Fernandes to buy Caterham & rebrand Team Lotus?

[marcush.]

The comparison is valid and necessary in my view.Porsche Motorsport is aiming right at the amateur motorsport business and they build street legal cars based on the very same cars.
Caterham has to create more turnover.
the amateur racing niche has to be something not expanding at a huge rate...you will find some new business in asia and far east but the main markets seem well saturated todays.
So to attarct more buyers you need to raise your game..lowering prices considerably -wich is not leading anywere or robbing tgher competitors of their clients by offering a amore attarctive proposition.And then you need to compare with those.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

I disagree marcush,

Because a 35k R300 is firstly cheaper to buy than a 100k Porsche GT3, it's also easier and cheaper to maintain and is probably quicker where it matters too. It's like comparing a C-Class mercedes with an S-Class. They are luxury cars, but at different ends of the spectrum to each other. Porsche aren't worried about Caterham and vice versa.

What you need to understand here is this company builds cars in sheds with a bloke called Dave screwing them together. With Fernandes in charge, this will change gradually as he wants a platform to enter lucrative Asian markets.
Caterham is a minnow, but it has potential to fill the void now Lotus appear to have lost the plot and gone Porsche and Ferrari hunting.

Anyone saying it signals trouble, doesn't know how Caterham were teetering on the brink for ages.

[xpensive]

Things are all over JET, Gascoyne to Williams, now!

[CHT]

I disagree marcush,

Because a 35k R300 is firstly cheaper to buy than a 100k Porsche GT3, it's also easier and cheaper to maintain and is probably quicker where it matters too. It's like comparing a C-Class mercedes with an S-Class. They are luxury cars, but at different ends of the spectrum to each other. Porsche aren't worried about Caterham and vice versa.

What you need to understand here is this company builds cars in sheds with a bloke called Dave screwing them together. With Fernandes in charge, this will change gradually as he wants a platform to enter lucrative Asian markets.
Caterham is a minnow, but it has potential to fill the void now Lotus appear to have lost the plot and gone Porsche and Ferrari hunting.

Anyone saying it signals trouble, doesn't know how Caterham were teetering on the brink for ages.

Asian market is a lot more sophisticated than what you think. The rich Asians like cars which are expensive, loud and exclusive.

Being cheap and quick like Caterham just wont cut it in Asia.

[feynman]

Can I just quickly check, is this in an official capacity that you are speaking for all Asians? Did all Asians have a meeting and decide what car they wanted?

The point of a free-market is its diversity
You are saying that everyone that wants a sports car automatically has 150 to 300 grand spare? And of everyone that doesn't have that kind of money, none want a sports car. I don't think that sounds correct.

So yes, exactly, 'the Asian market is a lot more sophisticated than what you think', couldn't have said it better myself, and if Fernandes and Ali can walk the talk, and successfully bring new, exciting, products to a very specific sector of that market, an expanding and increasingly affluent and prosperous middle sector, with a little extra discretionary income to spend on toys, then the company easily stands a reasonable chance of doing quite well for itself.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Beat me too it Feynman.

In the end, Fernandes is putting his money where his mouth is. I don't see what the negativity is all about as Caterham are better off now than they were just 2 weeks ago.

[CHT]

Can I just quickly check, is this in an official capacity that you are speaking for all Asians? Did all Asians have a meeting and decide what car they wanted?

The point of a free-market is its diversity
You are saying that everyone that wants a sports car automatically has 150 to 300 grand spare? And of everyone that doesn't have that kind of money, none want a sports car. I don't think that sounds correct.

So yes, exactly, 'the Asian market is a lot more sophisticated than what you think', couldn't have said it better myself, and if Fernandes and Ali can walk the talk, and successfully bring new, exciting, products to a very specific sector of that market, an expanding and increasingly affluent and prosperous middle sector, with a little extra discretionary income to spend on toys, then the company easily stands a reasonable chance of doing quite well for itself.

Cant really speak for all Asian, but as someone who have been living in Asia for the past 40 years, all I can say is that the Chinese doesnt believe in cheap track cars like Caterham (I dont think you could really call it a sports car in asia). If there is really a market for cheap track car, I can bet you that the Chinese or Indians will make them faster and cheaper.

I am not saying they Caterham wont be able to sell a few here and there, but I just dont see how Asia will suddenly become lucrative market for caterham just because there is Team Lotus name to it.

Just did a quick check on Caterham website and apparently in Asia they only have distributor in Japan and Thailand. What happen to India and China?

[gibells]

Leaving aside whatever Fernandes's reason's behind purchasing Caterham were, I think Caterham need a more modern product running alongside the 7. And believe it or not, what has always attracted me to the Caterham has always been being able to put those last few things on the car and show it off as your own handiwork. So a self-assembled Elise would have been perfect. But that door has been closed. I believe what they should do now is seek the attentions of Gordon Murray Designs. He came up with the Rocket, which for me is exactly what a 21st Century 7 should be. A self assembled Rocket or Ariel type product (possibly slightly less extreme and more Elise like) able to accomodate a 600cc or 1000cc motorcyle engine would be perfect.

[xpensive]

Ridicilous, Fernandes is jus preparing to get out.

[Pandamasque]

Here's a good interview that RLM guys did during the press launch thing.
http://audio.mpix.org.uk/specials/2011/ ... _lotus.mp3

Apparently Caterham tried to buy the Elise design from Group Lotus earlier. Looks like they plan to expand in that direction.

[FW17]

We hear that the two Lotus parties have now reached an agreement and next season Team Lotus will become Team Caterham AirAsia and will remove the CABC logos from the cars in the next few days. This will open the way for Renault F1 to change its name to Lotus of some kind and is the first step towards allowing the team to change the chassis name from Renault to Lotus.

Official confirmation of this is expected shortly.

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/08/ ... and-lotus/
Joe Saward

I liked Team Lotus under Tony. Sad it is comming to an end.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Brings an end to a messy saga.

Good opportunity for caterham now. Be interesting to know what model plans they have for the next few years.

[dren]

Yeah, I figured Fernandes would drop the Lotus name and stick with Caterham. It didn't make sense to have both. Wish Tony could have kept Lotus though.

[marcush.]

I think it´s disappointing in a sense,but Fernandes got a lot in return in other areas..maybe the idea is to wait for Bahar putting the whole lotus mess into the wall and pick up the pieces later on for the equivalent of one euro?
Nice thought.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

It would be a fantastic "told you so" moment.

With Enii capital still being the defacto owners of LRGP, I think it a matter of time before they call it a day and realise you don't make money out of owning an F1 team.

I think any investment group in F1 has to ring alarm bells for team members. Is their purpose to invest and spend to get the team forward? Or bide their time and sell it on for profit?

I would say the latter.