Lotus UAE dealership Evora 400 price

[PaulCP]

22 minutes ago, Barrykearley said:

It's across all car brands though it really is.

Exactly, if you think Lotus are a pain to deal with then try Land Rover. Whilst your vehicle is under warranty

 The inconvenience they thought was OK to cause me over a 6 month period is beyond belief. Local dealer diagnosed the problem and said it required a new turbo. JLR refused to allow replacement until umpteen other things had been tried. 6 months later they agree to replace turbo once we found out that other cars built in the same month were suffering the same problem at similar mileages which was traced back to a batch of faulty turbos. JLR attitude to customers is incredibly bad.

[Gm77]

I think the point on price is a tricky one. For me personally when I was making my decision I couldn't find a car I wanted more and that included far more expensive vehicles. So, what was the car worth?Clearly what I was prepared to pay for it. Would I have paid more? Absolutely! Do I wish it was cheaper? Absolutely!

Its all very personal. As others have said, take a test drive and see if you think it's worth the premium to you. Try and negotiate a discount, and it it doesn't work, there's no harm, buy something that your comfortable and more happy with. Everyone wins! 

Good luck with your choice.

[Steve V8]

Hi koko,  firstly, why would you even consider buying a 400 before you have taken a test drive? Once you have driven this fantastic new Lotus, and have realised that, at the moment nothing comes close, then is the time to start worrying about the price.

Secondly, all new Lotus come with a standard manufacturers warranty, no matter where bought, so don't be ripped off by your dealer. Find out what sort of deal you can get elsewhere, then take that to your dealer and ask them to match it, if they won't, then order a new UAE spec Evora 400 direct from Lotus, or from a UK supplier, that way you benefit from the current exchange rate, get it shipped to you.

Thirdly, provided that your local Lotus dealer is a franchise or concessionar, you can have your looked after there, under your manufacturers warranty. 

Simples

[Guest Koko]

KNOWLEDGE BOMB BEEN DROPPED, thank you sir. gonna send the lotus motors an  email inquiring about  such a setup.

[Arregueti]

Lotus will most likely not be able/ready to sell directly to you, but you can find online at least a uk dealer specialized in selling to uk officers and military abroad.

[Steve V8]

2 hours ago, Koko said:

KNOWLEDGE BOMB BEEN DROPPED, thank you sir. gonna send the lotus motors an  email inquiring about  such a setup.

ENJOY

[JayEmm]

Nice car, evidently a man with impeccable taste.

[Steve V8]

Sadly not mine! This was a demo car supplied by Lotus at the Bath festival of motoring. I wasn't allowed to drive on the day (probably just as well, I would have wanted it even more) but was very impressed with it, build quality, comfort, and wow that exhaust note, phenomenal! I was in a Lamborghini Hurrican last weekend, the Evora beats it hands down! 

[ByJoveByJingle]

Haha, wow. So sad to have missed the conflagration(s). 

The price premium is frustrating. I wouldn't be surprised if the premium is based on what Lotus ME believes the market will bear. Based on anecdotal experiences I've had while in the showroom, many people don't really seem to care how much the car costs. I do recall a "That's it?" situation when the issue of price came up. Not that I was eavesdropping. 

Not sure how this strategy has born out, but the cars do seem to move out of the showroom. It's a niche brand and I don't think anybody is expecting to sell as many units as Porsche. But having driven a 997, I'm certain I would rather have my Evora S than that, though both are great cars. Whether the 400 steps up to match the 991 I can't say. Buying into Lotus is buying into a set of values that don't align exactly with the company's competitors. Though the 911 and the Evora are direct competitors Porsche and Lotus are not. It's like comparing Armani to a haute couture fashion designer and getting mad that this designer's jacket costs more even though the buttons aren't fastened quite as securely. You embrace it for the value of supporting excellent and exclusive design and live with the quirks . . . Or go to Dubai Mall and buy the Armani.  

[mawheele]

11 hours ago, PaulCP said:

Exactly, if you think Lotus are a pain to deal with then try Land Rover. Whilst your vehicle is under warranty

 The inconvenience they thought was OK to cause me over a 6 month period is beyond belief. Local dealer diagnosed the problem and said it required a new turbo. JLR refused to allow replacement until umpteen other things had been tried. 6 months later they agree to replace turbo once we found out that other cars built in the same month were suffering the same problem at similar mileages which was traced back to a batch of faulty turbos. JLR attitude to customers is incredibly bad.

In my experience JLR's customer service has not changed since the 70's. The only thing improved is the design department. I'd never touch a JLR product ever again. 

11 hours ago, JayEmm said:

I'm in very much the same boat. Even as I left Hethel today I turned back and looked at it and thought "what the hell would I get for that money which would make me feel the same way"... not sure anything would.

While I have a very frustrating issue Lotus are fixing on mine - an own goal on their part - the customer service experience has been truly exemplary. And for the past 19 years I've owned a Lotus, its always been the same.  Funnily enough, only my wifes experience with Volvo comes close. By contrast BMW, Porsche and Audi are not even close. And for JLR... well they define the low point of customer experience. 

