Elise Production Line Slowdown At Lotus

[Mark H]

Workers at Norfolk car maker Group Lotus are being put on a short term week after a slowdown in demand for the Elise in the United States.

 

Assembly line workers at the Hethel-based firm will still be paid a full week's wages, but required to work fewer hours for a 12 week period.

 

The hours not worked by employees during the slowdown will be banked by the company and staff will then be required to work a longer working week later in the year when demand picks up.

 

Lotus has around 800 workers in its manufacturing division, but has yet to decide which staff will be affected by the new working arrangements.

 

The slowdown, which begins on Monday February 27, will also allow the assembly line to be adjusted to cater for the production of the latest Lotus model, the Europa, which is due to be launched at the Geneva Motor Show at the end of this month.

 

When Lotus launched the Elise in the US in 2004 the company had a large waiting list for the sports car, but orders have fallen over the past year.

 

Lotus spokesman Alistair Florance said: “When we launched the Elise in the US there was a lot of pent up demand for the car and we have satisfied that. We have also been busy stocking our dealers in the US and we now need to scale back what we are producing for a time.

 

“The slowdown will allow us to reconfigure the assembly line for the production of the Europa, which begins in about two months time.

 

“We have been working with our employees about this flexible working arrangement. They will still be paid a full week's wages, but bank hours we do not need and then work extra hours later in the year. It is a sensible arrangement as our cars are to an extent seasonable products with production peaks.

 

“As well as the Europa which we believe will deliver good sales later in the year, we have just been granted the go ahead to enter the Canadian market and that will mean more sales later in the year.”

 

http://business.edp24.co.uk/story.aspx?bra...3A39%3A30%3A700

[bigguss]

This could mean an S1 soon becomes an absolute classic.

 

Lotus have already started to compromise Chapman's 'less is good' philosophy with electric windows and more 'comfort'. What the Americans want , they get.

 

There always was the worry that once the novelty wore off for the fickle Yanks they would demand what they normally aspire to in a car - a mobile bloody home with enough gadgetry to reinact Star Wars.

 

If Lotus do go down this road they risk ( at least here and in Europe ) of removing the rawness of the Elise.......

 

Not that a quiet, soft suspensioned Elise with heated screens, seats and portable telly is that bad, but for those who want the original balls out and raw drive, your options may be numbered soon!

 

Think I'll just go and polish the S1......

[Paul_Con]

Lotus have already started to compromise Chapman's 'less is good' philosophy with electric windows and more 'comfort'. What the Americans want , they get.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

..........and so the S1 v's S2 / Rawness v's A Few Add-Ons debate continues

 

Personally I quite like my Electric Windows and Central Locking thanks.

 

Having owned an S1 it is difficult to argue whether the S2 has moved the game on considerably or not but in order to compete in this day and age companies must adapt to changing environments and consumer demands to survive.

 

If Lotus had stayed true to 'less is good' philosophy as you say and not offered what the market, not just in the US but also in UK, demanded I doubt they would be here today

 

Personally, my feeling is that the Elise and Lotus have not gone soft, they are sticking to the core values that the company was built on by providing a selection of offerings that can meet the requirements of both the mega hardcore and the slightly less hardcore driver who values a few extras to make the car move liveable with on an everyday basis.

 

Off my soap-box now

 

.. that said... the Europa

[PPPMAT]

I still like the europa - in the right circumstances it would be the perfect car. I just don't know what those circumstances are yet

[bigguss]

Yep, wasn't meant as a dig against the S2 and to be fair, I don't know if Lotus WILL do so - just that the fear is they will cater fully to US demands for gadgetry in order to win back customers.

 

The Europa is what I had in mind as the 'compromise start'.

 

I am a little surprised Lotus don't simply offer all the comfort stuff as a la carte optional extras.

 

That would end all debate and allow each to their own and -hopefully - keep prices of the base model competitive.

[chris_h]

but if you go back a long time in lotus history, cars like the europa were what lotus sold.

 

My dads Elan +2 130/5 has a full leather interior, electric windows, wood dash etc.

 

The elise was the first lotus for a long time that was stripped out.

[bigguss]

Fair point. Quite correct.

 

Can't say it doesn't make sense either to adjust to market demands. If winning back the Americans does mean making the Elise or new model more docile, it would be silly not to.

 

There may well be many more Europeans than we care to admit who would gladly lose speed and acceleration and handling for lower sills, electric windows, soundproofing etc etc.

 

It is just that the more polished a new Lotus model becomes, the more early models will appear brutish and raw.

 

For some ( quite a few in reality, I think ) that will be worth paying extra for.

[Bramble111s]

Having got ust to the massive and well padded seats in my Esprit, big boot etc I am enjoying these benefits, central locking also, however I would have another Elise tomorrow, it was such a RAW and AWESOME car! For me the seats in my S1 111s were just too uncomfy, they seemed to be made for 5'8 people and below.

However I sat in a new Probax seats Elise recently and they were just great! I am dreaming of my Exige S or Europa as I write this.. anyone who has issues with their seats I highly recommend changing to new Probax ones, try them and I think you'll see, although the salesman told me some people don't seem to notice?!?! Perhaps its height dependant. It seemed to me that the seat had taller shoulders.....

 

In an ideal world, I'd have the S1 raw car and then some plush family mobile, Jag or Volvo or something... oh and my Esprit of course, for sunday best.

 

PS - I REALLY like the Europa having seen more of it!

[Joff135]

I luv my S1...although a while ago i was getting all excited about getting a S1 Exige instead...but i couldn't find one that i wanted at the time. I am pleased now that i didn't make the change for various reasons...one reason being that i would probably have bust the front splitter on my rather awkward steep driveway!

The S2 has grown on me since i bought my Lotty...but i still prefer my car for the weekend use i have her for. I don't miss electric windows and i don't even use the radio...but i must admit that having to unlock the passenger door from the outside is a bit of a PITA!

[Bramble111s]

EH? presume you are joking? as the pax door can be opened from inside even if locked. Unless you want to get in that way?!? Agree the S2 has grown on me since when I first bought an S1...although I still think the S1 is the classic timeless shape and the S2 will look dated sooner. God knows what the Z4 is gonna look like in 8 years time!

[Joff135]

EH? presume you are joking? as the pax door can be opened from inside even if locked. Unless you want to get in that way?!? Agree the S2 has grown on me since when I first bought an S1...although I still think the S1 is the classic timeless shape and the S2 will look dated sooner. God knows what the Z4 is gonna look like in 8 years time!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Maybe i should have asked someone before? I honestly thought that you could not unlock the passenger door from the inside?! I will have a look next time i get her out the garage...perhaps tomorrow if the suns out?

[gerags]

Maybe i should have asked someone before? I honestly thought that you could not unlock the passenger door from the inside?! I will have a look next time i get her out the garage...perhaps tomorrow if the suns out?       

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You can open the passenger door from the inside, but it doesn't unlock it.

That has to be done from the outside.

 

It saves having to keep walk round the car to let the missus in