Calling all Lotus enthusiasts and Lotus-curious in NI & Ireland

[RP420]

Firstly many thanks to @Bibs for setting up this group and for making TLF such a great forum and knowledgebase for all Lotus enthusiasts and Lotus-curious!

Hopefully this group can act as a focal point for all interested in Lotus on this side of the Irish Sea.

I'm an Exige 420FE owner and my Lotus history is mentioned in my Introductions post at Hello from Belfast

I have already been in touch with @blindside and @5pence who are keen to meet.  I hope that there are plenty more Lotus fans in NI and would be grateful if all interested would join this "Club" page as Members so that we can organise the occasional meet or event.  Please join and share the links with as many as possible - all welcome, whether a current Lotus-owner or not!!

I look forward to meeting up with as many as possible and hope we can build a vibrant Lotus community in NI.

Cheers

Ryan

[blindside]

Great idea Ryan and thanks for starting this group.

Hopefully numbers will grow over the next few months as the good summer weather comes in!

[RP420]

Thanks for joining the group @Tris... - welcome & hope to meet in due course!

[RP420]

@SSurpal - welcome to the group and thanks for joining! 

See our First Northern Ireland/Ireland meeting thread - we are currently thinking of meeting Friday 29th April in the Antrim area. Hope you can join us! 

[RP420]

@AR13 MEO - welcome to the group and thanks for joining!

[Mike150]

Hi guys...................just saw the pictures from last nights meet. Sadly I never knew about it and I was even out in teh Elise last night as it was such weather. I'm a long time member but never here much as I use SELOC more, I'll keep a watch on here and please feel free to contact me if any of you are passing through Ballynahinch....................

www.msdetailing.org

07715042553

 

[RP420]

Hi @Mike150. Thanks for joining the group and sorry you missed the meet last night.

We will likely arrange another get together in the summer - possibly at the Supercar Sunday event at the end of July. Whatever the plans, all members of the group will be notified and hopefully you will be able to join us next time. 

@AR13 MEO and I discovered last night that we both live in the Legacurry area so not far from you.  Will be keeping an eye out for your yellow Elise on the local roads! 

Look forward to meeting you. 

Ryan

[RP420]

@KeithK

Thanks for joining the group Keith. Great to meet you last Friday and great to see another Exige v6 on the roads 😉. 

Look forward to hopefully meeting again over the summer. 

Ryan

[Bibs]

https://www.am-online.com/news/dealer-news/2022/11/29/lookers-charles-hurst-division-to-open-northern-ireland-s-only-lotus-cars-dealership

Boucher Road in Belfast.

[blindside]

Thanks for sharing Bibs. Delighted to hear this news. It will make long term ownership in N. Ireland, (& S. Ireland as well), a viable proposition. Especially for newcomers to the Marque.

[RP420]

Hi Bibs.  Great news for all of us on this side of the Irish Sea and many thanks for posting the link.  I hope that means we will seem a lot more Lotus here!

[Cooper]

Fantastic news.  Spoke to them today and there's huge enthusiasm for Lotus, and with CH behind it we hope this means they will look after us Lotus owners in the province for a long time to come.

[blindside]

I was down at Hurst’s getting my Megane serviced last week and walked over to the Aston end to see what the vibe was around Lotus service & parts support. In particular when are they going to be up and running with Lotus trained technicians and have factory diagnostics, parts available etc.

I ended up talking to the Aston sales director for a good half hour. He is responsible for the new Lotus sales side and was very enthusiastic about Lookers/Hurst’s involvement, (plus a big fan of the Emira styling and the sentiment behind its everyday practicality).

However, he admitted that beyond identifying a new showroom, where the motor bike place used to be, they have not moved forward on the support side. The earliest they will be up and running to support existing legacy Lotus owners is mid to late summer 23. He was unable to give me anything more than that.

[Cooper]

They have demonstrators already and are taking orders I believe.  Great that we have a local base for support, when it finally opens. 

[RP420]

Interesting news and thanks @blindside and @Cooper for keeping us informed. My wife is picking up a Defender from CH in a few weeks so I must make a point of speaking to the Aston/Lotus sales director.

Also, as the weather is starting to improve and the nights are getting longer, I hope we can organise another run out - perhaps sometime in late March? 

@Cooper and @AndyW-VX - have either of you got hold of your Emiras yet? Was fantastic to watch Harry Metcalfe's videos of his European tour in his Emira and hear how enthused he was. 

[Cooper]

Not yet. Very soon!

[AndyW-VX]

I was actually supposed to get mine today 

[RP420]

Hi Andy. I'm guessing that you didn't? Is it coming soon? 

[AndyW-VX]

Was nice to meet some of you at hursts this morning. We definitely need to arrange some drives as the weather improves 

[Alastair_M]

Ryan- Good to chat at RMS today- Alastair yellow S1

[RP420]

Great to chat to you too Alastair and thanks for joining our NI TLF group! Good luck with the sale of the S1 and hope to see you and your new R400 at one of our 2023 events later in the year! 

[AndyW-VX]

If anyone fancies it I’ve booked on the lotus on track date at Anglesey 8/5. 

[RP420]

Sounds great Andy, and thanks for letting us know. Unfortunately I have a bit of work to do to get my car properly ready for a track day. First off I need to get the seat lower so that I can fit in with a helmet. I would definitely like to visit Anglesey but won't be ready for 8th May. 

[CooperLotus]

Hi All NI members,

just bought my first lotus and will hopefully get to a meet some point this year. 

 

[RP420]

Hi Neil

Congratulations on your first Lotus - looks fantastic (and nice pic with the Minis too!).

Thanks for joining the NI Group. Our next planned meeting is a drive out to the Cars and Coffee Blackheath on the morning of Sunday 4th June - see more at https://www.thelotusforums.com/forums/topic/119535-2023-events/#comment-1013996 and at https://www.thelotusforums.com/forums/events/event/932-drive-out-to-cars-coffee-blackheath-coleraine/

I will post a reminder about this in the 2023 events section closer to the end of this month. 

Hope. To meet you and your new 111R then. 

Ryan