I'm out - the cancellations thread

[boisecrawfords]

Yeah, those of us who ordered the earliest and thought we were first in line, are winding up to be the ones getting our cars last. The only consolation is we get our cars $11k cheaper, which isn't a bad consolation.

My car is on it's way to Park Place, should be there by Monday. I've already been called by my sales guy, and sent some paperwork he needed. I'm having it delivered to me by covered carrier, so I'm guessing I'll get it sometime in the first week of May. After all this time, and everything we've gone through in this forum, it's going to be a very surreal moment when the delivery carrier pulls up in front of my house. It will be the first time I'll actually see an Emira, and it will be mine!

I'm also waiting on Park Place Bellevue, but don't trust them at all, so once mine shows up (i4 so ~Q4) I will be driving up there to pick it up (I'm in Boise) to personally inspect it top to bottom. They have provided zero communication and 'conveniently' called me a week before the i4 delay announcement to advise me that I needed to order ASAP and they needed the non-refundable deposit same-day, otherwise I would lose my slot (which was over a year old). Then when I saw the post on here about the delay I called them immediately to cancel and they said my contract with them did not have an exit clause for delays. Lotus Corp said no problem, but PP said my contract was with them so what PP said didn't matter. I am under contract with them to buy the car (or forfeit $15k), but I will never involve them in a future purchase. Hopefully you have better luck.

 

[boisecrawfords]

Didn't expect that I would be posting in this thread, but all the waiting has allowed me enough time to reconsider my choice. I originally went with an I4 because I needed an automatic so my wife could also use the car, and I preferred a dual clutch over a torque converter auto. First red flag for me was when pricing was officially announced here in Canada; the I4 is only CAD$3k less than the V6 manual which didn't make sense to me based on pricing in other markets.
Then I started looking at other competitors and realized a well spec'ed Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0 w/ PDK is equal or less money than the Emira I4 FE. My original intention was to keep the Emira long term but all the quality issues that folks are discussing here have me doubting that plan. All things considered, in conjunction with the ever changing delivery times, I ended up cancelling my order yesterday. I still love the car, will continue to lurk on this forum, and will likely reconsider when base model pricing is released and quality has improved.

Lucky you...jealous they allowed you to cancel.

 

[Emira604]

Lucky you...jealous they allowed you to cancel.

Yeah, I got lucky here for sure.

 

[Eagle7]

I'm also waiting on Park Place Bellevue, but don't trust them at all, so once mine shows up (i4 so ~Q4) I will be driving up there to pick it up (I'm in Boise) to personally inspect it top to bottom. They have provided zero communication and 'conveniently' called me a week before the i4 delay announcement to advise me that I needed to order ASAP and they needed the non-refundable deposit same-day, otherwise I would lose my slot (which was over a year old). Then when I saw the post on here about the delay I called them immediately to cancel and they said my contract with them did not have an exit clause for delays. Lotus Corp said no problem, but PP said my contract was with them so what PP said didn't matter. I am under contract with them to buy the car (or forfeit $15k), but I will never involve them in a future purchase. Hopefully you have better luck.

My experience was very positive. But then, I was in it to get it right from the start. I wanted the car, period. My sales guy took care of everything, had it ceramic coated, and delivered by covered carrier. No extra fees or mark-ups of any kind. It's been great. I just completed the 1,000 mile break-in period and no problems.

 

[Fasttoys]

The Emira wait has been horrible, I been waiting so long it gets to a point priorities change in that amount of time. I put my name on the list then later a deposit down in California, name was in late 2020. My 2024 Z06 is in production should arrive by end of July, I am still complexed where I am going to use all that power and speed.

 

[GYLotME25]

We cancelled our deposit back in 2022 and I decided to get a Cayman GTS 4.0 while we waited for Lotus to get back on track...
Just put the deposit back down and am planning on selling the GTS (after about two years ownership) at the end of summer. Hopefully the Lotus will turn up around late spring 2025. Cant wait.

 

[Hell4Leather]

We cancelled our deposit back in 2022 and I decided to get a Cayman GTS 4.0 while we waited for Lotus to get back on track...
Just put the deposit back down and am planning on selling the GTS (after about two years ownership) at the end of summer. Hopefully the Lotus will turn up around late spring 2025. Cant wait.

Glad you’re back but sorry the Cayman didn’t scratch the itch. What are you looking for in a Lotus that the Cayman doesn’t have?

