Friday 6th December 2002

Esprit Extension

Lotus applies for exemption extension for Esprit. First mention made of 'M260' project.

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[IPAddis]

Isn't the Lotus V8 fairly modern? I'm surprised they can't make it pass the emissions test.

Ian A.

[stevenrt]

I don't understand the logic behind giving exemptions? Surely if the car doesn't satisfy safety standards, it shouldn't be exempted? I wonder what the grounds for exemption are, for example, low volume, or perhaps it has good safety in other areas?

[cnh1990]

The exemption is for financial hardship to a company who has in good faith tried to meet the requirments that produces a limited production car who would otherwise would have to lay off the assembly line.
Calvin

[ErnestM]

The application even mentions a successor to the Esprit, the 'M260', but tantalizingly no details are given.

According to the various "Lotus Ltd" (the national Lotus Club in the States) newsletters, the M260 project is just the internal designation of the federalized Elise. Of course, current speculation is that due to the amount of work put into this project, then everyone should be viewing an Elise S3 sometime in the near future...

ErnestM

[Roy W. Olivier]

Excemption requests also take into consideration the low volume of the car. The M260 is the next gen Elise.

Roy

[Roy W. Olivier]

ps. The Esprit is operating on an excemption now and cannot pass emmissions or crash tests in 05 (I think it is) without major modifications to the body and the engine. Those changes are not financially justified for a car that is selling at a rate of just over 100 units per year.

Roy

[double clutch]

I think what's important here is that the US government is telling manufacturers how they can design their cars. They're concerned about the "close proximity of the A pillar and windscreen surround to the driver's head"? When is this sort of safety nazism going to stop? Lotus can't sell an Esprit or and Elise in the US because they're dangerous? Yet anyone can go down to the local motorcycle dealer and buy themselves a shiny new bike and motor off down the highway, cheating death every second of the way. It doesn't make sense. It's no wonder manufacturers like Lotus, TVR, etc. simply don't think it's worth it to sell in the US. I think money well-spent would be to fund some good lobbyists. :-(

[lotusguy]

Hi all,

Under the guidelines, Lotus request is for an extension of an exemption of the DOT safety requirements.

The reason for the exemption is that the Esprit does not conform to US regulations regarding the height of the roof and distance of the driver's head to the A-pillar of the car. There is no granted exemption for noncompliance with emissions standards.

The reason Lotus claims the exemption and subsequent extension of same is that it would present a financial hardship on the company to bear the costs of bringing the car into compliance, namely the costs involved with a near total redesign of the vehicle.

Financial hardship is not grounds, by itself, for the granting of the extension, except in this case, the DOT was asked to consider the low volume of this car and past history of no injuries due to the current design.

Exemptions granted on the basis of Fianancial Hardship are not grounds for continual non-compliance. The Fed sees it as giving one time to perform the necessary changes in order to come into compliance, but this assumes a willingness on the part of the petitioner to eventually comply. Therefore, under normal circumstances, the extension Lotus seeks would not be granted.

The DOT however, may grant the extension on this for a specific number of cars to be subsequently allowed into the country for sale, namely the 140 units Lotus is prepared to manufacture. Everyone should voice support of granting this extension by submitting an email to the DOT before the hearing deadline... Jim '85TE

[v8thunder]

I read in the latest issue of Classic and Sports Car (released on Friday), that the current 2002 Esprit V8 is the last Esprit, due to be replaced with a completely different model in the not-too-distant future.

[Roy W. Olivier]

There is two 2003 Esprits at Lotus now. They would like to build about 150 more. If their extention is granted, there will be about 35 2004 Esprits.

There is no replacment.

Roy

[banneville]

I understand that one regulation to shortly be introduced specifies a minimum height between the bonnet and engine beneath. This means there would need to be a deformable structure of a specified dimension above the motor.

Ian Callum (designer of the Vanquish) said that the new regs would mean in theory you could not have bodywork "hugging" the mechanicals of the car (e.g. bonnet stretched over the Vanquish's V12)..... unless the bonnet "deploys" on impact.

Maybe it is the same technology they used for the ejector seat in Die Another Day....

[banneville]

I understand that one regulation to shortly be introduced specifies a minimum height between the bonnet and engine beneath. This means there would need to be a deformable structure of a specified dimension above the motor.

Ian Callum (designer of the Vanquish) said that the new regs would mean in theory you could not have bodywork "hugging" the mechanicals of the car (e.g. bonnet stretched over the Vanquish's V12)..... unless the bonnet "deploys" on impact.

Maybe it is the same technology they used for the ejector seat in Die Another Day....

[banneville]

Sorry for the duplicate posting. Due to latest EEC regulations my mouse button automatically deployed.