Lotus has unveiled its new Exige S model (well, perhaps more accurately a facelift on the current model) at the opening of a new Lotus merchandise store in London, but large uncertainties for the brand remain.
The store opening and Exige S unveil are ostensibly a positive development for the brand after a turbulent period in which its new Malaysian owner, DRB-Hicom, sacked the CEO and froze spending on new product development while it reviews the business plan. An attitude of ‘new realism’ was also suggested by Lotus withdrawing from exhibiting at this year’s Paris Motor Show (Europe’s largest auto show this year, so it’s a big decision).
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However, the presence of a high-powered delegation from DRB-Hicom at the store opening and their meeting with a UK government minister (Vince Cable, business secretary) this week can also be taken as signs of commitment from the new owners.
Lotus said that the Exige S is the centrepiece of the ‘state-of-the-art’ store, which is in a landmark building that once housed the famous Café Royal, just a short distance from Piccadilly Circus in London’s upscale West End district. Besides branded clothing, the store sells scale model Lotus cars for collectors and bespoke bicycles designed by Lotus engineers. The store sounds a little like brand-building largesse (Ferrari does pretty well with brand merchandise, but that’s Ferrari), but it was probably too far down the road for the new owners to can straight away, even if they wanted to. (And, hey, maybe it will be good for the Lotus brand and its many admirers. I, for one, will be sure to check it out soon.)
In a sign of ‘business as usual’ the shop opening and sports car unveiling were described by Lotus as marking ‘a new chapter for both Lotus and its parent company Proton after being taken over by Malaysian conglomerate DRB-Hicom earlier this year’.
We’re still waiting to see a new business plan though. How many new Lotus cars will be in it? Will it herald a return to traditional Lotus values and an end to the ‘British Porsche’ aspirations that were at the heart of Bahar’s plans?
One thing’s for sure, we will be spared any ‘dawn of a new era’-type hyperbole at Paris this year. Non-attendance for Lotus probably makes good sense at this point. It avoids the awkward questions and unfavourable comparisons with Lotus’ presence in Paris two years ago. It was at Paris in 2010 that Dany Bahar astonished journalists as he unveiled the five all-new models that were part of his super-ambitious five-year plan.
The future direction for Lotus ought to be a lot clearer by the time we get to the Geneva Show next March. Expect a regrouped Lotus to be present at that one.
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