Fernandes to buy Caterham & rebrand Team Lotus?

[i70q7m7ghw]

This is confirmed apparently

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/04/ ... confirmed/

Caterham F1 it is =]

[Scania]

I think it will be "Caterham Team Lotus" at very first time
if they win the "Lotus Name", Caterham would be rename
if they lose, Team Lotus would be rename

[Pandamasque]

What next? Will Group Lotus now revoke Caterham's license to produce the 7?

[N12ck]

they cant, they sold the rights to the lotus 7 designs

[FW17]

so Caterham will become a team sponsor, just as man of tony's other businesses.

[N12ck]

the question is if they become team caterham, will it be green and yellow or orange and white?

[marcush.]

excuse me for my ignorance,but when I last visited CATERHAM it more or less was a bigger garage..what are we talking about in terms of business -is it just to annoy Group Lotus or is Caterham nowadays really producing cars?

[ESPImperium]

Hope they come in Orange/White as the grid is just too dark in colour for my liking, only Hispania, Ferarri and the silver teams show a little colour.

As for Caherham producing propper cars, i actually think this will lead to it. As they, under the old management, have been gearing up to produce a new car that will put their new model right in the Lotus Evora market as well seemingly.

I also think its to annoy Danny Bahar in this battle as well, but also provide a fit and propper get out clause for if (and more likley when now) they get told to give up the Team Lotus name and naming rights.

I dont think they would be called Team AirAsia as theam cannot compete with the same name in F1 and GP2/GP3. Thats why Renault have DAMS and ART, Red Bull will have Carlin and Arden, Virgin have Manor in GP3 and Team Lotus have Team AirAsia.

[marcush.]

uk sales figures of 2010...
Caterham not even listed as manufacturer ...and proton +lotus combined sold 1300cars
I´d think that´s really a BIG business they are fighting ...

albeitz Caterham selling maybe more kits ..even to their sales agencies abroad...at least it was the case some decades ago...but the lotus numbers at sub 600 cars is really not impressive.

[N12ck]

what about this :
http://www.thef1times.com/news/display/03170

[Pandamasque]

what about this :
http://www.thef1times.com/news/display/03170

Sonangolcaterham.com; Sonangolcaterhamf1.com and Sonangolcaterhamteamlotus.com, among others, were registered by Net Names, likely confirming news that Team Lotus will rebrand to include the new title sponsor and the Caterham cars brand in some form or another.

That's may well be a website for a new Sonangol sponsored Caterham racing series. Or just someone cybersquatting.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

From the horses mouth and now all official.
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArtic ... rs/256690/

[xpensive]

What a pathetic circus around a couple of 70s brand names with an overinflated heritage. Does anyone care anyway, soon the Malaysian financers have had their fun and will all move on to other more lucrative activities than spending their money on British garages for building kit-cars.

Caterham-Renault, who cares as long as theuy are at the far end of the grid and never seem to improve either? Mike Gascoyne, just a few years ago you were a most respected Technical director of Renault and Toyota, how did you end up in this mess?

[Just_a_fan]

What a pathetic circus around a couple of 70s brand names with an overinflated heritage.

Well, Lotus are the fourth most successful team in F1 history (based on constructor's titles) so hardly "overinflated". If they were up near the front of the current grids, would you still have the same opinion?

[xpensive]

For an old geezer like me, Ronnie Peterson in a Lotus 72 is as much of a heritage as you can ask for, but I doubt if those years rings much of a bell to those born post-1980? It even seems that Senna in a 97T is forgotten, anyone still remembering the man seems to place him in a red and white car, no?

As for Lotus street cars, kit-cars with doubtful reliability comes to mind. In 1992 I ditched my Porsche 944 turbo for a turbo Esprit, a trade I regret to this day, but I was completely taken by the image. Useless piece of crap outside the parking lot.

It did serve me well in the mistress department though, far better pay-off than with the Porsche I admit.