I'm out - the cancellations thread

[spice]

That was a funny movie!! "Road Hog", not the name of the Laurel n Hardy flick but one of 3 vignettes in the story. Worth looking up..

Clip from Perfect Day

 

[Captain.Kirk]

To be fair (no offence Tom) at least they seem to be towing one line now.
I'd be slightly aggrieved if Lotus changed their mind yet again and let folk push their deposit back to other models after saying categorically they wouldn't.

I’ve never owned a Lotus so the Emira will (maybe) be my first. I’ve heard driving a Lotus is a raw, visceral and wild experience. So maybe it’s only fitting that Lotus has taken this same route to deal with both it’s customer base and dealer network. If I get nothing more out of my Lotus journey than to experience the passion of this forum’s members then that will suffice. I solute you all on your dedication to the Lotus brand. I only hope Lotus will reciprocate and realize that it’s you people that are truly “the Lotus drivers”.

 

[TomE]

I had understood that one doesn’t get a check out email until the car is rolling off the production line. The up to 30 days is then for sorting out PDI, finance etc and scheduling the delivery date. So if you don’t check out once you have received the email then Lotus have a car sat there not being paid for. I guess there comes a point when if you don’t check out after a period of time, Lotus have to move on as they have a car to sell.
I don’t suppose many people get to that point and dont proceed.
Having said that, Lotus do not appear to be meeting the 30 day period due to significant backlogs in PDI for reasons unknown.

There doesn’t appear to be a set point in the production process where they issue the checkout email. Some had it when car not in build, some when in build and some when built.

But yes, there is a time limit on the checkout window and that’s understandable. It’s notionally two weeks but you can ask for more time if there’s a clear reason.

In my case, when they messed up the test drive bookings I asked them what would happen if i got my checkout email before I’d driven. They said I’d be able to extend the checkout window. I got confirmation of what my options would be about spec changes, deferral etc.

Then when I got my checkout email I agree with Lotus the window would remain open until after my test drive. In fact they then extended it from 18 Dec to 5 Jan because of all the to and fro about them changing tack on what I was allowed to do regarding changes.

 

[TomE]

It feels like they thought they'd be able to offer some flexibility - might have felt immense market pressure in the UK to offer such flexibility considering the fact that the UK buyers are early production "test subjects". One of the perks would be the ability to drive the cars and adjust their specs without being diverted all the way back to the very end of the line. They are finding this very difficult to manage and are therefore giving pushback to those who are wanting to avail themselves of this promised flexibility.

They specifically said there would be flexibility, within some parameters and constraints.

It’s not “pushback”, it’s a broken promise.

To be fair (no offence Tom) at least they seem to be towing one line now.
I'd be slightly aggrieved if Lotus changed their mind yet again and let folk push their deposit back to other models after saying categorically they wouldn't.

Except they consistently told me one set of things (about my options) all the way through the process, until the last minute when they then removed or changed those options.

 

[Grumpy]

Did they rush it, it’s been out being test driven for years, you’d think the team driving the cars would have noticed these issues folks are getting.

That's my point it hasn't been test driven for years. The show car at Goodwood was powered by an electric motor and the running grey car was a handbuilt prototype. They didnt start having access to the VP cars until end of 2021 only 6 months before they said they were going to be delivering customer cars. I have always understood that major companies expect to do testing and final development over two years before production, not 6 months. Add in 'global' expansion, EV work and an new production line and paint shop and an almost impossible task.

 

[lion shf]

I’ve never owned a Lotus so the Emira will (maybe) be my first. I’ve heard driving a Lotus is a raw, visceral and wild experience. So maybe it’s only fitting that Lotus has taken this same route to deal with both it’s customer base and dealer network. If I get nothing more out of my Lotus journey than to experience the passion of this forum’s members then that will suffice. I solute you all on your dedication to the Lotus brand. I only hope Lotus will reciprocate and realize that it’s you people that are truly “the Lotus drivers”.

After getting booted off the C8 forum for the second time in a month I concur about this place

 

[VL3X]

After getting booted off the C8 forum for the second time in a month I concur about this place

Starting too much Emira talk over there?

 

[lion shf]

Lol the oldsters always (I mean every 3 weeks) start a z51 v no z51 pkg argument they get mad when I make fun

 

[Porter]

Lol the oldsters always (I mean every 3 weeks) start a z51 v no z51 pkg argument they get mad when I make fun

To be fair, striped tube socks tend to chafe when your middle-aged cankles are that big. No amount of New Balance comfort can compensate.

 

[lion shf]

I do love the c8 LOVE IT but I’d be without community and i won’t have that

 

[CarGuy07]

I pinged the sales guys asking whether deferring means down the line or back of the line. Haven’t heard back yet. If they come back with the latter, I’m canceling. Would rather get the car with next model year for the bugs to be worked out, especially since I didn’t make FE batch anyway.

