Factory Tour Thread

[dgrace]

Ok, just took the tour!

Appreciate the info! I'm hoping you emphasized to the Lotus folks the need for some released photos. Maybe if they keep getting the message beaten into their heads by customers at every single tour it'll eventually sink in.

 

[TomE]

Yeah I should have done the renders in an inside environment which is where most people saw the gray car.

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I think these and the exterior shots are darker than the Shadow Grey typically appears. It’s a very “chameleon” paint and does pick up a lot from the surroundings, which is why we see examples of it looking blue or green or black in photos.

In real life in external daylight it is a classy dark grey with a hint of blue tone, like a blue steel or a well-tailored grey suit.

There’re a picture of Jenson Button stood next to one on track that is a good representation of the colour.

 

[BeHappy]

Ok, just took the tour!

Saw every color, every interior, and every wheel option.

Magma is cherry! See the image attached. The full dynamic range of these cherries can be found on Magma. It’s cherry red.

There was also a vivid red car and frankly, it was stunning. My eye kept getting pulled to it. Bright bright red, very Ferrari.

Verdant. It’s always a black car, and sometimes a green car, if that makes sense. I called it a seaweed. At a distance, it’s black. The closer you get… maybe it’s green? Where light is hitting it directly, green breaks through the shadowy top coat. In direct light on one side it does become a bit of a muddy green. This was under factory lights, almost certainly pops more in sunlight.

I went in thinking Nimbus, tan interior, black pack, Diamond cut wheels, yellow calipers.

Very near the end of the tour we arrived at a car that literally wowed me. It was A nearly complete Nimbus, no black pack, black wheels, red calipers. It looked exotic and mean and had much more presence than the other cars. I think that’s my spec. With red interior.

I don’t usually like red interiors but this one is gorgeous. Also saw an ice interior on a Magma car and that combo is fantastic. Ice was my 2nd favorite. I didn’t care for tan. It’s pretty caramel, which is just ever-slightly too much “orange” for me.

For Nimbus same spec as mine, black wheels with red callipers , I was tan leather but I changed it to red leather which I thought was more sporty. Lower black pack as will get the roof done black etc when I get car

 

[mjw930]

I'm doing the factory tour May 9th and I'm hoping to quell one thing that's been in the back of my mind, the quality of the composite panels. One of the reasons I sold my C7 back in 2014 was the horrible surface irregularities the Corvette panels had back then and honestly, even after $$$$$$ spent on a new paint plant in Bowling Green that C8's aren't all that much better. The less than perfect panels combined with orange peel so bad it bordered on fisheye was something I was never happy with. There's just something about a stamped metal panel, be it steel or aluminum, that I've rarely seen replicated in composite.

Can anyone comment on the base quality of the panels and gaps?

 

[Porter]

I think these and the exterior shots are darker than the Shadow Grey typically appears. It’s a very “chameleon” paint and does pick up a lot from the surroundings, which is why we see examples of it looking blue or green or black in photos.

In real life in external daylight it is a classy dark grey with a hint of blue tone, like a blue steel or a well-tailored grey suit.

There’re a picture of Jenson Button stood next to one on track that is a good representation of the colour.

Agreed Tom. Having seen this Shadow Grey car in person at a roadshow event, this photo is representative of the appearance in brighter light.

As the environmental light darkens the cast of the paint turns toward dark blue tones, and it reflects blue in the surroundings strongly.

Huge travel in the paint from dark to light. But this is pre-production paint as well, so not 100% match to the production paint more than likely, but I think it's a good hint at what we should expect.

Altogether the Shadow Grey is not a super dark near-black at all, in my opinion. The car I saw in person was indoors under fluorescent light and didn't appear super dark. Closest comparison I can make is to the BMW Mineral Grey color from a few years ago.

Here's a shot I took myself, with no edits, and it wasn't super bright in there. Some contrast challenges against the bright background which would make any car look darker. You can see that it is nowhere near black:

 

[GetawayDriving]

For Nimbus same spec as mine, black wheels with red callipers , I was tan leather but I changed it to red leather which I thought was more sporty. Lower black pack as will get the roof done black etc when I get car

I have witnessed it, and it is glorious.

 

[sam041]

I have witnessed it, and it is glorious.

Don't suppose you (or any other factory tour attendees) saw the same spec with silver wheels? That's what I'm currently on, lower black pack red interior + calipers but having doubts on wheel choice

 

[Tonyshepp]

Don't suppose you (or any other factory tour attendees) saw the same spec with silver wheels? That's what I'm currently on, lower black pack red interior + calipers but having doubts on wheel choice

Stick with silver i am, can always change them to black if you don’t like it hem.

 

[Griggsy]

Don't suppose you (or any other factory tour attendees) saw the same spec with silver wheels? That's what I'm currently on, lower black pack red interior + calipers but having doubts on wheel choice

I did, but it was quite high up on a lift so couldn’t see the interior. I did notice though how much I preferred the black wheels with nimbus. I’d originally gone with silver wheels but glad I changed .

 

[Griggsy]

To be honest all the colours look fantastic, don’t think anyone will be disappointed.

