Emira Update from Lotus

[TomE]

On 27/10/2022 at 09:32, Emiralust said:

I'm surprised the dealerships who took the deposits for the pre revealers haven't stuck their necks out to sort this out. Surely they have some pull on this, it's pretty embarrassing for them ultimately and jeopardizes very long serving customer relationships. If I was at B&C for Tom I'd be livid. I think this is the single most telling thing about the ethos at the head office now. Busy and complicated or not, that only needed a conversation between senior management to fix, and there is no way they aren't aware of the problem to their most loyal customers.

Thanks for the moral support on this.  It is massively frustrating how no one at the agents or at Lotus HQ care about this significant mix up.  They know about it but won't acknowledge it, refuse to discuss it, and have no intentions of doing anything about it.  The agents have zero influence over Hethel these days.

Whilst I appreciate there are major problems with parts supply, I am certain that is not the reason that my car and at least 15 other pre-reveal depositors' cars are delayed into 2023 while people with 6/7/8 July deposits get cars in Nov/Dec.  There are several cars with the same components as mine and one identical to mine all being delivered before Christmas and to people with post-reveal deposits.

Scott Walker fought to ensure Lotus HQ correctly recorded the dates of the 100-ish pre-reveal deposits.  Up until Goodwood this year I was being told by Scott, Customer Care and Lotus senior management I was in the first 20 cars.  Then an email about a 2 month delay that put me into batch 3 and stonewalling by Lotus on why.  Not even a "sorry".

[C8RKH]

As I have consistently said welcome to Lotus 2.0 where they really don't give a shit and volume is the order of the day. You might have been a valued customer before, but now, you are just a number. Lotus has moved on from it's "family" feel and the corporates are firmly in control.

Interestingly, i came across Harry's video review of his original Elan Sprint. One line really got me when he talked about how "Lotus always got the journalists cars setup so right" in those days with little tweaks etc. They can't even get that right anymore and when they know the effort Porsche, Ferrari et al go to it's quite unforgivable in some ways.

I bought my last new Lotus. I doubt I will ever buy a new one now again. I have absolutely zero interest in splashing out £100k on an SUV - apart from telling everyone I'm a total dick with too much flash cash I have no further understanding of what that car is about, or any other car like it.  I can't see them building the Emira I want (a very focused, lighter drivers car) so I am now looking at other options as to where to put my money. The Emira is softer in feel and sound than my current Evora and as it's a play thing, not a DD for me, there is no attraction. I think my money would be better enjoyed in a 2nd hand Macca with the warranty. Yes, more expensive to buy and own, but more on what i want from a toy sports car.

The Emira looks great, but by pushing it out heavier and with less power than the last Evora's I really don't see it as an upgrade "for the drivers".  Yes, it will be a much better car to live with as a daily driver for sure, but how many really bought a Lotus for that?  Not the majority. But then, maybe this is what is needed to drive the volumes. But it makes the Alpine a compelling proposition despite the fugly front end looks.

[New Emira]

6 hours ago, TomE said:

Thanks for the moral support on this.  It is massively frustrating how no one at the agents or at Lotus HQ care about this significant mix up.  They know about it but won't acknowledge it, refuse to discuss it, and have no intentions of doing anything about it.  The agents have zero influence over Hethel these days.

Whilst I appreciate there are major problems with parts supply, I am certain that is not the reason that my car and at least 15 other pre-reveal depositors' cars are delayed into 2023 while people with 6/7/8 July deposits get cars in Nov/Dec.  There are several cars with the same components as mine and one identical to mine all being delivered before Christmas and to people with post-reveal deposits.

Scott Walker fought to ensure Lotus HQ correctly recorded the dates of the 100-ish pre-reveal deposits.  Up until Goodwood this year I was being told by Scott, Customer Care and Lotus senior management I was in the first 20 cars.  Then an email about a 2 month delay that put me into batch 3 and stonewalling by Lotus on why.  Not even a "sorry".

I emailed customer service twice this week asking for an update and received no response. I then telephoned asking for an approximate delivery date having paid my deposit on the 23rd July 21 and was told it was not possible to give a date and that I would be contacted early 2023 and could expect delivery hopefully sometime in the Spring. Really beginning to lose confidence now and with the lack of a local dealer for sorting potential mechanical problems in the future I am considering other options.

[Dan E]

and make sure you do get a warranty as a mate of mine has on,e a 720S I think,  and has had 37k of warranty repairs in the last 12 Months funnily enough his 350 Cup Exige which has done around 25k of track miles out of a total of around 30k of total miles has never had an issue and after spending a couple of days at the Nurburgring with him a couple of months ago its not like he doesn't push it 

[C8RKH]

@Dan E absolutely, the one thing that scares the shit out of me with the McLaren is the running costs. To be honest the elise/exige/evora cars were just over looked. They are fantastic and I just don't see we'll see that many Emira's on track.  An Exige 430 CUP, probably the best bang for your buck ever and a properly engineered car to take the hard stuff.

[gregs24]

18 hours ago, New Emira said:

I emailed customer service twice this week asking for an update and received no response. I then telephoned asking for an approximate delivery date having paid my deposit on the 23rd July 21 and was told it was not possible to give a date and that I would be contacted early 2023 and could expect delivery hopefully sometime in the Spring. Really beginning to lose confidence now and with the lack of a local dealer for sorting potential mechanical problems in the future I am considering other options.

Colchester, Norwich and Silverstone are all reasonably close to Cambridge ?

[JimH]

Norwich (Long Stratton - Stratton Motor Company) is now a Service Centre and approved used dealer only but very good…!

[New Emira]

6 hours ago, gregs24 said:

Colchester, Norwich and Silverstone are all reasonably close to Cambridge ?

