Philosophie & Stratégie & Avenir de Lotus

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Une première, D.Bahar reconnait la vente possible de Lotus par Proton ....

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L'accord de vente semble signé pour 410 millions de US$.
Lotus reste en mains malaysiennes, mais passe chez DRB-Hicom, un assembleur sous-license.

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Ah et les ventes suisses de 2011. L'Evora, c'est toujours pas ça ...

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Je doute que les ventes 2012 s'améliorent mais plus surprenant est la stratégie communication adoptée pour la nouvelle Exige V6.

Les premières photos officielles datent de fin aout 2011, la présentation de septembre 2011 et depuis plus rien alors que nous sommes en Janvier 2012. Aucun essai presse, aucune fiche technique officielle hormis les datas consommation. Il aura fallu que je colle sur le net une documentation confidentielle concessionnaire pour que certains sites anglo-saxons la reprenne ! Plus grave, aucun essai presse, même par une prise en main type autocar.co.uk avec la MP4-12C. Lotus aurait pu maintenir le buzz en pompant la communication Mclaren qui distilla sur une année des informations avant les premiers essais. Pour un prétendu « As » du Marketing D.Bahar a tout faux.

Un sentiment bizarre m’assaille, j'ai peur que la nouvelle Exige V6 soit démodée avant son premier essai. Même plus impatient d’en savoir plus, un comble. Beaucoup plus intéressé par la nouvelle Elise S alors que ce n'est qu'une "simple" Elise. Je souhaite être le seul à partager ce manque de frustration.

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Très intéressant, l'état Malaisien a vendu sa participation dans Proton, propriétaire de Lotus. (Source Autocar)

The sale of Proton by the Malaysian government "changes nothing" for Lotus, which is owned by the struggling carmaker.

An official statement issued by Lotus this morning said: "As far as we are aware, this situation changes nothing for Lotus, Proton's support in our development remains very strong and our focus, as always, is on the delivery of the business plan."

Malaysia’s state-owned investment firm yesterday sold its stake in Proton in a deal worth $410m.

Khazanah Nasional sold its 42.7 per cent stake in Proton Holdings to car distributor and importer DRB-Hicom and expects to complete the deal by the second quarter of the year.

DRB-Hicom builds and distributes Mercedes and Volkswagen models, and has eight assembly plants, four of which are for cars. The deal gives DRB control of two plants in Malaysia with a combined capacity of 350,000 units per year.

Pas dit que le nouveau propriétaire souhaite continuer l'aventure Lotus .....

[_nicolas]

Viens de terminer le compte-rendu de la journée qu'Harry Metcalfe a passée avec Bahar. Apparemment le jeune homme a très impressionné.

Moi ce qui m'impressionne, c'est le luxe déployé avant même que les pépètes ne se mettent véritablement à rentrer. Investir soit, mais là...

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L'est ou la vidéo?

Aussi vous avez lu qui est le nouveau propriétaire de Proton?

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L'est ou la vidéo ?

Nico fait référence à l'édition Anglaise d'EVO consacrée grandement à Lotus.

Lotus Special
It’s over a year since the Lotus revolution began. It may seem all supercars and celebrity name-drops nowadays, but it’s still working on its bread and butter: hardcore sports cars. We drive the new V6-equipped Exige, and have an exclusive go in the GT3 RS-chasing Evora GTE. Harry Metcalfe then spends a day with Lotus’s controversial boss, Dany Bahar, and we look at the brand’s ambitious motorsport programme

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DRB-Hicom Is Open to Selling Lotus

