Dany Bahar, Bob Lutz and Claudio Berra hold a conference...

As I have said before, next week I will be attending the ASLI automotive conference in Kuala Lumpur 1-2 December 2010. It precedes the KL Auto show.

I read in Autoweek .com that Dany Bahar held a conference in an expensive mansion last week.
Here is a small portion of the Claudio Berro presentation...

Then it was motorsports director Claudio Berro's turn with the laser wand. Berro is also from Ferrari. He started by saying that the Indianapolis 500 "is the most important race anywhere in the world," letting us know where Lotus's priorities stood. He reiterated Lotus's participation in the IndyCar series, in GT4 with the Evora and the availability of the Type 125 semi-F1 car for private gentleman racers. He said that Lotus's IndyCar entry in 2011 will consist of "two or three cars," and the following year Lotus would provide "bodywork" for IndyCars.

The 2011 season would also see Lotus in GP2 and GP3; in ALMS with an LMP2 entry; a Lotus presence in GT2/Endurance racing; a full season of Lotus Cup races around the world, specifically series in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Japan and the Middle East with 40 to 50 cars each weekend, and Lotus Academies just about everywhere there is a Lotus Cup. That is a tremendous amount of motorsports, even by pie-in-the-sky standards

Bob Lutz earned his crust with this comment.

"Of course they have a chance," said Lutz, perhaps being a bit too blunt. "If you do nothing, then it's certain death. If you make a massive investment, then it's maybe death. When faced with the choice of maybe dying and certainly dying, you always pick maybe dying. I learned that in military aviation."

We all die, thats a fact of life. Lotus appears to be in the middle of a rebirth. I hope they grow up big and strong...
At the ASLI conference, I will be presenting the slideshare presentation below.
In my opinion this presentation dovetails in well with the new racing plans envisaged by the company. The same can be said of the plans for the new economic corridor planned for Johor.

Motorsport University Malaysia

View more presentations from johnsean.

Team AirAsia versus Lotus Renault?

Today I received my newsletter from team AirAsia instead of Lotus racing... Oh well.

I am looking forward to flying to Malaysia next week. I am participating in the ASLI auto conference that precedes the KL Auto show.

1-2 December 2010.

http://www.asli.com.my/cgi-bin/event_calendar.cfm

I am sure that it will be very interesting to hear some of the people on the inside speak!

The chiefofficers.net site had an interesting article:
http://chiefofficers.net/888333888/cms/index.php/news/special_interest/motorsport/motorsport_battle_over_lotus_name_becomes_surreal

I have to think Tony Fernandes is a little annoyed.

I'm sure he will get over it.

I certainly hope that I can get some practical support for my MUM proposal during the conference.

Enjoy your weekend!

This is the basis of my ASLI presentation:

Motorsport University Malaysia

View more presentations from johnsean.

Tony Fernandes may not use Team Lotus name, although he legally owns it. ASLI Automotive conference coming soon. Go it should be interesting.

Renault have sold their 25% share in the F1 team to Proton.
Proton will now spend Euro30 million a year for the privelege of promoting the Lotus brand. Tony Fernandes has stated he does not intend to have two Lotus named cars in F1. I have to assume we will now have an Air Asia /Tunes / Naza named car on the grid.
http://paultan.org/2010/11/13/telephone-interview-with-tony-fernandes-of-lotus-racing/
Tony now owns the Team Lotus name.
Oh well.
I'd be happy to use the Team Lotus name in relation to my MUM proposal.
Base it in Johor. MUM could quite happily co-exist with both Tony and Proton as an independent educational entity.
I will be at the ASLI automotive conference in a couple of weeks. I'll punt the idea around there.
http://www.asli.com.my/cgi-bin/event_calendar.cfm

This years conference will have a Motorsport portion.
http://www.asli.com.my/cgi-bin/details.cfm?type=conference&id=286

It would be nice if Alex Yoong and Tengku Djan could attend.
Alex works with Tony Fernandes.
http://paultan.org/2009/09/26/alex-yoong-lotus-f1-deputy-team-principal/

 Djan is head of Proton Motorsport



I'm sure that Proton will send some big hitters, I'm not sure about Group Lotus (Dany Bahar) or Tony Fernandes.