Thanks - Colchester is an hour and twenty minutes which is fine for an annual service but a long way if the car has a number of  issues post delivery so fingers crossed !

[jimichanga]

Totally understand the disappointment at the way customers have been dealt with and frustrations with delays especially but don’t understand the big appeal of having a very early Emira.

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

I can. Having one of the first cars produced is fantastic. It won’t be long until they’re an everyday sight on UK roads. It’s been a long time since that was the case with a Lotus. Basically the 1990s.

[New Emira]

On 27/10/2022 at 03:22, TomE said:

I don't believe that's the full reason.  The parts needed to build my spec were available to build an identical spec car and several similar spec cars for people further down the list.

 

And RHD cars for Australia.

I paid my deposit on the 23rd July 21 and have not yet been asked to lock in my configuration. Does anybody know at what point Lotus ask you to lock in prior to the build date ?

[TomE]

Previously it’s been about 6 months before expected build date.  If there is continuing disruption to supply chains then they might extend that.

 

2 hours ago, jimichanga said:

Totally understand the disappointment at the way customers have been dealt with and frustrations with delays especially but don’t understand the big appeal of having a very early Emira.

If you don’t understand it then I doubt I can explain it  

[New Emira]

3 minutes ago, TomE said:

Previously it’s been about 6 months before expected build date.  If there is continuing disruption to supply chains then they might extend that.

Thanks TomE I was afraid that might be the case which given I am not yet locked in suggests a delivery mid 2023. At least it gives time to iron out any teething problems that may occur in production between now and then.

[jimichanga]

Exactly, I was trying to offer some consolation to TomE in suggesting that there might be some benefits to having a later car. Very common for early cars to have some bugs to iron out hopefully yours will benefit from the delay.

[Whitey]

Phone call today from LCC to say that my build is now Jan for Feb 23 delivery. Deposit paid on 10th July.  I’m apparently in the first 300 and should get the email for a test drive “very soon” which is booked centrally by Lotus on a first come first demo basis. Not surprised at all at the additional delay. The demo better knock my socks off or I’ll be going the used route.

[New Emira]

Congratulations ! Delaying my deposit to July 23rd cost me 4 months so there were obviously a lot of deposits paid in those 2 weeks. Should be worth the wait.

[alfapork2]

Can I ask - is it typical for those who placed deposits late July to receive an expected delivery date of March-ish?

I've been open minded about the delays/poor comms until now and given the benefit of the doubt, but this week I received two emails (both with my first name obviously spelt incorrectly) one promising production March the other promising June. On calling customer care June for July delivery is in fact correct. They admit a mistake for many customers receiving two emails. 

On order (about 8 weeks later than @New Emira I might add) I had been told to expect an October 2022 delivery (when the first cars were meant to be March/April 2022) so a 6 month lag on first deliveries, this seems to have turned into a 9 month lag on the first customer cars being delivered....

Customer care as with everyone else is signalling no specific info from the factory and at one point said "Lotus is not telling us anything" which is bizarre as customer care is meant to be part of the same company, are they outsourcing it now?

One hand does not know what the other is doing which at this stage is ridiculous.

[New Emira]

My deposit was put down 23rd July 21 and I have been given a production month now of May 23 so your June sounds correct. Hopefully we will both benefit from teething problems being ironed out on the earlier cars.

[Del Lardo]

Deposit on the 7th (day before FoS) and my i4 is now scheduled to be built in August 2023 which works well for me and delay of 9 months from my original November build date.

 

 

[JimH]

Same for me (8th July 2021 Deposit - Goodwood Thursday) - now August 2023 build - previously confirmed to be "in the first i4 batch".....

[PJS]

Had the call, December Build, Jan Delivery. 8th July Deposit ( 7th with dealer then refunded to pay Lotus direct). DV Manual. Apparently test drive email is delayed until next week. 

[Beady]

Call today - Now Jan build/Feb delivery (was Oct-Nov).

July 9th order (8am goodwood friday) - was told I am quite high / early in batch 2 

currently 50/50 at best whether i will proceed

[jimichanga]

How long before the Emira S is announced? I accept production is still a long way off but later in 2023 would have been the likely original plan. I guess if sales of the vanilla Emiras are still strong then it won’t matter if the S is delayed but if the plan was full EV by 2025 the ‘S’ version won’t be out for long or potentially might be axed all together. They will probably want to keep interest in the car high though which could mean some getting their regular Emiras after the ‘S’ has been announced. I suppose strong residuals will save Lotus’s bacon on this one providing they remain so.

.

[Al]

2 hours ago, JimH said:

Same for me (8th July 2021 Deposit - Goodwood Thursday) - now August 2023 build - previously confirmed to be "in the first i4 batch".....

Didn't want to read that!  😭  I was 10th July 21 deposit and I have repeatedly told them in writing as well as on the one call I have had that I was waiting for an i4 owner spec not even FE as not keen on colours.  My holding update e-mail yesterday said May 23 build and I naively thought they may have read something from me but obviously not!  Why would they do that!  Question now is do I give up on my principals and just order a LE i4 of a colour I don't want, or do I wait for my own spec, or do I just walk as this is becoming a joke.

I was out in 2 different mates F-types this last few weeks, not driving but they were pushing on and have to say the V8 is lovely sounding and had some grunt.  Enough around 2nd hand to solve that problem and I've still got the Elise for Summer days and track days.  Wife loved the looks so job half done. Aaaargh! 🤔

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Don’t forget that they’ve still got to bring the I4 to market. I don’t think anyone outside of Lotus has even driven one yet, so that could be the best part of another year for customer deliveries of those. That takes you nearly up to 2024, with an expected 2025 finish. Might not be worth the bother of developing a higher output model within that time frame.