Lotus UK sales figures 2018

[IanF]

Exige 102
Elise 75
Evora 70

Rolls Royce sold more Phantoms, Wraiths and Ghosts (individually) than Lotus sold Elise or Evoras; Ouch...

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/feat ... -cars-2018

[Foz]

[Coaster1]

I was browsing autotrader the other day and looking at Elise, and surprised to see some new ones were over £45k, with some as much as £57k

Thanks but no thanks.

[mik]

Equally crazy and tragic.

And whilst it is maintaining residuals on mine, I have no idea what they are doing with their current pricing.

Mine is still FG btw.

[Matty]

I was browsing autotrader the other day and looking at Elise, and surprised to see some new ones were over £45k, with some as much as £57k

I'm a fan of the brand and I can't understand who's buying them either. I mean, I went to Oakmere and looked at the 100k Exiges and Evoras and I can't see where the money goes.

Plus, if you look at the QA of these cars from people over at TLF/SELOC who've bought them, and it's pretty poor. Heck, there's no way I'd have paid £60k for mine and tolerated that level of infotainment and that transmission noise. It's barely acceptable at £25k.

[Coaster1]

Agreed and agreed.

You chaps’ Evoras make sense, as do the £35-50k V6 Exiges. New ones not so much.

Like you I love the brand and want Lotus to succeed, but at £40-110k new, there are a lot of ‘new’, ‘nearly new’ or ‘modern classic’ competitions.

Not that I am, or ever will be, in the market for cars in this bracket.

[Simon]

Just looked at the Lotus website and there's not a 'normal' Elise on there. They start at 220bhp. Has WLTP knocked the normal models on the head for a while?

When the Elise came out in 1996 it was at or around £20k or so. That's about £37k in today's money, give or take. But I see there isn't a model anywhere near that price?

[Foz]

When you look at the components in the expensive exiges you can see where the money is going, more power, better brakes, suspension etc, then the R&D but yes they struggle to be different enough.

Comparing to the likes of Porsche and the 911-GT3 costs is irrelevant as they can amortise so much through normal cars thus making the GT cars appear “cheap” barring the obvious availability constraints.

Lotus can’t hence the prices.

[JLv3.0]

Comparing to the likes of Porsche and the 911-GT3 costs is irrelevant

It's REALLY relevant.

[Richard]

Comparing to the likes of Porsche and the 911-GT3 costs is irrelevant

It's REALLY relevant.

Yep

These cars are surely direct competition. Made for largely the same sort purpose. Bought by largely the same sort of people.

[JLv3.0]

In theory.

In reality, who the actual fuck is going to buy a Lotus over a GT3?

[Richard]

Maybe I already have a lovely big collection of GT3s and fancy something a bit different?

Or maybe I have a penchant for track days AND a big ol’ HARD BREXIT NOW tattoo?

Or maybe....

[JLv3.0]

That's all very nice.

Back in the real world, i.e. this planet - nah.

Plus anyone sporting a HARD BREXIT NOW tattoo is by definition too fucking stupid to afford cars like this

[Foz]

Comparing to the likes of Porsche and the 911-GT3 costs is irrelevant

It's REALLY relevant.

it is of course, what i was trying to explain was the constraints lotus would have in developing the cars, and as a driving device they hold up well, but with a budget of £115k my money wouldn't be going to hethel

[JLv3.0]

I knew what you were getting at mate, and you're dead right. I was just being a dick

[integrale_evo]

Just looked at the Lotus website and there's not a 'normal' Elise on there. They start at 220bhp. Has WLTP knocked the normal models on the head for a while?

When the Elise came out in 1996 it was at or around £20k or so. That's about £37k in today's money, give or take. But I see there isn't a model anywhere near that price?

The s1, and early s2 were the right cars at the right time for the right sort of money. Rover were practically giving away k-series engines, and the whole car was light and basic and cheap, and with that you can expect the quality to be so so.

The trouble came when they started setting their sights too high, needing a more complicated and modern engine to meet emission requirements and allow them to sell worldwide. With that, plus the huge amount invested to try and federalise the Elise for the US, the price increases. As the price increases you need to improve perceived quality to justify it and be compared to mainstream rivals at that price point, which starts becoming a vicious circle.

Would be interesting to see yearly sales from 1996 to present broken into the various markets. I have a funny feeling the number of cars sold overseas haven't come anywhere close to covering the costs involved in getting into those markets.

[Matty]

In theory.

In reality, who the actual fuck is going to buy a Lotus over a GT3?

I'm not even a big fan of modern Porsche, and even I'd buy a Cayman GT4 over the Evora equivalent.

[Maurice]

That's all very nice.

Back in the real world, i.e. this planet - nah.

Plus anyone sporting a HARD BREXIT NOW tattoo is by definition too fucking stupid to afford cars like this

I was really hoping you’d notice and fave my “MAKE BRITAIN BE ABOUT BRITISH” tattoo on Insta as well.

*single tear rolls down cheek*

[JLv3.0]

Tbh I'm a near-constant disappointment.

[Orange Cola]

That’s an interesting point raised about the Elise being £37k in today’s money. That’s squarely into Mustang, TT and Boxster territory these days, pretty sure you could nab a few of those folk into a Lotus if they had car at that price point.