Comments on: Report: Volkswagen to acquire majority stake in Proton, Lotus http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html Car news, reviews, and specs for the auto-industry Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:06:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: tarmyjervis http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-297922 tarmyjervis Fri, 09 Feb 2007 02:14:17 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-297922 I no longer want an elise I no longer want an elise

]]> By: 1c3d0g http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-296672 1c3d0g Mon, 05 Feb 2007 17:54:51 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-296672 Andre, you need to stop calling people idiots just for asking a few questions. Damn, didn't daddy teach you any manners? Andre, you need to stop calling people idiots just for asking a few questions. Damn, didn’t daddy teach you any manners?

]]> By: gumball http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295668 gumball Tue, 30 Jan 2007 11:49:19 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295668 1 Vote for GMno.1 as delusional 1 Vote for GMno.1 as delusional

]]> By: niallpolley http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295634 niallpolley Tue, 30 Jan 2007 05:26:52 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295634 GMnumberone4ever LastI heard of Michigan was when I was finalising the handover of 10 Ferraris to a local client; he had customers lined up for them who were paying way over list. Those "import POS" were certainly in demand. It doesn't surprise me that there are a lot of GMs in Michigan, there are a lot of Lada's in Kiev, but that doesn't change my opinion of them. I don't think I'll base my opinion of cars on the actions of criminal nutjobs who vandalise their own cars and submit fraudulent insurance claims. If you would like to start up a poll on this site about whether its you or I are delusional, I'll gladly go head to head. Best regards, Niall GMnumberone4ever

LastI heard of Michigan was when I was finalising the handover of 10 Ferraris to a local client; he had customers lined up for them who were paying way over list. Those “import POS” were certainly in demand.

It doesn’t surprise me that there are a lot of GMs in Michigan, there are a lot of Lada’s in Kiev, but that doesn’t change my opinion of them.

I don’t think I’ll base my opinion of cars on the actions of criminal nutjobs who vandalise their own cars and submit fraudulent insurance claims. If you would like to start up a poll on this site about whether its you or I are delusional, I’ll gladly go head to head.

Best regards,

Niall

]]> By: vwjamesmc http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295507 vwjamesmc Mon, 29 Jan 2007 19:33:41 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295507 GMnumberone4ever says his neighbor demolished his unrealiable foreign vehicle (Lexus) for a Pontiac Sunfire which has made him the happiest person on earth. That is the funniest comment I have ever read on this site!! Thanks for the humor GMnumberone in money lost forever (GM lost over $10,500,000,000 worldwide in 2006 because they have to give them away to persuade consumers to purcahse their vehicles vs the competition)!!!! PS-Niall, employer purchased vehicles are a very small percentage of company sales. GMnumberone4ever says his neighbor demolished his unrealiable foreign vehicle (Lexus) for a Pontiac Sunfire which has made him the happiest person on earth.

That is the funniest comment I have ever read on this site!! Thanks for the humor GMnumberone in money lost forever (GM lost over $10,500,000,000 worldwide in 2006 because they have to give them away to persuade consumers to purcahse their vehicles vs the competition)!!!!

PS-Niall, employer purchased vehicles are a very small percentage of company sales.

]]> By: maximus http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295497 maximus Mon, 29 Jan 2007 19:11:31 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295497 a dormmate of mine was from grand rapids, MI and drove a '97 Toyota Camry that had 250,000 miles on it. Then his sister crashed it. How can you say there is not an import in sight? Are you blind? a dormmate of mine was from grand rapids, MI and drove a ’97 Toyota Camry that had 250,000 miles on it. Then his sister crashed it. How can you say there is not an import in sight? Are you blind?

]]> By: GMnumberone4ever http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295456 GMnumberone4ever Mon, 29 Jan 2007 17:40:10 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295456 Come on over to Michigan Niall and you'll change your attitude towards GM. We rule the landcape here, not an import POS in sight. Those former owners either sucked it up and took a bath on resale to get themselves into a GM product, or torched, vandalized, and faked a theft just to rid themselves of their unreliable POS. My neighbor had his baseball bat out taking wacks at his Lexus because he hated it so much. NOw he has a new POntiac and is completely happy, no problems whatsoever. You are delusional Niall. Grow up. Come on over to Michigan Niall and you’ll change your attitude towards GM. We rule the landcape here, not an import POS in sight. Those former owners either sucked it up and took a bath on resale to get themselves into a GM product, or torched, vandalized, and faked a theft just to rid themselves of their unreliable POS. My neighbor had his baseball bat out taking wacks at his Lexus because he hated it so much. NOw he has a new POntiac and is completely happy, no problems whatsoever.

