The return of Team Lotus

[andykeck]

Originally Posted by dickedup

Good Lord... what next?

I'm starting a Vanwall team in my garage.

[erics75218]

Lotus F1 should hire Dannica Patrick to drive for them. WOOT!
lol
just kidding

I'd be happy to see the badge to be honest. Would I like it if it was a full bore factory effort..sure...not gonna happen..so get over the idea.

Even if this is a "lotus approved" team..good enough...i'd love to see some BRG cars.

Didn't Mike Gascoine (or whatever) pen up the old Jordan cars that were ALMOST awesome?

[spacepig]

Fantastic. Group Lotus is fighting it:

autosport.com - F1 News: Lotus company not behind 'Team Lotus'

"Group Lotus plc and its subsidiary Lotus Cars Limited, the manufacturer of the legendary Lotus Elise and global high technology engineering consultancy, are not connected or affiliated to, nor in any other way associated with the newly-announced 'Team Lotus' that has submitted an entry 2010 Formula 1 championship," the statement said.

"Group Lotus plc will take all necessary steps to protect its name, reputation and brand image."

[ggelise]

Good!

[erics75218]

let me ask someone this. All the current FOTA teams are bitching abuot the series being duluted with SH*T teams basically.......would that include our potentially beloved USGP?

[ggelise]

Perhaps a few emails to: litespeedf3.com

[BRTHTAKR]

Originally Posted by richw350

Well, I look at it another way. I think the FOTA are sick of the rules coming out of thin air at the last minute. The FIA "claims" to want to cut costs, yet they constantly make major changes to the rules causing complete redisigns of the cars. They throw unknown technologies into the sport (i.e. KERS) at the last minute, causing major expenditures. Then they speak out of the other side of their mouth and say that there must be budget caps for all teams for the good of the sport.

How much did the complete redesign of the cars to meet the 2009 regs cost?

How much did the development of the KERS cost the teams?


The FOTA has something right. The sport needs stability in the rules for the cost cutting to really happen.

Way true. Would be interesting to actually estimate the cost that the idiot Mosley has forced onto the teams with the constantly changing rules.

"To cut costs, let's go from 10 cylinders to eight" Spend like crazy for totally new engines, everybody. "Lets make them last longer to save money" Spend like mad for new development. "Let's change all the aero rules each year for a while" Etc, etc.

Putting the Lotus name on a new team is a bit of a travesty, but there will never be an actual factory team again. I'd be OK with leaving the name in the dustbins of history, but it would be nice to have a team to pull for.

[MattSB]

Great. Now Lotus plc and LiteSpeed are going to spend all their racing money on lawyers.

Lose, lose.

Give it up guys. Give Mr Hunt his money back and pick some other name.

[lotusport]

Originally Posted by MattSB

Great. Now Lotus plc and LiteSpeed are going to spend all their racing money on lawyers.

Lose, lose.

Give it up guys. Give Mr Hunt his money back and pick some other name.

Same thing's happening with Brabham...

Jack Brabham: Not involved in F1 cost-cap entry for 2010: AutoWeek Magazine

Good ol' "Black Jack" is unhappy too.

[BRTHTAKR]

Lotus Cars Limited, the ongoing sports car maker that is based on the company founded by Colin Chapman in 1952, clarified on Wednesday that it is in no way associated with the prospective 2010 team.

"Group Lotus plc will take all necessary steps to protect its name, reputation and brand image," it said in a statement.


F1 : Bad news for Lotus, Superfund 2010 entries - F1 - F1-Live.com

[Green Ghost]

Looks like the Lotus name may not be in F1 next year.

and the speculation goes on

[lotusforsale]

I guess slightly off topic....one could also question the current Lotus Cars group's dna as far as true Lotus is concerned.

It's Malaysian owned. Prior to that, Mr. Artioli owned it, prior to that, General Motors. Mixed in there somewhere was significant investment by Toyota.

The Chapman family has nothing to do with the car company, other than perhaps owning a little stock. And Mrs. C. doing some photo ops here and there.

Every couple of years, there is talk of moving the manufacturing to another country. If that happens, how do you feel about the Lotus Cars pedigree?