KUALA LUMPUR—Malaysian conglomerate DRB-Hicom Bhd. is open to selling Proton Holdings Bhd.'s British sports-car unit, Lotus, as it seeks to turn around the car maker's performance, DRB-Hicom Group Managing Director Mohd. Khamil Jamil said Wednesday.
"Options are open. At this particular moment, I'm open to sell or not to sell Lotus," Mr. Mohd. Khamil said at a news conference.
DRB-Hicom said Monday that it agreed to buy a 42.74% stake in Proton Holdings for 1.291 billion ringgit ($413.1 million), after it won the bidding to gain control of the Southeast Asian nation's second-biggest car maker by volume, after privately held Perodua.
DRB-Hicom, owned by Malaysian billionaire Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, will pay 5.50 ringgit a share to state investment firm Khazanah Nasional Bhd. for the stake, and will make a general offer for the remaining shares at the same price.
Proton Holdings has been suffering financially over the past few quarters, primarily because of higher expenses at Lotus. The company has been restructuring operations at Lotus Group International Ltd. and spending heavily on branding to improve performance at the British car maker. Proton Holdings' net profit for the second-quarter ended Sept. 30 declined 76% from a year earlier to 15.6 million ringgit.
Mr. Mohd. Khamil also said the company was in "exploratory" talks with its foreign partners over a possible collaboration involving Proton Holdings.
DRB-Hicom, an automobile, financial-services and construction company, has a partnership with Volkswagen AG and assembles and distributes vehicles for Volkswagen, Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz, Honda Motor Co., Isuzu Motors Ltd. and Suzuki Motor Corp.
"In terms of foreign partners, I've opened up my options to collaborations, joint ventures and technical assistance with all my partners," he said.
Analysts have said the best way for Proton Holdings to deliver consistent profits would be a partnership with a global original equipment manufacturer, as that would help the company gain local market share and possibly expand its presence in regional markets.
Mr. Mohd. Khamil also said DRB-Hicom intends to keep Proton Holdings privately held once its buyout of the auto maker is successful. "I don't sell companies and it's not in my plans to dispose any equities shareholdings in Proton. On paper right now, our plan is to take the company private," he said.
DRB-Hicom on Tuesday bought an additional 7.3% stake in the national car maker via the open market at prices ranging between 5.40 ringgit and 5.47 ringgit a share, according to a DRB-Hicom stock exchange filing.

Pas certain que ce communiqué rassure tout prospect prêt à signer un chèque pour s'offrir un modèle de la marque, en ce qui me concerne, la réponse est négative ça tombe bien, je ne suis pas prêt de racheter une Lotus

Serais curieux de connaitre qui de sérieux pourrait racheter un constructeur de sportives à la production agricole en pleine crise économique mondiale ITV rapporte que la marque sera conservée si la viabilité du business plan est prouvée.

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Enjoy .....

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D. Bahar cherche à racheter la marque ..... (Autocar)

Lotus chief executive Dany Bahar is looking for financial partners in order to buy the British sports car maker from current owners Proton, according to a report in yesterday’s Sunday Times. Proton has had control of Lotus since 1996.

The Times’ report suggested that Bahar wants a partner with ability to fund Lotus’s future model plans to the tune of £500m.

However, according to the report, the loss-making sports car maker is also being stalked by Genii Capital, which already owns the Lotus F1 team. Genii is said to have been examining the Lotus business for some time and is ‘close to completing due diligence’.

If true, both potential buyers are positioning themselves for a possible Lotus sale within the next few months.

In December last year, Proton was sold to DRB-Hicom, one of Malaysia’s largest corporations, which builds and distributing vehicles, as well as building cars under licence for Honda.

Agency reports from Malaysia in the middle of January quoted Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil, managing director of DRB-HICOM, as saying that his company would have ‘to sit down and look at all the plans and operations of Lotus’ before deciding to whether to ‘sell or stick with’ Lotus.

‘I need to sit down with the management of Lotus and Proton to see whether the plans are workable as soon as possible’ Khamil Jamil is quoted as telling the Malaysian press.

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Intéressant article, les nouveaux propriétaires de Proton calment le jeu. Ils évaluent les chances du plan Bahar avant toute décision hâtive. Il semble clair que leur priorité reste la marque Proton, Lotus n'est qu'un bonus mais hors de question de remettre la main à la poche sans garantie de succès ..... Difficile de croire qu'ils abonderont l'enveloppe nécessaire au plan de Bahar.

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Pour tout savoir de l'actualité WEB Lotus, un petit site fort sympathique.

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La méthode Lotus pour se départir de l'hiver.

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Group Lotus signe un partenariat avec une Boite de Services, OCS, de ce que je comprends spécialisée majoritairement dans les immobilisations et tâches de gestion récurrentes. Surement un bon moyen de réduire la facture d'un fournisseur de la marque ....