Emira Limited

https://www.lotuscars.com/en-AU/emira-limited

Soon, a new chapter unfolds.
A limited edition of Emira is coming.
Exclusively crafted for 12 European countries.

In 2025, Lotus will take customization to the next level with the launch of the Bespoke Program, bringing tailored solutions for the Emira to your country.

Be the first to hear all about the latest from Lotus.

 

[Beardedbradley]

Surely the thing to do now is find a stock vehicle at a dealer that matches your spec, and save a shed load of dosh?

What was your spec??

I was V6 manual Zinc Grey, black pack, black alloys red calipers, black with red stitch Alcantara. I think what you’re suggesting is what will sadly happen. I’ll have to compromise on exterior colour

 

[Beardedbradley]

I was V6 manual Zinc Grey, black pack, black alloys red calipers, black with red stitch Alcantara. I think what you’re suggesting is what will sadly happen. I’ll have to compromise on exterior colour

I managed to find that Lotus do have RHD Zinc grey V6 manual but they wouldn’t sell it to me

 

[JonFuller]

Well if it does go that way, at least you should be able to save potentially £20k

 

[JonFuller]

I managed to find that Lotus do have RHD Zinc grey V6 manual but they wouldn’t sell it to me

Well that's weird, and V bad. Customer service eh!

Bell & Colvill are well pissed off with the whole sales thing with Lotus (oldest Lotus dealer in the world). They've just ditched the sales contract with Lotus, only Spares / Service now.

 

[Beardedbradley]

Well if it does go that way, at least you should be able to save potentially £20k

Well that's weird, and V bad. Customer service eh!

Bell & Colvill are well pissed off with the whole sales thing with Lotus (oldest Lotus dealer in the world). They've just ditched the sales contract with Lotus, only spares / service now.

It was a press car so maybe not the best option, but I wanted that colour. I first saw it at Hethel on display I didn’t know at that point it was press.

 

[DerTheDer]

Does Lotus know that 2025 is like a month away???

 

[JonFuller]

Maybe not best choice, It'll have had it's neck wrung, daily, since it left the line.

 

[Nick in Sydney]

It will be the 2.0 AMG version for sure. I was at Lotus in Central London Friday evening and they confirmed the V6 won't be coming back. If you own one don't be in a rush to sell it because it will be collectable. The sales guy also said sadly they are only going to concentrate on electric sports cars and likely the Emira will go that way and the current models will get dropped.

Just confirms once again that dealers are the single least reliable source of information on cars

 

[freefall_junkie]

Well that's weird, and V bad. Customer service eh!

Bell & Colvill are well pissed off with the whole sales thing with Lotus (oldest Lotus dealer in the world). They've just ditched the sales contract with Lotus, only Spares / Service now.

Wow, loosing B&C sales is a sad indictment of 'new Lotus' under Geely. The way Lotus have managed sales and customer service in the UK really has been an utter shambles. First they cut the dealers out the sales process altogether with the 'agency' sales model featuring a useless outsourced customer care team. Then they did a complete about turn on that policy a few months ago, but have clearly annoyed many of the dealers like B&C along the way. On top of that Lotus have made a complete hash of managing supply in the UK, with far too many Emiras produced, many of which are languishing discounted and pre-registered at dealers, tanking the residual values for existing owners. It really is just breathtakingly incompetent.

 

[Nick in Sydney]

Wow, loosing B&C sales is a sad indictment of 'new Lotus' under Geely.

Yes, totally agree. They're not only the world's longest serving Lotus dealer but also widely viewed as one of the best car dealers in the UK. To have your oldest dealer hand back their franchise in disgust is an absolutely damning indictment of Lotus.

I do sometimes wonder how Matt Windle has kept his job . . . though perhaps this is more about B&C being forced to sell overpriced Chinese EVs like Eltre and Emeya.

 

[JonFuller]

. . . though perhaps this is more about B&C being forced to sell overpriced Chinese EVs like Eltre and Emeya.

That is EXACTLY the issue.

I'm told, they were told that to be a dealer of the new Lotus sales method, they needed to hold 'X' £ worth of stock (several million£ worth), and something like 80% of that mandatory stock level, had to be the unwanted Chinese EV stuff.

B&C said thanks, but no thanks.

I'm told that the Lotus management team is now based in Europe, not Hethel, that (Hethel) is purely a factory now.

I doubt Windle is calling the shots.

 

[Andy H]

Well that's weird, and V bad. Customer service eh!

Bell & Colvill are well pissed off with the whole sales thing with Lotus (oldest Lotus dealer in the world). They've just ditched the sales contract with Lotus, only Spares / Service now.

