Tuesday 24th September 2002

US Elise Date

It drags on...

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[bacchus]

I thought 2002 was the last year for the esprit??????? I read somewhere that they only have a few chassis left.... SO we won't see the replacement model for the Esprit until the the end of 2003!!!???

[lotusbmw]

the esprit finishes US delivery in Dec. of 03'

UK production i believe is almost done.

[bacchus]

ah ok so we will see a new model in a few weeks...... (hope so) :-))))

[fizz]

I knwe there was a reason why I shouldn't put a deposit down!

Lotus must have the same consultants whispering in their ear that TVR has!

[RacerX]

In reality, Proton had a new Esprit in the works but used Anderson consulting for price structuring, Martha Stewart designed the interior, was funded through the sale of Enron stock, was going to be sold through K-Mart all over the USA....boy when things go bad they really do!

[LotusV8]

I just dont get it. How the HELL are you going to rid of the Esprit?!? And you know they are going to replace it with a slower motorsport type of vehicle. I fell in love with Lotus through the Esprit when I was 13 years old. And now, gone. Oh well, atleast now the value will hold better

[double clutch]

Unfortunately, this is just another pathetic example of how Lotus have no idea what they're doing when it comes to the actual running of the business called Lotus Performance Cars. The delays are endless, and by the time either one of these models hits the road in the US (if it happens at all) they will have gone through several changes in drivetrain and bodywork, each time with some lame excuse as to why they had to push off the delivery date.
They never seem to realize the potential financial rewards of selling in the US like Porsche and Ferrari do. If they had used a "world" engine in the original Elise to begin with, they wouldn't need to jump through as many hoops in the end. Like the saying goes: "Prior planning prevents piss-poor performance."
In a Utopian world, Lotus would design the fun, nimble cars for which they are famous, someone with a true commitment to quality would build them, and someone with more than just an ounce of business competency would manage the company. Excuse me while I keep on dreaming.
The only silver lining I see to this cloud is the fact that, perhaps the economy will have turned around by the time Lotus sells a new Elise or Esprit in the US. But then again, by that time, the world could be in the middle of its 3rd or 4th recession from the one we're currently in. The bottom line is, believe it when you actually see these cars driving down the street.

[Scanfab]

I saw an Elise driving in London in March...almost shit in my pants with my mouth wide open wondering what was driving towards me...wild looking car. Just three monthes later I fulfilled my childhood dream of getting a new Esprit V8-GT. The very car I thought when I was 15 that NOBODY really has and nobody can afford. Boy, I proved myself wrong now being a very happy owner.

[kjtar]

Hi all,
Was doing a search and came upon this news which seems to contradict time-wise the arrival of the Elise in the U.S. From the Paul Sprewel website;
"Lotus USA has announced their intention to introduce the 2004 Elise sometime in the fourth quarter of 2003. The long awaited US introduction of this European favorite got the green light early this spring. Arnie Johnson, CEO of Lotus USA, says everything about the production of our USA version Elise is decided except the engine and what options will be offered. The engine chosen will be one of five US or European normally aspirated four cylinder engines. Target horsepower is 190. The candidate engines are all US emissions certified. The range of options could be hardtop, AC, leather, stereo, wheels, gear ratios etc. The target price of the car is $38,000 if Arnie has his way, but the factory is favoring something more like $42,000. The official launch date will not be set until final configuration is approved."
(so, maybe the final launch date has been set back due to configuration constraints, don't know.) How much does the Elise sell for in the U.K.?/vis a vis USD?
thanks very much,
Tom Reynolds
Hereford, AZ US

[akd]

Here are the target prices (On the road) for the full 'Elise' range currently in the UK (USD in brackets).

Elise £ 22,104 ($34,703)
Elise 111 £ 24,924 ($39,130)
Elise 111 S £ 26,804 ($42,082)
Elise Race Tech £ 24,919 ($39,122)
Elise Sport 135 £ 23,749 ($37,285)
Elise Sport 135 Race Tech £ 26,564 ($41,705)
Elise Sport 135 Sports Tourer £ 26,752 ($42,000)
Elise Sports Tourer £ 25,107 ($39,417)
Exige £ 30,484 ($47,859)

Exchange rate to GBP 1.57