Emira UK Roadshow

[Graham Ridgway]

I went to the event last night.  On one hand it was completely fabulous being in the room with the car and the guys from Lotus and B&C, and I love the look of it.

And I know I am in the minority on this, but it's just Lotus of old.  A bunch of well meaning clever guys and girls behaving as absolute amateurs.  So much room to do a brilliant job and such a fail.

Scott's intro speech was dismal.  Looking at the floor, reading from a list, mumbling away really saying nothing.  Legend he might be, but articulate interesting host he's not.

And the car.  This is it for the buyers, nothing else to see and touch.  Just a pretend car, a show car with bits falling off it all the time.  I won't go on as I know I probably have a minority view.

Hey ho, loved being there, but boy are they missing a trick!

[C8RKH]

17 hours ago, Graham Ridgway said:

doesn't like the way the Evora 410 exhaust just opens up and goes full volume

Only if you press the button, or accelerate hard after 4500rpm. In "normal" mode it is actually quite quiet so I think I'm missing the point here.

16 minutes ago, Graham Ridgway said:

I went to the event last night.  On one hand it was completely fabulous being in the room with the car and the guys from Lotus and B&C, and I love the look of it.

And I know I am in the minority on this, but it's just Lotus of old.  A bunch of well meaning clever guys and girls behaving as absolute amateurs.  So much room to do a brilliant job and such a fail.

Scott's intro speech was dismal.  Looking at the floor, reading from a list, mumbling away really saying nothing.  Legend he might be, but articulate interesting host he's not.

And the car.  This is it for the buyers, nothing else to see and touch.  Just a pretend car, a show car with bits falling off it all the time.  I won't go on as I know I probably have a minority view.

Hey ho, loved being there, but boy are they missing a trick!

Wow. This is not good as you point out Graham and quite sad to hear that Lotus cannot yet deliver at the higher level it is expecting everyone else to.  As you say a missed opportunity. Hopefully by the time they get to Lotus Hamilton they'll be better!

[TomE]

59 minutes ago, Graham Ridgway said:

I went to the event last night.  On one hand it was completely fabulous being in the room with the car and the guys from Lotus and B&C, and I love the look of it.

And I know I am in the minority on this, but it's just Lotus of old.  A bunch of well meaning clever guys and girls behaving as absolute amateurs.  So much room to do a brilliant job and such a fail.

Scott's intro speech was dismal.  Looking at the floor, reading from a list, mumbling away really saying nothing.  Legend he might be, but articulate interesting host he's not.

And the car.  This is it for the buyers, nothing else to see and touch.  Just a pretend car, a show car with bits falling off it all the time.  I won't go on as I know I probably have a minority view.

Hey ho, loved being there, but boy are they missing a trick!

This is spot on and my fear too.

So much of the customer experience around the Emira so far has been amateur and just like old Lotus.  The car is brilliant but there is no evidence of them moving the game on.  That's bearable (but disappointing) for Lotus enthusiasts like me but will be a source of concern for newcomers.

For someone coming from Porsche for example, they are already nervous about dealer network for servicing and whether the car is really going to be as well put together as Lotus keep saying.  Doing a well-intentioned but middling event with a less than perfect car isn't going to convert as many people. 

[TonyShepp]

My immediate worry is the show car i will see will portray a level of fit and finish I'm not used to or expecting at this price point. It's all very well saying its not representative of the finished product but the reason i haven't bought a Lotus before is exactly because they have in my mind felt like a kit car mentality - the Emira is meant to be different and to a wider audience including me.

[C8RKH]

Interesting point of view @TonyShepp - I would put the fit and build of my Evora 410 Sport up against any other low volume sports car including the Audi TT and BMW Z4. 

Granted it will not compete with an M5, M8, RS4/RS6 but then they are much more common in volume and really just over powered luxo barges in my humble opinion.  If you throw enough horses at it, any car will be quick in a straight line but necessarily rewarding to drive.

