UK Karting - Notice Board (Chat) : Oh Dear. Lotus off to the wilderness..... again!

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Oh Dear. Lotus off to the wilderness..... again!
Posted by 'itpro' on 01 Oct 2010 @ 15:16

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itproJoined: August 2001
Total Posts: 6
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Lotus have announced 5 (or 6) new cars at the Paris show. A new Elise, Elan, Esprit, Elite and Eterne (plus a city car). They want to move from the 'base-to-ceiling' price of Ł27,000 to Ł45,000 to a base of around Ł40,000 to Ł135,000. They are chopping from 27 uk dealers to ..... THREE!

And new-boy Danny Bahar will have mangaged to do in the next 5 years what Chapman almost managed to do in 1975.... abandon his core customers for an up market group..... who won't want to pay that sort of prices for what THEY will see a "mere Lotus"!

As you may know, I utterly ADORE Lotuses and have since I was a kid but even I am not daft enough to think that people will pay Porsche prices for a Lotus simply because we do not carry the 'cachet' of the 'Porsche/FIAt/Aston/Maseratti' type cars. We have the handling and the performance to EAT them but that is NOT what dim-punters WANT..... they want to plonk their keys on the bar with a 'Name' key fob and 90% don't give a DAMN that,. for example, the Porsche handles like a sack of SH**!

For those who haven't seen the new cars yet, here's a good place to start. They look exciting..... but..... The first white one is the new Elise and the Yellow is the new Elan. Thye Green is the Esprit and the Silver is the Elite. The 4-door is the Eterne.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/paris-motor-show-2010/lotus-stuns-paris-with-six-new-models/253099/pictures/lotus-stuns-paris-with-six-new-models.aspx

The Elan is 'aimed' at the Porsche 911. The Elite at the FIAt 959 etc.

The new line up abandons the current Elise type owner and so you can tell EXACTLY how much we matter to Danny Bahar and the new boys.

It's also interesting to wonder where the recently launched Evora is supposed to sit, squeezed out by the Elan......

Oh GOD..... I do HATE the poseurs like Danny who think, becasue they WANT to be the boss of a FIAt/Porsche type car range that they can simply THRUST themselves into that market by charging higher prices! I can't even BEGIN to list the other companies who have TRIED to muscle in to their territory!

For me.... it looks like: Lotus - R.I.P.! AGAIN!

I can't even claim that Colin would turn in his grave..... it's EXACTLY what he was trying to do when he died almost BANKRUPTING the company doing the same thing the LAST time!

Buy an Elise NOW while they exist! You karters will recognise your karts in EVERY thing the Elise does!

Ian

Message Thread:

Oh Dear. Lotus off to the wilderness..... again! by 'itpro' << You are here!

Re: Oh Dear. Lotus off to the wilderness..... agai by 'SteveG98' (01 Oct 2010 @ 16:36)

Re: Oh Dear. Lotus off to the wilderness..... agai by 'kai' (01 Oct 2010 @ 16:48)

Re: Oh Dear. Lotus off to the wilderness..... agai by 'itpro' (01 Oct 2010 @ 17:10)

Re: Oh Dear. Lotus off to the wilderness..... agai by 'Attack2001' (01 Oct 2010 @ 17:36)

Porsche back in F1..... by 'Tmoon' (06 Oct 2010 @ 14:27)

Re: Porsche back in F1..... by 'itpro' (06 Oct 2010 @ 15:37)

Re: Porsche back in F1..... by 'Rafe005' (06 Oct 2010 @ 15:58)

Re: Porsche back in F1..... by 'Tmoon' (06 Oct 2010 @ 18:40)

Re: Porsche back in F1..... by 'itpro' (06 Oct 2010 @ 19:57)

Re: Porsche back in F1..... by 'Doink' (06 Oct 2010 @ 20:20)

Re: Porsche back in F1..... by 'richpudd2003' (06 Oct 2010 @ 22:06)

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