Bibs 11,118 Posted September 12, 2014 Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 He said he had no idea Lotus were building cars like the Evora and how high the quality was. He couldn't believe the suspension didn't have computers controlling it at that the brakes were steel and not carbon. This is a guy with a 997 Turbo and the GT3 is the second 991 he's bought, he spends a lot of money on cars. Quote 88 Esprit NA, 89 Esprit Turbo SE, Evora, Evora S, Evora IPS, Evora S IPS, Evora S IPS SR, Evora 400, Elise S1, Elise S1 111s, Evora GT410 Sport Evora NA For forum issues, please contact the Moderators. I will aim to respond to emails/PM's Mon-Fri 9-6 GMT. Link to post Share on other sites
Stirling_Villeneuve 105 Posted September 12, 2014 Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 Really... the current Lotus cars are THAT good, they just need to get people in them and make them aware. The last few years of turmoil and silence need to be seen to be over, a solid future, a company that's moving forward, secure backing, etc. Good marketing without DB levels of BS, whatever budget they've got spent wisely. Roll on Geneva! Quote Currently having an illicit affair with another marque, be back in the fold one day... Link to post Share on other sites
Nelly 186 Posted September 15, 2014 Report Share Posted September 15, 2014 Interview with DB in this months Top Gear magazine. Lots of Lotus related question/answers, he actually spoke about his time there in a very positive light. No bad mouthing at all. I get the feeling he is a bit gutted not to have been able to see it through, would have done his ego the world of good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ramjet 1,086 Posted September 15, 2014 Report Share Posted September 15, 2014 Something I missed in the article was the sentence "With the comfort of a settlement behind him" Didn't know that had happened......... Quote All we know is that when they stop making this, we will be properly, properly sad.Jeremy Clarkson on the Esprit. Opinions are like armpits. Everyone has them, some just stink more than others. Link to post Share on other sites
Bibs 11,118 Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 http://www.thelotusforums.com/forums/topic/51798-lotus-in-the-post-db-era/page-63#entry508353 A few pages back in this topic. I could mention the sum but it would make your eyes water. Quote 88 Esprit NA, 89 Esprit Turbo SE, Evora, Evora S, Evora IPS, Evora S IPS, Evora S IPS SR, Evora 400, Elise S1, Elise S1 111s, Evora GT410 Sport Evora NA For forum issues, please contact the Moderators. I will aim to respond to emails/PM's Mon-Fri 9-6 GMT. Link to post Share on other sites
fmxa 61 Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Whatever happened to his old pearl white V8? Quote Paddle Faster, I hear Banjos! Link to post Share on other sites
Bibs 11,118 Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Just been sold to a dealer. Quote 88 Esprit NA, 89 Esprit Turbo SE, Evora, Evora S, Evora IPS, Evora S IPS, Evora S IPS SR, Evora 400, Elise S1, Elise S1 111s, Evora GT410 Sport Evora NA For forum issues, please contact the Moderators. I will aim to respond to emails/PM's Mon-Fri 9-6 GMT. Link to post Share on other sites
Bibs 11,118 Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 http://paultan.org/2014/09/23/dany-bahar-speaks-out/ Esprit prototype 'weeks away' from hitting the road when he was sacked. Quote 88 Esprit NA, 89 Esprit Turbo SE, Evora, Evora S, Evora IPS, Evora S IPS, Evora S IPS SR, Evora 400, Elise S1, Elise S1 111s, Evora GT410 Sport Evora NA For forum issues, please contact the Moderators. I will aim to respond to emails/PM's Mon-Fri 9-6 GMT. Link to post Share on other sites
Simon350S 192 Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 It's a huge waste of money to have never seen anything come of any of the development works carried out on either the cars or the engine... Yes he wasted a lot of money, huge amounts. But to have cancelled everything wasted all of the money that actually was put to good use. Shame Quote Chunky Lover Link to post Share on other sites
Bentzion 5 Posted September 24, 2014 Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 (edited) DRB HIcom are bean counters to the Nth degree. It didnt help that Bahar took advantage of his high rank and diverted some funds (could have been used for Lotus' purposes) I don't like the design of the Esprit to be honest but was excited about the motor for sure! Someone needs to let Lotus loose with their technology!! They have so much of it. Edited September 24, 2014 by Bentzion 1 Quote If the only thing constant is change, then why do we resist change the most? Link to post Share on other sites
