Spinney Posted June 6, 2018 Report Share Posted June 6, 2018 I was talking to a friend of my son last week and he was telling me about an old friend of his in Holland who produces carbon fibre wheels for high performance cars. https://www.geric.eu/product/wheel-center-designs My sons pal was about to order some for his Cayman S and I must say they do look interesting. I don't know the price but I imagine they will be horrifically expensive and you certainly wouldn't want to kerb them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM Dan E Posted June 6, 2018 Gold FFM Report Share Posted June 6, 2018 9 hours ago, Bibs said: I had a call from JMG yesterday (from his office, he was still there!) and he explained that the new CEO is ideally suited to taking Lotus forwards from this point. With his strong R&D background and intimate knowledge and experience of Geely, he's the right person for the role. JMG has spoken with staff and made it clear that the turnaround the company has seen in the past 4 years is a team effort and everyone who works there has been involved is this, it's their work that has made the company what and where it is right now. When he took over, the company posted a £60m loss on an £80m turnover and he leaves the CEO position with turnover up to £100m and a 8 figure profit (before charges etc) and a positive cashflow, the company pays for itself. While staff were down to 800 in order to save money initially, they're now back up to 1,000 with another 100 staff required by the end of this year. Lotus was in a very perilous financial position when he started, cuts did have to be made for Lotus to survive that period. JMG still be staying on (expected 1 day/month) is his role as Chief Strategic Advisor to the Chairman, he still has his company email/phone etc. He's been very keen to let the new boss understand that everything they do must focus on 'Lightweight, handling and aerodynamics' as the core principals of the cars and in his advisory role will be pushing these principals ongoing. The USA will be a focus for the later part of this year and there are other developments in the pipeline for the existing range (carbon fibre wheels anyone, 8kgs lighter than forged and in-car adjustable 3-way suspension?!). Also, he will also be adding a new Lotus to his own garage shortly, either an Evora GT430 or Exige Sport 410. I've had very regular contact myself with JMG during his time at Lotus and I've enjoyed working with him and the company throughout this time, as I have with previous CEO's. Personally, I thanked him for making sure Lotus is still here and in good financial health and congratulated him on what I believe are some of the finest cars Lotus have ever made now coming out of Hethel. I also thanked him for his faith in TLF and for what he's done for us over the years too. We do get a lot of support (NB never financially, as some people seem to insist on believing) and offer support back which I think is pretty unique and very special for a car club, long may this relationship continue. Sorry Bibs that was meant to be a like 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibs Posted June 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2018 I did wonder what was funny! Click it again if you like, you can change your reaction to the post! 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 comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post pharriso Posted June 7, 2018 Popular Post Report Share Posted June 7, 2018 On 04/06/2018 at 08:50, Parramint said: Gales told Autocar that he was leaving for "personal reasons" and that it was "time to move on". He departs his job today and described it as "a very emotional day", adding: "Lotus has been in my heart for 50 years." ’in my heart for 50 years’....what a joke, it’s been in his heart for 4 years, every time the cheque hit his account. Thank goodness someone has closed his toy box, as told to me by a Lotus engineer a few months ago. Lotus was in my heart for over 55 years and he ripped it out after five minutes...... Richard, I know you are heavily vested personally in Lotus & saw a lot of actions that you didn't like. ... particularly things like closing Motorsport, losing the Beckers... Step back a bit & look at the state of Lotus when JMG took over, if things had continued the way Dannyboy had them set there would be no Lotus at all today. The ship is stable, time for a new product strategy with more than limited editions in it. I wish JMG well & thank him for saving my passion - Lotus Cars. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM Popular Post Sizona Posted June 7, 2018 Gold FFM Popular Post Report Share Posted June 7, 2018 Was outside the white office building in the car park at the factory with my 430 this morning, 3 guys wander over (who I deemed to be Chinese) Very casual dressed, they looked around the car a bit. I thought I'd be polite, said hello and shook hands all round, no English was spoken by them as pretty brief. Turns out one of them was our new CEO! Nice to see big interest in the car was shown 😀 Looked very busy around office areas, lots going on. Nice 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LotusLeftLotusRight Posted June 7, 2018 Report Share Posted June 7, 2018 5 hours ago, Sizona said: Was outside the white office building in the car park at the factory with my 430 this morning, 3 guys wander over (who I deemed to be Chinese). no English was spoken by them as pretty brief. Turns out one of them was our new CEO! So how are they going to communicate with the motoring press, if they can’t even speak to a valuable repeat customer parked right outside their office? I doubt Bib’s phone will be ringing any time soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NedaSay Posted June 8, 2018 Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 Lotus has a marketing and PR dept don't they? They'll do it. JMG had his skillset and now Lotus will have to compose with a CEO who may have a different skillset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bosshog Posted June 8, 2018 Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 I'm pretty sure Lotus doesn't have a pr or marketing department at the moment. Hopefully they will create one to launch the next generation of vehicles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarrylV8 Posted June 8, 2018 Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 9 hours ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said: So how are they going to communicate with the motoring press, if they can’t even speak to a valuable repeat customer parked right outside their office? I doubt Bib’s phone will be ringing any time soon! Maybe the motoring press will need to learn Cantonese and Mandarin, however I suspect that the Chinese will speak English for our benefit as we’re too f**king lazy to learn another language and expect the rest of the world to speak English! 