📓 Journals Diaries of the first Lotus Emira picked up from Hethel - V6 FE - yellow / ice / silver / sport

[Technicalthunk]

Well Friday 11th November, 2022, was a special day! I got to pickup UK customer car number 8, and the 1st ever Hethel factory collection of an Emira. Massive thanks to Scott Walker and Matt Windle, absolute pleasure meeting you both and for the handover, tour of the factory and all the chat! Kai from Lotus took a whole stack of professional pictures, and there will be a subsequent formal press release I believe, however here's a few phone snaps of the morning

I'll do a full write up re my experience over this weekend from start to finish, the collection, and most importantly, the car very soon! To summarise though - F'ing brilliant.

WARNING - LOTS OF PICS. SOME WITH ME LOOKING STUPIDLY OVER EXCITED

EDIT 13/11 - added instagram links:
www.instagram.com/shaank247 is my main account
www.instagram.com/yellowemira I made for the car and I'll try to use it more often

EDIT 14/11 - updated my collection day 'review' on Post number 65 (page 4).

EDIT 15/11 - Lotus PR team pics - a few samples of these uploaded on Post number 80 (page 4) and pre run in miles opinion of the car on Post number 81 (page 5)

EDIT 22/11 - Full detail carried out - video / details - Post number 97 (Page 5)

And after 500 miles of driving, finally home....

Thanks for sharing. I think I’ll be Q4 2023 to Q1 2024 (Apr 2022 order) for a FE I4 but your post reminds me why I’m excited!

 

[shaank]

Sorry guys been away in Amsterdam for a few days.

Lotus press release is tomorrow or Wednesday - I'll post it here too Then I can follow up with my full review of the first 800 miles!

 

[digilotus]

Sorry guys been away in Amsterdam for a few days.

Lotus press release is tomorrow or Wednesday - I'll post it here too Then I can follow up with my full review of the first 800 miles!

True to form, it will be released soon.

 

[TomE]

Lotus press release is out:

Factory collection of the Lotus Emira begins at Hethel - Lotus Cars Media Site

media.lotuscars.com

 

[CDM1855]

And now we know what the special gift is

 

[KaizokuCoder]

Congratulations and thanks for sharing with us all.

 

[donskibeat]

And now we know what the special gift is

Trust Lotus to give it away rather than let it be a surprise on the day

 

[VL3X]

And now we know what the special gift is

Is it the framed picture? I was hoping for a 1:18 scale model or Certificate of Provenance or something a little more special. A picture is cool too I guess. It'd be nice if they could just email pics of customer cars at the final stage of production to all customers instead of those just capable of factory pickup. Wouldn't that be easier than printing and framing pics? Plus it'd reach all buyers instead of the lucky few locals.

 

[emiraspain]

I am a bit surprised that when they launch the car, they go to great lengths to be very over the top, dancing girls and light shows and all things that look quite cheesy IMO.
However, the first UK car handed over at the factory and its presented and written as if its an obituary ...
What is the lotus media team doing. It really looks amateur and done by a student there on summer holidays.

WHERE IS THE EXICitement!!!!! WHERE is the UMMMFFFFF
holy cow....
Make a damn video of the thing... make some lotus employees speak live... open a bottle of bubbly.....
Dont make it like a press release for something like we have changed the supplier of our break pads....

sorry, but come on...... small companies have this freedom..... use it!

 

[Mistral]

I am a bit surprised that when they launch the car, they go to great lengths to be very over the top, dancing girls and light shows and all things that look quite cheesy IMO.
However, the first UK car handed over at the factory and its presented and written as if its an obituary ...
What is the lotus media team doing. It really looks amateur and done by a student there on summer holidays.

WHERE IS THE EXICitement!!!!! WHERE is the UMMMFFFFF
holy cow....
Make a damn video of the thing... make some lotus employees speak live... open a bottle of bubbly.....
Dont make it like a press release for something like we have changed the supplier of our break pads....

sorry, but come on...... small companies have this freedom..... use it!

I take it that the Colombian lady hasn't arrived yet................

 

[emiraspain]

I take it that the Colombian lady hasn't arrived yet................

11th Dec... 7am pickup.....

 

[JimH]

Is it the framed picture? I was hoping for a 1:18 scale model or Certificate of Provenance or something a little more special. A picture is cool too I guess. It'd be nice if they could just email pics of customer cars at the final stage of production to all customers instead of those just capable of factory pickup. Wouldn't that be easier than printing and framing pics? Plus it'd reach all buyers instead of the lucky few locals.

Who are paying £195 extra for factory collection, as well as all of the other delivery and on the road charges that would be applicable to a dealer collection or home delivery....

 

[neonate]

I hope Lotus would extend factory deliveries for customers from ROW just like other European manufacturers and ship it overseas for final collection from dealers.

 

[VL3X]

I hope Lotus would extend factory deliveries for customers from ROW just like other European manufacturers and ship it overseas for final collection from dealers.

Yeah, I remember my mom worked at Mercedes and she had clients who'd opt for Euro delivery from the US. They'd get to fly out and drive their brand new car right out of the factory and onto the Autobahn to put the first miles on it! Always sounded really exciting to me. BMW also currently offers something similar but US buyers can do pickup in Atlanta and have a track day experience on Road Atlanta (or maybe some other BMW affiliated track down there).

 

[TomE]

I hope Lotus would extend factory deliveries for customers from ROW just like other European manufacturers and ship it overseas for final collection from dealers.

Lotus confirmed several months ago that they won't be offering this. Apparently it involves way too much paperwork to use it on the road in the UK/Europe and then ship it to US.

If you just wanted to do the handover at Hethel before they stick it on the boat and not drive it, then I'd have thought that would be possible.

 

[CDM1855]

Is it the framed picture? I was hoping for a 1:18 scale model or Certificate of Provenance or something a little more special. A picture is cool too I guess. It'd be nice if they could just email pics of customer cars at the final stage of production to all customers instead of those just capable of factory pickup. Wouldn't that be easier than printing and framing pics? Plus it'd reach all buyers instead of the lucky few locals.

I’m presuming it’s the framed picture

 

[duff]

What gift do they give people with a DV car given it is too hard to photograph?

 

[Aero]

I would be up for that! Do a Factory Tour with an Experience Track day? Who would we contact for that?

I'm doing this in June and planned my vacation around it. If you book the Introduction to Sports cars it comes with the track and factory tours. Through the driving academy site.
I only wish I could coordinate it with my car being built but no way that'd be easy to coordinate from the USA...and with all the production uncertainty.

 

[nelly111s]

What gift do they give people with a DV car given it is too hard to photograph?

Glasses

 

[TomE]

I would be up for that! Do a Factory Tour with an Experience Track day? Who would we contact for that?

You can do the Factory Tour and Academy sessions, just book through the website. Well worth doing the Classic Team Lotus (Heritage) Tour too to see all the old F1 cars.

Combining that with your actual car being ready and available to do the equivalent of Hethel Collection before it's shipped may be too logistically complicated. But no harm in asking Lotus Customer Care in the UK if it can be arranged.