You are delusional Niall. Grow up.

]]> By: niallpolley http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295424 niallpolley Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:08:57 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295424 vwjamesmc, My point is that a car enthusiast should not rate car companies by their profits, but by the vehicles they manufacture. When you wanted to point out to GMnumberone4ever that GM were not number one you quoted the financial results of a series of manufacturers. There have been plenty of great car manufacturers who have not turned a profit, and vice-versa. We do not all have choices about which vehicle we buy, many people drive vehicles bought by their employer. Also 99.9% of us do not buy the best value vehicle for the money, many buyers make their decision based upon perceived values that they have been fed from marketing. A large percentage of purchases do not even involve a test drive! In summary,why talk something as irrelevant as profits with GMnumberone4ever when the product he champion is so obviously inferior? Niall vwjamesmc,

My point is that a car enthusiast should not rate car companies by their profits, but by the vehicles they manufacture. When you wanted to point out to GMnumberone4ever that GM were not number one you quoted the financial results of a series of manufacturers. There have been plenty of great car manufacturers who have not turned a profit, and vice-versa.

We do not all have choices about which vehicle we buy, many people drive vehicles bought by their employer. Also 99.9% of us do not buy the best value vehicle for the money, many buyers make their decision based upon perceived values that they have been fed from marketing. A large percentage of purchases do not even involve a test drive!

In summary,why talk something as irrelevant as profits with GMnumberone4ever when the product he champion is so obviously inferior?

Niall

]]> By: Renton http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295414 Renton Mon, 29 Jan 2007 15:37:54 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295414 Carnut4ever -- "Maybe now they can stick an RS4 v-8 into the future Lotus Esprit instead of the rumored BMW powerplant. " Obviously they will not use a BMW now, but I think BMW still bests VAG in the engine dept. Both are great, but I still give the nod to The Motor Werkes. This Lotus thing will really help VAG; and Lotus will be given new life with the deep pockets of VAG. Carnut4ever — “Maybe now they can stick an RS4 v-8 into the future Lotus Esprit instead of the rumored BMW powerplant. ”

Obviously they will not use a BMW now, but I think BMW still bests VAG in the engine dept. Both are great, but I still give the nod to The Motor Werkes.

This Lotus thing will really help VAG; and Lotus will be given new life with the deep pockets of VAG.

]]> By: vwjamesmc http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295396 vwjamesmc Mon, 29 Jan 2007 14:12:26 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295396 niallpolley, "how good they are at extracting money from a customer"????? Your statement makes no sense. We all have choices on which vehicle to buy. 99.9% of us will choose the best value for the money. The others (ex.GMnumberone4ever) will choose the vehicles that have the worst value for the money. Also, you think GM is being generous? VW is #2 out of 35 major car brands for 60 months re-sale value. Do you think GM is near the top or botton for re-sale? GM selling vehicles that are typically worth close to nothing in 60 months is being generous? niallpolley,

“how good they are at extracting money from a customer”?????

Your statement makes no sense. We all have choices on which vehicle to buy. 99.9% of us will choose the best value for the money. The others (ex.GMnumberone4ever) will choose the vehicles that have the worst value for the money. Also, you think GM is being generous? VW is #2 out of 35 major car brands for 60 months re-sale value. Do you think GM is near the top or botton for re-sale? GM selling vehicles that are typically worth close to nothing in 60 months is being generous?

