The "when I placed my deposit thread"...

[JimH]

Had my call yesterday while (/smug mode - while at the airport in Milan) - deposit placed 8th July (Goodwood Thursday) at 16:34

Elected to wait for i4 first edition (asked about delays - the official line is still Autumn 2022 deliveries) and received this almost as soon as the call was ended :-

 

[Beady]

Also just had my call today. Deposit paid 8.30am Fri 9th July at Goodwood.

Sadly it was a short call as most of the questions have already been answered on the forum.

At this stage I don't want a v6, although I might well change my mind on that if I knew a bit more about the i4. So i am losing my place in the immediate queue due to lack on info.

The caller was very nice, polite and tried to be helpful but they don't know anything on the i4 and anything they might try and tell you is clearly just speculation.

I assume if I change my mind and spec the V6 before 5/11 then i will retain my place so I might do that once I have seen the car again at Silverstone in a few weeks.

However, there is an absence of real information, the website says Autumn 22 but there is now hearsay that it may be 23 and the truth is I am losing interest.

As a Lotus fan (3 Evora and 2 Elise in the last 15 years), this is a real shame - If I am reaching this point then I can only imagine what the newcomers to Lotus might be thinking.

Maybe seeing it again will resurrect my enthusiasm but at this stage have gone back to browsing autotrader and pistonheads for maybe an Alpine or an Exige S for the next 18mths.

😕

 

 

 

[Bibs]

 

[MJON]

@Beady everything decent in the used market is overpriced at present, even WBAC still offering me just £1250 less for my now sold 2017 Sport 220 than I paid three years ago. Don’t lose ❤️ stay in there you can always move it on for a very good price if your not satisfied.

[Cooper]

4 minutes ago, Bibs said:

 

Feel for the call handlers but this is just fantastic news for Lotus.  I know far more people new to the brand who have ordered than not.  

[Badger77]

Just had my call… also placed 9th July 👍

[TomE]

5 hours ago, Cooper said:

Feel for the call handlers but this is just fantastic news for Lotus.  I know far more people new to the brand who have ordered than not.  

I also heard there are roughly 25 deposits being pulled out each day but they are getting 50 new deposits per day to more than offset that 

[Evotion]

That is interesting and will surely skew the figures as that will not be like for like.

E.g.

The 25 pulling out are likely early deposits holders put off by the wait, whereas the 50 new deposits  coming in are from those who have likely already assumed they have missed the First Editions and are therefore looking at Own-Specs.

What does this mean?

• Orders over the next 2 or 3 years already look good
• People who feared they have missed a V6 FE will be getting higher into a better position to get one

[TomE]

I don't think Lotus have closed the book on V6 FE yet and they/dealers are saying as much at the roadshows.  So some of these new deposits are people jumping in to the tail end of the V6 FE batch before 5 Nov.  At that point the V6 FE book may or may not be officially closed, but certainly some are jumping in now just in case.

[Johnhoward]

Had my call this afternoon (my deposit was at 08:30 on 8th July). All very straightforward as I didn't have any specific questions thanks to the wealth of information on here. It's a pity that my roadshow date at Manchester Airport isn't until 5th November when the 2nd deposit is due, but all the posts here with images of the colours and the photoshop work will help me nail down my configuration in the meantime and make sure that my deposit is in before the cut off.

[Whitey]

Had my call today, deposit paid 9th July.  V6 FE for me

[Evotion]

Nice one.

They do seem to be going through the early July depositors. 

Strange they missed out us earlier ones.

I wonder what number they are up to now on those who have paid the £5000 in total.

[TomE]

8 minutes ago, Evotion said:

Nice one.

They do seem to be going through the early July depositors. 

Strange they missed out us earlier ones.

I wonder what number they are up to now on those who have paid the £5000 in total.

I believe there is an issue in how the pre-reveal deposit dates are recorded on the Lotus system.  So people who paid deposits to dealers and then had them converted are being called based on the date they paid the online deposit to Lotus.

But it’s been confirmed (3 times now) that build slots will be based on the original date.

It looks like the calls Thu/Fri are up to 8/9/10 July deposits. So that’s the first 700-1200 UK deposits.

[Beady]

After 5th nov, has there been any indication when the deposits an specs become binding / non refundable ?

[TomE]

I’ve heard it’ll be 4-6 weeks after 5 Nov, from someone who asked Lotus folks at a dealer roadshow this week.

[Mctaff]

I asked today at the Bristol event, and was told by one of the Lotus central team that until a couple of months before build you'd be able to change the spec. I'm not wholly convinced that wasn't just his opinion, but the answer aligns with the way most manufacturers deal with it.

So, after being bowled over by the car in person I'm finally happy to make my second payment... and the website won't have any of it. Anyone else had issues? Do they not like Amex?

[TomE]

I don’t think it accepts Amex. It worked fine for me with Mastercard.