Snoopy1969 276 Posted September 24, 2014 Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 Actually that is HIS Point of view (and how he sees the world....) From a prototype hitting the road it is always a very very Long way to a reliable product that is bought by peolple in substantial numbers. Very funny that he mentions that his Reputation is not important to him - if that would be the case he - of course - would not had to have sued Lotus, for example. After his dismission I found an (old , before his time at Lotus) article in German Zeit Magazin that describes several manners that give you the Impression that his OWN Reputation is the main thing for him. Why had he been dismissed by Red Bull und Ferrari? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mdavies 74 Posted September 24, 2014 Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 In Bib's Paultan link above, there are several comments below the article. As the organisations addressed in one comment are still very relevant to Lotus' future, I would be interested in a translation of the words in Malay(?). Of course I am in no position to comment on the comment. Comment: "Bahar was a visionary. He had goals and vision for the company. The Malaysian fools could not handle his vision and hard working attitude. You see, Proton and DRB Hicom have this lazy culture. The culture of relaks, lepak and tidur. Each working day, they go to kantin and minum teh and makan kuih lapis at least 8 times a day. Each time they go, it is at least 30 minutes of chilling and talking kok. Bahar could not handle this Malaysian GLC way of attitude. For him, lunch break was a mere half and hour and after that it was pure hard work. Our Proton and DRB guys have no vision. They just sleep in the office thinking about how many more wives they can get and also which awek in the kilang they can kongkek. This is the truth of why they got rid of Bahar. It is partly Bahar’s fault why he did not try to pretend to be lazy, relaks, lepak and minum teh 8x one day. If Bahar tried very hard to be lazy like the Proton workers, then Proton would have been very happy with him. They would even go further to make him Datuk Danny Bahar and eventually give him Tan Sriship if he tried to be lazy and chilled out." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bibs 11,118 Posted September 24, 2014 Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 That's deluded Mel. He wasn't sacked for working too hard! Quote 88 Esprit NA, 89 Esprit Turbo SE, Evora, Evora S, Evora IPS, Evora S IPS, Evora S IPS SR, Evora 400, Elise S1, Elise S1 111s, Evora GT410 Sport Evora NA For forum issues, please contact the Moderators. I will aim to respond to emails/PM's Mon-Fri 9-6 GMT. Link to post Share on other sites
molemot 521 Posted September 24, 2014 Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 May I recommend "Google Translate"? This gives the following... relaks, lepak and tidur..............relax, hang out and sleep. kantin and minum teh and makan kuih lapis............canteen and drinking tea and eating layer cake Kok.........coke awek in the kilang they can kongkek.........Girl in the factory they can pay for a f**k Datuk.......Commissioner Pretty insulting stuff......as Bibs said, I don't think they sacked him for working too hard. Quote Scientists investigate that which already is; Engineers create that which has never been." - Albert Einstein Link to post Share on other sites
Mark Blanchard 1,642 Posted September 24, 2014 Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 No mention of the bunker or chemical toilet. How disappointing. Quote Mark www.lotusespritturbo.com Link to post Share on other sites
mdavies 74 Posted September 24, 2014 Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 Thank you John. Yes, Translate is good and somehow I'm not too surprised at what it came up with - had no time just then myself. (And felt it quite wrong to speculate!) But Bibs also, leaving DB out of it - and sure you both far better informed than me re DB's work ethic - I wondered if any with an insight on the working norms of Lotus' purse holders might have a view on the claims. Perhaps entirely scurrilous of course. (I did not endorse them!) But provided the financial backing holds good they should be irrelevant to what happens in Hethel. So on second thoughts, perhaps better to drop the subject! Dodgy ground! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bibs 11,118 Posted September 24, 2014 Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 I doubt they'd be turning over close to £15bn a year if they were all lounging around eating cake and drinking coke all day. Quote 88 Esprit NA, 89 Esprit Turbo SE, Evora, Evora S, Evora IPS, Evora S IPS, Evora S IPS SR, Evora 400, Elise S1, Elise S1 111s, Evora GT410 Sport Evora NA For forum issues, please contact the Moderators. I will aim to respond to emails/PM's Mon-Fri 9-6 GMT. Link to post Share on other sites
