Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 55 total)
  • Goodbye Lotus!
  • globalti
    Free Member

    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 In the USA he reckons Lotus are so far behind technically that the ideas they are offering car makers are ten years out of date.

    You read it here first.

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    Sad news indeed. I wonder where it all started to go wrong?

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    my mates sisters cousin says delorian are finished too

    molgrips
    Free Member

    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.

    maxtorque
    Full Member

    Interesting use of the word “first”………. 😉

    TuckerUK
    Free Member

    Lotus are so far behind technically that the ideas they are offering car makers are ten years out of date.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.

    globalti
    Free Member

    They don’t just sell cars in the USA, they are technical consultants, same as people like Ricardo.

    It’s not just automobiles, it’s anything that moves including military vehicles, golf buggies, industrial vehicles, airport equipment, you name it….

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    ven how the are the opposite of what most American petrol heads seem to want.

    What, as in they’re really good for overtaking?

    😉

    theflatboy
    Free Member

    mikewsmith – Member

    my mates sisters cousin says delorian are finished too

    First DeLorean, now delorian… who’s next?!

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    First DeLorean, now delorian… who’s next?!

    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

    molgrips
    Free Member

    What, as in they’re really good for overtaking?

    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…

    ti_pin_man
    Free Member

    somebody will buy the name and it will still exist in some form, too much heritage to disappear.

    EDIT: I think i said the same about TVR… exit stage left.

    Sui
    Free Member

    Global are you saying the consultancy side is folding as well, would be a shame to see the Hethel test centre going, it;s only had recent investment..

    lilchris
    Free Member

    They don’t just sell cars in the USA

    I thought the Toyota lumps superseded the K-Series so they could sell it over there and comply with emissions?

    Sui
    Free Member

    news just in: rumour mill is in overdrive.

    nellyp
    Free Member

    my mates sisters cousin says delorian are finished too

    Oh no they’re not! 😉

    Shandy
    Free Member

    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.

    thekingisdead
    Free Member

    I blame thatcher

    samuri
    Free Member

    In my experience Americans need three miles of straight clear road and a V8 to pass anything at all.

    Indeed. It’s their gear boxes, they use up more horses than Findus.

    zokes
    Free Member

    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…

    So….. You’re american then?

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    Shonky build quality, out of date designs, cold, windy, noisy, bits don’t work in them, they leak, they break down frequently.

    The only think they made that was any good was the 7.

    I had a Europa for 6 weeks back in the 90’s, shocking POS.

    rattrap
    Free Member

    my mates sisters cousin says delorian are finished too

    Bugger, I’d just ordered one of them off Ling’s Cars!

    lilchris
    Free Member

    Indeed. It’s their gear boxes, they use up more horses than Findus.

    Fantastic!

    zokes
    Free Member

    Lots of trouble, usually serious

    davetrave
    Free Member

    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).

    molgrips
    Free Member

    So….. You’re american then?

    My wife is, been over there a lot.

    retro83
    Free Member

    I thought the consultancy side of things was still doing fairly well.

    Things as of Jan this year sounded fairly hopeful on the car side of things too.

    On the line with the Exige V6

    Reaction to the new Exige certainly seemed to be positive.

    flange
    Free Member

    Apparently Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious sold 1 car in November. Which makes a Citroen C6 look like a big seller.

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    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.

    Shandy
    Free Member

    As good as your current products, or your products from 20 years ago?

    footflaps
    Full Member

    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.

    Solo
    Free Member

    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.

    endurancenut
    Free Member

    Most Americans can’t fit in a lotus – obvious flaw to the business model!

    watsontony
    Free Member

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyTaU4PamM4[/video]

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxflDjfBdoI[/video]

    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.

    Shandy
    Free Member

    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.

    flange
    Free Member

    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.

    Lotus tried to compete with Porsche and failed.

    Solo
    Free Member

    Who are they ten years behind?

    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.

    andyl
    Free Member

    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.

    globalti
    Free Member

    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!

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 55 total)

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