Lotus Emira I4

[Bibs]

I think @deano that the cancellations to date have given Lotus a thick skin and they've got a chunky order book still so it's unlikely. 

[C8RKH]

1 hour ago, deano said:

Has anyone threaten to cancel to see if they give any discount or other freebies? 

Threaten away. Be a chancer. I believe they'll just say bye and wish you well.

When did this type of behaviour become "normal" in the UK?

You're not one of those influenza (sic) types who phones up restaurants offering to promote them on your social media for a free meal?

If I owned a restaurant my response would be two words, 7 letters, in response 

1 hour ago, deano said:

Has anyone threaten to cancel to see if they give any discount or other freebies? 

Threaten away. Be a chancer. I believe they'll just say bye and wish you well.

When did this type of behaviour become "normal" in the UK?

You're not one of those influenza (sic) types who phones up restaurants offering to promote them on your social media for a free meal?

If I owned a restaurant my response would be two words, 7 letters, in response 

[deano]

Lol didn't mean it like that, just when my camper was delayed nearly 12 months with VW they tried to "kept me sweet" by a few merch freebies & £2000 grand off 

[C8RKH]

Hence my emoji to make sure you knew it was a bit of banter...

Might be worth asking re the 3 years free servicing and the 50:50 interest free deal. If you can afford the cash payments it's probably worth £6-11k in avoided interest payments, so a substantial sum.

[deano]

Yeah noticed they were only doing the 50/50 deal on v6 only, wonder why? 

[Bibs]

To sell more! They have to basically cover what would be the interest payment on the finance on the 50:50 deal so it's pretty expensive for them to offer it, it's a major sales incentive. 

[C8RKH]

2 minutes ago, Bibs said:

To sell more

But I thought they had brimming full order books

 

[Bibs]

They do, but it's a foolish business that doesn't incentivise more sales? 50:50 was very popular on the Elise/Exige/Evora in retaining customers of 2 (or was it 3?) year old cars moving into a new one, you basically just kept swapping the old car for the 50% of the next one.

[deano]

1 hour ago, Bibs said:

To sell more! They have to basically cover what would be the interest payment on the finance on the 50:50 deal so it's pretty expensive for them to offer it, it's a major sales incentive. 

But why not on the I4? Obviously more profit margin in the V6? 

[Bibs]

Demand? 

[C8RKH]

It will likely come to the I4 just as it has to the V6.

@Bibs not sure the renew at 2 will be as popular on the Emira as can't see too many manual V6 owners swapping to auto four pots. However, I may be wrong, I often am.

[jep]

Perhaps, as when Artioli bought Lotus, they've opened a shed door and found hundreds of crates of engines and gearboxes: V6 this time not Isuzu 4 pots. Thank goodness they did back in '94. Elan S2 was born which part funded the Project 111 - the Elise.

Back on topic, I'd love to drive the Merc Emira, I would think a very impressive everyday sports car.

Justin 

[Bibs]

@UKEmirai4pending How did you get on? People on the internet need to know

[UKEmirai4pending]

@Bibs the forum merge completely confused me, was just browsing trying to figure out where my post was

So unfortunately I had to reschedule, my son was taken ill suddenly (nothing serious but a sleepless couple of nights), it was re-scheduled for today but I can hardly type I'm that exhausted so just re-scheduled for Monday  I'm gutted (and wanted to share here) but family first right ...

Edited March 8 by UKEmirai4pending

[UKEmirai4pending]

@deano get yourself on a test drive at Hethel mate, it has been a real bumpy ride for customers on the Emira but the arrival of the i4 test drives has reignited all the passion I first had when seeing the Emira on the roadshow back in 2021. I spent my fair share of time in large corporates and do have a lot of sympathy for the growing pains of Lotus but I remind myself, its largely the same people there that have been there for years, and after all it's the people that make it what it is.

[Denno]

Had a call off my local dealer at the beginning of the week saying my i4 was due imminently, had to explain to him  it was cancelled about 5 months ago !  

[UKEmirai4pending]

Maybe it was just meant to be ...

[Peapod]

On 06/03/2024 at 09:53, Nick Sticks said:

Ask about servicing.
I read someone in the UK said they were getting 3 years servicing included free.
Couldn't work out if it was a dealer specific thing or Lotus being generous.

I just got an email from Bell & Colvill offering 0% finance and 3 years free servicing on i4s bought by the end of the month.

[UKEmirai4pending]

It's been a crazy week for me for many reasons but this morning I got a surprise ...