For now, the plant is still located at Hethel, and Kimberly is still involved. Beyond that, the true Lotus DNA for its road cars is watered down greatly.

In other words, time marches on. The last few years of Lotus' actual participation in F1, it was a backmarker competitor at best. Looks to me like it would be picking up right where it left off.

I'm in the camp of wanting to see the Lotus badge on the nose of an F1 car again, but I'm also in the camp of those who stopped watching F1 years ago when it got extremely boring and lacking color (on track, that is).

[mjf]

autosport.com - F1 News: Team Lotus: No legal threat to F1 entry

Team Lotus's entry for Formula 1 next year has been submitted in full consultation with the Group Lotus company, as team sources dismissed any talk that the outfit could face legal action from the iconic sportscar brand over the use of the name.

A press release issued on Wednesday night suggested that Group Lotus and its subsidiary Lotus Cars Limited had no links with the F1 efforts and would do all it could to "protect its name, reputation and brand image." This was interpreted as a veiled threat about legal action.

However, AUTOSPORT understands that there is no suggestion of Group Lotus having any issue over the F1 team's plans - and the company has in fact been fully informed by Team Lotus about the efforts to get onto the grand prix racing grid.

One team source at the new Team Lotus outfit said: "We've kept Lotus fully informed of our intentions and are well aware of the need to protect its brand image. We look forward to having closer ties with it in the future."

Pretty much what we expected to see. Lotus is saying they'll do what they need to do to protect their image, while not actually saying they oppose the F1 efforts. And why would they, it's free advertising in the pinnacle of motorsports.

[lotusforsale]

Originally Posted by mjf

autosport.com - F1 News: Team Lotus: No legal threat to F1 entry



Pretty much what we expected to see. Lotus is saying they'll do what they need to do to protect their image, while not actually saying they oppose the F1 efforts. And why would they, it's free advertising in the pinnacle of motorsports.

I remember years ago at LOG 12 the dinner speaker was Miles Wilkins, considered at the time to be the foremost expert on Lotus' twin cam engine, and also Lotus designated concessionaire for the Type 14 Elite in the UK. He had been affiliated with Lotus in the Chapman days.

He looked out over the audience, with all the T shirts/hats etc., and noted that Lotus didn't survive on selling cars or technology, but by suing folks who were violating its trademark.

[spacepig]

Originally Posted by lotusforsale

I guess slightly off topic....one could also question the current Lotus Cars group's dna as far as true Lotus is concerned.

If they packed up and moved to Malaysia, then yeah, it wouldn't be Lotus anymore. However, regardless of ownership, the factory is on the same site where Chapman put it 40 years ago. There are many, many employees who have been there for 20, 30, or 40 years. And many of those are key employees, like Roger Becker and Mike Kimberly, who understand what Lotus is all about, and are in a position to protect its legacy. There is continuity, and the corporate culture (stupid term, but apt here) lives on strongly. The cars Lotus builds today are exactly the kind of cars it built when Chapman was around. Litespeed has none of that, apart from having a couple guys who were Team Lotus employees in its dying days.

I imagine the licensing issues around "Team Lotus" are actually pretty complex. When the two entities were separated, they were both run by the same person, and I doubt they were very rigorous about dividing up who owns what. Who owns the Lotus logo for instance? I don't think it's possible that they both own it. I suspect Group Lotus owns it, and has licensed it to Team Lotus in the past. Or maybe the Chapman family owns it, and licenses it to both. Chunky probably wove a pretty complicated web around this stuff.

As for "free advertising"- you get what you pay for.

[coulthard fan]

Well, it was fun (to think about) while it lasted: The Official Formula 1 Website

Good luck to Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson of Team US F1 though... they are gonna need it

[dickedup]

Originally Posted by coulthard fan

Well, it was fun (to think about) while it lasted: The Official Formula 1 Website

Good luck to Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson of Team US F1 though... they are gonna need it

Wow!

[EliseAtLeast]

[DeanG]

Ah... the new "Lotus" F1 team fails its first test; F1 politics.

[knucklehead]

Lotus Group should take the money they are saving from the law suit and buy the Lotus Team name so this doesn't happen again.