2 Quote Darryl & Sue Proud to drive and own since new a true British supercar the Evora GT430 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LotusLeftLotusRight Posted June 8, 2018 Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 I work for a German company and speak German. Just sprechen... As I said on an earlier post, I am concerned that Lotus will drop off the Motoring press radar for some time. There was never any risk of that with JMG at the helm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Bibs Posted June 8, 2018 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 There are 2 very established people in PR, 1 in marketing and a new Sales & Marketing Director starting on Monday. Heads of Brand/Marketing never stayed very long under JMG, the average tenure was incredibly short. I'd imagine they will be bolstering the team now under the new Director as part of this years addition of more staff. 5 1 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 comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramjet Posted June 8, 2018 Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 So what happened to Swizz? Why'd they get rid of him? Though I don't think he ever did anything. 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. For forum issues, please contact one of us Moderators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibs Posted June 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 It's not 2012 anymore is it? 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 comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarrylV8 Posted June 8, 2018 Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 3 hours ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said: I work for a German company and speak German. Just sprechen... As I said on an earlier post, I am concerned that Lotus will drop off the Motoring press radar for some time. There was never any risk of that with JMG at the helm! Good to see a German speaking Brit. Agree when JMG was at the helm Lotus was regularly in the motoring press, although i somehow doubt Lotus will not be in the press with Geely running Group Lotus Quote Darryl & Sue Proud to drive and own since new a true British supercar the Evora GT430 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibs Posted June 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 Volvo don't seem to be afraid of the press, not sure why Lotus would be any different. DRB were a very different kettle of fish, they weren't so good at PR but Geely seem much more clued up. 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 comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NedaSay Posted June 8, 2018 Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 If you look at Geely group of companies at large in the media you'll see that all the higher ups do communicate a lot with the media, Whether, it is Volvo, Lynk Co, Polestar Geely... they talk to the media often, sometimes it is the CEO speaking, sometimes a member of the board or a director of design or another high ranking operative. Lotus will find a way to communicate I'm not worried. The company is back to 1000 strong and there are another 100 coming, amongst all of them I'm pretty sure they have a fair amount of good communicants. They are also looking for a P.A to the new CEO for those interested. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibs Posted June 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 Diane is the CEO's PA and has been in this position for a long time. Well deserved, she's excellent. That role will provide cover for her if she's off on hols! 1 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 comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NedaSay Posted June 8, 2018 Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 Hey Bibs, can you tell us when the skeletal building will be completed and when will they open the new customer experience centre? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete Posted June 9, 2018 Report Share Posted June 9, 2018 There is a last interview with him in this month's Car magazine plus a couple of articles on Loti 2 Quote hindsight: the science that is never wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geartox Posted June 14, 2018 Report Share Posted June 14, 2018 Thought of night, please Mr Feng, can you put an IPS in the Exige 430 ? If you have no real reason to do it, at least do it for me 😁 Quote - https://www.dailymotion.com/tracknsound - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NedaSay Posted June 15, 2018 Report Share Posted June 15, 2018 Wouldn't you rather have a 7 speed DCT?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibs Posted September 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 https://www.am-online.com/independents/news/2018/09/11/alvarez-and-marsal-europe-llp-appointed-administrators-of-jd-classics Oh dear. 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 comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Blanchard Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 Not good. He’s only been there long enough to know where the coffee machine is too, so can’t be blamed. I’d run a mile from that job. Quote Mark www.lotusespritturbo.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffers Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 Was interesting that JD Classics & their driver Chris Ward were totally absent from Goodwood Revival at the weekend. JD Classics have previously been one of the sponsors of the event & regular competitors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LotusLeftLotusRight Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 I wonder if JMG is still waiting for his August payslip from JD Classics? I still can't understand why he went there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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