Esprit production figures
Discussion
Can anyone tell me the porduction figures year by year for the Esprit?
In particular I'm interested in how big a volume it was in it's hey day and when that was.
Out of interest since you guys are the target customers, what's your opinion on how many of the new Esprit you think they'll likely sell per year?
Cheers
In particular I'm interested in how big a volume it was in it's hey day and when that was.
Out of interest since you guys are the target customers, what's your opinion on how many of the new Esprit you think they'll likely sell per year?
Cheers
bertie said:
Can anyone tell me the porduction figures year by year for the Esprit?
In particular I'm interested in how big a volume it was in it's hey day and when that was.
Out of interest since you guys are the target customers, what's your opinion on how many of the new Esprit you think they'll likely sell per year?
Cheers
In particular I'm interested in how big a volume it was in it's hey day and when that was.
Out of interest since you guys are the target customers, what's your opinion on how many of the new Esprit you think they'll likely sell per year?
Cheers
All of them (2000 or more)
ErnestM
Of interest... the "production numbers" come from Lotus and in a 1996 issue of Thoroughbred and Classic Cars, a Lotus Rep noted that these numbers were the "best the factory could come up with". Seems that a couple may have been put together "on the night shift" and "maybe did not make it into the records"...
I just found it interesting and thought I'd share. I'd guess that the production numbers for the new Esprit will be based around the cost (as yet unknown). If they keep to the original formula of great car for great price (compared to others in the relative class anyway), they should make somthing similar to the V8 production numbers...
Drive topless!!!
Cameorn
I just found it interesting and thought I'd share. I'd guess that the production numbers for the new Esprit will be based around the cost (as yet unknown). If they keep to the original formula of great car for great price (compared to others in the relative class anyway), they should make somthing similar to the V8 production numbers...
Drive topless!!!
Cameorn
ErnestM said:
bertie said:
Out of interest since you guys are the target customers, what's your opinion on how many of the new Esprit you think they'll likely sell per year?
Cheers
All of them (2000 or more)
ErnestM
That's the reason for the question, bearing in mind that in it's best year it just topped 1050, and Ferrari make about 3000 v8 cars (F360, now F430) per year, and Lamborghini have made just over 3000 Gallardos since it's start, can you see them selling 2000 per year?
bertie said:
ErnestM said:
bertie said:
Out of interest since you guys are the target customers, what's your opinion on how many of the new Esprit you think they'll likely sell per year?
Cheers
All of them (2000 or more)
ErnestM
That's the reason for the question, bearing in mind that in it's best year it just topped 1050, and Ferrari make about 3000 v8 cars (F360, now F430) per year, and Lamborghini have made just over 3000 Gallardos since it's start, can you see them selling 2000 per year?
If the price/performance ration is right, absolutely. F360 and F430, not to mention Gallardo, would probably cost twice as much brand new. If you get perfomance on par with the Italians at 1/2 the price... no brainer.
ErnestM
ErnestM said:
If the price/performance ration is right, absolutely. If you get perfomance on par with the Italians at 1/2 the price... no brainer.
That's the big question. Corvette has sold consistently around 30,000 cars worldwide (although mainly USA) each year with a price range (in Europe) of £40k to £50k plus the latest Z06 at £65k which is moving out of showrooms very nicely.
Provided the new Esprit is essentially "a big Elise" type car priced with 911, Corvette etc I reckon there's a decent chance of good sales. At £100k against Lambo's and Ferraris it would surely be a serious struggle. If volumes are too low you can never charge enough to make a profit after all the R&D, tooling, production and marketing.
Over the 30 years of Esprit production the daily build rate averages out at about,
Corvette - 100 cars per day.
Esprit - 1 car per day.
I look for it to come in right at Porsche 911/Aston Martin Vantage money. Which, of course, means that it will be hideously overpriced by dealers and ebay speculators when it first hits the market. It will settle down to Manufacturer's Suggested Retail or a bit below that within 6 months.
ErnestM
PS: Best buy would be to let somebody else buy it retail and then pick it up for 10k to 15k below MSRP, in 6 months, when it only has 2000 miles, and the original owner decides that it is "not practical"
ErnestM
PS: Best buy would be to let somebody else buy it retail and then pick it up for 10k to 15k below MSRP, in 6 months, when it only has 2000 miles, and the original owner decides that it is "not practical"
Another aspect to consider with regard to production numbers is the question:
...does Lotus really want to turn a rare exotic into an 'umpteen many buit Corvette. The Vette drives every bit as good as some Ferrari cars - sometimes better depending on the Ferrari in question... but I see at least 15 on the way into the office everyday!
Given the popularity of the Elise, sale of the Exige, and I suppose the Europa is selling? (not offered on this side of the pond so I am not sure), the Esprit could easily occupy the "top" level of Lotus keeping its mistique as a low production car. Not quite, but along the same line of thinking as the Ford GT amoung the Ford line up (but as stated - not quite to that extreem)
Drive topless!!!
Cameron
...does Lotus really want to turn a rare exotic into an 'umpteen many buit Corvette. The Vette drives every bit as good as some Ferrari cars - sometimes better depending on the Ferrari in question... but I see at least 15 on the way into the office everyday!
Given the popularity of the Elise, sale of the Exige, and I suppose the Europa is selling? (not offered on this side of the pond so I am not sure), the Esprit could easily occupy the "top" level of Lotus keeping its mistique as a low production car. Not quite, but along the same line of thinking as the Ford GT amoung the Ford line up (but as stated - not quite to that extreem)
Drive topless!!!
Cameron
bertie said:
That's the reason for the question, bearing in mind that in it's best year it just topped 1050, and Ferrari make about 3000 v8 cars (F360, now F430) per year, and Lamborghini have made just over 3000 Gallardos since it's start, can you see them selling 2000 per year?
I can't. They can't even sell that many Elises in the US. Lotus just doesn't have the name recognition. In that rarified atmosphere, like it or not, a large portion of the buyers are paying to impress the neighbors. This works better if the neighbors know what you just bought!
IMHO, of course.
i am the exception in my neighborhood, paying cash in full for all my cars. the family next door has a porsche and a merc, both leased. americans don't pay attention to total price, they want to know what it costs to lease per month. sadly, to impress people here, you can't drive a car more than a few years old. however, andy griffiths rang my doorbell by mistake in 1992, and people are still impressed. lotus should price the 2007esprit under 70K USD, and include a DVD boxset of matlock.
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