]]> By: Carnut4ever http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295382 Carnut4ever Mon, 29 Jan 2007 10:35:25 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295382 Maybe now they can stick an RS4 v-8 into the future Lotus Esprit instead of the rumored BMW powerplant. A 200hp direct injection turbo with DSG for the Elise would be a nice combo. Lotus will play a big part of tuning Audi cars int the future in order to catch up with the driving dynamics of BMW. Proton right now needs a clean sheet of paper because the current lineup in even more inferior to the Koreans. Maybe now they can stick an RS4 v-8 into the future Lotus Esprit instead of the rumored BMW powerplant. A 200hp direct injection turbo with DSG for the Elise would be a nice combo. Lotus will play a big part of tuning Audi cars int the future in order to catch up with the driving dynamics of BMW. Proton right now needs a clean sheet of paper because the current lineup in even more inferior to the Koreans.

]]> By: niallpolley http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295371 niallpolley Mon, 29 Jan 2007 08:33:04 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295371 vwjamesmc, Strange to rate car companies by how good they are at extracting money from the customer. Looking at your figures from the customer's point of view, GM should be very popular, because they are being very generous. Why not focus on the product instead? One of my cars is an old K5 Blazer, which I bought because I find it amusingly crass and the specific power output makes me laugh (5.7L engine, less than 200bhp!) When I look at the current offerings from GM, I feel the same way. If we rate products by the criteria of design, handling and quality of materials and construction, then GM and Ford USA will still be somewhere towards the bottom of the list. BMW, Toyota & Honda can build quality, well-screwed together cars in the US. Jaguar, VW and others design great-looking cars there. Why is it that the native brands can't get these basics right? Is it because they lazily assume that redneck throbbers like "GMnumberone" will buy whatever tat they churn out, as long as it has a headline-grabbing power output? Niall p.s. Andre Neves: while I agree with your sentiment, surely when asking people to act like adults one should not make high school spelling errors. Borrow a dictionary and check "sight" and "alot". p.p.s. before the southern half of the union erupts; yes the Corvette has passable styling, but it is too big for a sports car and the interior is too cheap and gaudy for a GT. If you don't believe me then next time you are in Monte Carlo, notice how few buyers choose to put their money into one. vwjamesmc,

Strange to rate car companies by how good they are at extracting money from the customer. Looking at your figures from the customer’s point of view, GM should be very popular, because they are being very generous.

Why not focus on the product instead? One of my cars is an old K5 Blazer, which I bought because I find it amusingly crass and the specific power output makes me laugh (5.7L engine, less than 200bhp!) When I look at the current offerings from GM, I feel the same way.

If we rate products by the criteria of design, handling and quality of materials and construction, then GM and Ford USA will still be somewhere towards the bottom of the list. BMW, Toyota & Honda can build quality, well-screwed together cars in the US. Jaguar, VW and others design great-looking cars there. Why is it that the native brands can’t get these basics right? Is it because they lazily assume that redneck throbbers like “GMnumberone” will buy whatever tat they churn out, as long as it has a headline-grabbing power output?

Niall

p.s. Andre Neves: while I agree with your sentiment, surely when asking people to act like adults one should not make high school spelling errors. Borrow a dictionary and check “sight” and “alot”.

p.p.s. before the southern half of the union erupts; yes the Corvette has passable styling, but it is too big for a sports car and the interior is too cheap and gaudy for a GT. If you don’t believe me then next time you are in Monte Carlo, notice how few buyers choose to put their money into one.

]]> By: A4 http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295366 A4 Mon, 29 Jan 2007 07:07:37 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295366 thank god you said it greatfox cause i was about to dont make up shit for acronyms if you dont know what it means in the first place oh and yeah deantj is useless thank god you said it greatfox cause i was about to
dont make up shit for acronyms if you dont know what it means in the first place
oh and yeah deantj is useless

]]> By: Andre Neves http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295336 Andre Neves Sun, 28 Jan 2007 21:33:39 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295336 deantj, Im not going to stoop to your level and argue with you. Grow up. This sight would be alot better off without people like you. deantj, Im not going to stoop to your level and argue with you.
Grow up. This sight would be alot better off without people like you.

]]> By: vwjamesmc http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295324 vwjamesmc Sun, 28 Jan 2007 16:31:09 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295324 A question for the moron who calls himself GMnumberone4ever: GM is #1 at what? Fortune 500 Worldwide(2006) Toyota= $12.1 billion profit Honda= $5.2 billion profit Nissan= $4.5 billion profit DaimlerChrysler= $3.5 billion profit Ford= $2.0 billion profit Volkswagen= $1.4 billion profit General Motors= $10.5 billion LOSS!!!!!!!!!!!! So does GMnumberone stand for #1 in company losses? Sorry, but you're a complete moron and should not be allowed to comment on this website. A question for the moron who calls himself GMnumberone4ever:

GM is #1 at what?

