Dobbin145

Great to see some new and old faces at Thruxton this morning. Now I've worked out how to use this regional bit of the forum we'll pop down to the Mayfly on Tuesday night.

Just out of morbid curiosity what were the issues that the demo car had to warrant 'failing' the PDI? Also do we know if the Emira has finally been UK type approved? I thought this was completed a while back because it appeared in the UK insurance database. (Sorry if this was covered on the other forum only there is so much advertising and screen junk for that forum it's almost unusable on my phone).

Like many I too had a change of circumstances, in January I lost my job. However, I found having a deposit on a new Emira a great motivator to getting a new job rather than trying to make a quick buck. In the meantime I sold my Exige (earlier than planned) and my 2 year old i30N just in case I didn't secure a new job ASAP.

So let me get this right. The only way you can actually test drive one of these cars is to pay £180 for a 20 minute session at Hethel? Does anyone else of of a manufacturer that charges customers for a test drive? Do you get your £180 back when Lotus deliver your car?

It is, I cracked last night and spent way too long dribbling over used F-Type V8 porn on Pistonheads. The only way I could confess my sins was to call Lotus Customer Care. Their soothing voice assured me my Emira would be built next month and delivered the month after. They said it was only natural to look at other cars in a situation like this. It was OK to look, but not OK to touch! It's nice to know that Lotus Customer Care are there for us in these dark hours of need.

When I didn't have a garage I used Specialised Covers Stormshield for both my Elise and Evoras. Given the softness of the pain used on the Elise in particular the fleece lining didn't ever damage it. It wasn't really much of a pain to take on and off onnce you have developed a technique.

Can't think for a moment what the listing error may have been? I wonder if it was the lack of Lotus Emira?

Still love the looks of the F Type. Personally my plan was to defect to a V6 F Type when I could no longer get in to the Exige. By which time I wouldn't look out of place at a National Trust cardigan convention then Project Gamma got in the way and the cardigan is going to have to wait.

Yep, from the people I know that have worked with Schmee (that all say his screen persona is quite different) this video seems to be more like the real Tim. Another great endorsement, I wonder what this will do for the order book?

Thanks @TomE I've not heard anything about customer test drives through anything other than the dealership. Who are these lucky customers that get test drives with a LDA instructor? Mind you if it's Donnerly ......... Which leads me to wonder if he's been let loose on an Emira yet. That must have featured in the destructive test schedule.

Tell us more @TomE why the delay on the LDA cars? Has anyone heard more about the homologation progress? (Not related to the LDA cars) I've asked a couple of times but Lotus are keeping quite tight lipped about this. Unrelated, but I hear that dealer handover training has been scheduled for early next month.

Any idea why? These covers are not cheap, so it would be nice to invest in something that isn't boring black.

Are there going to be any colour options other than black?

Nice of Lotus to share updates on the production delay with those that have saved hard in order to buy an Emira and put down deposits before blowing smoke up Schmee's backside. I guess they think our blind faith is inifite, I for one am getting a little tired of this approach.

Maybe Lotus are making a design statement?