Y tu, Lotus?

https://www.topspeed.com/cars/lotus/2020-lotus-suv-ar169299.html

Yep, looks like Lotus will sell Chinese made Crossover/SUV/ EV things.

I'm trying to look at it like Porsche's Luxo barges enabling them to make more 911s, but Lotus? 

Also, I believe their last ICE is inbound. The future is now.

Looks like a CRZ

During the launch party for that, they need to get a Henry Winkler impersonator do a motorcycle jump.

Given that I have never purchased a Lotus product, I'm probably not in a position to complain :)

In reply to bgkast :

A CRZ trying to impersonate the face a 7 while wearing Lambo shoes.

its likely to get the Fuel mileage regs happy.

I dunno, they are shooting for their EV (sportscar)to be as light as the last of their ICEs (sportscar). Were I bucks up, I'd consider a Lotus EV. No crossovers appeal to me too much, but they are an inevitability.

Key point in the article, though.  It's a great way to make a lot of money, stay afloat and still build fun things.  If it keeps the Lotus name around, I'm all for it.

-Rob

Colin Chapman would be PISSED!  That is not adding lightness, cripes. 

The 'traditional' Lotus community is not very fond of this thing.  

Simplify, then add ground clearance and roof height.

In fairness it looks decent for what it is.

I had been hoping that if Lotus put their name on an SUV, it would be a cross between a Wrangler and a sand rail.

If it brings an influx of sales and cash so they can keep building pure sports car, I approve. The sad truth is, Lotus has been building the lightest, most "pure" iterations of sports cars for the last 20 years, and yet are constantly on the precipice of doom. If they can even do a 1/10 of the volume of the Porsche model of sales with mainstream SUVs and sedan type things with some heritage design and feel propping up the GT line cars, I ain't mad. 

In reply to Snrub :

I laughed harder than I should have

They have to. They've been talking about doing this since the Porsche Cayenne began printing money for middle-aged housewives at Whole Foods; money is the deciding factor, and historically Lotus hasn't had much of it.

Question is going to be how Lotus gets to be Lotus with it. A successful SUV makes it's owners experience everything in a simulacrum, or through a nice thick plate of glass. Lotus has always been comfort 3rd at best, behind suspension performance and power to weight ratios; but the Evora has shown Lotus has a diverse skillset...

A business has to change with the times, or it goes away.  If everyone is buying cute utes and you don't make one, well you better re-think your strategy.  Credit-- don't criticize-- Lotus for trying.  Let's hope they find a way to make it work.

GIRTHQUAKE said:

They have to. They've been talking about doing this since the Porsche Cayenne began printing money for middle-aged housewives at Whole Foods; money is the deciding factor, and historically Lotus hasn't had much of it.

Question is going to be how Lotus gets to be Lotus with it. A successful SUV makes it's owners experience everything in a simulacrum, or through a nice thick plate of glass. Lotus has always been comfort 3rd at best, behind suspension performance and power to weight ratios; but the Evora has shown Lotus has a diverse skillset...

This is exactly why I think Lotus will not succeed with an SUV. Yes, SUVs sell like hot cakes and the proceeds support cool car development for the niche demographic (us). Lotus is about "Simplify and add lightness". You can simplify and add lightness to an SUV, but it won't be one anybody would buy. Even the Evora is lighter than it's competition, and doesn't come with nearly as many features.

To build an SUV is to go against what Lotus was founded upon.

The Cayenne was successful as a Porsche because Porsche was not known for ultra bare bones and lightweight, imo. They're known for being luxuriously fast. It was successful as a Porsche because it was able to wrap up all the things you'd want in an SUV (comfort, tech, hauling capacity, space, ground clearance), while still being fast. Porsche Cayenne = Luxuriously Fast. 

Lotus is known for bare bones minimalism, if it doesn't help you go fast, it's thrown out (for the most part). There's no way you can exemplify that in an SUV.

I sincerely hope it's successful, I love Lotus vehicles. I hope to own an Evora 400 one day, I'm excited by the Evija and Emira, and having this SUV help them stay afloat to continue developing those type of cars would be great. But I don't think it'll be successful.

In reply to hunter47 :

What he said.

While I rationally understand the "whatever it takes to make money and keep building sports cars" theory, the problem is that as more people recognize former sportscar / GT builders as luxury SUV brands, the second half of that mission statement will just kind of... fade away.

hunter47 said:

Lotus is known for bare bones minimalism, if it doesn't help you go fast, it's thrown out (for the most part). There's no way you can exemplify that in an SUV.

Bare bones minimalism may have a slightly different meaning in SUVs, but it's been done well before:

I doubt the general public knows the name Lotus, let alone what it meant historically, thus there is very little brand equity to concern with. The general public might view a Lotus crossover as a faster than average crossover -that's probably what they're trying to sell.

My question is can those awesome race car engineers shift into world class NVH engineers? While the manufacturing is in China? 

I hope so. I'd like to see Lotus survive/thrive.