Fortune 500 Worldwide(2006)
Toyota= $12.1 billion profit
Honda= $5.2 billion profit
Nissan= $4.5 billion profit
DaimlerChrysler= $3.5 billion profit
Ford= $2.0 billion profit
Volkswagen= $1.4 billion profit
General Motors= $10.5 billion LOSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

So does GMnumberone stand for #1 in company losses?

Sorry, but you’re a complete moron and should not be allowed to comment on this website.

]]> By: Sharif http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295317 Sharif Sun, 28 Jan 2007 05:42:28 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295317 audi RS + lotus inspired suspension. Sweet.......not that the RS4 doesn't handle well cuz it truely does, but now it will handle better. audi RS + lotus inspired suspension. Sweet…….not that the RS4 doesn’t handle well cuz it truely does, but now it will handle better.

]]> By: ratty_672 http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295316 ratty_672 Sun, 28 Jan 2007 05:35:39 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295316 Finally now that VW owns these two they might improve the build quality of the horrible Protons that are currently inflicted on various countries around the world. The (approx) 5% of each Proton that Lotus designs is very well executed but the other 95%..............well.......lets just say it leaves alot to be desired. Thank god GM didn't get a hold of it or else it would have destroyed the two brands forever!! Finally now that VW owns these two they might improve the build quality of the horrible Protons that are currently inflicted on various countries around the world. The (approx) 5% of each Proton that Lotus designs is very well executed but the other 95%…………..well…….lets just say it leaves alot to be desired. Thank god GM didn’t get a hold of it or else it would have destroyed the two brands forever!!

]]> By: 360Modena&335i_drivr http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295296 360Modena&335i_drivr Sat, 27 Jan 2007 21:40:44 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295296 GX3 !!! VW, bring the GX3 back to life, as a Lotus. Pump some life into your black blood. Release it under Lotus, charge 27k for it instead of 17k, and then you won't get the bad publicity either. DO IT!!!!!!!! GX3 !!! VW, bring the GX3 back to life, as a Lotus. Pump some life into your black blood.

Release it under Lotus, charge 27k for it instead of 17k, and then you won’t get the bad publicity either. DO IT!!!!!!!!

]]> By: Saud http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295272 Saud Sat, 27 Jan 2007 11:07:23 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295272 I wonder if they'll twincharge the current 1.8 I wonder if they’ll twincharge the current 1.8

]]> By: autonutt http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295269 autonutt Sat, 27 Jan 2007 09:39:53 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295269 Didn't VW just scrub that little Porsche Speedster-like roadster concept for production because they didn't have a suitable mid-engine platform for it?? Hmmm... sounds like a perfect fit. Didn’t VW just scrub that little Porsche Speedster-like roadster concept for production because they didn’t have a suitable mid-engine platform for it?? Hmmm… sounds like a perfect fit.

]]> By: gumball http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295260 gumball Sat, 27 Jan 2007 05:37:12 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295260 VW is like superman, saves the day, yay! VW is like superman, saves the day, yay!

]]> By: 55amg http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295249 55amg Sat, 27 Jan 2007 04:05:48 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295249 great news. nothing for GM to ruin. great news. nothing for GM to ruin.

]]> By: amanda http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295248 amanda Sat, 27 Jan 2007 03:21:39 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295248 Lotus and Proton? Probably the two automakers with *the worst* build quality outside China. What a great investment. Lotus and Proton? Probably the two automakers with *the worst* build quality outside China. What a great investment.

]]> By: greatfox http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295229 greatfox Sat, 27 Jan 2007 00:32:20 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295229 sorry: Volkswagenwerk Aktiengesellschaft sorry:

Volkswagenwerk Aktiengesellschaft

]]> By: greatfox http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295228 greatfox Sat, 27 Jan 2007 00:29:54 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295228 VAG does not stand for Volkswagen Audi Gruppe as someone said... It stands for Volkswagen Aktien-Gessellschaft VAG does not stand for Volkswagen Audi Gruppe as someone said…

It stands for Volkswagen Aktien-Gessellschaft

]]> By: GMkixassforev-a http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295225 GMkixassforev-a Sat, 27 Jan 2007 00:24:52 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295225 deantj and Andre Neves, why don't you give your phone numbers to each other? So... If you do, pleeeeeeease LET US KNOW!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHA deantj and Andre Neves, why don’t you give your phone numbers to each other?

