Currently reading: Lotus reins in ambitions
Plans for five new sports cars are torn up as Group Lotus submits a “much more realistic” proposal

Group Lotus has submitted a new business plan that significantly scales down its previous ambitions under sacked CEO Dany Bahar, according to media reports in Malaysia.

Under Bahar, Lotus planned to launch five all-new sports cars powered by the company’s own engines and gearboxes. But the plan was put on hold when Lotus’s parent company, Proton, was sold to Malaysian automotive investor DRB-Hicom at the start of the year.

DRB-Hicom has now taken over day-to-day running of Lotus following Bahar’s sacking last month, with Aslam Farikullah installed as chief operating officer.

Citing banking sources, the business media in Malaysia claims that a new business plan has been submitted to Lotus’s six main creditors.

Sources describe the plan as “much more realistic” than Bahar’s plan, which was described as “basically unworkable”.

No details have been given of the plan’s contents, and neither Lotus nor DRB-Hicom would comment on the reports.

It’s possible that the new Esprit supercar will survive the axe, given that it was the only one of the new models in development. But it’s unlikely to retain a costly Lotus-developed engine and gearbox.

Launching a new Esprit but scrapping plans for the other four new models would still give Lotus’s recently overhauled range a flagship supercar. It is also a sector in which Lotus has experience — unlike luxury saloons and hybrid GTs, which Bahar’s plan contained.

The first evidence of the scaling back of plans is Lotus’s laying off of 50 contractors, who were understood to be working on new projects rather than existing models.

Mark Tisshaw

mark-tisshaw-autocar
Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

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bnatplay 5 July 2013

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knighttony13 13 September 2012

awww

I think they should keep the old engine. Lotus seems to be a really nice car. They even have free online auto repair manuals that can be found on many sites. Although people are saying that they have made the right decision, I still think that they did not think about this thoroughly. They are taking a lot of risks here and I don't think they can manage to bring  back their decisions once proven wrong.

KenF 11 August 2012

Spending my Euro lotto rollover win

If I had won the recent Euro lotto rollover (£148m) Id have put aside £10m for myself family & friends. The rest I intended to use saving Lotus, straight up. I still will if I ever win.