Sadly, inevitable really - Evora appears to be sales flop, & minimal Elise/Exige product to sell via a disenchanted sales network.
Given the current regime, & If I were a betting man, I would put money on Car Research/Design & Development (& Engineering Division)remaining at Hethel, with production moving overseas in the next 2-3 years. Obviously hope I’m wrong, though!
They must be burning money, those new cars had better be a hit.
Well lets hope they actually make any of em.
Im no expert but surely they need a new car to drive funds for spin offs. A Lotus 911 in business concept.
[quote=Mr Pesky]Sadly, inevitable really - Evora appears to be sales flop, & minimal Elise/Exige product to sell via a disenchanted sales network.
Given the current regime, & If I were a betting man, I would put money on Car Research/Design & Development (& Engineering Division)remaining at Hethel, with production moving overseas in the next 2-3 years. Obviously hope I’m wrong, though! [/quote]
I hope you’re wrong too!
It does look like the front engined cars will be made overseas (Austria perhaps, were the AM Rapide is built?), with the ‘real’ cars made in Hethel. What’s needed is strong sales, not a cheaper product cost base. They need to re-expand the Elise base & tweak the Evora (somehow) to get the thing moving out the showroom.
The announcement of the Elan at the expense of the Evora was a marketing disaster for current sales IMHO.
They need ‘Golf’ platform to pump out a variety of cars, maybe collaborated with other manufacturers. Not just 1001 elise with different coloured stripes and badges.
Im sure a modular chassis, they could share tech with other OEMs to develop, and get some proper cars to market.
A lot could be learnt from the software industry!
Why on earth spend several millions upgrading the Hethel circuit to FIA standards when Snetterton is just down the road???
I see an "other peoples money " situation here bit like NHS.
[quote=MrBean]Why on earth spend several millions upgrading the Hethel circuit to FIA standards when Snetterton is just down the road???
I see an "other peoples money " situation here bit like NHS.
[/quote]
Because when Dan the Man was at Ferrari he had Fiorano to test his toys on 
- difference here is that he will have a track with no toys 
So they can build a hotel and turn it in to a resort, obviously!
Hethel is no Yas Marina!
I think the employment numbers at Hethel have been cyclical for a number of years. Since I 1st owned my Lotus I think there have been at least 2 previous rounds of redundancy.
I thought the comment in the linked story was quite interesting in that it states it comes “ahead of a recruitment programme in the near future”.
Can’t help but think a new Elise platform is where the money is and other models are just a distraction.
Yep it’s all wrong , I think they are starting to realise that scrapping what Lotus do best was the wrong move , I got an email the other day from ? to say the V6 is on it’s way , a re-styled Exige with a wide ass and get ready to order 
there’s hope yet.
OK but they don’t want to start pushing on the �45k to �50k price bracket, get some nicethings down in the �30k to �35k section.
I bet it will be 45k as the last good spec 240 and 260s were that sort of price , I would of had an Evora S but at 70k it’s way overprice , 50k is more like it .
I know one thing - building 100k+ big supercars that are not UK built in four years time is a big mistake when cars like that will be taxed off the road by then .
Can’t believe they can’t see that light weight - value for money - fast little cars is the way it will all go and to just axe the great market position they had making these cars is just mental to me .