[Mctaff]

Ah yes… all sorted now 😁

[Vulcan Grey]

Deposit down yesterday... Let the patient waiting begin!

[Escape]

10 hours ago, Vulcan Grey said:

Deposit down yesterday... Let the patient waiting begin!

Congrats!

Will the Emira become a stablemate or replacement for your SE?

[Abgreenbank]

Hi I’m new to lotus cars

Initial deposit email received at 00:09 7th July, however I was in France at the time so could be UK 23:09 on the 6th July, I did the deposit as soon as the website allowed.

I think I got my phone call just after 10:04 on the 22nd sept and paid the next deposit on the 22nd, however the website confirmed payment but no confirmation email received until after I contacted lotus customer services.

so I guess I’m reasonably high up the list, anyone care to guesstimate how far up?

Can’t get to any of the dealer presentations, but anyone seen the green metallic  yet?

[TomE]

I'd reckon you're somewhere between #100 and #300 in the queue if you go for a V6 First Edition.  That's based on roughly 150 UK dealer deposits taken before the Lotus online system opened then 500 deposits taken between reveal on 6 July evening and first day of Goodwood on 8 July, then some assumptions about V6 versus i4 and cancellations from chats I've had with Lotus people.

I've seen the green sample and its nice but quite dark.  My pics and from others are here:

There seems to be some similarity with previous Lotus dark greens, but it's very hard to tell from the small sample...

I'd heard there is a Verdant Green car being built at the factory at the moment, so hopefully we'll get to see pictures of that soon.

[Vulcan Grey]

8 hours ago, Escape said:

Congrats!

Will the Emira become a stablemate or replacement for your SE?

It'll be a replacement. I've had the Esprit 21 years.

[Emiralust]

11 March 21 - 6970K - 

27 April 21: Lotus company update and Emira name announced

27 April 21 - TomE - UK - V6 manual

28 April 21 - JamesDG - UK - V6 manual

30 April 21 - Pugwash - UK - V6 manual

4 May 21 - Philsport300 - UK - V6 manual

7 May 21 - Mark030358 - Undecided 

15 May 21 - JCR - Undecided 

19 May 21 - Gashead1105 - Undecided 

20 May 21 - Evotion - V6 Manual

20 May 21 - Evotion - i4

22 May 21 - KennyN - V6 Manual

4 June 21 - DJW - undecided

5 June 21 - Worldwidewebs - 

9 June 21 - Lavazza - undecided

7 June 21 - MarkWilliams1 - Undecided

23 June 21 - KJD - V6 manual

28 June 21 - DaveC72 - i4

29 June 21 - greg/valetpro - Not decided which engine yet.

6 July 21: Emira reveal at Hethel

6 July 21 - Duncs - V6, but cost dependent.

6 July 21, 22:00 - EmiraSi -

6 July 21, 08:00 - Claymore -

6 July 21, 23:09 - Abgreenbank -

7 July 21 - Lockey - i4 

7 July 21 - freefall_junkie - V6 manual UK

7 July 21 - glen8 - i4

7 July 21 - Al_C - I4

7 July 21 - Neilread - I4

7 July 21 - Philnotts - V6 Manual

7 or 8 July 21 - JJ - Cost dependant

7 July 21 - marclurr - UK - V6 Manual

7 July 21 - LotusAmateur - UK - undecided

7 July 21, 15:45 -Emiralust - UK - V6 Manual

8 July 21: Goodwood Festival of Speed Day 1 (Thursday)

8 July 21, 09:39 - mctaff - UK - V6 manual

8 July 21, 16:34 - JimH - i4

8 July 21 - MJON - i4

8 July 21 - Wake - i4 (V6 cost dependant) 

8 July 21 - Johnhoward - V6 Auto

8 July 21 - EmiraJam - 

9 July 21: Goodwood Festival of Speed Day 2 (Friday)

9 July 21 - Beady - I4 (probably)

9 July 21, 08:00 - Beancounter - probably i4, but maybe v6 manual

9 July 21 - Speedluvver - i4 (most likely)

9 July 21 - E1M2I3R4A - V6 manual

10 July 21: Goodwood Festival of Speed Day 3 (Saturday)

10 July 21 - Washy - undecided 

10 July 21 - Al - completely undecided. 

11 July 21: Goodwood Festival of Speed Day 4 (Sunday)

12 July 21: post Goodwood Festival of Speed

12 July 21 - emstan - V6

12 July 21 - Denno - i4 (most likely)

15 July 21 - nohl2678 - V6 (I hope!)

16 July 21 - Frickin Idiot AMG / V6

19 July 21 - slotdawg - V6 Manual

[Mctaff]

3 hours ago, TomE said:

I'd heard there is a Verdant Green car being built at the factory at the moment, so hopefully we'll get to see pictures of that soon.

I hope so, that would be great! Who was the source?