Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar signs new four-year contract

Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar signs new four-year contract

The word is out that Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus, has signed a fresh four-year contract following a meeting with parent company Proton last week. His original contract was due to expire next year. “The Proton dedication to our plans has always been solid, and the decision to extend my contract a year early is a signal of that commitment,” Bahar said.

The ex-Ferrari man came into Lotus back in October 2009. He then formulated an ambitious five-year business plan that was unveiled for the world to see at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. At the French capital, Lotus brought out a full range of sports cars that it will use to challenge the likes of Porsche. Besides the fantastic five, which ranged from the next Elise to a Aston Rapide style four-door, Lotus also has plans for a small city car called Ethos.

Of the lot, the first on the scene will be the new Esprit in 2013. Lotus is also planning to develop its own V6 and V8 engines for its future range.

To support the road car grand plans, Group Lotus is putting motorsports and racing heritage as a main pillar. This has seen it got into Formula 1 as a sponsor to Renault. The team will race next year as Lotus after a long battle with Tony Fernandes’ Team Lotus. The company also returned to Le Mans and is involved in IndyCar in America.

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • drMpower on Dec 13, 2011 at 8:08 am

    dany must generate money for lotus.
    thats one simplest conclusion i can come up with.

    the new v8 or v6 whatever, that city car, he must come up with profits

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  • Something is wrong and unfair here.

    Protongkat willing to waste silly money for Lotus great concept designs but for own local design it’s still 1980s crap.

    Or Malaysian still stuck to colonial mentality: serve the best for mat salleh, but kampong folks peduli apa lah.

    Not enough with Lotus, Protongkat have to waste more money also on Cronies overpriced faulty parts suppliers.

    Kroni Mamak + Lotus = Bankrap lah Protongkat!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Nizam80 on Dec 13, 2011 at 1:08 pm

      You seem to like tongkat very much.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
    • akupunya on Dec 13, 2011 at 1:27 pm

      agree some statement with you.
      proton design are very bad either exterior or interior.
      and very bad, proton want to lool like their car as lotus car, but it just like a gorilla wearing bikini.

      come on la proton, how long you want to wait to be a great car manfacturer.
      the mpv exora was named based on lotus brand.
      the aircond vent in saga and the dashboard all that are based on lotus.
      no identity. so what the engineer in proton did?
      no fresh idea?
      or bcz there are a lot ‘orang tua’ dlm proton. so that the new idea was fully rejected.
      proton better reject the old man who cannot accept refreshment.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Even they hire young man,they still cant design a good looking and standard car that’s the problems! just like Korexn Hyundxi and Kxa…their designers are from Germany…

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    • mizzuddin945 on Dec 13, 2011 at 5:48 pm

      i don’t know what to say with these…

      just feel free to visit this link =) and hope u guys do read all of the comments… might be off topic

      http://malaysianbikers.com.my/forum/index.php/topic,68015.0.html

      i do hate cronyism and racist practice of the current federal government so much… even though i am a Malay… and of course i do hate the evil Mahat*ir kutty so much too!!!

      to ExpatriateVN, ajaw, alfie60 and the likes… i know u hate the same… but let us just don’t drag the honest Proton personnels too… and i believe many do aware… so… why keep battering people with bad thoughts? it will never bring any goods… and it somehow shows that we are no different than the thing we hate!

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  • bahar on Dec 13, 2011 at 8:48 am

    Lotus is just a playground for Bahar. Burn money only.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • ignoramus on Dec 13, 2011 at 9:38 am

    Brilliant. Bahar’s juicy gravy train continues for another 4 years. Is the ambitious 5 year plan still on track? I think they’re already in their 2nd year

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Lotus Esprit Turbo on Dec 13, 2011 at 9:39 am

    Lotus is a dead brand lah. It died in the 80s with the very best of its icon, the Lotus Esprit Turbo. Nowdays, nobody in Europe or the world talk about Lotus ever since a Malaysian company bought it. Only Malaysians talk about Lotus and try to syok sendiri. Proton fans try to beat the drums creating hype but trust me, globally, it is nothing but a dead brand. It maybe revived with the new range and it may have a few sales, but generally, the brand is completely gone. Globally everybody knows the substandard quality of Proton. In UK, Proton is a big joke and is considered a high risk car. In Australia, Proton completely failed all their quality and safety and is labelled “the worst car ever” and is considered the highest risk.

