Who will buy a 131?

[scotty435]

Last Friday there where 2 places left for deposit holders one on Friday and one Saturday for a run up the hill at Goodwood in the Emira. Any deposit holders interested in a run I suggest you speak to your dealer holding your deposit asp.

[TomE]

1 hour ago, Dobbin145 said:

There is a bit of gulf, specifically around the Emira launch, between the dealer network and Lotus right now. This may be deliberate on Lotus behalf to keep the Emira under wraps until launch.

I suspect this is the reason.  I believe most UK dealers have had the chance to see an Emira at the factory.  Others have had a briefing but probably little or no pics circulated to avoid leaks.

it also looks like the factory are running everything at Goodwood and dealers aren’t involved. 

[brightoncorgi]

11 minutes ago, TomE said:

I suspect this is the reason.  I believe most UK dealers have had the chance to see an Emira at the factory.  Others have had a briefing but probably little or no pics circulated to avoid leaks.

US dealers, at least my local dealer were shown at least one crappy picture of the Emira.  I think it's great that Lotus et al have been able to keep this under wraps.  As much as I'd like to see it ahead of time, I'd rather see a proper unveiling at their name sake event at Goodwood. 

Could a bigger marque been able to pull off the same?

[scotty435]

My local dealer was at the factory last week and they wouldn’t allow him to see the car and yet Sam from Seen through Glass the YouTuber said on his last podcast that he had seen the car at the factory and even showed some pictures of car to his mate on the same podcast, but said he was under strict embargo not to say anything 6th.

[AdeMorton]

I registered then have had a couple of emails from Lotus Silverstone, the last one on Saturday inviting me to a livestream launch at their site next Tuesday evening.. tempted.. but just can't make it.

[ramjet]

6 hours ago, scotty435 said:

My local dealer was at the factory last week and they wouldn’t allow him to see the car and yet Sam from Seen through Glass the YouTuber said on his last podcast that he had seen the car at the factory and even showed some pictures of car to his mate on the same podcast, but said he was under strict embargo not to say anything 6th.

So wouldn't that have the factory never trust him again? Especially if he announced that he leaked it on a podcast.

If his mate is not under the same restrictions as he is with Lotus, that is exactly how leaks occur.

[C8RKH]

I still think there is a huge elephant in the room re the 131/Emira and future sales.  So, firstly, I am super excited by the 131/Emira. I hugely want it to be a great looking, sounding and driving car. That should be a given for us all.

However, and this is a very big elephant in the room which I think is more pertinent to current Elise/Exige owners who may be considering a 131/Emira as their next purchase, as opposed and specifically Evora owners.  And that is the lack of a convertible/roofless option.

I'd be really interested in hearing from current Elise/Exige owners as to how much of a deal breaker this may be for them, or if it has contributed to them sitting on the fence.

I do think Lotus lost a significant number of Evora sales over the 10 years it was available by not releasing the "targa" variant. I think it really hurt the cars sales and probably should have been released as part of the switch to the 4xx model range around 5 years ago. The fact they didn't means, I believe, less of an issue for current Evora owners to move to an Emira as a FHC.

Anyway, interested in the thoughts on this from current "open top" Lotus owners considering the trade.

[Jcx]

OK mister I'll go first. 

I have an Exige 410 Sport and i never take the roof off.  Why? well i far prefer the look of the exige with the roof on.  I also prefer the look of the non-430 cup cars with a colour matched roof -- mine is colour matched.  Only the 430 cup IMO looks right with a contrasting roof and that is because it has that very clever black trim on the roll hoop and high on the sides to unite its black roof with the carbon rear decklid.

IMO the soft top cheapens the look of the exige and the fully open appearance messes with the scale and proportions in a way that somehow spoils the visual balance. 

Now i accept none of the negative comments above need to apply to a well-designed new car which may look superb with the roof off.  But it does apply perfectly to my position as an Exige owner who would not hesitate to swap from my hard top to another hard top without a sense of loss of openness.

Full disclosure: my first Exige was a 350 and i had the soft top conversion from new and i only had the hard top on once - when i drove the car to swap it for my 410.  I loved the open roof driving experience but i found the visual a bit lacking and only when i put the hard top back on to part with the car did i go 'oh wow! it looks so much better with the hard top on'.

[Dobbin145]

@C8RKH I'm may be the exception but the convertible thing really isn't an issue for me. Although I have an Exige I have never taken the roof (other than to stop it squeaking) not least because the car is registered as a coupe. In fact I was considering buying an Evora until I found out that the Emira is actually closer to my budget than I thought. If the Emira doesn't impress (which I doubt) that is still an option.

I've had several Elises over the years so to a degree feel I've ticked that box.

[duncx]

Elise 250 Cup owner here, constantly thinking of going back (for the 3rd time!) to a V6 Exige, and strongly tempted to put down a deposit for an Emira. The lack of a soft top on the Emira is definitely a negative for me, it's one of the reasons I haven't put down a deposit -  that and the rumours that the 4 banger is auto only.

In my own mind I'm clear about one thing, the Emira is NEVER going to be a replacement for an Elise. However, if it sits neatly between the Exige and the Evora I will probably take a look in a couple of years, for use as a daily and as my last ICE car purchase.

 

 

 

[Jcx]

Hiya Dunc!  We met at the LiTP promo filming.  I fell for your stunning Kwacka Green Cup.  I was waking the dead in MIG 191 - we chatted for some time 🙂  I think the Elise and the Emira are likely to be very well suite as a 2+ car garage -- more so than an Exige and Emira i imagine.  This it seems aligns very well with your own thinking above.

BTW what is an ICE car @duncx?

Edited July 1, 2021 by Jcx

[duncx]

Hi Joe, I can still see/hear you now scorching away from that layby

ICE = Internal Combustion Engine

Two Lotus garage sounds perfect to me

 

[DJW]

Across the 3 Exige I owned the roof was always off. Hasn’t stopped me putting a deposit down on Emira though, as just see it as another model which happens to be a fixed top.   Anyway have the Radical for proper open top motoring  

[Jcx]

2 hours ago, duncx said:

Hi Joe, I can still see/hear you now scorching away from that layby

ICE = Internal Combustion Engine

Two Lotus garage sounds perfect to me

 

Glad to have left my 'memory' 🙂

[Pugwash]

What makes you think there will not be an open version?

[Evotion]

21 hours ago, TomE said:

 

it also looks like the factory are running everything at Goodwood and dealers aren’t involved. 

Yep. That is my belief.

[C8RKH]

2 hours ago, Pugwash said:

What makes you think there will not be an open version?

Not never, but not at launch. All of the interviews have said it will be FHC as far as I have seen.

[jimichanga]

Latest Matt Windle interview courtesy of TLF confirms Emira will be hard top only. Windle did say there would be future open top Lotus cars but suggested that they might not be Emira. More likely will be new Alpine joint venture lightweight EV sports car.

Other nuggets were that the Emira would have weighed less than Evora 'if you take out all the additions' which bodes well for future Cup version but does suggest well equipped launch cars will be over 1400kg. Staying lighter than 1430kg Cayman S will be a key target so that puts the weight pretty squarely between 1400-1420kg. Of course later 4 cyl cars will be lighter. Very glad to hear that the ambition was not just daily useability and tech but also to surpass Evora dynamics, no mean feat but might just be achieved thanks in part to a wider track and larger wheels.

You've all seen this though right?

[Evotion]

Another nugget - looks lIke I will have to keep an eye out for when to put a deposit on a GT4 version!

 

I am delighted there is no targa option - because it would just cause anguish when i see one having bought a hard top.