Edited July 26, 2016 by mawheele

[Guest Koko]

2 hours ago, ByJoveByJingle said:

Haha, wow. So sad to have missed the conflagration(s). 

The price premium is frustrating. I wouldn't be surprised if the premium is based on what Lotus ME believes the market will bear. Based on anecdotal experiences I've had while in the showroom, many people don't really seem to care how much the car costs. I do recall a "That's it?" situation when the issue of price came up. Not that I was eavesdropping. 

Not sure how this strategy has born out, but the cars do seem to move out of the showroom. It's a niche brand and I don't think anybody is expecting to sell as many units as Porsche. But having driven a 997, I'm certain I would rather have my Evora S than that, though both are great cars. Whether the 400 steps up to match the 991 I can't say. Buying into Lotus is buying into a set of values that don't align exactly with the company's competitors. Though the 911 and the Evora are direct competitors Porsche and Lotus are not. It's like comparing Armani to a haute couture fashion designer and getting mad that this designer's jacket costs more even though the buttons aren't fastened quite as securely. You embrace it for the value of supporting excellent and exclusive design and live with the quirks . . . Or go to Dubai Mall and buy the Armani.  

they sold 3 evora 400 (2 of which are to people within/related to the al-futtaim organisation), I dunno about moving the other lotus products (they haven't put such a premium on them) so i cant say. but @ByJoveByJingle since you seem like a seasoned veteran for the lotus cars in the uae market, if one is to import a car is Eras obligated as the sole dealership to honor the international warranty?

[JayEmm]

3 hours ago, ByJoveByJingle said:

 But having driven a 997, I'm certain I would rather have my Evora S than that, though both are great cars. Whether the 400 steps up to match the 991 I can't say. Buying into Lotus is buying into a set of values that don't align exactly with the company's competitors. Though the 911 and the Evora are direct competitors Porsche and Lotus are not. It's like comparing Armani to a haute couture fashion designer and getting mad that this designer's jacket costs more even though the buttons aren't fastened quite as securely. You embrace it for the value of supporting excellent and exclusive design and live with the quirks . . . Or go to Dubai Mall and buy the Armani.  

I think what's happening is the Evora was always priced closer to Cayman money, but now is priced closer to the 911. However, at the same time the 400 has become much more sporting than its predecessor but the 991 is much more of a GT car. The problem is with the absence of things like the V8 R8 it is hard to find an actual, proper, direct comparison for the 400.

[Guest Koko]

@JayEmm dont want to appear blasphemous on the forums, but how would you rate the 400 vs the c7 corvette or the nissan GTR?

[JayEmm]

@Koko I have literally zero experience of the GT-R, never even sat in one, so can't comment on that. I would imagine the sort of people buying a GT-R probably aren't too interested in an Evora, because it's got about half the power and torque they usually like. And no gizmos. I quite like the R34, but the 35 has never interested me.

The C7 I can speak of a little bit. I really love the C7 Vette, they sound great and go pretty well. Technically it's a car I would prefer over the Evora, as it's an open top, good sound system, 2-seater car. Handling didn't seem quite as good as the Evora but I've never driven the two back-to-back to really tell. Sitting in the two back-to-back, the Evora does genuinely feel more "Ferrari-like" - handmade in the best sense of the word. Both are reasonably practical, the Vette is going to give you a lot more for your money because that's what Vettes do.

That being said, even in the UK I've seen about four or five C7s now out and about, but ignoring the Lotus meets I go to I have only seen one other 400 in the wild.

I think in America you would probably discount the Vette in the same way many of us here might discount a 911 - they're everywhere. I don't know what it's like in Dubai, they seem to have everything there. I imagine you could turn up to work in a Saturn 5 rocket and the next day someone would turn up in a Chrome one.

[ByJoveByJingle]

13 hours ago, Koko said:

they sold 3 evora 400 (2 of which are to people within/related to the al-futtaim organisation), I dunno about moving the other lotus products (they haven't put such a premium on them) so i cant say. but @ByJoveByJingle since you seem like a seasoned veteran for the lotus cars in the uae market, if one is to import a car is Eras obligated as the sole dealership to honor the international warranty?

Well you know more about what is going with the 400 than I do. How many 400s do they actually have in stock to sell? 

Yes, I was referencing the Evora S and the Exiges and Elises. I don't know about the Eliges, but they did actually put a similar premium on the Evora S. I special ordered mine to get the manual transmission and a special paint job and the price was over 400,000. That is significantly higher than what you paid in the UK when accounting for VAT (and yes you do have discount that in your calculations because Lotus is not collecting the VAT). It was an even higher premium when compared to US prices. The bottom line is that I wanted the car. And I rationalized the price difference in my head that I'm not paying income taxes in the UAE so I can damn well afford to pay a small premium to own this amazing car. The reality is we are somewhat fortunate--if you do some research on the US forum and maybe here, you'll find a discussion about what people are paying in places like Australia and Hong Kong and other countries. In some cases they are paying double or more than UK msrp. 

