Today's Financial Times | Carmaker Lotus plans to end production in the UK

Is this confirmed news ?
https://www.ft.com/.../dc5948e6-6645-405b-a556-df06b1ad26be

 

[freefall_junkie]

Article on PH which sums it up nicely https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-britishcars/so-its-come-to-this-lotus-mulls-hethel-closure/50014

I think all this talk of moving production to the US is a distraction. It takes years and huge investment to build a plant, train a workforce, set up new supply chains etc and Lotus does not have that much time when it is in such a precarious financial position. Furthermore no rational business will make such a decision when the tariff situation in the US changes literally week to week ( by rational I'm talking Geely here, as PH suggests, Lotus management are in la la land).

 

[Tomwa]

Serious question, are you drunk?

I don’t think you’re even reading what I wrote or responding to it. Your response is so incoherent I feel like you might be quoting me but responding to someone else?

Just reread what I wrote it’s very clear.

I never even mentioned the GTR.

You responded to me, you go Reread MY post. I specifically say that people will always care about specific models, where they are built, what factories, etc.

BMW i3 vs M3. Nissan Versa vs Nissan GT-R. The prior in these cases no one cares where they are built unlike the later

You did not read, and instead rushed to be right on the Internet by saying

"With those examples you are wrong. They’re literally produced in a country other than their origin and they have plenty of demand"

Notice.. notice how you are wrong, but call me drunk and confused? I am clearly not talking broadly about the entire brand in my post. I am speaking to the fact that there are Nissans...and then there are GT-Rs. You cannot treat the brand as a single entity and every consumer the same as any other.

The cars people care about and the companies stake their reputations on are built in county of origin.

 

[Tomwa]

Article on PH which sums it up nicely https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-britishcars/so-its-come-to-this-lotus-mulls-hethel-closure/50014

I think all this talk of moving production to the US is a distraction. It takes years and huge investment to build a plant, train a workforce, set up new supply chains etc and Lotus does not have that much time when it is in such a precarious financial position. Furthermore no rational business will make such a decision when the tariff situation in the US changes literally week to week ( by rational I'm talking Geely here, as PH suggests, Lotus management are in la la land).

Yeah but what if you already own facilities and people. Ones who aren't building as many cars as you had hoped because the side brand attached to Volvo didn't catch? Do you let that facility sit empty, or do you start adding more models.

Change P***star to "Geely general properties" and start pushing Lotus vehicles through.

 

[Hethel Merman]

I wonder if a solution to the US tariff problem would be to ship over part-built cars to some kind of facility in the USA, to be completed there.

 

[seriously]

I wonder if a solution to the US tariff problem would be to ship over part-built cars to some kind of facility in the USA, to be completed there.

I looked it up over curiosity and that final assembly strategy doesn’t work. The cost of manufacturing needs to exceed 75%+ to avoid US tariffs. Final assembly could not account for that much. The other variable is that this could all change in 4 years.

 

[Black Ice]

The i4 was necessary to sell the emira in China and other Asian countries that tax by cylinder. I don’t think it was a bad move at all.

China is the largest auto market in the world and geely owns a controlling stake in Lotus. They have to be able to sell their cars there.

I think the only “issue” with the I4 is that it’s supposed to sit below the V6, but in reality doesn’t.

As a UK buyer I opted for the I4 as it just seemed like a better package. There’s nothing exotic about a manual gearbox in the UK, and having owned Fords with superb manual ‘boxes I was concerned the manual Emira would be a backward step. Similarly, whilst I like the V6 engine (and it certainly sounds better than the I4) it’s not really special in my opinion. It’s a means to an end, and the M139 does (most of) it better.

Full disclosure: I’ve never owned a car with a DCT before so perhaps I see a novelty value that others don’t, but the I4 appears to be pretty popular over here (I think?).

 

[freefall_junkie]

How long until we see a new Emira FE, Final Edition that is

 

[Davidexige]

Copied from Pistonheads.

 

[Six Speed Stephen]

You responded to me, you go Reread MY post. I specifically say that people will always care about specific models, where they are built, what factories, etc.

BMW i3 vs M3. Nissan Versa vs Nissan GT-R. The prior in these cases no one cares where they are built unlike the later

You did not read, and instead rushed to be right on the Internet by saying

"With those examples you are wrong. They’re literally produced in a country other than their origin and they have plenty of demand"

Notice.. notice how you are wrong, but call me drunk and confused? I am clearly not talking broadly about the entire brand in my post. I am speaking to the fact that there are Nissans...and then there are GT-Rs. You cannot treat the brand as a single entity and every consumer the same as any other.

The cars people care about and the companies stake their reputations on are built in county of origin.

You’re not discussing this in good faith you keep rambling and not addressing the examples I mentioned... I guess you’re just trolling. Good luck in life