Lotus to take on Noble?

[jaz34]

Anyone see the Auto Express magazine this week. Looks like spy shots of a new Lotus on a test track and wording in the feature says they aim to take on Noble amoungst others, with this car.

It looks like an MR2 with a spoiler!. Interesting.....

[toppstuff]

I don't think we can learn much from the styling exercise. I would think the car will end up looking quite different to the Autoexpress pictures.

But it does look like there will be a elise-style aliminium framed hi-tech turbocharged mid engined sportscar to compete with Noble. It'll be bigger than Elise, and much more powerful.

Looks like Lee won't have the market space to himself for much longer....

[miken]

Who needs an M250 when you can have an M400?

Does look nice though. Wonder if the new one will be similar??



This is long overdue IMHO.

Cheers

Mike

>> Edited by miken on Friday 6th August 14:40

[joust]

It'll have to be very very very good to get me away from a Noble.

IMHO Lotus have missed the boat. Lee doesn't have this market to himself (indeed he probably never has), but it it truely competes with Lee's creation and is priced the same, that market is probably stuffed with people like me that have "grown away" from Lotus.

Given the Esprit was produced in even smaller numbers than the Noble towards the end, I wonder how they will compete within the market sector?

J (now in the English channel )

[toppstuff]

joust said:

It'll have to be very very very good to get me away from a Noble. IMHO Lotus have missed the boat. Lee doesn't have this market to himself (indeed he probably never has), but it it truely competes with Lee's creation and is priced the same, that market is probably stuffed with people like me that have "grown away" from Lotus. Given the Esprit was produced in even smaller numbers than the Noble towards the end, I wonder how they will compete within the market sector? J (now in the English channel )

Actually I think that Lotus are set to leapfrog many of the British manufacturers like TVR and Noble.

They have deep pockets ( relatively ) and they have concentrated on getting the infrastructure of the business right over the past few years. And they are doing it with great intelligence.

Lotus have established a national US dealer network. They have got the Elise crash tested and approved at high cost, paving the way for easier and cheaper approval of subsequent models adapted from their aluminium frame technology.

Having done that, the new models will start to flow. A new mid range turbo coupe, followed by an upmarket new Esprit.

They will be instantly available to the US market, and easy to get type approved.

As the new models come on line, Lotus could explode onto the scene in a big way.

And they have a heritage that others would die for...

I think the new Lotus ( Loti?) will really compete with Noble. And that is a great thing.

[hunttheshunt]

Deep pockets!! Are we talking about the same Lotus here??

[V6GTO]

This is amazing...in three years Noble has gone from 'Another small English company that won't make it' to 'Lotus are trying to compete with Noble'.
If Lotus go ahead with this project they'd better hurry up, becase every day Noble is improving it's kudos in the eyes of car buyers, and I think that allready they would struggle in the desirability stakes. Martin.

[DanH]

To talk down Lotus strikes me as a tad deluded/blinkered! I'm still getting a noble once I sell the Elise, but lotuss 2 new cars will certainly be contenders I reckon. Only issue is lotus's tendency to underpower their vehicles.