As far as warranty goes, no you won't be able to import a car and retain warranty. I researched that briefly for the same reasons you did. Apparently the cars are warranted through Lotus ME or Lotus Uk or the entity wherever you are located. And these entities are somehow legally independent from one another and from the main Lotus Motorcar corporation. 

Hope that helps.

 

edit: As a side note, there are 62 members who have chosen to be part of a Whatsapp group administered by the guys at the agency/dealership for people who've purchased Lotus vehicles from them. That means they've sold at least that number, possibly more as not everybody would choose to be part of a group chat.

 

Edited July 26, 2016 by ByJoveByJingle

[ByJoveByJingle]

13 hours ago, JayEmm said:

I think what's happening is the Evora was always priced closer to Cayman money, but now is priced closer to the 911. However, at the same time the 400 has become much more sporting than its predecessor but the 991 is much more of a GT car. The problem is with the absence of things like the V8 R8 it is hard to find an actual, proper, direct comparison for the 400.

I agree that the Evora is a unique beast. But the closest competitor is the 911. Both are 2+2s and the performance is very similar. The 997 Carrera was MSRPed at $78,000 in the US (of course realizing that they are full of crap and by the time you option the car up to the Evora level it is significantly higher). The Cayman MSRPed around $54k and $63k for S. Meanwhile the Evora S MSRPed in 2014 in the US at $77,000. Of course ymmv on the prices. I think Lotus should go to the Porsche model for pricing as annoying as it is. They are competing against the 911 and it would help at least slightly to ameliorate the kind of sticker shock situation that resulted in the original post. 

[Suddabym]

I live in the UAE.

Cars are sold and owned differently here. Because of the heat and the wear and tear, all cars are sold with a comprehensive servicing package, in away that they are not in the UK. 

Everything in the UAE is more expensive than the UK.  Even without VAT (there area number of other taxes here, that are out well known). There are many reasons for goods being more expensive (imports, limited indigenous manufacturing/production base, oil money etc).  But that's life. When a bottle of Corona costs £7, a and a Burger £10, don't be suprised if 'premium goods' come at a premium price. 

I'm not sure that Lotus can be taken to task for not chasing currency fluctuations with their pricing. Seems a bit harsh. Sure the Pound may stay low against the Dollar post Brexit, but no one really knows what will happen. 

And, ultimately, Lotus is small manufacturer of very specialist cars, does not fill a container ship to the ME on a regular basis and has to make GCC specific changes to the few cars it does bring into the region. 

Personally, I'm mighty impressed that Lotus has a dealership here at all.

Awesome. 

[Guest Koko]

@Suddabym if everything here in Dubai is more expensive how come their direct competitor is significantly cheaper, this is purely a business decision (made by the higher echelons) and not a matter of standard of living. if it was a SOL question there would be no frustration with the dealership.

[ramjet]

So ask the dealership why the price difference? Any answer on here is just supposition and drum beating.

[Suddabym]

Koko.  

Enjoy your Porsche.

That's if you're buying with your head/wallet. 

Lotus isn't the value option. Never was. Never will be. 

They are bought with the heart.  After being driven.

Thats what makes them exclusive. Lotus are an alternative to a number of other sports car manufacturers. Not sure that they could be classed as a competitor to Porsche  I'm sure Porsche would agree.

The good news is that there are plenty of other Porsche drivers in Dubai, so you'll fit right in.

Awesome. 

[Guest Koko]

Yes I shall enjoy my Porsche, already placed my order.

Yes this decision both pleased my head and my heart (or are you saying Porsche are not passionate vehicles?)

Yes there are many Porsche drivers in dubai because they understand what cars are about.

sorry to break it down for you, if you want exclusivity get a pagani, Enjoy your lotus in dubai to your hearts desire, because you will be eating a 60% depreciation in 1~2 years.

[you can corroborate this data from our local car selling website that as a resident in uae you should be familiar with]

[ByJoveByJingle]

1 hour ago, Koko said:

sorry to break it down for you, if you want exclusivity get a pagani, Enjoy your lotus in dubai to your hearts desire, because you will be eating a 60% depreciation in 1~2 years.

[you can corroborate this data from our local car selling website that as a resident in uae you should be familiar with]

You must be fun at parties. 

Here's a 2010 Evora that's eaten a 60% depreciation over 6 years, but hey, don't let reality get in the way of a good rant. http://tnydu.biz/DOsVur

[ramjet]

Be nice to Koko guys. 

It is quite possible that he doesn't realise what he has done.

[Barrykearley]

Good choice - a great car - will only go up in value 

 

[C8RKH]

Koko you really do seem to epitomise everything that I think of a Porsche driver. I wish you well with your choice and hope the Porsche flock treats you nicely.

Your posting did however make me laugh so hard that I had a nice warm waterfall running down my leg. Hmmm. Maybe it's an age thing and I need to work more on my pelvic muscles.

Bye.