New Lotus Hypercar!

[Crunchie Gears]

Just watched this on the BBC.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/technology- ... c-hypercar

I am not sure they have the brand to carry this off. Not many brands can command 2.2 million. Then again I do not have the have the understanding of someone who could afford one!

Even so the performance figures, at least the high lights, are very impressive.

[DJ.]

I don't think any car is worth that money for driving, maybe a classic Ferrari as art/investment, but to spend that on a current electric car which will no doubt seem the car equivalent of a horribly outdated early computer must be madness.

The headline figures are always great for these electric cars, but imagine the embarrassment of being burned off by a hatchback on your way home with 10% battery left

I really think they need to release performance figures for electric cars at 100%, 50% and 10% charge. After all petrol cars get faster as the fuel runs low.......

[Crunchie Gears]

Good point on the fuel level Duncan

That said the problem comes in earlier with electric cars as the batteries over heat if 0-300kms is done repeatedly. Not only do you have flat batteries but they go into limp home mode or stop until they cool down.

[SteveRST]

Awesome looking car!!
But I agree with Crunchie - I don't think Lotus has the gravitas to sell many £2.2m cars... certainly not 130 of them which is what they say is the 'limited production' run.

It would be very interesting to be a fly on the wall when they were working out the costings for this car. I mean, surely development costs have to be covered by this project... or is it a bit of a 'halo product' and they are prepared to write-off some of the development costs in the hope that the tech will trickle down into their future models? Also, economies of scale will dictate how many they must build to sell them for £2.2m each. I just wonder what the 'break even' number is - and also just have much 'profit' they make on each car sold. Could be £100k per car? I've no idea.


Interesting article here on Lotus sales figures for 2018. [ https://www.lotuscars.com/en-SG/lotus-records-strongest-retail-year-since-2011 ]
I quote: "Lotus Cars has posted its strongest sales results in seven years with 1,630 cars sold worldwide in 2018 ... 274 UK cars sold in 2018 vs. 267 in 2017."

Wow, that's not many cars... but actually I'm surprised that they sold 1,630 cars when the UK sales figures are so low! Back in the heyday of the Elise they were selling 3000 UK cars a year.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Lotus does in 2020 for the more 'affordable' end of the market. Elise S4 is due... will there be a hybrid version or all-electric version to bask in the shadow of the Evija? Probably.

[Crunchie Gears]

Venture Capitalists look at things very differently. For them it all about EBITDA and R and D can be amortised over a long period and so does not impact EBITDA and so their value of the company.

It also means that the depreciation can be set against Tax and also get development grants from Government, while not effecting profit!

That said, I still think they are stretching it with a 2.2 million car. They have even struggled with the Evora as there are better cars for the money IMO.

[David T]

I agree with Duncan, tech for electric cars is evolving too quickly. Spend that sort of money and be out of date in a year or two. There are exceptions for ICE cars in the past, F40, F1, Jag XJ220. Superseded now on performance, but they are still 'special' for various reasons and so have commanded big money (not sure about the jag value, but still seen as something special). If this Lotus is superseded soon in terms of performance, will it still be special enough to hold, or even increase, its value long term. Maybe one of the last special ICE cars will be the Aston Valkyrie. Was it the Chris Harris podcast, where I heard people questioning the life expectancy Lamborghini company. They are only special because of the ICE. Without that, irrelevant. Espeically when owned by VAG, who for their own self afflicted reasons, ICE is literally toxic.

[nelmo]

It's surely just about publicity? Announce a stupidly expensive car and get people talking (like we are), even if it is negative (no such thing as bad publicity).

There are over 2,500 billionaires in the world, for whom 2.2m is peanuts - I bet they sell them all.

[Rexholme]

IMO it seems at odds with the company’s identity.

https://www.lotuscars.com/en-SG/lotus-philosophy/

LOTUS IS A PIONEER
WE DO NOT PLAY BY THE RULE BOOK
INSTEAD, WE REDEFINE IT
WHEN OUR RIVALS CATCH UP, WE MOVE THE BAR ONCE MORE
LOTUS NEVER STANDS STILL...

“Simplify, then add lightness”...

“Adding power makes you faster on the straights; subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere”,

I’m sure it’s light for its class but 1600kg doesn’t strike me as particular light. The car is probably a great piece of complex engineering but pioneering? I’m not sure, just seems like they’ve added more.

If I had that kinda of wedge, I’d be looking at historic racing classics.

[greenwoo]

I guess that if that car does happen then pre-orders will account for some of the initial set up costs, although presumably contracts would need to be watertight in terms of the finished car meeting /delivering against expectations.
Interesting to see if it evolves...