New Lotus CEO Targeting Ferrari

But first, Proton needs to improve on the model line-ups with better build quality, reliability and commitment to fight with the other carmakers and not just in their home markets. more importantly they need to collaborate with another carmaker in order for proton or lotus to be competitive. both of the car companies are bleeding in profits and proton exists because of national agenda with some 300% tax for imported car. soon proton and lotus will be owned by the korean or the chinese.

Would love to see a 3.0L bi-turbo mid-engine Elise of comparison to a Ferrari.

They need to make their own engines to compete against ferrari. I hope they will. They also should stay real british and stick to their lightweight philosophy.

Maybe they can use some trickle-down formula 1 technology like ferrari does for their engines, provided of course that Lotus actually does enter F1 as previous stories suggest. They sure as hell ain't gonna compete with Ferrari using the fire breathing engines from the Toyota's tree-huggin' narcolepsy inducing range of politically correct-mobiles. Off topic; Imagine if agent 007 was Malaysian... "The name is Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir Bond; James Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir Bond."

What? Stay British? The company is owned by a Malaysian company using Japaneese engines. Toyota does produce some really good engines (look at the upcoming LF-A). What British company (owned in Britain) produces British engines? Does Rover still exisit? I guess you do have TVR, oh wait, they're owned by the Russians. What about Cosworth? Or are they owned by Ford (an American company). Rolls Royce - German, Bently - German, Mini - German, Jaguar - American, Vaxhaul - American, MG - ? Is there really a Britich car company? I would love to see Lotus expand and produce it's own engines but they wouldn't be British, they'd be Malaysian.

I think its been mentioned. Proton needs to improve on their own cars first before spending money that they don't have on Lotus. Whatever they do, the company is in trouble. The only reason Proton are still around is because of the ludacris 300% import Tax.

I hate to break it to Datuk but it won't happen, Ferrari is at the pinnacle of their game when Lotus can't even create good interiors, let alone create their own engines. Even McLaren hasn't proven itself in its new market, Proton couldn't with Lambo and neither will they with Lotus.

lotus/proton cant afford to make there own engines and even if they try to it has to be top notch competeing with ferraris lambos audis bmws and merc. i like how they have the toyota engine especially how the world is taking its toll and us and the eviroment... think aout 300% tax for proton vehicle no wonder the eurpean market dosent buy them! i remeber when they came out with Wira Proton 2 door hatchback that was suppose to a rally bread car... it look like nice ut lack perfomance big times lotus/proton got to stick to what they got in the mean time anyways unless some rich billionaire buys them (like so happen with TVR) i say stick to the toyota engine and keep making that agile looking fast track hardcore lotus that we all know and love... well i love it dunno bout the rest of the world

proton is full of idio*s

Tall order, but not impossible. At least it shows ambition from the Lotus boss, but quite how they are going to achieve Ferarri brand association remains to be seen. People have nearly forgotten McLaren exists before a new one pops up looking unlike an evolution of the original. Lotus spent years remixing the Elise album with Toyota soundtrack and now they want to break into Ferarri territory? They posted profits this recession year (unlike many car firms, but where did the money go? Start with the interior fit and finish and the Evora misses the mark by a long shot and the price? Exactly!