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Re: New Elan in Paris

PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 12:48 pm
by Old English White
richardcox_lotus wrote:I also think they look great, but bear in mind that Lotus owners have gone through all this before....noticeably:

1) Launch of the (Type 14) Elite - That's not a lotus...too comfortable...too expensive....and fibreglass ??

2) Launch of the +2 - That's not a lotus...too many seats...too expensive

3) Launch of the (Type 74) Elite - That's not a lotus...too big...too expensive....

4) Launch of the (Type 100) Elan - That's not a lotus...FWD

5) Launch of the Elise - That's not a lotus...too spartan

6) Launch of anything else - That's not a lotus...not midengined....too big...too heavy...too expensive

My only concerns / sadness:

1) They are moving the products to a price point I will never be able to reach. Lotus's have ALWAYS been expensive - but this is just a huge huge jump
2) They are disenfranchising existing dealers & support networks. In the '80s they set up the scheme of "Classic Lotus Dealers" as a known contact point for classic parts via Factory support. No hint of that happening now.
3) If it does go very wrong (and it might), I can't see how the company can recover.

Just my two-pennath

Regards
Richard


+1,
At the Paris Mondial , the Elise announced price is ?35 000.00 ...
Not to far from the actual range , but...
The new standing of that car show that ,to my opinion , it will ended a bit higher.
In front of the most defined cars ,Elise , Elan , Esprit and Elite ,nobody can contest that the new range make the actual really old now , Evora included. Let's hope our favorite make ll succeed.
Let me give you a link:
//www.lotusnewera.com
Login: media
Password: lotus
Christian.

Re: New Elan in Paris

PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 3:21 pm
by nebogipfel
Brian, I don't think Clarkson (or indeed his pocket squirrel) liking anything is any sort of recommendation. He's big, loud, expensive and lacking in taste much like the cars he tends to favour :shock:

Richard, Points three onward .... true, true, true and true although the Elise is OK :) IMO The less said about the M100 the better

Re: New Elan in Paris

PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 3:50 pm
by Frank Howard
richardcox_lotus wrote:If it does go very wrong (and it might), I can't see how the company can recover.
Richard,

They'll recover beause for years, their primary business has been their engineering business which services practically every auto manufacturer in the world.

Re: New Elan in Paris

PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 6:11 pm
by billwill
FIVE new cars in one launch?

Has any other car manufacturer been crazy enough to try that before?

Anyone would think it is a fashion show for "this year's" range.

Maybe they are all the same under the skin ???

Re: New Elan in Paris

PostPosted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 4:49 am
by RedS4
billwill wrote:FIVE new cars in one launch?

Has any other car manufacturer been crazy enough to try that before?

Anyone would think it is a fashion show for "this year's" range.

Maybe they are all the same under the skin ???


Maybe a cunning ploy to see which one(s) is (are) accepted most by the punters at the show - then just build it (them) using the angle "meeting customers' demands" etc.

I believe the platform is the same/similar (stretched on the four-door). If you want more power there is a KERS option!!

For me the Elise or the Elan is the pick, and the most likely to survive to the showroom (maybe the Esprit too, but it is a different market).

Re: New Elan in Paris

PostPosted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 12:44 pm
by billwill
KERS?

Re: New Elan in Paris

PostPosted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 6:05 pm
by Galwaylotus
Kinetic Energy Recovery System. Was big in F1 last year - not used this year but may return in the future. It's the reason Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella didn't take victory at Spa in 2009.