Tun Mahathir is a keynote speaker...
Resolve Lotus issue amicably, urges Mahathir

It should be interesting in any event!

I will be at ASLI conference. I might raffle Italian Job script for charity. Group Lotus Team Lotus saga goes on.

Today, I confirmed again my attendance at this years ASLI Auto conference. I will be a panellist in 3 sections. The conference coincides with the KL Auto show.
The ASLI auto conference 1-2 December precedes the Auto Show

I have an early 'Italian Job' script I might raffle to attendees. All procedes to charity. I'm waiting for ASLI to agree.
The Lotus Formula 1 saga goes on...
Here is a portion of a David Hunt interview.
http://www.theracedriver.com/2010/11/david-hunt-exclusive-on-team-lotus/

Let’s be clear: Group Lotus has never raced in F1, and, despite what it now claims on the freshly-applied murals on the Proton Building at Hethel, it has no F1 World Championships, Grand Prix wins, poles or even races contested in its history. Their claims are as ridiculous as if I had announced a new sports road car from Team Lotus which followed in the long tradition of Team Lotus road cars such as the Elan, Esprit, Europa etc. I would have been passing off; my claims would have been laughable and Team Lotus would have been demolished in court if it had dared defend litigation from Group. In my opinion that is what is likely to happen to Group in the litigation now underway in the British High Court. It is also my opinion that they know that as well as I do, which is why they have attacked now. I believe they are counting on it never reaching the court hearing and a ‘Malaysian settlement’ resolving ‘ownership’ of Team Lotus in their favour.

David Hunt is obviously of the opinion he has sold the rights to Tony Fernandes.

I think from an educational perspective this could be an interesting thing to study. I'm sure we could do an interesting Law Module using this whole thing as an example.

I'm looking forward to the conference. I certainly hope some good will come out of it.

Team Lotus or Air Asia Renault F1. Why are Group Lotus only now interested?

The argument about Tony Fernandes using the Lotus name goes on...
Tony has agreed to set up what was going to be the Lotus technology centre in SepangF1. Now it will be called?
Group Lotus have spurned the opportunity to set up there over the years preferring to stay in Bukit Jalil (Where?)
I must say I wish Tony well. He is doing what I wanted to do!

Motorsport University Malaysia

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Never Mind.
There is an FIA approved circuit in Johor. Up for sale, and dying to have a project like Motorsport University Malaysia onboard.
Maybe Tony Fernandes should show the initiative to become involved and watch Group Lotus suddenly become interested...
Just a thought... Enjoy the weekend everyone.

Rita Forst beer drinking songs ... Mum a Mia!

Whilst working in OPEL Reusselsheim, I as a member of the USA team found my German counterparts to be friendly and helpful.
There was a faction who felt that OPEL as a German manufacturer in the mould of BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes Benz etc had the upper hand when it came to technology and quality.
While I was there we had engineers from Sweden (Saab) Australia (Holden) and they were just starting to use Fiat drivetrains (Italy).
The Opel tech centre is home to many nationalities. Generally, they get on...
During my time at Opel, Rita Forst was head of Powertrain.
Today Rita effectively heads up GM Reusselsheim.
Bloomberg reports that Rita is encouraging the singing of Beer drinking songs when dealing with non German colleagues...

As an executive at the carmaker’s powertrain unit, she’s belted out German drinking songs over dinners with Swedish colleagues to loosen people up. While heading GM’s diesel engine development center in Turin, Italy, she set up exchanges between German and Italian employees who were reluctant to cooperate.
“You can only work in a globalized environment if you know, accept and adapt to various cultures,” the 55-year-old German said in an interview. “That can lead to friendships and makes things a whole lot easier.”