Advantage 910 Posted September 24, 2014 Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 How odd. I read the "Kok = coke" as meaning Columbian marching powder. I guess that says more about me than being an accurate representation of boardroom meetings. Possibly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kimbers 1,776 Posted September 25, 2014 Report Share Posted September 25, 2014 Seeing as how he did exactly the same to MJK's Esprit which was further down the line he can't really talk can he!! And he cancelled several perfectly good models that were making money for the company like the 2-11! Quote Possibly save your life. Check out this website.http://everyman-campaign.org/ Distributor for 'Every Male' grooming products. (Discounts for any TLF members hairier than I am!) Link to post Share on other sites
Popular Post TBD 781 Posted September 25, 2014 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted September 25, 2014 Just thinking, maybe we should close this thread and start a new one "Lotus in the JMG era" - in the hope that it will be a long and prosperous one. 3 Quote If you have the choice between a Stairway to Heaven and a Highway to Hell don't forget the Nomex®! Captain, Lotus Airways. We fly lower! Link to post Share on other sites
LotusLeftLotusRight 1,227 Posted September 25, 2014 Report Share Posted September 25, 2014 (edited) I agree. Maybe we should just get over it and consign the DB era to the annals of Lotus' colourful history. Edited September 25, 2014 by LotusLeftLotusRight Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Arregueti 206 Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 Hot off the press! (it reads pretty similar to the previous article on The Telegraph, though) http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=30888 @ Bibs: You may prefer to move it into a new thread, as suggested by TBD. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bibs 11,118 Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 A lot of the quotes I've read before. Not sure they actually did anything but rehash the Telegraph interview. I'm sure a moderator will be along to assist shortly. That's what they're here for Quote 88 Esprit NA, 89 Esprit Turbo SE, Evora, Evora S, Evora IPS, Evora S IPS, Evora S IPS SR, Evora 400, Elise S1, Elise S1 111s, Evora GT410 Sport Evora NA For forum issues, please contact the Moderators. I will aim to respond to emails/PM's Mon-Fri 9-6 GMT. Link to post Share on other sites
hedgerley 440 Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 Whatever happened to his old pearl white V8? This caused me to reflect on the reaction this Esprit had on the crowds at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2011. Speaking to Graeme Robertson on the day he said they had people enquiring as to when this new Lotus would be hitting the showrooms and how much would it be as they wanted to put their names down for it! The 'new' Esprit was displayed on a plinth at the back of the stand - its product manager (ex-Rolls Royce) wasn't too chuffed.... It really brought home how 'right' the Esprit was in all its various iterations and how well it has stood the test of time. Although other models have sold in far greater numbers, its hard to imagine any new Lotus achieving and maintaining such iconic status. But I sincerely hope JMG gives it a go.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Knightewolfe 3 Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 Hot off the press! (it reads pretty similar to the previous article on The Telegraph, though) http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=30888 @ Bibs: You may prefer to move it into a new thread, as suggested by TBD. Did I read the last part of that article correctly? Lotus hasn't left the US and is contemplating a convertible Evora S for 2016??? OH HAPPY DAY!!!! Of course, I still won't be able to afford it but I can dream!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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