    You may say Proton and Lotus are different companies, but get real. They are one. After a while, Proton mentality will trickle down to the Lotus factory in the UK encouraging low quality parts and cronysim. Eventually, only crony part manufacturers will be allowed to supply parts to Lotus. You may put a great CEO like Danny in the system but he has no say in crony politics. If some Datuk or Tan Sri got a company who supplies, say, substandard power assisted power steerings, it will somehow find its way into the Lotus car. It may even go to the extent of being imported into the UK from Malaysia. That is the reality of how Malaysia works.

    You may lie to yourself that you are patriotic but ask yourself this, do you buy Bata or Power shoes or do you buy Nike or Adidas shoes when you go to the shop to buy your shoes?

    Do you buy Pensonic or Khind aircons or do you buy Panasonic or Carrier for your home?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • DewaSemut on Dec 13, 2011 at 11:21 am

      Erm… though many thought that Bata/ Power is a Malaysian, home grown products… but no…

      Bata is actually not a Malaysian company… it was founded in Czech Republic in 1894 and only come here in 1930’s. This is Bata’s marketing strategy of localisation of products, it wanted the brand to be synonym with the market it enters into, until the ppl believe its a home grown shoes.

      Hush Puppies brand is also under Bata Group, actually…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • patriot on Dec 13, 2011 at 1:21 pm

      Agree. Only the mamak says Lotus is not a dead brand.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • drMpower on Dec 13, 2011 at 2:38 pm

      i bought adidas. and honda and american and italian
      but then i simply shut my mouth up
      and with those taxes i paid for the goods
      i take them as my own contribution to my good country

      thats the biggest difference between me and u boy

      about lotus and power steering blah blah blah
      what u are on about? did that guy buying u lunch put tar or something that u sounded like half brained?
      and proton n lotus is one company? so now perodua IS toyota? or better still, perodua IS lexus?
      damn prostitution does really affected u. stop taking those blue pills. i know its 5 inch but come on there must be someone outthere satisfied with 5 inchers people

      have u ever try one method of knowing more about things out there?
      u know like ‘how to differentiate companies’ or whatever?
      i got one for u
      its called, ‘READING’

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Joseph Matthews on Dec 15, 2011 at 3:36 pm

        Mate, you need to learn to write proper English. Its called ‘WRITING’. Where did you study? Uitm?

        You seem to talk so much but you cannot even speak proper English. So disgraceful.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Kiddo on Dec 13, 2011 at 5:31 pm

      Lotus was dead, true, but now, people inside Lotus are trying to bring it back to life. So why are you being so skeptical and judge it to be a failure even before the result can be seen? Why not save it until the 5-year revival plan ends and see how it goes? Or you’re just simply a Proton-and-whatever-that’s-related-to-it basher who just loves to see Proton/Lotus fails?

      And yea, I do buy Panasonic, Nike, but I also buy Pensonic and Khind, and also Sembonia. So i support whichever that i feel is good, not simply based on brand bias. And mind you, Bata is not Malaysian, it’s Canadian.

      And about the crappy QC thingy, you probably haven’t read enough to know that Lotus has actually hired everyone in Porsche’s QC department to improve the QC. Take the Evora S as an example, it has more than 100 improved details.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • akupunya on Dec 14, 2011 at 12:11 pm

        buying a dying brand is good for business.
        but we need a proper plan and vision to make it come back into the market.
        it really not a mistake to buy a dying brand, but the mistake is if we still make it die earlier.

        i support proton buy lotus, but in the same time, use the advatages from lotus for proton and enhance lotus ability to compete with ferrari.

