New Esprit Dead?

[StiflerMR2]

This might have been discussed already but couldn't see it anywhere:

http://jalopnik.com/lotus-cancels-the-e ... -866529384

[campbell]

At last. Somebody talking sense.

Instead, Lotus will keep doing what it does best: Building lightweight sports cars. The current range of the Elise, Exige S, and Evora will continue for the foreseeable future with updates to keep them current

[Mikie711]

It's a shame but not unexpected, I read somewhere that Zimmerman had left Lotus and as the engine was his baby it went with him. That will have left them with a dilemma, either source a customer engine or start again. Can't really put a customer engine in something like an Esprit and don't have the money to start all over again with a new engine, so inevitably it's cancelled.

[tut]

That is a pity Mike, twas the next one on your list.

tut

[tut]

Funny thing with Behar, when he had golden bollocks and released a range of five new models, general opinion was great news, would keep Lotus going into the future, generated a lot of interest with the likes of us and the media, and would keep Lotus going.

Now back to square one with only the present models, and as good as they are, it would appear there is nothing in the pipeline. That will not work beyond the near future and could well be the death knell.

There has to be progression.

tut

[j2 lot]

Looks like there is a new plan in place and one that looks achievable and is funded

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/indus ... ew-funding

A future that maybe isnt as exciting as Bahars dream but at least is likely to happen.

[tut]

So what is the truth on this Graeme, this is from the MD of the Company?

"Jamil also confirmed that Lotus sold 70 cars up to the end of May — as opposed to 80 in all of 2012. Production is now said to be stepping up to 40 cars per month, with 85 per cent of them exported."

tut

[j2 lot]

UK sales (?) Havent checked back on figures from elswehere, but that from memory would tie in.

[woody]

So what is the truth on this Graeme, this is from the MD of the Company?

"Jamil also confirmed that Lotus sold 70 cars up to the end of May — as opposed to 80 in all of 2012. Production is now said to be stepping up to 40 cars per month, with 85 per cent of them exported."

tut

UK sales Tut.

[robin]

I think they have the cars, they need to focus on making the sales and keeping customers happy.

All the speculation of new models cannibalizes current sales, IMHO.

Of course being a low volume manufacturer they are always going to struggle with relatively worse quality, higher per-car R&D amortization, bigger warranty costs per car, etc., etc. Making your own engine just doesn't make sense - you just have to pick the best of what's available to you for the price you can afford and design around it. That said I am sure even doubling their relatively modest sales will give them some economies of scale.

The Esprit come back will just have to wait.

Cheers,
Robin

[Dave]

So what is the truth on this Graeme, this is from the MD of the Company?

"Jamil also confirmed that Lotus sold 70 cars up to the end of May — as opposed to 80 in all of 2012. Production is now said to be stepping up to 40 cars per month, with 85 per cent of them exported."

tut

Something doesn't make sense here, when I was in the factory last week I saw I sign on the end of the production line that said the current target was 11 cars per day, which tied in with what we were told was a monthly production run
of 200 cars. While we there I personally saw three cars come off the line in just over two hours which all in all is quite a few more than the quoted figure of 40 cars per month.

[j2 lot]

I guess being handmade the cars don't roll through at a steady pace, there will be down time, holiday shutdown etc.
I am just happy to know cars are being made, and more importantly sold. Long may it continue

[woody]

So what is the truth on this Graeme, this is from the MD of the Company?

"Jamil also confirmed that Lotus sold 70 cars up to the end of May — as opposed to 80 in all of 2012. Production is now said to be stepping up to 40 cars per month, with 85 per cent of them exported."

tut

Something doesn't make sense here, when I was in the factory last week I saw I sign on the end of the production line that said the current target was 11 cars per day, which tied in with what we were told was a monthly production run
of 200 cars. While we there I personally saw three cars come off the line in just over two hours which all in all is quite a few more than the quoted figure of 40 cars per month.

The 70/80 numbers are UK only sales 2012 Vs 2013 YTD.