Lotus News from the LA Auto Show - New Dir of Operations at LCU - LotusTalk

khamai · 11-21-2008, 12:36 PM

Besides the news of Skip Barber adding the Exige to their schools - see: LA Auto Show News: Lotus joins Skip Barber's High Performance Driving School...

There was other BIG news at the Lotus Press Conference yesterday...

The Lotus board voted to make Arnie Johnson, Director of Operations at LCU. Arnie loses his contractor status and gains a title!

In fact the aforementioned Skippy deal is a direct result of Arnie!

Cheers,
Kiyoshi

Allan Gibbs · 11-21-2008, 12:42 PM

Anyone still worried about not having a central Los Angeles dealership?

khamai · 11-21-2008, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allan Gibbs

Anyone still worried about not having a central Los Angeles dealership?

Announcement is expected today!

Cheers,
Kiyoshi

def · 11-21-2008, 01:08 PM

Randy Chase · 11-21-2008, 01:09 PM

Great news for Lotus.

charliex · 11-21-2008, 01:12 PM

nice one arnie, nice one son, nice one arnie, lets have another one!

mikester · 11-21-2008, 01:27 PM

Congratulations Arnie !

Smart move LCU

codymac · 11-21-2008, 01:31 PM

Smartest thing they could have done!

Congrats to Arnie and congrats to every North American Lotus owner!

Flash G · 11-21-2008, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khamai

Announcement is expected today!

Cheers,
Kiyoshi

What time?

.

Allan Gibbs · 11-21-2008, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khamai

Announcement is expected today!

Cheers,
Kiyoshi

Wow. They're good!

khamai · 11-21-2008, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khamai

Announcement is expected today!
Cheers,
Kiyoshi

I may have mis-spoken... may be a signing by today and announcement later. In any case it's good news.

Kiyoshi

wallabyguy · 11-21-2008, 02:46 PM

Arnie deserves this and much, much more. Why Lotus ever let him go back in 2004 is beyond me.

Like Kiyoshi said, Arnie fought hard to get the Skip Barber deal done. He understands the Lotus owner and enthusiast. He knows who the target audience is and what appeals to them (and it isn't Motley crew concerts). I still think the SB deal will pay huge dividends when people get a chance to experience the Exige back-to-back against M3s, IS-Fs and Caymans on a track. And just think, this is just the beginning.

Way to go Arnie!

Allan Gibbs · 11-21-2008, 03:51 PM

Not to mention Arnie' push for the sub $40K price point and only importing a small amount of cars per year gave Lotus a great start in 2004 to mid-2005. Once they brought more cars in (after Arnie was replaced), the niche market got over saturated and resale values dropped like a rock (but have since seem to stablize).

wallabyguy · 11-21-2008, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allan Gibbs

Not to mention Arnie' push for the sub $40K price point and only importing a small amount of cars per year gave Lotus a great start in 2004 to mid-2005. Once they brought more cars in (after Arnie was replaced), the niche market got over saturated and resale values dropped like a rock (but have since seem to stablize).

Don't get me started. He had the marketnailed back in 2002/2003 for the car and somebody who came in late with a name the rhymes with "Tail" seemed to think that instead of keeping demand up, Lotus should meet all the orders in 12 months rather than the projected 24-30 months. Mr. Tail should have done his homework on how UK employment laws work because if he did, he's know that you can't just lay off workers. Thus the overbuild in 2006 which nearly sank the company. If they had just kept Arnie's plan, they would have never had a problem in the first place.

All that is history now and the fact is Lotus is VERY healthy and has fantastic new product, great new dealers coming on line and a great staff in Hethel and at LCU to back it up.

Cali · 11-21-2008, 05:06 PM

Any word yet on the new Socal dealer?

khamai · 11-21-2008, 05:17 PM

I just posted some pixs and some of the comments made by Roger Becker and Russell Carr at yesterday's press conference at the LA Auto Show on the GGLC website...
GOLDEN GATE LOTUS CLUB - LOTUS EVORA NEWS!

Cheers,
Kiyoshi
GGLC WebGuy

ivan1 · 11-21-2008, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cali

Any word yet on the new Socal dealer?

forget SoCal..how about a dealer to fill the HRM void?

Scott Bowman · 11-21-2008, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivan1

forget SoCal..how about a dealer to fill the HRM void?

Let's go ahead and find an Austin dealership while we're patching up these gaps.

OneFastLotus · 11-21-2008, 05:48 PM

Excellent news!!!

They were silly to ever let him go in the first place.

Flash G · 11-21-2008, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khamai

I may have mis-spoken... may be a signing by today and announcement later. In any case it's good news.

Kiyoshi

I was told that a deal was about to be reached and announcement would come next week.

I get the vibe that it's a well established exotic dealership... so I'm going to predict (uneducated guess) Rusnak or O'Gara Coach.

Or maybe it's a dealer who already sells British marques like Jag & Landrover. Hornburg or Galpin possibly?

What if they were sold at the Tesla dealership in W. LA?

Any guesses?

.

11-21-2008, 12:36 PM	#1 (permalink)
khamai Plain ol' Lotus-nut Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Nor Cal Posts: 3,562	Lotus News from the LA Auto Show - New Dir of Operations at LCU Besides the news of Skip Barber adding the Exige to their schools - see: LA Auto Show News: Lotus joins Skip Barber's High Performance Driving School... There was other BIG news at the Lotus Press Conference yesterday... The Lotus board voted to make Arnie Johnson, Director of Operations at LCU. Arnie loses his contractor status and gains a title! In fact the aforementioned Skippy deal is a direct result of Arnie! Cheers, Kiyoshi Attached Images __________________ life is better behind the wheel of a Lotus...