So… If you do, pleeeeeeease LET US KNOW!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHA

]]> By: AdibzumbaAbihganulah http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295224 AdibzumbaAbihganulah Sat, 27 Jan 2007 00:20:30 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295224 Hal, I think you know what you're talking about. Hal, I think you know what you’re talking about.

]]> By: NOS2006 http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295212 NOS2006 Fri, 26 Jan 2007 23:19:41 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295212 I agree that he's a dumbass, and I'm a HUGE GM fan.. I agree that he’s a dumbass, and I’m a HUGE GM fan..

]]> By: Egbert Souse http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295184 Egbert Souse Fri, 26 Jan 2007 21:00:42 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295184 ^^You are such an idiot ^^You are such an idiot

]]> By: GMnumberone4ever http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295180 GMnumberone4ever Fri, 26 Jan 2007 20:30:56 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295180 Meh Lotus's are kinda girlie anyways and Proton is a failure. The Solstice and the SKy are really where its at here in the states. The American Revolution will make short work of VW. Meh Lotus’s are kinda girlie anyways and Proton is a failure. The Solstice and the SKy are really where its at here in the states. The American Revolution will make short work of VW.

]]> By: meanpants555 http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295177 meanpants555 Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:57:52 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295177 Shame on you. Shame on you.

]]> By: meanpants555 http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295176 meanpants555 Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:57:32 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295176 PADDLE SHIFTS IN A LOTUS? PADDLE SHIFTS IN A LOTUS?

]]> By: shaver http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295172 shaver Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:47:16 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295172 Cool maybe they can figure out how to make $28,000 a car profit. Cool maybe they can figure out how to make $28,000 a car profit.

]]> By: shaver http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295171 shaver Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:46:16 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295171 Please don't screw up Lotu! It is a miracle that we got the Elise/Exige before Lotus became just another obsolete English car company. The car is perfect with the exception of maybe an extra 50 - 75 Horsepower. Which is an easy aftermarket fix. Sure a 2.0T w/paddle shifting sounds way cool but any "corporate changes" makes me nervous. Please don’t screw up Lotu! It is a miracle that we got the Elise/Exige before Lotus became just another obsolete English car company. The car is perfect with the exception of maybe an extra 50 – 75 Horsepower. Which is an easy aftermarket fix. Sure a 2.0T w/paddle shifting sounds way cool but any “corporate changes” makes me nervous.

]]> By: Veda http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295170 Veda Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:44:19 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295170 Hal, I can assure you that they are not going to gain much from SE Asia as they've been there for decades. It's just that they're so unreliable and expensive to maintain in those parts of the world with the very same product lines that lost to Toyota all over the world. Even if they can fix those issues, they still have to deal with the very low resale value which is a huge doubt in the customer's mind. Hal, I can assure you that they are not going to gain much from SE Asia as they’ve been there for decades. It’s just that they’re so unreliable and expensive to maintain in those parts of the world with the very same product lines that lost to Toyota all over the world. Even if they can fix those issues, they still have to deal with the very low resale value which is a huge doubt in the customer’s mind.

]]> By: Hal http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295167 Hal Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:13:15 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295167 The way I see it meanpants they are buying access to low cost manufacturing and markets in South East Asia. VW is already strong in South America and China so this is a new territory. The way I see it meanpants they are buying access to low cost manufacturing and markets in South East Asia. VW is already strong in South America and China so this is a new territory.

]]> By: megator http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295164 megator Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:10:28 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295164 the 1.6 twincharged unit in the elise would be quite cool as well the 1.6 twincharged unit in the elise would be quite cool as well

]]> By: imageWIS http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295159 imageWIS Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:02:05 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295159 GMnumberonemoron is pretty pissed, LMAO. Davey Jones locker? What? You just finished watching ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’? Jon. GMnumberonemoron is pretty pissed, LMAO. Davey Jones locker? What? You just finished watching ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’?

