quick rant!

PostPost by: RobCapper » Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:01 pm

Just need to vent my spleen quickly! Excuse the rant, but it needs to be said!
Why is Lotus so incapable of producing an attractive looking car in 2006? Have just been looking at the new Europa, and it is possibly the ugliest car I have seen for a long time. Just a boxier elise...

I would love more than ANYTHING to buy a modern Lotus - equivilent to the plus 2. A fast, sporty tourer, that has creature comforts and is a beautiful car to look at. But unless I want to have sparse nothingness and wind up windows (elise) or trackday rawness (exige), I'm left with the ugly and awkward Europa...

Is it really so hard or such a problem to sacrifice a little weight for 10mph off the top speed and a little off the 0-60? There is SUCH a market gap for a modern day +2, yet my 1972 130s has more comfort and refinement than anything offered by Lotus today...

COME ON LOTUS, pull your socks up. Make an innovative, beautiful and comfortable car to rival the Z4, 350Z and Boxter... PLEASE.... If you continue to simply make track day cars for the road, the company will just fail once more.

I'd love nothing more than to see Lotus back in F1, but until they can get back to beautiful cars that make people stop in the street and stare, and get a little 'wow' factor back in the brand, the company will not grow.

Parking outside an Aston Martin garage the other day, my +2 was getting as many looks and photos on people's mobiles as the 2006 Vantage parked next to it. Wouldn't it be lovely if Lotus produced a car to aspire to once again, as opposed to carpet-less, sparse, bath-tubs?

rant over.
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PostPost by: cliveyboy » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:13 am

I agree Rob
It is very much an Elise clone in the looks department. Although in my eyes still attractive if unimaginative.
When they announced the Europa, I was getting excited about a modern day copy of the original something to rival Fords recent GT40.
Also in the past Lotus have usually had a four seater in the range.:- Plus 2, Eclat/Elite/ Excel. Lotus Carlton even the Lotus Cortina.
I too would love to own a tourer but with four seats for the family.
We can but dream.

Cliveyboy
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PostPost by: bruss » Sat Oct 07, 2006 4:47 pm

I may not make any new friends here but for a modern elan (sorry not plus 2) look at the z4 coupe. I've been fortunate enough to just buy an M coupe and by modern standards it's a bit harsh, has a rough ride but goes like stink, and its FUN! Just like an elan really. Yep it's bloody expensive up front but then my plus 2 has cost me around 3k plus 3.5 k plus 750.00 plus etc as the years, and even months go by. So for total cost of ownership (with residuals on ever selling) its prob not so far different. Of course if I'd wanted cheap motoring just don't buy a sports car :-)
Loving the plus 2 when its running and looking forward to rebuilding the dhc.
68 plus 2 and 77? dhc - I'll take you out for a spin,- as soon as Ive got it working properly:-)
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