 

[spice]

First edition is to be renamed the Lotus Stigma .

 

[CarGuy07]

Still haven’t heard back from dealer. It’s not hard to simply say “let me check with Lotus and get back to you.” Yet I got nothing. Lol

I’ll give it another week until next Wednesday. If no reply by then, I’ll send a follow up text and email (two different people) requesting a refund.

 

[Boombang]

I’ve never owned a Lotus so the Emira will (maybe) be my first. I’ve heard driving a Lotus is a raw, visceral and wild experience.

To manage your expectations the Emira is at best one of those three and realistically none.

The closest to rawness was in my view lack of refinement (wind, road and clutch noise).

Visceral? Not sure, for me driving the car was more instinctive, nothing bar clutch felt 'wrong' or needed conscious input.

As for being wild, that would only happen I was having to return to dealer for fixing issues that weren't there or using a laptop to start the car. It's a pussy cat (edit to note that being a pussy cat isn't a bad thing in a car used daily nor for touring, it's not even a bad thing if when you use it as a 'true' sports car I comes alive - with a crappy route and cold/wet test drive I couldn't explore that, but Harry certainly thinks so - not that I personally agree with his views of the car, not think he is being 100% transparent and honest in his reviews).

 

[Tonyshepp]

So I've had confirmation from Lotus - I had my checkout email before xmas and wanted to be put on the I4 FE queue.

They have told me its a case of take it or leave it. -id have to put a new deposit on an I4 and go to the back of the Q.

I have till tomorrow to decide on receiving my car or getting my deposit back.

 

[emiralust]

So I've had confirmation from Lotus - I had my checkout email before xmas and wanted to be put on the I4 FE queue.

They have told me its a case of take it or leave it. -id have to put a new deposit on an I4 and go to the back of the Q.

I have till tomorrow to decide on receiving my car or getting my deposit back.

Take the car then put a deposit in for the I4. When the I4 comes around you can have your pick

 

[Toomanyloti]

To manage your expectations the Emira is at best one of those three and realistically none.

The closest to rawness was in my view lack of refinement (wind, road and clutch noise).

Visceral? Not sure, for me driving the car was more instinctive, nothing bar clutch felt 'wrong' or needed conscious input.

As for being wild, that would only happen I was having to return to dealer for fixing issues that weren't there or using a laptop to start the car. It's a pussy cat (edit to note that being a pussy cat isn't a bad thing in a car used daily nor for touring, it's not even a bad thing if when you use it as a 'true' sports car I comes alive - with a crappy route and cold/wet test drive I couldn't explore that, but Harry certainly thinks so - not that I personally agree with his views of the car, not think he is being 100% transparent and honest in his reviews).

what he said
Nailed on
Its not a Lotus like you might think it is ie...anything which came before

 

[Lotus64]

To manage your expectations the Emira is at best one of those three and realistically none.

The closest to rawness was in my view lack of refinement (wind, road and clutch noise).

Visceral? Not sure, for me driving the car was more instinctive, nothing bar clutch felt 'wrong' or needed conscious input.

As for being wild, that would only happen I was having to return to dealer for fixing issues that weren't there or using a laptop to start the car. It's a pussy cat (edit to note that being a pussy cat isn't a bad thing in a car used daily nor for touring, it's not even a bad thing if when you use it as a 'true' sports car I comes alive - with a crappy route and cold/wet test drive I couldn't explore that, but Harry certainly thinks so - not that I personally agree with his views of the car, not think he is being 100% transparent and honest in his reviews).

Please speak for yourself. I would classify the Emira as raw and visceral based on the immense feedback through the chassis. Not as much as older Lotus but still profound compared to anything else currently on sale that's not an Ariel atom / KTM / Caterham. And at redline, I'd call it wild. In the same realm as the manic 6.4L V8 / 6-spd combo in my other vehicle, which genuinely shocked me.

 

[NicolasB]

Please speak for yourself. I would classify the Emira as raw and visceral based on the immense feedback through the chassis. Not as much as older Lotus but still profound compared to anything else currently on sale that's not an Ariel atom / KTM / Caterham. And at redline, I'd call it wild. In the same realm as the manic 6.4L V8 / 6-spd combo in my other vehicle, which genuinely shocked me.

Clarifying: the Emira feels like your Hellcat or whatever your car is when revving out? Seems like a very, very different animal.

 

[Lotus64]

Clarifying: the Emira feels like your Hellcat or whatever your car is when revving out? Seems like a very, very different animal.

They do feel very different. The V8 is a firecracker everywhere in the rev range with limited refinement whereas the V6 is more Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hide. Yet as the revs climb, they both deliver Euphoria with their assault on the senses, in my opinion.