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A bit OT but aslo potentialy sad if you like intelligent enginering


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#1 mariner

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Posted 11 April 2012 - 09:56

The latest on the Lotus saga since Proton were bought out

http://www.autocar.c...AllCars/262208/

Like many , I though Danny Bahar a flaky loud mouth but at least he tried to come up with a plan which could get Lotus beyond only 5,000 low end sports cars per year.

Maybe Cheapy could find some local rich Chinese to buy it and give it to him!!


IMHO , with my beancounter hat on, the Porrsche Boxster has killed off the Lotus/TVR type car as it is a great car at a $60K price point and has good residuals and reliability. To deliver a product at the same price to beat it AND get the necessary 10,000 plus volume to fund R+D/homologation is so tough

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#2 saudoso

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Posted 11 April 2012 - 15:17

It seems to me Cheapy is no more.

#3 Tony Matthews

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Posted 11 April 2012 - 16:43

What the Hell is going on?

#4 Ross Stonefeld

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Posted 11 April 2012 - 17:31

I hope they fix that, dude owes me money!

#5 munks

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Posted 11 April 2012 - 18:55

Yeah, how come cheapracer is no longer a member? He posted a bunch of stuff on April 5th and then disappeared (along with his Photobucket pics?).

#6 desmo

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Posted 11 April 2012 - 22:04

No idea, but as far as I know it had nothing to do with anything he did in the Tech Forum.

#7 Greg Locock

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Posted 11 April 2012 - 22:27

I disagree about the proposed product lineup, 5 different high end cars is 4 too many, and Lotus has zero cachet with the market for them.

200 million is a fair old hole to dig yourself out of. The consultancy side was a money spinner way back, but it is my impression that rates for contract engineering have remained static for years, and there is a lot more competition now than in the 80s.

Damn, it is one of the few places I'd like to work at again.

Just been pointed at this

http://www.lotuscars...-way-good-story

If that is really a corporately approved response then someone has lost the plot. What the hell is "self irony"? They may have meant self mockery I suppose


Edited by Greg Locock, 11 April 2012 - 22:44.


#8 mariner

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Posted 11 April 2012 - 23:02

The supposed line up was silly , too many cars to launch and they all looked much the same. I do think the basic plan to go upmarket is/was needed. At the high end people can charge silly prices and still sell enough units.

The is talk of a Chinese buy - out ( who else!) but I fear that only a large OEM could give Lotus a sound long term future as developing your own powertrains is so expensive and time consuming without big back up.

I hope Lotus do survive , somebody once said they used intelligent engineering whereas the Germans used clever engineering

#9 Magoo

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Posted 12 April 2012 - 01:28

It seems to me Cheapy is no more.


I hope not. I'm sure everyone enjoyed his contributions.

#10 johnny yuma

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Posted 12 April 2012 - 04:36

Yeah, how come cheapracer is no longer a member? He posted a bunch of stuff on April 5th and then disappeared (along with his Photobucket pics?).

He may be still amongst us as GSpeedR,a recent arrival. Have a look at the footer on cheapys posts.

#11 Tony Matthews

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Posted 12 April 2012 - 06:15

Well, he must have changed his time-zone too.

#12 GSpeedR

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Posted 12 April 2012 - 13:33

He may be still amongst us as GSpeedR,a recent arrival. Have a look at the footer on cheapys posts.


Que?

I'm new to this forum, though I've recently visited f1-technical.

I assume the possible connection could have been this part of his signature: "http://www.wix.com/c...racer/gsrracer"

Hopefully not this part: "Everyone laughed at me because I am different....but I laugh at them because they are all the same" :)

Edited by GSpeedR, 12 April 2012 - 13:37.


#13 Magoo

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Posted 12 April 2012 - 14:31

I would very much like to have Cheapracer back. He is one of my favorites here, and I bet many of you would say the same.

#14 desmo

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Posted 12 April 2012 - 14:40

At the risk of pissing off the fellow mod/admin staff here, I'd like cheapy back as well. One of my favorite forum contributors in fact.

#15 Tony Matthews

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Posted 12 April 2012 - 14:59

It's not his fault he's Orstralian...

#16 carlt

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Posted 12 April 2012 - 15:10

He did mention a going away / holiday a couple of weeks back ?

#17 munks

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Posted 12 April 2012 - 17:00

He did mention a going away / holiday a couple of weeks back ?


Wouldn't explain why you can't find him with the Members finder in the upper-right.

#18 carlt

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Posted 12 April 2012 - 18:13

did he get banned for trying to fit an ESARU in his Mongrel GSR ?

#19 saudoso

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Posted 12 April 2012 - 22:01

Got an email, Cheapy was beheaded after vandalizing a bit with the Kimi chicks at RC. Sounds like it was long time coming to him.



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#20 Kelpiecross

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 03:07

Got an email, Cheapy was beheaded after vandalizing a bit with the Kimi chicks at RC. Sounds like it was long time coming to him.


What does this mean?

#21 desmo

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 03:24

Does sound like a Babelfish translation circa 2001.

#22 Canuck

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 04:49

If he's gone, who am I going to taunt? Sheesh...if we all start agreeing with each other, this place will become dull rather quickly.

#23 johnny yuma

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 05:28

Got an email, Cheapy was beheaded after vandalizing a bit with the Kimi chicks at RC. Sounds like it was long time coming to him.

Kimi of course is with Lotus ! And in Republic of China ! Possibly has chicks.Where cheapy was living...the plot thickens..The chinese may have thought he needed removing to make sure they got Lotus..
And it appears his assistance to the North Koreans with their rocket did not help much....

Edited by johnny yuma, 13 April 2012 - 05:55.


#24 packapoo

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 07:44

I would very much like to have Cheapracer back. He is one of my favorites here, and I bet many of you would say the same.