[exeterjeep]

8 minutes ago, TonyShepp said:

level of fit and finish

Comparing all the lotus cars I have owned the most improvement I noticed was a step up from the elite/eclat to excel, with a further slightly smaller step up to my evora s. Can't say that the 430 is noticeably better put together.

[TonyShepp]

1 minute ago, C8RKH said:

Interesting point of view @TonyShepp - I would put the fit and build of my Evora 410 Sport up against any other low volume sports car including the Audi TT and BMW Z4. 

Granted it will not compete with an M5, M8, RS4/RS6 but then they are much more common in volume and really just over powered luxo barges in my humble opinion.  If you throw enough horses at it, any car will be quick in a straight line but necessarily rewarding to drive.

The power doesn't concern me, I'm used to 0-60 in less than 5 seconds and the Emira in any form will provide that. I just want the doors to shut properly, the trim to feel solid. I drove a new Lanrdrover 110 off road some months back and the trim (after them having had it 3 months) was in some places falling off. I'm enticed by the shape of the car its evocative but i don't want it to be at the expense of fit and finish. I'm off to Nottingham  on the 18th to drool over the blue colour and push/prod the trim!

[Evotion]

Ha, I didn't loosen anything up - honest.😃

I saw all the decks and speakers in the afternoon and assumed they were for a large reveal but was flatly told they weren't.  The evening people must be the VIP guests. No Russel in the afternoon either.  

My main takeaway is that the car is an absolute bargain.

 

[Emiralust]

2 hours ago, Evotion said:

The evening people must be the VIP guests.

I don't think it was VIP there was an email that went round to priority order customers the day after that roadshow link got leaked. Anyone could book the roadshow day slots on the website but priority customers had(should have had) an email saying book a time to come and see your car and it also had evening slots then took allergy information for the finger bites.

[Graham Ridgway]

3 hours ago, TonyShepp said:

The power doesn't concern me, I'm used to 0-60 in less than 5 seconds and the Emira in any form will provide that. I just want the doors to shut properly, the trim to feel solid. I drove a new Lanrdrover 110 off road some months back and the trim (after them having had it 3 months) was in some places falling off. I'm enticed by the shape of the car its evocative but i don't want it to be at the expense of fit and finish. I'm off to Nottingham  on the 18th to drool over the blue colour and push/prod the trim!

There's really no point in using the show car to judge the fit and finish.  It's not a car and not representative of the final model.  But I think we can be reasonably confident that the interior quality will be up to spec.  Overall though I expect being in the Emira to be very similar to sitting in my Evora.  It's still very plain inside.  A tiny storage area below the middle screen for a phone, a glove box and two door bins plus cupholders.  I'm very happy with that as I like minimal.  I can't see a leap up from my Evora inside really.  But then I can't see that it needs it!

I'm completely at sea with choice of V6 summer next year, or i4 probably early 2023.  I think the i4 will be better for me.  More responsive at road speeds, faster (I think) 0-60.  It feels like the V6 with its limited life is a stop gap.  I think that's what I learned last night that the V6 won't be in production for long and the i4 will be the mainstay going forward.

I think I'll spec up a V6 and pay the next part of the deposit and see how I feel when it's time to finalise.  Then bail out to the i4 if I feel that way!  Never decide today what you can put off for a few months!

[Johnhoward]

I'm booked in for the Manchester Airport session on 4th Nov, but the time is 18:30 - 21:30 rather than 1 hour slots as they seem to be elsewhere. I would imagine that this will be particularly well attended as it covers a very large catchment. I wonder if they have something slightly different planned with the timing and this is the last session for deposit holders (there is a day session the next day, but this is the one that is open to all).

[Pugwash]

The Lotus Silverstone session for deposit holders is an afternoon, early evening and later evening slot.  There is also a separate day session the next day as you describe which was open to all (who booked) and are one hour slots throughout the day starting in the morning.

[LotusAmateur]

5 hours ago, TomE said:

This is spot on and my fear too.