 

[GetawayDriving]

Don't suppose you (or any other factory tour attendees) saw the same spec with silver wheels? That's what I'm currently on, lower black pack red interior + calipers but having doubts on wheel choice

Griggsy and I were on the tour together, so we both saw the same car. There was another Nimbus with silver wheels and black pack. The biggest issue with nimbus and silver wheels is the mismatch of greys, since nimbus is a warmer color than the silver of the wheels. If that doesn’t bother you, it’s a nice combination. Agree with Griggsy though, black wheels are stunning on Nimbus. We only saw Diamond Cut on a Hethel Yellow car, but they may be my 2nd choice on nimbus.

 

[digilotus]

Yeah I should have done the renders in an inside environment which is where most people saw the gray car.

umm, something got lost in translation. Needs to be much brighter, more a slate grey and not dark mauve!

 

[GetawayDriving]

Was the tan interior orangey? Or s good looking tan?

Follow up, I’ve seen it now and it was a little too orange for me (but only barely so). Definitely more of a rich caramel than an espresso.

 

[GetawayDriving]

Some additional thoughts rattling around in my head after today.

My personal favorite colors, in order:

Nimbus
White
Vivid red
Magma
Seneca
Hethel Yellow
Dark Verdant
Shadow Grey

However, I’ve seen shadow grey in the wild and it looked a lot nicer than on the factory floor. Something about the factory lighting was making Shadow Grey look very muddy and flat, and so I don’t fully trust my opinions on the other dark colors either.

Favorite interiors:
Red (with black seats)
Ice
Black Alcantara
Tan

Killer color combos, imo:

Nimbus + Red
White + Red
Magma + Ice
Seneca + black with yellow stitch
Hethel + black with yellow stitch
Dark Verdant + Tan
Shadow + Red?

The only car I saw in daylight was Seneca, and it did look darker / richer than I remembered from Goodwood and certainly darker than the China photos. It was a cloudy day though.

 

[NicolasB]

Follow up, I’ve seen it now and it was a little too orange for me (but only barely so). Definitely more of a rich caramel than an espresso.

Kinda what I figured! Was hoping for something more dark/tan than orange. I am all over the color map, interior and exterior! Need pics!

 

[virtualmacho]

Follow up, I’ve seen it now and it was a little too orange for me (but only barely so). Definitely more of a rich caramel than an espresso.

Thanks for the info. So, more Curly Wurly than Rumba?
I'll have to take my chances and see how the leather ages with time and use...

 

[Cachaco131]

Some additional thoughts rattling around in my head after today.

My personal favorite colors, in order:

Nimbus
White
Vivid red
Magma
Seneca
Hethel Yellow
Dark Verdant
Shadow Grey

However, I’ve seen shadow grey in the wild and it looked a lot nicer than on the factory floor. Something about the factory lighting was making Shadow Grey look very muddy and flat, and so I don’t fully trust my opinions on the other dark colors either.

Favorite interiors:
Red (with black seats)
Ice
Black Alcantara
Tan

Killer color combos, imo:

Nimbus + Red
White + Red
Magma + Ice
Seneca + black with yellow stitch
Hethel + black with yellow stitch
Dark Verdant + Tan
Shadow + Red?

The only car I saw in daylight was Seneca, and it did look darker / richer than I remembered from Goodwood and certainly darker than the China photos. It was a cloudy day though.

What's your thought on Hethel Yellow/tan combo?

In my view, the best colors are:
Hethel Yellow
Hethel Yellow
Hethel Yellow

No other color addresses the mid life crisis.

 

[3MIRA]

After spending a great deal of time working with these colors on the computer, it's starting to become apparent that these truly are next generation paints. Not only are these cars going to look like nothing else out on the road because of their shape, but these new metallics are going to stand out as something special too. The combination is going to look stellar. These cars are going to look way more expensive than they are.

These new metallics change their color tone and intensity depending on light source and angle, more than I've seen metallics do before. Usually you just see a light bloom when the light hits a metallic, and you can see the flakes. These new ones shift the color tone from light to dark dramatically.

Magma and Nimbus are going to look very rich and high class, while Verdant is going to look mysterious.

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These aren't showy, "look at me" colors like you get on a Lambo for example. These are rich, elegant and classy. As many have said who've seen them, you can't go wrong with any of them. The Emira is going to look epic in any of the FE colors.

I found Senna one dimensional and Hethel just plain and shouty. Verdant and Shadow moody elegant, magma eye popping warm vibrant and Nimbus clever!

 

[VL3X]

The only car I saw in daylight was Seneca, and it did look darker / richer than I remembered from Goodwood and certainly darker than the China photos. It was a cloudy day though.

This is good to hear. I haven't seen Seneca in person, but I ordered it in hopes it was on the darker end of the photos I've seen. Some photos/filters make it look cotton candy blue, which I don't like at all. However, the majority of photos and the sample I saw in person look great.

 

[Sir Donald Trump]

This is good to hear. I haven't seen Seneca in person, but I ordered it in hopes it was on the darker end of the photos I've seen. Some photos/filters make it look cotton candy blue, which I don't like at all. However, the majority of photos and the sample I saw in person look great.

Hi
I have seen the Seneca blue tour car at a Lotus event and Concours D'elegance. I have never owned a blue car, or a Lotus for that matter, never wanted either. When you see it under natural daylight as it was at Concours, its an altogether different experience. From 1 meter away you can see large flecs of silver metallic. Im confident you wont be disappointed, assuming of course the show car colour is representative of the production version. Its darker as opposed candy blue.
Hope this puts your mind at ease

Its really is striking but of course colours are all subjective. See a few pics which i posted last year