I'm not sure how the Swedes reacted. However,Saab has since been sold off...
Here is a video from this years Paris Show. Nick Reilly, Rita's boss opens and Rita finishes.



I enjoyed my time at Opel. I wish them well.

All you potental funding partners out their contact me through my web page:
http://motorsportuniversitymalysia.com/

I will be participating at this years ASLI automotive conference in KL 2-3 December 2010.
 You can meet me there, if you wish to send a delegate.

On a funding note: Malaysian PM Najib announced his budget today.
A portion taken from the Star.

FIRST STRATEGY: REINVIGORATING PRIVATE INVESTMENT
19.Another PPP(Public-Private Partnership Initiatives) project identified is the Academic Medical Centre. This project is a joint venture between Academic Medical Centre Sdn. Bhd. and Johns Hopkins Medicine International as well as Royal College of Surgeons Ireland. This project involves private investment of RM2 billion

The text of Najibs speech starts with the words:
1.Praise be to Allah, for enabling me to table the 2011 National Budget. Indeed, this is a significant budget. This Budget is a precursor in our final efforts towards achieving Vision 2020, which is 3,365 days or 9 years, 2 months and 17 days away.

As you can gather, Malaysia is a Muslim led country. I'm not sure if Rita will be sitting down with Najib for a beer drinking song session any time soon.
Secondly, Malaysia is striving to become a fully developed nation by 2020. It's neighbour Singapore has already achieved this.
My proposal would be on the border between the two nations.
I'm neither a Muslim nor a German beer drinker.
However, I must fully endorse Rita's statement:
“You can only work in a globalized environment if you know, accept and adapt to various cultures,” the 55-year-old German said in an interview. “That can lead to friendships and makes things a whole lot easier.”

On that note,
I'd like to wish everyone, everywhere, a very happy weekend.

Proton name probable divisions. Fiat 500 fails test...

In todays EDGE publication, space is given to the Lotus business plan. The funding is coming largely from bank loans.

In terms of financing for the Lotus project, Syed Zainal said the over-£300 million capital expenditure would be 80% funded by borrowings from local and international banks.


I must say I hope it works. One of the main reasons Lotus was bought was technology transfer.
This was not mentioned. I assume Tony Fernandes will do this under the TEAM LOTUS banner.
Group Lotus had the chance to set up in SepangF1.
Tony Fernandes will be successful, I wish him well.

Motorsport University Malaysia

View more presentations from johnsean.

According to the EDGE the new divisions will be:
Group restructuring and consolidation


The Lotus project is part of Proton’s group restructuring plan to create four core operating units that are each a profit centre, to be modelled after the Petronas group organisational structure.

The four core units are Lotus sports car division, Proton-Lotus engineering division, Proton manufacturing division and Proton distribution division. It is learnt that a restructuring plan is due for implementation next year.

This is based on the Petronas structure.
Petronas were asked to set up a University. That is now in existence. It has formed a partnership with TEAM LOTUS in Sepang, as has UTM.

Lotus gave the land to Hethel engineering centre, which is based on its site. This actively works with Lotus to educate people in the local area.
Group Lotus (and by default Proton) have never tried to replicate this Educational facility/technical assembly area/ track model in Malaysia.

Whilst it ticks all the boxes in the UK it is considered a no go in Malaysia. ODD.

Perhaps someone within Lotus / Proton should look at both the Lotus UK site and the Petronas educational initiative.

Check out my wesite for some ideas... http://motorsportuniversitymalaysia.com/
As an aside Fiat have lost there deal for supplying learner cars to BSM (British school of Motoring).
Here is a quote from the Mirror.

DRIVING school giant BSM has been forced into a U-turn after instructors gave its new Fiat 500 a thumbs down.
Instructors preferred the Corsa’s larger size, five doors and steel wheels, which cannot be scuffed like alloys.
The deal is a boost for Vauxhall, with studies showing 70% of drivers buy the make of car they learned in.

Proton are trying to become the Learners choice. They will give instructors special deals.
Shame they can't bring this same philosophy to education in general.