Harry's Garage videos - visit to Hethel and Matt Windle interview, Emira collection and drive

[TomE]

Maybe per capita... but actually units sold. I believe for 2 door sports cars / exotics, the US market is number 1 world wide. Vehicle units (SUV's cars etc.) is for sure China/Asia. Just for volume. Eletre / New Lotus' most important market would have to be 1. China 2. EU 3. US (for electric vehicles)

That's likely true for EVs and hence probably why Lotus have changed the delivery strategy for Emira. That may have been a response by them to the emerging pattern of Eletre deposits (which is low in the UK and high in China).

By volume of deposits for the first model being built (Emira V6 FE), the UK is about 30% and the largest single country. Let's not kid ourselves, Lotus have clearly changed strategy from what they told UK customers about country sequencing at reveal and throughout most of the last 15 months. Blame it on Brexit or approvals or parts for RHD cars, but I would assume it's being driven by commercial considerations by Geely.

 

[prestonc]

Loving the new factory….. thought I would add some nostalgia, great to see how far they have come on

Hey, you can't fool us, you've just added a sepia filter to these Emira factory pics!

 

[Leonard]

That's likely true for EVs and hence probably why Lotus have changed the delivery strategy for Emira. That may have been a response by them to the emerging pattern of Eletre deposits (which is low in the UK and high in China).

By volume of deposits for the first model being built (Emira V6 FE), the UK is about 30% and the largest single country. Let's not kid ourselves, Lotus have clearly changed strategy from what they told UK customers about country sequencing at reveal and throughout most of the last 15 months. Blame it on Brexit or approvals or parts for RHD cars, but I would assume it's being driven by commercial considerations by Geely.

You can't even really argue with it can you. They are owned by Geely now and they will do what's best for Geely!

 

[Mistral]

Do we really think Emira's will sell more n China and India and US than the UK?
Im not so sure..........
US loves porsche as much as the UK does, but Lotus is from the UK which has a huge effect ....

Seems to be quite a few heading to china, but how many would be heading to UK customers IF they had the bits / approvals..whatever...still no wiser to be honest.
India... I cant see being a large market.... what kind of roads and tracks are there... .anyone from India on here?

I think UK will be the largest market for the first 3 4 5 years...then who knows, next year being yr 2 already

No, but it's about raising brand awareness for the EVs to follow.

 

[emiraspain]

No, but it's about raising brand awareness for the EVs to follow.

yes...certainly.....
the EV SUV is way to big for UK roads anyway and we cant punch above our weight in any case.... not with these toilet U bends and turns going on.. haha

 

[TomE]

My takeaway from the video and the recent factory photos is that Shadow Grey is going to be super rare!

It may not have been offered for the China cars, as they were only given 4 colours for their V6 FE when they were given the choice to switch from delayed i4 to earlier V6, according to @lynchy73 .

 

[kitkat]

Are these new configurator interior shots new? And accurate? These look fantastic.

 

[TomE]

You can't even really argue with it can you. They are owned by Geely now and they will do what's best for Geely!

You can imagine a fictional senior conversation:

• So the journalist reviews in the UK are a bit "meh"? - yes
• And the UK customers are getting antsy about delays and customer comms? - yes
• And we've got loads of UK orders and if a few people drop out no one will notice and it frees up slots for other regions? - yes
• And economic factors are narrowing margins on the UK cars and improving them elsewhere? - yes
• And the UK market already has Lotus brand awareness? - yes
• Why don't we make more cars for the other more profitable and brand-worthy regions and slow down the UK? - err, are you sure?
• Tell them it's something to do with Brexit...

 

[TomE]

Are these new configurator interior shots new? And accurate? These look fantastic.

View attachment 9864

That's accurate - here's a production spec alcantara interior on a dealer car for comparison:

Pic: Stino

 

[VL3X]

That's accurate - here's a production spec alcantara interior on a dealer car for comparison:

View attachment 9865

Pic: Stino

Are you sure? I'll be very happy if we're getting deviated stitching on the center stripe.... I thought it was just colored on the bolster edges.

