I lifted this from the F1 forum, but it seems to involve IndyCar more:
Printable View
I can't believe they only sell 2000 cars a year worldwide! Where are they getting the money from?
I believe Lotus hasn't made a profit for years. It owned by Malaysian government owned car company Proton. They hired new CEO who had a vision of elevating Lotus into the ranks of world's finest sport car manufacturers and the company has gone on spending spree since then. Lotus bought controlling share in the former Renault Formula 1 team, sponsored KV Racing, and a new Lotus engine for InyCar. They're also involved in other motor sports events, such as designing a WRC car and running a GP2 team. The effort was probably bankrolled by Malaysian government and banks. Check the related thread in F1 forums. The situation looks very much like the high tech bubble of the late 90s with investors and venture companies throwing millions at start-ups only to find out later than most startup companies had no viable business plan.
Well it looks like Proton is being sold to a a Malaysian investor who already assembles and distributes VW's and Mercedes in Malaysia. What that holds for Lotus remains to be seen.
Malaysia's DRB-Hicom to buy carmaker Proton - Yahoo! News
Best looking car in testing.
Great to be watching the interest in IndyCar as we head into the 2012 season. So for years, low car counts were a major concern for every fan and quasi-expert on open wheel racing in the states. Then over the weekend comes the news that there might not be enough power plants to go around with all the teams lining up to compete. And the poor teams that may be left standing when this musical chair engine tune stops may have to anti up the difference and pay full price??? Give me a break! And supposedly the mfrs are already backing down on their promise of event activation and promotion of the series? Indy Car needs to holster the gun that it keeps shooting its own foot with...if only for a little while...
seems as though they are a go for this year. The Renault powered car looks great. Isn't that a Lotus?
You know what, you can say what you want to say about Lotus but I will tell you why I don't like Chinese manufacturers coming into this sport. They were on the Internet, one of that social media things and I'm going to tell you what they said, they were BOASTING that they don't have any American drivers this year. Bragging "7 drivers, 3 women, no Americans." NO AMERICANS. What kind of backwards society does Lotus live in where it's good to have no Americans? What kind of a "god" are these people praying to at night, that's what I wanna know, can't even say Merry Christmas in this country anymore! ED CARPENTER is a proven winner on this tour at one of the FASTEST RACES OF THEM ALL, none of this street course stuff where they go slower than I go on the highway. He's got a good team and a good sponsor and all he's missing is AN ENGINE! And Lotus is gloating that they won't give him one! LOTUS IS KEEPING A GOOD MAN DOWN, THAT'S WHAT CHINESE MANUFACTURING IS ALL ABOUT, HURTING AMERICA. I don't want none of these plastic engines in my Indy Racing League, and I WOULD RATHER SEE ED CARPENTER GO TO CHAMP CAR THAN RUN A LOTUS because I don't believe they understand that America is about RUGGED INDIVIDUALISM and that means standing behind QUALITY MATERIALS, CHILD LABOR LAWS, AND THE GOOD LORD.
AMEN and that's what I think!
Let me tell you about Lotus. I saw on Twitter, an important man with Lotus said "we have 7 drivers. 3 women. No Americans." HERE THEY ARE, BOASTING THEY HAVE NO AMERICANS. I tried to warn Randy Bernard about getting into the bed with these Chinese manufacturers and he went and bit. You know Tony George would have let them walk, oh you know he would have defensed this sport to his best ability, because he is a RACER AND AN AMERICAN. NO AMERICANS. What kind of backwards place is this China if they brag about having No Americans? You know I will tell you what, whatever god they're praying to here, he isn't He, the Good Lord, can't even say MERRY CHRISTMAS in this country anymore because we let a Chinese carmaker come in with their CHEAP PLASTIC ENGINE built by 8-year-old children and run in THE GREATEST SPECTACLE IN AUTO RACING, AMERICA'S Indianapolis 500, try to find me an Indianapolis ANYWHERE else in this world, I make you bet you can't! My point here is that Ed Carpenter is a proven winner on this tour and his team doesn't have an engine because these Chinese manufacturers are coming in and making bad contracts and they won't sign an AMERICAN driver and an AMERICAN team because it's some little funny game, LOOK WHO'S LAUGHING NOW, WITHOUT ED CARPENTER, YOU CAN EXPECT MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF INDYCAR FANS TO LEAVE AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE YOU WENT WITH THIS DINKY PLASTIC ENGINES MADE WITH CHEMICALS. You coulda just went with RUGGED INDIVIDUALISM like Ed Carpenter Racing is and said "hey, build an AMERICAN engine, we're talking like, 6 liters at least baby FIRE 'EM UP LET'S GO RACING SHORT TRACK SATURDAY NIGHT JET FIGHTERS IN A GYMNASIUM" and those good people MAKING THINGS IN DETROIT would have given Ed Carpenter something he could give it a real go get those wins but instead we have LOTUS who are told by the Chinese government to never give nothing to no Americans and then BRAG ABOUT IT ON TWITTER surprised they're even allowed to have the Internet in China! It burns me up, BURNS ME UP LIKE ETHANOL IN A COMBUSTION MOTOR.
That's what I think.
I just want to warn you. Next thing you know birth control will come with the engines!