Someone I know very well works for Lotus in Detroit. His UK colleagues are telling him that nobody is buying the cars, suppliers have pulled down the shutters due to non-payment of invoices and the Malaysian owners are refusing to bail them out due to, er, over-ambitious UK director aspirations. In the USA he reckons Lotus are so far behind technically that the ideas they are offering car makers are ten years out of date.
USA he reckons Lotus are so far behind technically
So far behind who?
I’m surprised to be honest that Lotus even attempt to sell cars in the US – given how the are the opposite of what most American petrol heads seem to want.
Lotus are so far behind technically that the ideas they are offering car makers are ten years out of date.
Ten years behind European and Japanese automotive technology, or ten years behind American automotive technology? If it’s the later that really is worrying. Leaf springs and pushrods then.
yep crap typing but my mates brothers,uncles butler knows someone who cleans the crappers in British Leyland and reckons they might be in the rocks too
In my experience Americans need three miles of straight clear road and a V8 to pass anything at all. Which they frequently have, so it’s just as well really…
There are a lot of rumours going around about this, the SELOC forum seem to get regular factory visits and the last one I read said that they had improved their QC to the point where they were rejecting full batches of parts, and then falling out with suppliers.
Obviously they are in trouble financially but I can’t see how their ideas are 10 years out of date considering the performance of their cars relative to the competition.
In my experience Americans need three miles of straight clear road and a V8 to pass anything at all. Which they frequently have, so it’s just as well really…
I had a Europa for 6 weeks back in the 90’s, shocking POS.
And that is your basis for the quality of their current cars…?
Lots of trouble, usually serious
Owned an S2 K Series Elise from new in 2004 and (OK this is where things probably will end up in serious trouble…) I’ve had absolutely no problems with it. Not even the dreaded K Series HGF (but then I deliberately had the replacement seal fitted to avoid the problem) or leaky window/roof seals (and it’s been exposed to eastern Mediterranean monsoon conditions in Cyprus).
Yes the Europa was my only experience, it will be the last.
I have owned 2×7’s one a pinto engined and the other the K Series, both most excellent cars and I knew exactly what they would be like to own/drive. I’d have another and will do one day.
I hope the design side continues to flourish, the cars, well you are only as good as your products, lets leave it at that.
The whole car industry is suffering from over supply, global down turn, rising fuel costs. Only the top end and the more value brands are growing right now, everyone else is being squeezed.
I’ve worked there. It was a very frustrating experience on many levels.
I can’t see how they can get it back. Look at the Evora. Plastic bodied car, with severe short comings when compared to what you get from Porsche or Audi for similar money.
There are lots and lots of problems there and I can’t see it ever being properly sorted unless it all implodes, someone buys up the name, etc. And starts from scratch.
Who are they ten years behind? Its certainly not the Americans! Lotus make fast track cars. They go round corners very well and are not bad in a straight line.
There are lots and lots of problems there and I can’t see it ever being properly sorted unless it all implodes, someone buys up the name, etc. And starts from scratch.
That seems to it, they’re a niche car maker who has really overstretched themselves.
Who are they ten years behind? Its certainly not the Americans! Lotus make fast track cars. They go round corners very well and are not bad in a straight line.
Lotus build quality is appalling. A friend recently took delivery of a brand new Evora that fell apart over the course of the first weekend. He had them take it back after less than two weeks ownership because of this.
Using an Elise every day is a miserable experience. I tried and hated it. If you want something to use every day, start every time you go to it and maybe use it on the odd track day, buy an M3. If you want a track day specific car, buy a Caterham or Westfield. Those than can afford to rinse £35k+ on a weekend only car will probably buy a GT3 or something similar, not an Exige.
Its not easy to explain to the public, but believe me. If it was my 50K, I’d be spending it with Porsche.
they’re a niche car maker who has really overstretched themselves.
Not sure about that. All I would say is that Lamborghini and Ferrari have survived, but only for the assistance of a parent company. You can sell relatively low volumes of cars at high prices to the super rich. But the product has to be right and this, ime, is where Hethel could never get it right.
Depends what you mean by behind….suspension wise America still uses live axles on some cars. But gadgets inside then yes the American cars can be loaded with rubbish.
The Evora is a really nice car with great handling yet you can live with it on everyday roads. But I think it’s just overshadowed by more prominent cars/makes (Porsche, Merc etc) and the market for the car is too small. It does use a Toyota Camry engine though which people may find odd but it works well and is reliable. I did say in a few years I will get one as a third car 2nd hand as with the rear bench I can get the dogs in the back.
Now if they brought out a reasonably priced, competitive spec warm/hot range of saloons I reckon they could sell some cars. The cost of development and tooling up just seems too great though. It’s a shame they haven’t teamed up with Jag to produce some smaller BMW 1 and 3 series competitors.
When you understand the car industry and you are selling technology to vehicle manufacturers for possible use in production models, you soon get to know which R&D companies are lagging behind and which are coming up with new technology. This is not something you can measure by looking at the dealer specs on their production cars!