We shall see. But Lotus's new CEO certainly isn't concerned.

Lotus's new CEO said to AutoExpress that they would work on expanding the dealer network in the next few years. Their dealers tend to be franchises for other luxury/exotic automakers, so there's foot traffic and an upscale clientele in the showroom.

But evaluating that Infiniti's sales in Europe is pointless. Success of a luxury SUV would be confirmed or denied by sales in the US, China (and to a lesser extent Russia and the MidEast) — regions which would provide the lion's share of sales even in perfect EU conditions.

Any time I see someone in an Adidas tracksuit, I call them a Russian mobster.

We shall wait and see. But since SUVs will soon comprise 50% of all new global car sales, I'm confident Lotus need not worry about poor SUV sales. No other bodystyle is as much of a sure thing.

I think you're paying too much attention to heritage when making that assessment. There are lots of people who have heard of Lotus (perhaps from James Bond), but aren't familiar with their current lineup because they're so rare and obscure.

Well, they didn't build those and they're not going to, so I guess it's now a moot point. I'm glad that's what he meant. It would have scared me if he was characterizing the Exige as decadent.

The Urus, Bentley, and Levante may not have debuted yet in production form, but they each have a long list of customers lined up. The Urus and Bentley, in particular. Bentley said thousands of clients formally expressed interest in putting a deposit down.

I have no idea what this guy is talking about when he says Lotus has strayed from its principles. The Elise and Exige are extreme(ly lightweight), agile sports cars. The Evora may be bigger and more luxury-lined, but it, too, is known for being one of the best handlers around.

I didn't realize the super sedan segment isn't strong.

I feel like every SUV sells — especially ones from exotic automakers that never before sold an SUV.

Any "purist" who complains about this should send us all a picture of their brand new Lotus. Otherwise, they can stop talking.

What's Erik's Jalopnik username? I loved and hated him on Graceland this season. He was a crazy motherfucker.

Exactly. I was always astounded when people said it was a production Estoque. How fucking moronic. You could literally see the air intakes in the rendering.

But also, Merc is conservative with 0-60 numbers.

AMG previously said it did not want to make the C63 AWD. They want it to be more visceral than the E63/CLS63/S63.

Same thing I was thinking.

Audi is not more exclusive than BMW or Mercedes Benz. In China, it outsells both of those brands. Globally, it wants to become the highest selling luxury brand by the end of the decade. None of that is consistent with exclusivity.

Well, then, I hope they don't disappoint you.

Nope. I find the ATS to be ridiculously boring. And that coupe? Don't even get me started. If I wanted a sophisticated, safe, somewhat modern design, I'd look to Audi. The CTS is more distinctive and better-looking, but only from the front. The rest of it is dull. And all of it is just a consolation prize because I…