[crAbb]

2.6 tonnes!! This isn't progress..l

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6vXIMMenezA

[TodmordenLad]

"Where did it all go wrong?" On the drawing board, from the looks of it! 😱

[JD6]

As Harry says - it looks a bit like an Urus. I think that was meant to be a compliment!

[Watsey]

There’s a new Lotus dealership a few miles from where I live, along with Ferrari / Porsche / Bentley / McLaren / Land Rover (a millionaires shopping wet dream), that has a load of them parked outside. They look plain weird to my eyes.

The lightness ethos has clearly been disregarded. Most people don’t want featherweight sports cars any more - they want massive lumps of lifestyle vehicles, and a 0-60 to brag about. Who cares about handling ?

Cars like the Alpine A110 hold a huge amount of appeal to me. I’d walk past an Eletra without giving it a second look.

[KRS_SN]

100k plus ev .. not really a great demand for them. Anyone who bought them had their pockets burnt and the word is out.

[Pond]

Originally Posted by crAbb

2.6 tonnes!! This isn't progress..l

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6vXIMMenezA

But the £100k plus price tag definitely is!

Lotus have completely missed their target market IMHO.

They WILL be poorly built, they WILL be a pain to live with, they WILL be a 'shed built' amalgamation of many different manufacturer's parts and technology. Fine for £40k these days, but not for the price tag IMO.

I have owned two Lotii (is that the plural?), both were terrible cars but great fun and relatively cheap. I don't think I will be buying another.

AND it looks like a Hyundai/ Kia (which secretly it probably is).

[KCH1984]

Interesting comments. Looks are subjective of course, and it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but have any of the above who are slating build quality, handling etc. actually been out in one?

I have. Taking the straight line performance aside (a friend has the R model) which is insane, it's superbly put together and well appointed. It made my G05 X5 feel cheap in comparison, and there is a real sense of occasion (which Harry even acknowledged) that you would expect when you're paying the thick end of £150k. The ride comfort and handling is also top notch, and it's incredibly refined at motorway speeds. The negatives Harry talks about in terms of charging and range do exist sadly, but for my friends use case he's got home solar/battery so it's a non-issue.

Clearly not for everyone, but I'd wager we'll see a lot more of them than the Emira for example, which is important for Lotus (even if technically they're different divisions). My mate has also never had the attention and questions that this car has generated (mostly positive) so it does turn heads and people do want to know what it is.

[Sennen]

Originally Posted by JD6

As Harry says - it looks a bit like an Anus. I think that was meant to be a compliment!

Well he had the last 2 letters right JD6, i have corrected it for you

[Sennen]

Colin Chapman must be spinning in his grave....... 'Add Lightness' ....... Lotus have added 'crassness' ..... what a piece of sh1te

If Lotus think this 'monstrosity' is going to dig them out of a hole then I fear they will be bitterly disappointed.

ATM the 'latest & greatest' brigade with more money than sense will be snapping them up as a novelty but they will soon lose interest and the market will be flooded with the 'white elephants' and they wont be able to give them away...... much like the Taycan!!

[isleaiw1]

I imagine the same was said about Porsche releasing a SUV and look how that went...

Hold back that tide, we dont want change. Lets make cars no one buys....

[crAbb]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

I imagine the same was said about Porsche releasing a SUV and look how that went...

Hold back that tide, we dont want change. Lets make cars no one buys....

Indeed. With automakers scaling back production of plug in cars, it seems the message is finally getting through.

[KCH1984]

Originally Posted by crAbb

Indeed. With automakers scaling back production of plug in cars, it seems the message is finally getting through.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aut...eo-2024-03-19/

[crAbb]

Originally Posted by KCH1984

https://www.reuters.com/business/aut...eo-2024-03-19/

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/13/ev-e...ice-in-us.html

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by crAbb

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/13/ev-e...ice-in-us.html

Currently a 6 to 8 month wait for new Macan EV which will grow when it is shown in China. These EV SUVs will never catch on, especially from a sports car manufacturer...

[Ennoch]

Originally Posted by Watsey

There’s a new Lotus dealership a few miles from where I live, along with Ferrari / Porsche / Bentley / McLaren / Land Rover (a millionaires shopping wet dream), that has a load of them parked outside. They look plain weird to my eyes.