So much of the customer experience around the Emira so far has been amateur and just like old Lotus.  The car is brilliant but there is no evidence of them moving the game on.  That's bearable (but disappointing) for Lotus enthusiasts like me but will be a source of concern for newcomers.

For someone coming from Porsche for example, they are already nervous about dealer network for servicing and whether the car is really going to be as well put together as Lotus keep saying.  Doing a well-intentioned but middling event with a less than perfect car isn't going to convert as many people. 

Agre - I too was at B&C last evening. The car is stunning but Lotus really have to up their game on the customer expererience if they want to compete with Porsche and the premium marques that they are positioning the Emira against. The team at B&C were very friendly and knowledgeable, and Russell was very inspiring. But, beyond that, it felt very low budget, mass market and amateur hour. I did not feel special at all as a early depositor and my wife (who is less of a car enthusiast) was very unimpressed. Definitely did not feel the way I would want to when buying a £75k car and the experience makes me nervous whether Lotus will be able to up their game and what the experience in the run up to and after the sale will be like.

The contrast to my experience when buying the Alpine A110 is stark (and they were quite amateur too!). I do not want it to be swish; but I wanted the experience be special and personal, and really bring me into Lotus' great heritage and the Emira journey - it was unwhelming on that.

However, the car is beautiful and feels special in itself. So, I am going ahead with the next step of my order and excited about that. Hoping the rest of the experience falls into place and driving it in spring '22 clinches it!

[Evotion]

Interesting.  I do get what you are saying and you are actually almost certainly correct except that you make the assumption that Lotus are trying to compete, or even actually need to compete with Porsche.

Yes, they had to compete on price. To expect them to compete with Porsche on service, back-up, sales processes, longevity, customer experience is just not right.  Yes, something to aspire to and I am sure that is their aim post-Emira. Right now they are just trying to get back into the game.

As a prospective owner I know this, understand this. If I wanted safe, I would bought German which indeed was my very first plan - then considered Italian and then Lotus 😁

I get the concerns of course. I agreed with it. So far it has been less than stellar - You should see the reactoin at Bentley when you walk in!

I am just being realistic at this time.  The real hope and expectation is that by about 2025 they are truly competitive across the board.

My dream car is a Countach Periscopa.

Undriveable, no support, probably go bang, no customer service but the car experience outweighs the risks - for me.

[Snorkel]

I really appreciate the honest reviews about the first roadshow experiences. I totally understand the disappointment when it comes to not getting that special feeling you probably wanted. When you look at a Porsche event, everything is shiny and exciting, red carpets, champagne and caviar... But on the other hand: such dealers sure know how to empty your pockets afterwards. 😃  The "Porsche Tax" is a well known phenomenon when you pick up your P. after some maintenance and when you start to search the fora, they sure aren't all flawless cars. 

Maybe this will help to feel a little better? 🙃

But then again, I saw the little clips of the unveiling and yes, it didn't look very spectacular. The Emira deserved better. Maybe the Lotus folks read along and put a little more effort in making it a special occasion. 

[LotusAmateur]

Fully understand and agree with what you say. It is not about the champagne, caviar, etc. or even only the price. I think it is about the tone which is currently a bit all over the place - they risk trying to be everything to everyone.

Firstly, what tone does Lotus want around the Emira? If it was about a beautiful, slick, aspirational car (which the ad potrays), the event (apart from the car) definitely was not that. It was not even about the heritage and properly connecting us to it. It felt like 'the Lotus of old' with the talk about the 'new Lotus' not matching what it felt like.

Second, while most on this forum are 'all about the car' and enthusiasts (hence more forgiving - and I consider myself a newbie here), we are not what is going to give Lotus its 1000s of sales and financial future. To do that, the experience needs to be a lot better - not mimic Porshce but compete with it. That is what hit Alpine especially in the UK. Maybe, Lotus will get this right elsewhere - seems like the Bahrain launch was more slick.

