[robains]

Wow, this thread started in 2005.

Dear Lotus,

1. Figure out how to stay alive
2. Reduce your assembly line costs (unions are consuming you)
3. Improve quality control
4. Post your annual profits/losses
5. Stop using Proton parts (AC comes to mind, cheap plastic pop rivets, press fit threads don't work on thin aluminum -- aka diffuser)
6. Improve customer support
7. Don't apply pixie dust to magically increase spec'd engine's rev limit
8. Address obvious problems (fuel starve) with something more than a better glue

It wouldn't take much to make the Exige S (variants) a reliable car and one worthy of actually surviving the track without modifications. And that doesn't mean huge cost increases either. With proper tuning the car can make optimal power at 7800 you don't need to go beyond that - very cheap fix. Redesign the fuel tank and or put in a surge tank with in the fuel tank - $500 fix. Since the AC doesn't work for more than about 20 minutes, just don't include it in the package, make it an option, not a an "option to remove it".

The stock rear wing on Exige is a joke, it flaps around and probably cause more harm than good. Either just NOT have one, or use a real one that is actually fixed to something more solid than hood (which is spring loaded).

Address exhaust heat -- adding more "shielding" isn't helping extract the heat -- air needs to flow OUT -- add fans if necessary, but get the air to FLOW.

These are all pretty cheap fixes that will not add much to the price of the car and make the car 10X more reliable.

Rob.