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.