Picked up a snippet of news from complete kit car that surprised me. Probably not new news but something I’d missed before, GTM’s new cars will be fibreglass body over spaceframe, not the fibreglass monocoque the companies been famous for. Whilst there is nothing wrong with the industries ‘default’ construction method, it does beg the question why did Westfield (well Potenza) buy the company?

From an outsider’s view GTM has been un-loved by the group since it was purchased, possibly they just found the monocoque too expensive to produce, or the skills didn’t transfer to the Westfield workforce but having discontinued the existing range and set about designing a new car, not due until 2011, what have they gained from their purchase apart from taking an interestingly engineered and good looking (from most angles) car out of the market!

One irony is that with Lotus seemingly moving away from the original Elise concept (light, simple, track-capable, tool) to go after the more Boxter market, there should be an opening for a turn-key Libra type car. In my view someone could successfully step into that void but there is a fine line to tread;

Price – Needs to be hot hatch territory
Style – Hard top, scaled down GT styling, can’t be too feminine!
Specification – Can be simple, doesn’t need air/con or electric windows but must be well finished and look ‘factory’
Drive/Performance- The Elise magic was that it could embarrass more expensive machinery but whilst a little sparton it could still be used as a daily driver.
Delivery – Has to be turn-key

Lotus hit this mark to perfection, who could follow, Nobel? if they could hit the price-point a simplified, slightly scaled down (from their current offering), small rev’y engined car along their current styling could work. Back to my original point, a simply spec’d but slightly more refined finish on a GTM Libra, with a modern engine and bespoke (i.e. not donor) running gear would have been very close to the mark.

Speaking as a previous GTM owner, I get them.

Or should I say, I got them.

My K3 was followed by the Libra which certainly advanced the cause a fair bit.
Got rid of more metro bits, nicer interior etc.

The problem, as I see it is in getting people to buy into what you're selling.
If it stays a a kit car, then you're selling to the nerd market.

That'll be us.

If you do a Lotus and stop selling in kit form and move into the mainstream, people need a reason for buying into your brand. It has to be a genuine choice between a GTM or an MX5, seeing as the MR2 is dead and the MGTF is err....whatever.
With Westfield, being the largest brand there is in terms of numbers, the GTM possibly stands the greatest chances, because it's with an owner that people are perhaps more inclined to believe in.

I suppose from a business point of view, moving towards their current manufacturing processes (unstressed body on a 7 stylr chassis) would make sense but then why not start again instead of halting the 40 ish year history of a marque.

I like the Libra but thought it was expensive. I had a Rossa K3 which was an ace and surprisingly practical little car

What are Westfield up to - gawd only knows but I hope that they do the GTM name justice and not just put the GTM name on some crap car as we've seen so many times

Steve

Grand Touring Mini = GTM hardly a qualtiy name badge that joe public will know and love..

Westfield have the marketing power to take GTM up a notch.. But with a space frame it will probably lose my interest. Also I guess existing GTM owners may not be able to get a spare body any more witch is a shame (I suspect Westfield will hack the molds about to make the new car??)..

Dan

I agree that it is sad that these models will be changed beyond recognition.

From a practical perspective, if making a fibreglass monocoque was a really good way of building cars, then there probably would have been more than 1 manufacturer doing it.

Matt

I do not think westfield got what they where expecting when they purchased the GTM as I do not think that any work had been done to it since it was first brought out.The GTM name may live on but I think the GTM as we know and love is gone.I think the plan now is to use standard parts on both the westfields and the new GTM.The reason for stopping the Libra was said to be down to the high costs and the lack of knowledge for the fibreglass work.
I have owned both a K3 and now a GTM Libra and must admit that I would never of purchased a GTM Libra kit to build myself as the kit price was far too high.
Matty