- A reminder that on 26th Feb I called Lotus, basically can you give me any indication if/when the car might come as I'm about to cancel my order and pickup a used v6 instead.
- Monday 4th I get the surprise invite to "review and confirm" my order
- Obviously been arranging the test drive in the meantime.
- This morning I get an email saying my car has been delivered to my local dealer!! 

I think I'm in shock ...

Edited March 9 by UKEmirai4pending

[Bibs]

🤣👍 Have fun!! 

[Al]

23 hours ago, UKEmirai4pending said:

It's been a crazy week for me for many reasons but this morning I got a surprise ...

- A reminder that on 26th Feb I called Lotus, basically can you give me any indication if/when the car might come as I'm about to cancel my order and pickup a used v6 instead.
- Monday 4th I get the surprise invite to "review and confirm" my order
- Obviously been arranging the test drive in the meantime.
- This morning I get an email saying my car has been delivered to my local dealer!! 

I think I'm in shock ...

Some things never change………. Well enjoy it after the wait.
Just used my IPS one for its first really long run down to The Lake District for the weekend and it was very comfortable. So glad I went Touring suspension with the state of the roads once off the M’way as I drove a Sports with Cup 2’s for a day this week and very squirmy on cold roads and weather. 

[UKEmirai4pending]

On 06/03/2024 at 18:52, C8RKH said:

Hence my emoji to make sure you knew it was a bit of banter...

Might be worth asking re the 3 years free servicing and the 50:50 interest free deal. If you can afford the cash payments it's probably worth £6-11k in avoided interest payments, so a substantial sum.

Hey mate, so the guys at Hethel confirmed the 50:50 deal and 3 years free servicing, it appears to be limited to cars delivered in March and certainly for my i4. It was a little unclear if this extended to v6, I'm guessing it's any stocked cars they can get out in March. I did speak to my local dealer who has some (presumedly cancelled) v6's where he said he could offer the 50:50 but the servicing deal.

[UKEmirai4pending]

On 08/03/2024 at 09:59, Bibs said:

@UKEmirai4pending How did you get on? People on the internet need to know

An awesome afternoon at the hospitality of the guys at Hethel, you'll likely know better than me that they're great guys, know their stuff and passionate about Lotus (no question unanswered, no ask unfulfilled).

I tried both the i4 touring and the v6 sports, both were an assault on the senses (exactly what I would have hoped) and took me the 2 hour drive home to really gather my thoughts (I'm obviously not an expert in these matters either). I don't think you could go wrong with either car and I have been left with even more indecision than when I started the day (some of the new colours on offer for the i4 are super nice too, personally zinc grey a winner).

It's hard to summarise but I think they're different cars for different purposes, it wasn't until I got home that I realised that in the v6, I didn't once look at anything else in the cockpit, the drive was so all consuming (in a good way ofc) that I was just emersed in the symbiotic relationship between man and machine (hoping my Lotus passenger doesn't comment on my gear changes). The i4 was certainly a little more relaxed, and I engaged more with the cockpit, it was much easier to cruise and have a chat in the i4.

The touring chassis on the i4 certainly felt great and I'd suggest comparative to the sports chassis in the v6 but without the hardness when it comes to bumps. I really missed the gurgle of the v6, the sound track of the i4 less engaging perhaps inevitably. I wasn't overly impressed with the i4 gearbox, it felt a bit laggy, less pronounced and I think I would have needed a lot more time with it to really understand its personality and get the most out of it.

My conclusion then (and I suspect not surprising), if you want a true daily driver, or you'll be doing a lot of miles then the i4 likely the best choice. However if you're going out for an hour or two on the weekend to get the blood racing, the v6 does that a bit better (and as my Lotus passenger told me, my smile was much larger in the v6). Again though, the i4 will too but with optionality ...

One other comment that stuck with me was that the production of the v6 was stopping/stopped, thus likely to create an interesting situation with residuals, as demand would assumedly exceed supply.

However I'm now in a (wonderful) dilemma myself...

Edited March 11 by UKEmirai4pending

[C8RKH]

What, V6 production no more. Already?

[UKEmirai4pending]

I'd been told that by my local dealer last week and the Hethel guys stated it too today, however I don't believe the configurator for v6 has been taken away so I'm not entirely sure as to what this means atm. I am guessing there's inefficiencies to running both on the same production line, and thus a choice to focus on the i4 exclusively maybe?

(I need a strapline that states, I know nothing, am nobody, don't quote me)