Wow - didn't know this. They still had Emiras for sale last weekend when I was in for warranty work. I hope the spares and service contract is safe!

 

[JonFuller]

You can rent the site if you like...

Bell & Colvill, Epsom Road, West Horsley, Leatherhead, Surrey KT24 6DG

www.owenisherwood.com

J

 

[JonFuller]

Wow - didn't know this. They still had Emiras for sale last weekend when I was in for warranty work. I hope the spares and service contract is safe!

If you were there for servce work, you were at the Guildford Lotus / McLaren service centre on the Slyfield Industrial Estate, not the historic site at West Horsely.

They're continuing the Parts & Service at Guildford, it's 'Sales' that have been given the elbow.

When I had my first Esprit, 42 years ago, Sales, Parts and Service were all based at West Horsely... It was my Mecca.

Part of that site was sold years ago and got developed as residential. It's been Sales Only for some years now.

 

[Andy H]

You can rent the site if you like

Yes I was at the other site and they had an Emira for sale but maybe it was a pre-reg or PX. Can't believe that site in West Horsley is going. End of an era. They were supposed to be having a customer Christmas do there at the weekend. I wonder if that still happened?

 

[JonFuller]

The owner of Bell & Colvill is retaining ownership of the Horsely site, and renting it out on short ish term contracts. Apparently hopeful that things change, and at a later date they can resume the sales side there.

I think they're hoping that Lotus China (EV tanks) and Hethel (sports stuff) will separate in some way down the line, and B&C can resume representing Hethel.

 

[Man.v.Cars]

It’s a mystery to me, I had cash waiting they knew I was cash but sadly they didn’t want to provide my vehicle……I’ll get one at some point I won’t let them win!

Hey, hold back until next year. Mine will have had literally everything changed by then on warranty (7 months ownership but only 3 months of it being driveable ), doors expected February.

 

[Yorkie]

That is EXACTLY the issue.

I'm told, they were told that to be a dealer of the new Lotus sales method, they needed to hold 'X' £ worth of stock (several million£ worth), and something like 80% of that mandatory stock level, had to be the unwanted Chinese EV stuff.

B&C said thanks, but no thanks.

I'm told that the Lotus management team is now based in Europe, not Hethel, that (Hethel) is purely a factory now.

I doubt Windle is calling the shots.

Same story at Central Lotus too I understand.

Why would anyone spend their money on stock which nobody wants to buy?

 

[webfoot]

No production stopped, I apparently was one of sixteen people to miss out, I was originally scheduled for delivery Q1 2024 I did the protection and enhancement also sent private registration details but my vehicle never materialised. I was then informed that I wouldn’t get my vehicle until 2026.

Similar position. My Q1 2024 delivery has been pushed back to 2026 (not that Lotus has ever informed me in writing, just vague discussions with CS).

They pushed me towards a ""stock car". Needed to pay a 2nd deposit (Lotus systems couldn't cope with switching it). Car then turned up and was rejected by my Lotus Centre because it was in such poor condition (bullet dodged). Unfortunately, in readiness, I'd sold my Exige V6. Thus ended my 25 years of continuous Lotus ownership.

Meanwhile Lotus had unilaterally cancelled my original deposit and couldn't re-raise it. Had to reorder my car through a Lotus Centre/dealer.

I was given promises about price and my place in the order queue, but I'm not holding out much hope.


re: Bell & Covill dropping sales. Oakmere, another longstanding Lotus dealer also gave up sales earlier this year. They are also still a service centre.

 

[Whitey]

Similar position. My Q1 2024 delivery has been pushed back to 2026 (not that Lotus has ever informed me in writing, just vague discussions with CS).

They pushed me towards a ""stock car". Needed to pay a 2nd deposit (Lotus systems couldn't cope with switching it). Car then turned up and was rejected by my Lotus Centre because it was in such poor condition (bullet dodged). Unfortunately, in readiness, I'd sold my Exige V6. Thus ended my 25 years of continuous Lotus ownership.

Meanwhile Lotus had unilaterally cancelled my original deposit and couldn't re-raise it. Had to reorder my car through a Lotus Centre/dealer.

I was given promises about price and my place in the order queue, but I'm not holding out much hope.


re: Bell & Covill dropping sales. Oakmere, another longstanding Lotus dealer also gave up sales earlier this year. They are also still a service centre.

If I was buying now, I would look for a lightly used one at about £25k less than new and maybe slightly compromise on your ideal spec, some of which you maybe able to change later. Jon Seal is selling a lovely Nimbus car at £61k with less than 2k miles on. I’ve got 7k miles on mine and love it plus got it at the original price of just sub 80k, but buying now I’d go Used.