Jon.

]]> By: meanpants555 http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295157 meanpants555 Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:51:37 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295157 Toyota, of course did not listen to my e-mails. Toyota, of course did not listen to my e-mails.

]]> By: meanpants555 http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295156 meanpants555 Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:50:47 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295156 I just don;t know what this means and how it fits into the range. Very odd buyer, what are they up to? I will ponder this over the weekend. I just don;t know what this means and how it fits into the range. Very odd buyer, what are they up to? I will ponder this over the weekend.

]]> By: Hal http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295155 Hal Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:50:02 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295155 Can you tell the difference between VWoA and VAG? The financial statements are available online. And are you saying that Toyota isn't profitable or it's not a high volume automaker? VW, PSA(Peugeot/Citroen), Renault, Nissan, Toyota, Honda and Hyundai/Kia are all consistently profitable high volume brands. Even FIAT made a profit the past couple of years. Can you tell the difference between VWoA and VAG?
The financial statements are available online.

And are you saying that Toyota isn’t profitable or it’s not a high volume automaker? VW, PSA(Peugeot/Citroen), Renault, Nissan, Toyota, Honda and Hyundai/Kia are all consistently profitable high volume brands. Even FIAT made a profit the past couple of years.

]]> By: Foster http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295150 Foster Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:32:37 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295150 Volkswagon Has not made a profit for the last 6 years were do you get that, I worked for them when we almost got laid off your crazy, making statements like that theys still lose money on every car they sell. The only car company they own that has just started breaking even is Audi, Listen Car dealers dont need to make money on New cars they just need to almost break even, they make there money on service. Thats the key, there is only a five car companys that make a profit on cars they sell. And there not high valume thats why they can do it. Volkswagon Has not made a profit for the last 6 years were do you get that, I worked for them when we almost got laid off your crazy, making statements like that theys still lose money on every car they sell. The only car company they own that has just started breaking even is Audi, Listen Car dealers dont need to make money on New cars they just need to almost break even, they make there money on service. Thats the key, there is only a five car companys that make a profit on cars they sell. And there not high valume thats why they can do it.

]]> By: Hal http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295144 Hal Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:14:47 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295144 VAG is profitable overall, VWoA is a mess but Audi is profitable even in North America where VAG is getting screwed by exchange rates. VW does have high labor costs but it has consistently invested in plants and models over the years unlike GM/Ford. VAG is also investing like crazy across its brands now and hasn't had to mortgage everything it owns to do it. Hard to see how Porsche buying shares can be seen as a negative either. I hope this deal works out for VAG, its awesome news for Lotus, VAG has as good a track record as anyone investing in niche brands. On the other hand GM has a track record of investing and bailing after a few years: FIAT, Isuzu, Subaru.... VAG is profitable overall, VWoA is a mess but Audi is profitable even in North America where VAG is getting screwed by exchange rates. VW does have high labor costs but it has consistently invested in plants and models over the years unlike GM/Ford. VAG is also investing like crazy across its brands now and hasn’t had to mortgage everything it owns to do it. Hard to see how Porsche buying shares can be seen as a negative either.
I hope this deal works out for VAG, its awesome news for Lotus, VAG has as good a track record as anyone investing in niche brands. On the other hand GM has a track record of investing and bailing after a few years: FIAT, Isuzu, Subaru….

]]> By: Eisen Faust http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295143 Eisen Faust Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:12:00 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295143 Audi has made a profit almost every quarter for the last 6 years +. its VAG too by the way (Volkswagen Audi Gruppe) Audi has made a profit almost every quarter for the last 6 years +. its VAG too by the way (Volkswagen Audi Gruppe)

]]> By: Veda http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus.html#comment-295131 Veda Fri, 26 Jan 2007 17:41:59 +0000 http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/26/report-volkswagen-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-proton-lotus/#comment-295131 When you hear this kind of news you kinda hope for some mix breed driver's car to come out of the union but you'll probably won't see one until years later. That is if ever. When you hear this kind of news you kinda hope for some mix breed driver’s car to come out of the union but you’ll probably won’t see one until years later. That is if ever.

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