        If proton has big enough money, they should create another new brand to compete with luxury sedan level car to compete with bmw and mercedes.

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    • steam_man on Dec 13, 2011 at 9:53 pm

      get a life boy.

      your father and mother’s EPF money is in proton. you better pray, than curse.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Japster on Dec 13, 2011 at 9:52 am

    oh brilliant the guy who once said he is not a car person and who is also destroying lotus gets an extension? great.

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  • Yappun on Dec 13, 2011 at 10:02 am

    Why renew? Proton should sell-off Lotus for good! Anything good for Proton having Lotus on board? If current management can’t…fine..Let DRB or whoever the stake holder do it please. But pleaseee….don’t sell it at 1 Euro…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Lotus Engineering is a useful asset for Proton. It’s the bit thats doing well under Group Lotus. Lotus Cars on the other hand is a lost cause. Group Lotus does make Proton look pretty in the global market place. Unfortunately for donkey years Proton has had no understanding of how to make use of Lotus Cars and make it profitable. They even thought they acquired Team Lotus back in 1996 which they later discovered, they did not. Well the again Proton can’t even run their own business effectively so how are we to expect them to know how to run Group Lotus properly.

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  • Bahar is such a douchebag
    http://jalopnik.com/5693756/lotus-wants-to-build-fatter-cars

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  • Black Dog on Dec 13, 2011 at 2:04 pm

    This renewal is a pre-emptive move. His term only expires next year. It shows how crooked Protong CEO Syed Tahir is to protect whatever (either his pocket or whatever only he thinks is right) before DRB-HICOM takes over.

    Just leave it to the new management to decide the next course of action. If you’re so good, Protong wouldn’t be selling anyway. As reported, Khazanah is tired of dumping money into the company every year!

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  • GT Fan on Dec 13, 2011 at 2:24 pm

    Can you see the lotus in this video?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFLjk88HBwg

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  • Expatriate VN on Dec 13, 2011 at 2:25 pm

    The P1 act as “gravy train” continue to feed this Lo-bust to the last drop of milk! Pathetic, what P1 can gain from this ownership, as what all blind supporters always like to bragging about is the “Lotus handling” in shitty jaguh kampung cars!

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  • Wheeler on Dec 13, 2011 at 2:45 pm

    The one thing Proton must work hard is to sell more Lotus’s. there’s something wrong with the brand. It’s got great cars which dont sell!

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  • SeriuossSAM on Dec 13, 2011 at 3:28 pm

    gomen just get ready lah to bail this PROTON in 4 years time due to their blindly pouring so much dough into Lotus oven. They better make sure the dough is turning into nice puffy bread or else in 4 years time what they’ll produce is just another over burned turkish bread.

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  • DewaSemut on Dec 13, 2011 at 5:54 pm

    Proton have given so much to Lotus… it’s high time for Lotus to “balas jasa” its parent from now on. “Ride and handling” is not enough.
    First step… brilliant design for future Proton (global) cars line-up, please!!!
    2nd step… new engine to replace Campro

    and so on, so on….

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  • once proton raised debt to fund lotus’ 5 year plan, then basically it is already a given that danny bahar is to lead the turnaround, thus his extension.

    now it is the responsibility of the board of group lotus to ensure the ceo and his team delivers….hopefully mr chairman of the board and his members understand this and not treat their own respective tenures as plum postings and personal expense accounts (lots of chairmen seems to settle into that role!!)

    jangan nak glamour saja!

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  • makeitmine on Dec 13, 2011 at 7:48 pm

    This is a smart move by Proton management to extend the services of Dany Bahar before his term expires. Certain milestones must have been achieved to convince the management to make such a decision. This move will also raise the confidence level of Lotus.

    Now Dany cannot run away but must commit Lotus to its turnaround plan. Should Dany fails, then his services can be terminated. It’s do or die for Dany.

    Under Dany leadership, Lotus Evora 2011 is a top 10 car and Lotus Espirit is best concept car of 2011. Cheers!