I do for sure.
Please come back Cheapy!

#25 mariner

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 08:02

Yes, Cheapy is still alive and well and living near Chengdu but was banned as above.

It sounds like some people on the others forums here don't resonate with OZ humour - a great shame



#26 jcbc3

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 08:54

Careful mariner. You are now in the process of criticising the moderators. Believe me, they are used to a lot on the RC, so for them to ban Chepy he must have crossed the line between humour and offense.

#27 GeoffR

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 09:19

There was a thread on RC where he posted an 'intended in fun' reply to a mod., wonder if that was taken the wrong way??

Edited by GeoffR, 13 April 2012 - 09:19.


#28 jcbc3

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 09:24

If you read Sauduso's posting above, you'll see that he was trolling (I assumed that is what was meant by 'vandalizing a thread). There is only one appropriate response to that. There has been enough calls around here for me to conclude that we agree to that.

I am sure he can come back on another user name (may even be here already.......).

#29 saudoso

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 10:19

I didn't type 'vandalizing a thread', I wrote 'a bit'

He created a thread intended as humor which must have pulled the leg of some pretty obnoxious folks over at RC (the Kimi chiks). How did it escalate into banning is anyone's guess.

And sorry for the really poorly crafted post above.

#30 Kelpiecross

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 11:40

I didn't type 'vandalizing a thread', I wrote 'a bit'

He created a thread intended as humor which must have pulled the leg of some pretty obnoxious folks over at RC (the Kimi chiks). How did it escalate into banning is anyone's guess.

And sorry for the really poorly crafted post above.


I have just worked out that "RC" most likely means "Racing Comments". It seems a bit rough that Cheapy has been banned from all forums because of indiscretions on just one forum.
Especially rough on Cheapy as he said somewhere that the forum was his main English-speaking contact with the outside world.

Maybe there should be a survey/voting to decide if Cheapy (and possibly 24G and VP) return.

#31 jcbc3

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 12:11

I didn't type 'vandalizing a thread', I wrote 'a bit'

He created a thread intended as humor which must have pulled the leg of some pretty obnoxious folks over at RC (the Kimi chiks). How did it escalate into banning is anyone's guess.

And sorry for the really poorly crafted post above.


Like a bit pregnant or a bit dead?



ok, I accept 'a bit of vandalizing', but it was apparently enough to make a moderator ban him. I have complete faith in the moderators here.
However, I also enjoyed Cheapy here (moreso than in RC, where his edge sometimes grated a bit) and hope for his return.

Edited by jcbc3, 13 April 2012 - 12:11.


#32 munks

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 13:52

I knew what RC was, but I never visit it. What's a Kimi chik? Some sort of groupie for Raikkonen, or am I completely out to lunch (or both)?

And my vote is ... bring him back!

Edited by munks, 13 April 2012 - 13:52.


#33 carlt

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 15:02

I knew what RC was, but I never visit it. What's a Kimi chik? Some sort of groupie for Raikkonen, or am I completely out to lunch (or both)?

And my vote is ... bring him back!


Good policy not to visit RC - what a waste of life it is !
and all too easy to get carried away and banned -

#34 MatsNorway

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 16:51

Where do i propose for the mods/admins that bans start with a 1 day/week and are perhaps limiting their ability to post only in that forum. IF one week is too weak try 2 then.. its a bit childish to permaban everyone who has a temper.

1 week - 1 month - 1 year.

restart from scratch after a year. Warnings arent too hard to give either.

Edited by MatsNorway, 13 April 2012 - 16:51.


#35 Canuck

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 18:34

I don't think the technology exists to have a forum-specific ban within the forum's software. I'd proposed some sort of dynamic ranking system to Desmo when the 24G/VP saga was in it's final stages but they (Autosport) are limited by what is available within the developer community and the cost-effectiveness it (which considering this is by and large free, means the code development, testing and implementation would have to be free as well). The outright banning of non-spammers seems too harsh but it within the confines of the software, there aren't a lot of options.



#36 faaaz

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Posted 14 April 2012 - 04:46

With cheapy banned this forum is half as interesting.

#37 Tony Matthews

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Posted 14 April 2012 - 09:04

I don't think the technology exists to have a forum-specific ban within the forum's software.

I think it must be, because cheapy was banned from the Paddock Club but still able to post elsewhere. Also, it seems that we shouldn't even be discussing his removal, or any decision taken by the moderators. Not a complaint, just a comment...

Edited to say that I think it has been explained that the Paddock Club is different, but the thread that contained this info, and cheapy's affirmation that he was indeed banned, has been deleted, so I couldn't check.

Edited by Tony Matthews, 14 April 2012 - 09:07.


#38 saudoso

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Posted 14 April 2012 - 14:26

PC has an authorized users only policy that allows for it, the other forums are free to all.

#39 Powersteer

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Posted 15 April 2012 - 03:26

I do wonder if its possible to go lightweight on mainstream market, can't say McLaren did not try but has a 1400kg carbon tub car, has to be that 600hp accounting for all that weight. Up and coming alfa Romeo 4C is 850kg only. Bahar certainly could not grasp the concept, far more Don King than Cus D'Amato.

:cool:

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#40 Greg Locock

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Posted 15 April 2012 - 08:41

Sure you can get below 1400 kg in the mainstream market, but compromises have to be made if you have big wheels and tires, all the usual safety stuff, and all the bells and whistles of a modern mainstream vehicle.

Edited by Greg Locock, 15 April 2012 - 08:50.


#41 NeilR

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Posted 15 April 2012 - 09:40

I believe that the Ginetta G40R is quite light. From report they are quite a good thing, but it is difficult to see the market internationally. Chevron could do a road version of their newer car - would be good to see.