The lightness ethos has clearly been disregarded. Most people don’t want featherweight sports cars any more - they want massive lumps of lifestyle vehicles, and a 0-60 to brag about. Who cares about handling ?

Cars like the Alpine A110 hold a huge amount of appeal to me. I’d walk past an Eletra without giving it a second look.

Agreed. Look at how things like the M4 sell vs the likes of the BRZ or Alpine. People want luxury and willy waving over all else, and there are very few people who love driving left. Or at any rate not the ones who'd still be able to enjoy razzing a twenty year old fiesta down a country road with a big grin on. Must have comfort, must have cup holders, must isolate you completely so you then need a ridiculously loud exhaust just to stand a chance of hearing it inside, and must have enough space to get your beer gut behind the steering wheel. Proper cars that handle and have subtlety are out the window in favour of massive power claims, massively wide tyres to try and stop it spearing into the scenery away from the (traffic) lights, big brakes to cope with the unreachable top speed, massive wheels to clear the brakes and then stupidly thin tyres to still fit within the arches. It's all bollocks. I'm not sure the average person would know what a good handling sports car was even if it ran them over and left a note saying 'good handling cars here'.

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by KCH1984

Interesting comments. Looks are subjective of course, and it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but have any of the above who are slating build quality, handling etc. actually been out in one?

I have. Taking the straight line performance aside (a friend has the R model) which is insane, it's superbly put together and well appointed. It made my G05 X5 feel cheap in comparison, and there is a real sense of occasion (which Harry even acknowledged) that you would expect when you're paying the thick end of £150k. The ride comfort and handling is also top notch, and it's incredibly refined at motorway speeds. The negatives Harry talks about in terms of charging and range do exist sadly, but for my friends use case he's got home solar/battery so it's a non-issue.

Clearly not for everyone, but I'd wager we'll see a lot more of them than the Emira for example, which is important for Lotus (even if technically they're different divisions). My mate has also never had the attention and questions that this car has generated (mostly positive) so it does turn heads and people do want to know what it is.

Nice to read some real experience amongst the predictable shock horror ostriches.

Hopefully it will do OK and allow a badge/brand/car company to flourish. I'd rather people bought these than the Urus, although neither are my cup of tea.

[TodmordenLad]

Originally Posted by KCH1984

https://www.reuters.com/business/aut...eo-2024-03-19/

I've got nothing against EVs, honestly. My only plea to the manufacturers would be to stop designing butt ugly, huge, heavy, SUV styled EVs and to design cars which are sleek, attractive and affordable. I mean, just look at that white Audi in that article!? Ghastly..

[boba-fett]

In my local Lotus MG dealer!!

Yuk!

[crAbb]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

Currently a 6 to 8 month wait for new Macan EV which will grow when it is shown in China. These EV SUVs will never catch on, especially from a sports car manufacturer...

Indeed. Then they'll flood back to market, like the Taycan, when folks realise the mistake they made...

[KCH1984]

Originally Posted by TodmordenLad

I've got nothing against EVs, honestly. My only plea to the manufacturers would be to stop designing butt ugly, huge, heavy, SUV styled EVs and to design cars which are sleek, attractive and affordable. I mean, just look at that white Audi in that article!? Ghastly..

That's not just isolated to EVs though, the same could be said of ICE. I've just had an email from a broker that reflects on 52% of car sales last year being SUVs. I get what you mean though, but as manufacturers embark on their EV range it just makes sense to offer the type of models first (big ugly SUVs) that people are actually going to buy.

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by TodmordenLad

I've got nothing against EVs, honestly. My only plea to the manufacturers would be to stop designing butt ugly, huge, heavy, SUV styled EVs and to design cars which are sleek, attractive and affordable. I mean, just look at that white Audi in that article!? Ghastly..

I guess reading that comment with the one by KCH1984 what you are saying is please design cars that no one is buying instead of the ones that most people want....

How Many A4 estates do you see versus Q5s these days?

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by crAbb

Indeed. Then they'll flood back to market, like the Taycan, when folks realise the mistake they made...

SIL is just deciding between a Macan EV or a Taycan - having had EV before. Not everyone thinks they are a mistake...

I know that is what you hope but maybe you will be wrong..?