Lotus is plotting an extensive overhaul of its product line-up, according to Group Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng.
Feng, who also holds the role of chief technical officer of Zhejiang Geely (owner of Lotus as well as the Volvo Group), spoke to Autocar at the recent Shanghai motor show after Lotus officially confirmed its Type 130 all-electric hypercar.
Confirming the British brand’s new positioning as a cutting-edge, engineering-led company, he said Lotus plans to use its technical expertise throughout the group and to introduce new technology that will ultimately feature on cars from Geely’s other brands, too.
“For the high-end and pioneering technology and applications, Lotus can serve as the frontrunner in many cases,” Feng told Autocar, “then gradually in the future that kind of know-how and those resources can be shared with the sister brands within the group.”
He is also refreshingly open about how he wants the company to be perceived, and which rival he most aspires to beat: “Today, Porsche is our target and our benchmark.”
As with the German brand, Feng admits that Lotus will need to diversify beyond sports cars, but also insists that these will remain at the heart of the company’s efforts.
“We know Lotus is famous for its sports car products but, to support the revival of the brand, we need a much greater line-up of products for future growth,” he said. “A variety of excellent products can provide pleasant and exciting driving experiences for our customers, not one that is limited just to sports cars.”
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So...
turns out Dany Bahar was not far off the mark after all....
manicm wrote:
My company has 5-8 employees. Next year we're going to corner the vanadium battery market, build seven residential towers, and launch a high end whisky.
Do you see what I did there?
jason_recliner wrote:
Nice try but no cigar, the truth is Lotus’ previous owners didn’t want to pour a single dime more into the company, just like GM did with Saab.
How many more weekly variants of the same model are you going to confuse customers with??
Bahar only wanted to do what current management is doing, except he didn’t foresee a SUV, but then neither did his bosses!!
manicm wrote:
Yeah, that's what I was trying to get at. There was no money available, so Bahar's plans were never ever going to eventuate. Regardless of whether they were heading in the right direction or not.
Moving on... I think most motoring enthusiasts are glad that it looks like Lotus finally have some well resourced backers willing to give them another chance. I'm not happy they will be building a 4WD, but if that gives them funds to replace the Elise then the motoring world will be a happier, more interesting place.
an SUV!!!!!
either it is going to be really good or really terrible. hopefully ot look nice not like some new SUV's on the market (not even going to mention names). the rendering looks like an alfa romeo. also a newer looking sport cars from the quite good sports car maker.
'new position as a cutting-edge, engineering-led company'?
Mr Duff,
I'm really confused by the quote above about Lotus' 'new position'. Did you ask Mr Feng when exactly Lotus stopped seeing itself as 'cutting-edge' and 'engineering-led'?