has everything except the Touring Pack, and is *meant* to be 930 kg but we all know it's more than that. I'm desperately hoping it's less than 1000 kg but if you're saying the Cup 260 cars are more than 900 kg (and Lotus told me they are hundreds of kilos lighter than my 'normal road spec' Exige) then that suggests my Exige is getting on for 1100 kg, which it doesn't *feel* (the Noble and TVR were in that space, and both felt heavier than the Lotus).

Hell, this can go on for ever until we have real numbers. Where can I get my car corner weighted, or at least weighed accurately? Sounds like the factory figures are as reliable as TVR's power outputs. I'll be at Brands on a trackday on Saturday, is it likely that there'll be any kitted-up outfits testing there who'd bung my car on their weights for a few quid?

I don't know what the baseline is other than what's in the documentation - and it's not just you who is casting doubt on its truthfulness, so really I need to measure and get the facts.

Loads of people have corner weights... and most ccts have scales (although some are a little off)

I have got tot he point of only believing what I see in-front of me with this stuff, (and I have my own scales).

Just to make the point, this is a S1 Elise Motorsport, with just shy of 400Bhp.. (with 15l of fuel)

[Gooby]

I would be the first to admit that I am a lotus obsessive and I love all things lotus but I am having a hard time with the new range of cars. In a world that is traveling down the road of small low emission cars, lotus are flying down road to big engines and GT cars. The concession to low emissions is KERS. Not entirely sure. Perhaps my point of view is out of favour, it seems that men with far more experience than I are making these decisions and are finding backing by large amounts of money. That implies that many people are confident in the new direction. I do think that there are not many strategies open to lotus at this point. However, I suspect that Mr chapman is spinning in his grave

[Boggy]

Agree Gooby,

I think they have gone too far with their new plan and I’m not sure if it’s sustainable but will have to wait and see what the future brings, by the way they have already built the Exige V6 (Evora engine) some time ago but sign off may be an Issue with the new management, I want the S2.5\S3 Elise SC before they are all sold but not paying 36k for one, nearly brought CN’s Solar Yellow car but we have other financial commitments and Investment’s that need to be addressed.

I Just hope to God that Lotus haven’t gone to far with these changes to the brand

Boggy

Edited by Boggy on Tuesday 14th December 10:55

[Scuffers]

being realistic, the new management don't give a stuff about the Elise/Exige platform, the whole lightweight philosophy is gone.

All the current plans for cars that are out there are all over the 1000Kg's mark, that said, I honestly don;t see any of this coming together as the money will run out before they actually get there IMHO.

All very sad really....

[Boggy]

Scuffers said:

being realistic, the new management don't give a stuff about the Elise/Exige platform, the whole lightweight philosophy is gone.

All the current plans for cars that are out there are all over the 1000Kg's mark, that said, I honestly don;t see any of this coming together as the money will run out before they actually get there IMHO.

All very sad really....

100% Agree, it's so obvious too when you see all the promotion video's for the new car's and future direction, fu*k us lot who have kept the company running for the last 15 years

I've brought 6 Elise variant’s all from dealer's 3 New, I'm holding out to see what happens however this might well end up costing them the company

Boggy

[Gallandro]

So whats wrong with Lotus new direction?

Seems everyone on here is forgetting about all the complaining that went on..

Scuffers hasnt liked any Lotus since errr about 1850

Everyone complained about all the special edition elises and exiges and how heavy they were.

Everyone thought the Evora was to slow and fat and expensive, the new S is faster but even fatter

So what exactly was so good about the old regime?

[Scuffers]

Gallandro said:

So whats wrong with Lotus new direction?

Seems everyone on here is forgetting about all the complaining that went on..

Scuffers hasnt liked any Lotus since errr about 1850

Everyone complained about all the special edition elises and exiges and how heavy they were.

Everyone thought the Evora was to slow and fat and expensive, the new S is faster but even fatter

So what exactly was so good about the old regime?

well, the new direction will not wash with the kind of people that spend the money required.

unless Lotus can pull out a car like the new Mclaren, as in cutting edge design, implementation, build, etc then they stand no chance to compete at that level.

with all the will in the world, Lotus are not going to be able to do this in the short/mid term, and I can't see where the money is going to come from to make it a long term project.

the complaining you mention is exactly why they will not make it up-market, people who spend that kind of cash expect service/quality/etc, we have all experienced what Lotus service is like, and it;s no match for mainstream OEM's let alone high end stuff.

FFS they still only offer the legal minimum warrentee...

Oh and I may be old, but I am not that old, point is, I have bough 5 Lotus Elises brand new for Lotus, ie, I am (was) as good customer, I think I am entitled to bh about there shortcomings having been ont he back end of them for long enough.

you point about what was so good about the old way is exactly why we all complained about them, this does not automatically make the new direction right though.

I agree they need to have an up-market car(s) but I don't believe this is the way to do it, the Elise has kept Lotus alive for 15 years, to kill it is suicide.

[Boggy]

Scuffers said:

Gallandro said:

So whats wrong with Lotus new direction?

Seems everyone on here is forgetting about all the complaining that went on..

Scuffers hasnt liked any Lotus since errr about 1850

Everyone complained about all the special edition elises and exiges and how heavy they were.

Everyone thought the Evora was to slow and fat and expensive, the new S is faster but even fatter

So what exactly was so good about the old regime?

well, the new direction will not wash with the kind of people that spend the money required.

unless Lotus can pull out a car like the new Mclaren, as in cutting edge design, implementation, build, etc then they stand no chance to compete at that level.

with all the will in the world, Lotus are not going to be able to do this in the short/mid term, and I can't see where the money is going to come from to make it a long term project.

the complaining you mention is exactly why they will not make it up-market, people who spend that kind of cash expect service/quality/etc, we have all experienced what Lotus service is like, and it;s no match for mainstream OEM's let alone high end stuff.

FFS they still only offer the legal minimum warrentee...

Oh and I may be old, but I am not that old, point is, I have bough 5 Lotus Elises brand new for Lotus, ie, I am (was) as good customer, I think I am entitled to bh about there shortcomings having been ont he back end of them for long enough.

you point about what was so good about the old way is exactly why we all complained about them, this does not automatically make the new direction right though.

I agree they need to have an up-market car(s) but I don't believe this is the way to do it, the Elise has kept Lotus alive for 15 years, to kill it is suicide.

I want lotus to make new car's,

everyone who posts on here does but,

1. Dump your hole customer base overnight,
2. make a complete new model range that will obviously have big engines and be twice as heavy, (will we really need car’s like this in Five years or for that matter want them?
3. 4 times as expensive, will anyone be able to realistically afford these cars
4. Make it more than clear that they are only interested in people buying into the brand with more money than sense

I hope I’m wrong and Lotus keep making great lightweight cars, I haven’t brought an Evora/Elise S2.5 because of these reasons, I’m going to wait and see what happens before I buy into the brand for another 10 years

Boggy

Edited by Boggy on Wednesday 15th December 09:46

[aceofspades]

just on the corner-weights, i was surprised to see my car at this recently, with the petrol tank completely full so you could probably take 30kg out and still have a few laps worth. it's a 220s with touring pack.

[vetteheadracer]

I've not weighed my 2010 Exige 260 Scura but the specification weight is 930kgs. No idea why it is 200kgs heavier than a Mk1 Exige, I mean 200kgs is 440lbs, I can see me being able to stick 440 x 1lb bags of sugar in the car!

[Monkey boy 1]

Heavier sub frame, heavier engine, beefed up parts here & there, Airbag etc. it soon adds up.