Germans only think other Germans are up to the task.

Ok: Lotus wouldn’t get to choose which cars it modifies, it would have to modify whichever Ford / GM car Ford / MG gave them to modify. And this can’t be akin to BMW’s Motorsports or Audi’s S division because, well they are each based on BMW’s and Audi’s, not crappy Ford’s or GM’s. If you tune a crappy car, how much better do you think you can make it? Lotus may be good, but they aren’t miracle workers.

And YES, I know that Lotus (on Top Gear) modded a Lada and turned it into a lean mean Russian racing machine, BUT it cost 100,000 pounds to modify the car. Even at ¼ of that price, do you think anyone’s going to pay $47,060 (25,000 pounds times 1.88) more on top of a base $30,000 (price of the car) for a Ford? Or a GM car? I mean almost $80,000 is Porsche territory. Plus, for way less than that you could get a Lotus…doesn’t make a lot of sense, does it?

Jon.

Why do I think this? BMWs are designed ground up with a very solid engineering philosophy of keeping the car’s weight balance and suspension in-step with the drivetrain. This means RWD on all of its cars (MINI being the exception, but MINIs are also relatively very very light), with short overhangs, motor stuffed waaay back in the engine bay, and world-class suspension geometry (look at the current 3 series’ 5-link independent-suspension).

So BMWs already have an advantage, as the ‘base’ cars are already designed to handle the track. Throw in a more powerful motor, sturdier and stiffer suspension parts, and the amazing M limited-slip differential, and you have an M.

Try doing this to a FWD, nose-heavy Opel Vectra… you might as well make a new car.

Just my $.02…

–tony

I think that if they were to improve the cars from other manufacturers while offering the Elise, Exige, and the forthcoming Esprit (2009) that would be absolutely amazing! — I just hope they select half-decent cars to begin with, unlike the crappy Isuzu sports car they did in the early ’90’s.