 

[Leonard]

You can imagine a fictional senior conversation:

• So the journalist reviews in the UK are a bit "meh"? - yes
• And the UK customers are getting antsy about delays and customer comms? - yes
• And we've got loads of UK orders and if a few people drop out no one will notice and it frees up slots for other regions? - yes
• And economic factors are narrowing margins on the UK cars and improving them elsewhere? - yes
• And the UK market already has Lotus brand awareness? - yes
• Why don't we make more cars for the other more profitable and brand-worthy regions and slow down the UK? - err, are you sure?
• Tell them it's something to do with Brexit...

Yup %

 

[TomE]

Are you sure? I'll be very happy if we're getting deviated stitching on the center stripe.... I thought it was just colored on the bolster edges.

You can see it (just about) on the headrests of the IRL yellow car

 

[Leonard]

Are these new configurator interior shots new? And accurate? These look fantastic.

View attachment 9864

WOW now that would be a Brucey Bonus! (One for the ageing UK crowd there)

 

[Porter]

He actually calls is "takt" which interestingly (to me atleast) is a Porsche Continuous Improvement term

That term has nothing to do with Porsche. It's a term from Lean / Six Sigma process analysis and is not specifically related to the automotive industry.

 

[FlyNavy01]

Are you sure? I'll be very happy if we're getting deviated stitching on the center stripe.... I thought it was just colored on the bolster edges.

Weirdly it also shows deviated stitching on the floor mats, but only with yellow and none of the others.

 

[Pops68]

3 years in my case. UK deposit holder.

3 years?!!! I admire your patience man. You should be getting yours......soon!

 

[Porter]

Except it’s not fully adjustable. You can change the geo to dial out the understeer. Fully adjustable to most people means you can adjust the suspension settings yourself.

I mean, you can. With a set of spanners and some alignment tools.

To the prior post's point... I'm also mystified by people that express dissatisfaction with the way a car handles and yet have no interest in making the necessary adjustments to fix the thing they're complaining about. Cars are tunable. Not in the "go faster parts" sense, but in the configuration sense. Most of this stuff is shockingly straightforward.

 

[Lotustoronto]

You can imagine a fictional senior conversation:

• So the journalist reviews in the UK are a bit "meh"? - yes
• And the UK customers are getting antsy about delays and customer comms? - yes
• And we've got loads of UK orders and if a few people drop out no one will notice and it frees up slots for other regions? - yes
• And economic factors are narrowing margins on the UK cars and improving them elsewhere? - yes
• And the UK market already has Lotus brand awareness? - yes
• Why don't we make more cars for the other more profitable and brand-worthy regions and slow down the UK? - err, are you sure?
• Tell them it's something to do with Brexit...

This ^^... It was purely a business decision by Geely. To be honest, from a global standpoint, it was probably the correct one. (and of the EV's) Unfortunately the UK depositers were stepped over. Maybe they realize this and you guys will be the only ones that do not get price increases as a thank-you for your patience. I can see them holding UK prices for 2023. ROW it's going up.

 

[Pops68]

Yes, i put down my first deposit on the 5th October 2019, thinking, in hindsight wrongly, that i would be one of the first to get a car. Originally told i would get it in March. I chatted to Scott Walker ar Silverstone in November, voicing my concerns after a few YouTube's claims they were getting their cars in March, this having only put down deposits late 2021. Scott said car would be build in deposit order and high profile people would not get priority. Harry's car very much contradicts that. Also, IF, and i am assuming a lot here, i am number 54, as advised, in the list, when did when did the 53 earlier people put their deposits down?

Yeah I'd be more than a bit upset. I'm sure it's frustrating knowing that any complaint will fall upon deaf ears. Harry seems like a nice guy, maybe he'll give you his car?...

 

[emiraspain]

You can imagine a fictional senior conversation:

• So the journalist reviews in the UK are a bit "meh"? - yes
• And the UK customers are getting antsy about delays and customer comms? - yes
• And we've got loads of UK orders and if a few people drop out no one will notice and it frees up slots for other regions? - yes
• And economic factors are narrowing margins on the UK cars and improving them elsewhere? - yes
• And the UK market already has Lotus brand awareness? - yes
• Why don't we make more cars for the other more profitable and brand-worthy regions and slow down the UK? - err, are you sure?
• Tell them it's something to do with Brexit...

I think you will be lucky to get an i3 at this rate..never mind a V6 or an i4 haha