11-21-2008, 12:42 PM	#2 (permalink)
Allan Gibbs Registered User Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Glendale, CA (formerly Gilbert, AZ) Posts: 5,399	Anyone still worried about not having a central Los Angeles dealership? __________________ 2005 BRP Elise- SOLD 6/9/07 2006 MV Agusta F4S - SOLD 4/30/09 2008 Audi TT (MKII) 2009 Audi A4 2009 Ducati 1198

11-21-2008, 01:08 PM	#4 (permalink)
def ...ault Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mountain View, CA Posts: 2,609	__________________ //kevin - 05 Graphite Gray - Red Touring / LSS / Starshield / Stage 2 + more SOLD

11-21-2008, 01:09 PM	#5 (permalink)
Randy Chase Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: San Diego and where ever the roads lead Posts: 28,174 Images: 761	Great news for Lotus. __________________ * V E R I T A S * A E Q U I T A S * No Longer the ADMIN here, please do not PM me asking for help. Thanks! 2006 Noble M400. Getrag tranny, Quaiffe LSD, Hinged clams. Duratec dual turbo V6. Hoosier 315-18 tires. 2350 pounds. Over 500hp. Track weapon. 2009 Rossion Q1. Monaco Orange. Wing. Black leather/Alcantara with orange stitching. The street car. In build: 2009 Toniq R (300whp? 1100 pounds?). Chrome Orange. Lexus GX-470 tow vehicle.

11-21-2008, 01:12 PM	#6 (permalink)
charliex OSX Black hat Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Las Vegas , NV Posts: 9,935	nice one arnie, nice one son, nice one arnie, lets have another one! __________________ Black Exige S - http://goth.am 265 Mule / Elan M100.ECU Tuning, http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39660 West Coast Lotus Meet - Las Vegas - November 6-9 2009 http://www.westcoastlotus.com/

11-21-2008, 01:27 PM	#7 (permalink)
mikester Registered Shmoozer Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: So Cal Posts: 4,597	Congratulations Arnie ! Smart move LCU __________________ Covered in Brandy and Lard

11-21-2008, 01:31 PM	#8 (permalink)
codymac short angry bloke Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: where the east tapers out and the west begins Posts: 9,260 Images: 19	Smartest thing they could have done! Congrats to Arnie and congrats to every North American Lotus owner! __________________ torque (tôrk) n. - an excuse for the lack of momentum. - let's bring back CanAm & Group B! - have you hugged your Exige today? I'm currently working on my performance driving merit badge. There's always somebody faster, sometimes it's me.

11-21-2008, 02:46 PM	#12 (permalink)
wallabyguy Not Dead Yet Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 5,893	Arnie deserves this and much, much more. Why Lotus ever let him go back in 2004 is beyond me. Like Kiyoshi said, Arnie fought hard to get the Skip Barber deal done. He understands the Lotus owner and enthusiast. He knows who the target audience is and what appeals to them (and it isn't Motley crew concerts). I still think the SB deal will pay huge dividends when people get a chance to experience the Exige back-to-back against M3s, IS-Fs and Caymans on a track. And just think, this is just the beginning. Way to go Arnie! __________________ former Lotus Sales Robert (aka Sith Lord of LBL) 74 Elite 502 05 Elise (Snuffalupagous..RIP : Laser Blue, Black Leather, Touring Pack, Hardtop ) The Wallaby Will Ride Again

11-21-2008, 03:51 PM	#13 (permalink)
Allan Gibbs Registered User Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Glendale, CA (formerly Gilbert, AZ) Posts: 5,399	Not to mention Arnie' push for the sub $40K price point and only importing a small amount of cars per year gave Lotus a great start in 2004 to mid-2005. Once they brought more cars in (after Arnie was replaced), the niche market got over saturated and resale values dropped like a rock (but have since seem to stablize). __________________ 2005 BRP Elise- SOLD 6/9/07 2006 MV Agusta F4S - SOLD 4/30/09 2008 Audi TT (MKII) 2009 Audi A4 2009 Ducati 1198

11-21-2008, 05:06 PM	#15 (permalink)
Cali Shish Kebab Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 804	Any word yet on the new Socal dealer? __________________ "Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?" - George Carlin

11-21-2008, 05:17 PM	#16 (permalink)
khamai Plain ol' Lotus-nut Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Nor Cal Posts: 3,562	I just posted some pixs and some of the comments made by Roger Becker and Russell Carr at yesterday's press conference at the LA Auto Show on the GGLC website... GOLDEN GATE LOTUS CLUB - LOTUS EVORA NEWS! Cheers, Kiyoshi GGLC WebGuy Attached Images __________________ life is better behind the wheel of a Lotus...

11-21-2008, 05:48 PM	#19 (permalink)
OneFastLotus Loch Ness Monster Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Mars Posts: 5,531	Excellent news!!! They were silly to ever let him go in the first place. __________________ First Fold Member of the Limited Slip Mafia "L'Ombra" -Saffron Yellow Elise, all options. -Chrome OrangeElise/ Superstock pillager "currently living in the wild" -Black on Black Exige debadged, all options.

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