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    • Yappun on Dec 14, 2011 at 11:44 am

      Wah laaau…you sure working in Proton. Applied to be transfered to Lotus but company not allowed….choooyy!!

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  • Ferrando Mateau on Dec 13, 2011 at 8:35 pm

    In case Proton had forgotten, I would like to remind them what CEO Kimberly said back in 2009 to Autocar magazine –

    “The Evora is the first part of our three-car, five-year grand plan,” explained Kimberley. “That plan will be complete in 2011, by which time we’ll have three platform families, and not only this Evora but also a new mid-engined flagship supercar to go with it.

    So going by this, Bahar’s is Lotus’ 2nd grand 5 year plan. Hope they won’t come up with another 5 year plan to continue to screw Proton – and apparently Malaysian – money to fill up their big bellies..

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  • alfie60 on Dec 13, 2011 at 10:10 pm

    Any business if you have limitless funds will eventually succeed. The issue here at what thrash hole do we get cold feet to decide to pump in more or exit out.

    Lotus is a niche brand and never a mass producer of cars. What it had was its racing legacy and over time other car brand surpasses its record.

    Just because we believe in our ‘Malaysia Boleh’ spirit,it doesnt mean that our Lotus venture will succeed. Just like Lotus history we too use to be badminton Thomas CUP champion but now no more unlike the 60’s and 70’s era.

    When you have a bunch of wankers running Proton and the same shitty vendors supplying parts for 25 years the stigma globally will be that its a SHITTY brand. Proton owning a renown brand like Lotus doesnt change people perception except the government of Malaysia is foolish enough to pump in heaps of money for the sake to prove to the world that Proton is not a failure nor Lotus, of cause at our expense.

    So folks be prepare to another 4 years of of overpriced shitty cars thats now is going to come with an unproven Turbocharge engine with unproven performance history , as we must support Proton aspiration to make Lotus a success.

    Start digging deep in your pockets folks the ride is about to start again for another 25 years!!!!

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  • Hot_Hot on Dec 14, 2011 at 12:09 am

    I have seen a Lotus Elise using KONI suspension system,so why proton like lotus ride and handling? they Lotus them self using after market suspension system, this is just crazy

    I dont see beside this technologies Proton have achieve so far since it bought Group Lotus.

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    • its AFTER market, the owner can put anything he wants change the ride/handling balance.

      and the ‘system’ probably has 10-15 components; its the integration that requires a bit more knowledge

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    • ignoramus on Dec 14, 2011 at 10:11 am

      After reading Hot_Hot’s post he doesn’t sound so hot at all. Dude, the only thing on teh suspension that says KONI are the shock absorbers. Do other manufacturers make their own shock absorbers? Ans: NO! KONI supplies oem shockers to many manufacturers including Lamborghini. You ought to understand what oem and what aftermarket is. Manufacturers don’t manufacture their own shockers they have vendors supplying. This is true if you are Mercedes, Audi, BMW etc. anything and everything. The vendors can be KONI, Bilstein, APM etc etc.

      Also just because you buy an aftermarket shocker doesn’t meant you can plonk it right in and drive away. It’s not plug and play. You have to tune it. How good you tune it depends on the knowledge of the tuner REGARDLESS of shocker brand. What do you think Lotus Engineering does for Proton in the ride and handling department? A suspension system is made up of a lot of components including the shockers.

      Here’s another thought.. did you you know that Lotus Engineering gave Nissan input for the tuning of the GT-R? Bet you didn’t know that and a whole lot of other things. Maybe we should swap nick names :)

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  • I always not agree with Lotus strategy. Given that Lotus is not in a big group like VW, they have to act differently.

    Since Lotus is in Proton, it must be an income generator and not just a showcase car like Veyron to VW Group. It must produce volume car. Eg in segment that compete with BMW 3 Series, 5 Series and CLS and BMW X1, X3.

    By producing such exotic car under current strategy, with vague track record of late (as compared to Ferrari), how many Lotus can sell and be profitable???

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  • BMW POWER FOREVER on Dec 14, 2011 at 8:54 pm

    hate this guy

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