I thought I would start my Emira Journal with my first in-person encounter with my Vivid Red FE2.0 as it sits at Lotus Charlotte awaiting final CARB approval. My wife and I made the trek down from Raleigh on a sunny Saturday to finally see our car in the flesh. It was also our first time meeting our Sales Manager, Daniel, in person after 2.5 years. The car is, of course, stunning in every way. Sitting outside a dealership full of Lamborghini Huracans and Aventadors, it totally fit right in. We remarked at how it seemed much smaller than the Lambos, but had such a striking presence. Seeing a bunch of skittles colored Emiras in a row amplifies this and they seemed to be getting tons of attention.
I am, of course, biased, but the Vivid Red absolutely rocks. With the black pack, black wheels and yellow calipers it is very striking. The red/black contrast just works so well on this car. While the intense, non-metallic red may not draw out every nuance of the car's lines as much as someof the other colors, it has a liquid quality to it that flows along the curves. There's no doubting this is a "baby Ferrari" spec and I'm sure it will get mistaken by many who aren't familiar with the Lotus. But I've always thought red just looks awesome on sports cars. I also went with the black leather interior, which seems to be a very rare spec, as there were no other cars on the lot with this interior. To me, black leather also is just a timeless combination in a sports car. Also, since I plan to keep this car until forever, I wanted something that would hold up well for the long haul without requiring constant care. Lastly, I'm very happy with the no privacy glass choice, as it maximizes visibility of the engine, which is such a cool aspect of the car. I also agree with others that the sidelight integrates better without the privacy glass.
Lastly, I have to comment on the dealership itself. Lotus (aka Lamborghini) Charlotte - and Daniel specifically - has been a joy to work with. We all know the Emira puchasing process has been a roller coaster ride and information has been hard to come by. Daniel has been great throughout and was very transparent and positive, under what has been even more challenging conditions for the dealers, who are taking the brunt from customers. I'm very happy I chose to work with them.
That's it for the first post. Next one will be on pickup day, which Daniel has confirmed will be sometime between Feb 12 and Mar 13!
I am, of course, biased, but the Vivid Red absolutely rocks. With the black pack, black wheels and yellow calipers it is very striking. The red/black contrast just works so well on this car. While the intense, non-metallic red may not draw out every nuance of the car's lines as much as someof the other colors, it has a liquid quality to it that flows along the curves. There's no doubting this is a "baby Ferrari" spec and I'm sure it will get mistaken by many who aren't familiar with the Lotus. But I've always thought red just looks awesome on sports cars. I also went with the black leather interior, which seems to be a very rare spec, as there were no other cars on the lot with this interior. To me, black leather also is just a timeless combination in a sports car. Also, since I plan to keep this car until forever, I wanted something that would hold up well for the long haul without requiring constant care. Lastly, I'm very happy with the no privacy glass choice, as it maximizes visibility of the engine, which is such a cool aspect of the car. I also agree with others that the sidelight integrates better without the privacy glass.
Lastly, I have to comment on the dealership itself. Lotus (aka Lamborghini) Charlotte - and Daniel specifically - has been a joy to work with. We all know the Emira puchasing process has been a roller coaster ride and information has been hard to come by. Daniel has been great throughout and was very transparent and positive, under what has been even more challenging conditions for the dealers, who are taking the brunt from customers. I'm very happy I chose to work with them.
That's it for the first post. Next one will be on pickup day, which Daniel has confirmed will be sometime between Feb 12 and Mar 13!
Now you must understand - it is SO not like us to be talking about something as frivolous as a car this way and we both laughed as we said it. Well the hosts immediately went over to the window and were gawking at the Emira. They then took us to our table, which had been sprinkled with confetti and had a "Congratulations" card and two glasses of complementary champagne. Our server congratulated us as my wife and I exchanged looks of dismay. The dinner ended with a special dessert with "congratulations" stenciled in powdered chocolate. The whole thing was truly bonkers, but so fun and everyone seemed to be having a good time giving us this experience. (It was also, frankly, a smart business move for the restaurant as, with minimal effort, they turned a simple dinner into a complete event and absolutely gained two new customers.)
