16 replies to this topic

[Kieran McC]

Things not looking good for the workforce at Lotus 350 jobs may be going.

[VXT Tim]

http://www.telegraph...ny-at-risk.html

[CocoPops]

Too busy fighting for Porsche money... Yet everyone can see if they sold cheap Elise's, they'd sell bucket loads!

[CHILL Gone DUTCH]

I recently had a look around Christopher Neil's at the new exige V6 at £60k and you can still see plastic bottles through the windows If they were 35k they would sell plenty 60k is a dream for cars which are made just as sh*t as a vx

[Kieran McC]

The staff at risk work mainly for Lotus engineering, Work has been on the decline for sometime.Caterham have parted with a third of their Norfolk workforce.

Edited by kieranmcc, 18 September 2014 - 07:52 PM.

[slindborg]

This isn't a sudden thing sadly, been going on for about 4 years

[jonnyboy]

The V6 exposes Lotus and all its problems. No doubt its a great machine its got the right engine at last and it looks great. However if you look at it it is just an S2 with a frock on. The interior is the same as you find in a 2007 Elise. This is not acceptable in this market.

 

Apparently there are a good few unfinished cars at the factory awaiting headlights again as well. 

 

They really need to develop a properly new car which they cant do without 100 million quid. As Cocopops says the answer is blatantly obvious they just need to pile Elises up and sell them cheap. The company would be rescued and it would save all the kids from driving euro shiteboxes thinking they are proper performance cars. 

[mark_vx]

I recently had a look around Christopher Neil's at the new exige V6 at £60k and you can still see plastic bottles through the windows If they were 35k they would sell plenty 60k is a dream for cars which are made just as sh*t as a vx

 

When you can get an f-type coupe for 51K you can see which car most folk are going to go for.

[Acidpopstar]

Problem is there can't be much margin in low prices elises. They may well sell higher volume but still have underlying problems with low profits. Really sad situation and I can't see a way out unless another big take over / investment happens.

[CHILL Gone DUTCH]

Problem is there can't be much margin in low prices elises. They may well sell higher volume but still have underlying problems with low profits. Really sad situation and I can't see a way out unless another big take over / investment happens.

You mean other company to run it into the ground and run massive debts while the owners take massive bonus's

[slindborg]

Problem is there can't be much margin in low prices elises. They may well sell higher volume but still have underlying problems with low profits. Really sad situation and I can't see a way out unless another big take over / investment happens.

Iirc there is absolutely sh*t all margin on the lotus's of the moment The esprit was only about £10-20mil short of getting a fully fledged prototype from what I understand.... That's proper close ffs.

[Rudy]

Problem is there can't be much margin in low prices elises. They may well sell higher volume but still have underlying problems with low profits. Really sad situation and I can't see a way out unless another big take over / investment happens.

Iirc there is absolutely sh*t all margin on the lotus's of the moment The esprit was only about £10-20mil short of getting a fully fledged prototype from what I understand.... That's proper close ffs.

But not close enough I like lotus but it's just not all that. Too expensive and unreliable for the money imho

[Bargi]

If you saw how much effort went into finishing the body panels you'd understand why they're going down the gurgler

[Gedi]

Weird, I had this exact conversation at work today.

I'd love a new Exige S, but I wouldn't be willing to pay more than £30k for one, £60k it just ludicrous.

 

 

[Mangham54]

Time for Jaguar Landrover to add them to their portfolio... This seriously needs to happen

Edited by Mangham54, 19 September 2014 - 06:07 AM.

[slindborg]

And compete with the f type..... I know they aren't the same type of car, but the car buying pubelick see the price tag and see they are the same so the f is better value etc

[oakmere]

Unfortunately they are just too small to develop a new platform now. Even the big boys pool resources to develop new platforms. I think in the future they will have to jointly develop or use an existing platform. It would be interesting what they could do with the Alfa 4c platform!