Paul Tan on the Automotive Industry
Jinhua Neoplan will be assembling CKD kits of Lotus cars in China, with one of the first cars set to be the Lotus Europa.
Interesting to note that Jinhua Neoplan is part of the Jinhua Group, and it is the division that makes buses with technology from German company Neoplan with an annual production capacity of 2,000 vehicles. A bus company making Lotus sports cars.
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About the Author
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
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no matter who assemble it…either UK or china as long as proton & lotus can survive….actually Europa S is a good car to me….
Good car? Hehe.. think again.. His price range almost the same wif porsche caymen, Bmw Z4.. The car price is cheap in others country..
” A pointless new model. Despite of a new name and the claim of offering GT practicality and comfort, the Europa S is just another version of Elise and Exige, or more accurately, the defunct Opel Speedster. It goes slower and handles poorer than its sisters. In terms of practicality and comfort, it barely improves from its sisters by a whiskey. Still, you will have to climb difficultly into the cockpit. The noise insulation, the seats, the equipment and trimming are nonsense by the standard of grand tourers. How can it compete with Porsche Boxster, Cayman, BMW Z4, Audi TT or Mercedes SLK ?”
http://www.autozine.org/Misc/Award/AutoZine/AutoZine_Awards_06.html
Littlefire85, u still wan2 quote sources that is unreliable?
wats with ppl who quote one damn source n treat it as the only opinion that counts….???….
Cap Ayam Lotus. As long as it is making profit, I’m onto it.
Littlefire’s qoute
“It goes slower and handles poorer than its sisters. In terms of practicality and comfort, it barely improves from its sisters by a whiskey. Still, you will have to climb difficultly into the cockpit. The noise insulation, the seats, the equipment and trimming are nonsense by the standard of grand tourers. How can it compete with Porsche Boxster, Cayman, BMW Z4, Audi TT or Mercedes SLK ?—
—————————————–
Besides, why would anyone want to compare the Europa to the Z4, boxter, TT or SLK in the first place? Buyers of those cars will never even consider the raw edged Lotus. The Europa is only built to a market of Exige and Elise owners that need a softter ride. People dont buy lotuses for comfort nor refinement. They buy them for the pedigree of a track ready car that they can drive on the street.
Lotus cars are special, un-compromised. Make a GT (in the general sense and it has lost its way). Lotuses adds lightness, not weight.
Want a GT? wait for the new Esprit.
To be fair to LittleFire85 that comment he posted seems to sum up every european review I have read of the car – nobody seems to get the point of it. Is was supposed to be a more practical version of a Lotus but, been Elise based, is just as unpractical. It does however suffer in the performance and handling departments compared to the Elise.
If we quote Autocar we get a very similar result.
“But in no way is it an Audi TT rival and for anyone who thinks that the Porsche Cayman could be a difficult car to interact with on a daily basis, the Europa will be hard to comprehend. The cabin is tiny, despite the lower door sills, and skirt-wearers will still consider it a potential pant-flashing zone. Being a Lotus you’d expect it to redress such failings on the road, but it doesn’t. The engine calibration is poor: throttle response is slow, it takes ages to shed revs and it never feels especially fast. The chassis is much better -agile and fun – but along a favourite road the only thing it does better than a base Cayman S is give the drivers wrists a bit more to wriggle with”
“Being a lifelong member of the Colin Chapman fan club, it pains me to say this, but no. The Europa is a car Lotus didn’t need to make, and bar having a slightly more supple ride than an Exige S, the rest of the time, even as an every day car the older car is miles ahead. If you want an Exige with a more supple ride, get an Elise with a hard-top.”
Dont get me wrong, I am Lotus’s biggest fan and an ex-owner of a Mk1 Elise (happy days)
It is also same with Malaysia, Malaysia Truck And Bus assembling Mercedes Benz in Pekan, Pahang.
Lotus can’t make GTs, that’s because they excel so much in track performance
Well, as long as the business that can make profits for Lotus (Proton) why not? We can not just stick or rely on one basic business such as manufacturer and sell cars in local market. We must also need to expand to other countries, meaning international / global markets plus set up assemble plants in other potential countries etc. that can bring more profits.
Why some people always think so negatively when it comes to the topic about Proton or Proton-Lotus?
The Unicons said,
August 14, 2007 @ 9:57 am
Well, as long as the business that can make profits for Lotus (Proton) why not? We can not just stick or rely on one basic business such as manufacturer and sell cars in local market. We must also need to expand to other countries, meaning international / global markets plus set up assemble plants in other potential countries etc. that can bring more profits.
Why some people always think so negatively when it comes to the topic about Proton or Proton-Lotus?
>it just can’t be helped.thats some of the malaysians mentality.always underestimate their own homegrown products.
Is that Gen-2 front lamp follow this one???
The Unicons, being negative and if it is facts, then Proton have to improve it. If it is blind bashing, then ignore it! Simple as that. Every body entitle to opinion, be it +ve or -ve, but shall be a facts!
why not make them in malaysia?
there are lotus fan around the world,
ab said,
why not make them in malaysia?
Hahaha… have you heard sometimes ago when P1 will build sports car with price below 200k… my friend said this one laa…… but when I ask him why. He also no idea… apalaaa….
would it be cheaper ?
they did talk on producing cheaper price LOTUS here..
Last time rumours had it that this was supposed to be Proton’s first ‘supercar’. Thank god they didn’t go ahead with it. I think this car is abit lost in terms of direction, reason for existence, etc.
I’d still take the Lotus Exige or Elise anytime.