Anyway, let's see how this plays out. Onto the drive next!

[neilread]

32 minutes ago, Snorkel said:

I really appreciate the honest reviews about the first roadshow experiences. I totally understand the disappointment when it comes to not getting that special feeling you probably wanted. When you look at a Porsche event, everything is shiny and exciting, red carpets, champagne and caviar... But on the other hand: such dealers sure know how to empty your pockets afterwards. 😃  The "Porsche Tax" is a well known phenomenon when you pick up your P. after some maintenance and when you start to search the fora, they sure aren't all flawless cars. 

Maybe this will help to feel a little better? 🙃

But then again, I saw the little clips of the unveiling and yes, it didn't look very spectacular. The Emira deserved better. Maybe the Lotus folks read along and put a little more effort in making it a special occasion. 

If Lotus can afford, big stands at Goodwood and Jenson Button etc, its a pity to hear that the roadshows are bit disappointing, but I was very impressed at Goodwood, so I'm surprised how underwhelming the first reports are. having had Porsches for 10 years it shouldn't be to hard for Lotus to show the bigger brands they can do it well.  For Lotus to grow their market they need to impress a lot of new customers the foundations are built on the Emira, lets hope that they are listening and once orders are confirmed, we get the offer of proper test drives, factory tours etc, it can't be to hard they have a full size test track.

[Beady]

at the risk of controversy, the majority of early adopters and so those at the launch yesterday, and across the next month are largely likely to be lotus fans and so there is no need to impress them...they are already sold.

Upping the game needs to come in the next phase - convincing those to swap from other brands.

 

[Graham Ridgway]

Not controversial, but I have a very different perspective in two ways!  They have an unprecedented 2700 strong expressions of interest in the UK who can get their deposit back and walk away.  There should be every focus on converting those people into committed buyers.  Being slack and amateur is a shocking waste of opportunity.  If you go back to Matt Windle's strategy video (probably there were a few) it is really compelling about the car, what it stands for and what the new Lotus is going to be.  Having humbly been in charge of a much more modest company than Lotus that wrote and sold software, we ran launches and events.  Customer events akin to last night's roadshow.  If me and my team had put on an event like last night I'd definitely be wanting to do a lot better.  It's ok, not a disaster, friendly forgiving audience.  Russell Carr's pitch in person was awesome of course, super compelling.  Matt Windle from his pitch super compelling.  Gavan Kershaw super compelling.  It's not beyond the wit of man to find ways of distilling those compelling narratives into an event surely?  We could have been blown away.  I'm not comparing with Porsche, never done the posh Porsche dealer experience having only owned old ones.  Perhaps I'm just in cloud cuckoo land!  I just want them to do so well and use this fantastic opportunity to its max.

[freefall_junkie]

A question for those who have been to the roadshow. I know the car is a non-runner but are you at least able to adjust the electric seats? I am very very picky about my driving position being spot on so for me this is important.

Also did anyone glean any more about the standard vs sport suspension? Keen to understand just how firm the latter is compared to the Evora 410.

[Graham Ridgway]

Nope, the seats are not moveable and just show items.  I can't see any way of knowing that the Emira is a comfortable place for you.

There was very little tech info available last night, although I may have just not asked the right people.

[freefall_junkie]

Thanks. I suspected that would be the answer. I must say it is a bit sh1t that Lotus can't get a fully functional Emira to the UK roadshows. They really are calling for a lot of faith from us early deposit holders.

[Speedluvver]

Just a correction.. the seats worked for me and I was able to find a comfortable seating position 

[KJD]

Eh?

Seats moved electrically just fine. (Except for the lumbar adjustment - which, when working, should hopefully remove the lumpy feeling in the small of the back that I got).

Another note: they went a long way forward, much more than in the Evora. Checked this for SWMBO who isn’t the tallest - she can just about depress the clutch in the Evora but will have no issues in the Emira.

[Graham Ridgway]

Obviously my mistake.  User error!