 

[Hell4Leather]

The Emira wait has been horrible, I been waiting so long it gets to a point priorities change in that amount of time. I put my name on the list then later a deposit down in California, name was in late 2020. My 2024 Z06 is in production should arrive by end of July, I am still complexed where I am going to use all that power and speed.

You can drive fast between the jean shorts store and the black socks with sandals depot. Lots of vettes on that stretch of highway.

 

[netsinah]

I did this "new vehicle dance" many years with the Corvette C8. GM had all its problems in the beginning of that new model: strike in 2019, COVID in 2020 and beyond, and increased demand challenges, to name a few. I managed to get a C8 Stingray and got on the list for a C8 Z06. Then after waiting almost 3 years, with my dealer failing to honour my place on its Z06 list multiple times, enduring the GM cut-back of Canadian C8 allocations (favouring Europe, Japan and Australia), I FINALLY got a Z06 allocation, only to then face an unprecedented/unfair "made for Canada only" GM price increase for the C8 2024 MY, plus a GM dealer who wanted to treat me unfairly: my GM dealer from whom I purchased my C8, insisted I take a delayed trade value in the winter months, for a sport car. VERY DISAPPOINTED (to put it mildly), so after waiting almost 3 years, I jumped ship at that point and committed to the Lotus Emira. Fortunately, I received my V6 manual transmission Emira, less than 2 years from placing my deposit and it's been problem-free as I move to the end of the break-in period. I consider myself fortunate, especially compared to others.

During that same wait time, I heard tons of other stories about other vehicle manufacturers and their sought-after models which they weren't producing enough of, treating customers poorly, their dealers asking for ADM's (additional dealer markups), and/or insisting you buy several lesser models and trading them in only at that same dealership (at a loss), always financing any purchase, and other "made-for-profit" dealership moves, until being granted the privilege of getting on a list for the vehicle you wanted. And then there were the stories about vehicle quality issues and ++ high repair/service costs.

I say this since Lotus is certainly having its growing pains and its share of problems. Lotus isn't perfect but shares many of these imperfections, with other vehicle manufacturers. This being a Lotus Emira Forum, the Emira is an easy target. When I frequented the Corvette Forums, the C8 was the preferred target for those complaining and with social-media being what it is these days, their complaints were amplified. My 2 cents.

 

[seriously]

We cancelled our deposit back in 2022 and I decided to get a Cayman GTS 4.0 while we waited for Lotus to get back on track...
Just put the deposit back down and am planning on selling the GTS (after about two years ownership) at the end of summer. Hopefully the Lotus will turn up around late spring 2025. Cant wait.

Not a bad deal at all. You spent a little money but enjoyed another great car instead of just waiting for the emira. Look forward to your comparison perspectives once you acquire the emira.

 

[GYLotME25]

Glad you’re back but sorry the Cayman didn’t scratch the itch. What are you looking for in a Lotus that the Cayman doesn’t have?

I was fortunate enough to be in a position to get my dream car (911) in 2021. 911 CPO prices though were through the roof - bizarrely costing more then new cars - which you couldn't get anyway due to Covid/Ukraine/other reasons...

Anyway, we decided to put a deposit down on the Emira (I'm British and used to work for Lotus back in the 90's so have a soft spot for them..) The CARB thing then started and the Lotus dealer informed us there would be a delay, so we canceled the deposit and moved on.

A while later a great opportunity arose to purchase a CPO'd 718 GTS 4.0 - so I took it! The GTS really is an absolutely amazing machine and I've loved every minute of it. We've had lots of fun in it, joined the PCA and racked the miles up here in Maine. Porsche wont be making the ICE 718 after June 2025 so the used prices are holding fairly steady. I can sell it (after about two years ownership) and not lose too much - if anything on it.

Now that the Emira's are being delivered to the USA, its time to see what they are all about, but unfortunately we cant have both due to space and $ so the GTS has to go. If I could - I would keep them both - trust me!

So to answer your question - Lotus along with Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, Caterham etc are all considered drivers cars and now, at my time in life, I am lucky enough to be able to own different vehicles before they are regulated into the history books. Ultimately, I know its all going to end with a 911 because thats the poster I had on my wall as a 10 year old boy..

 

[Tokion]

Didn't expect that I would be posting in this thread, but all the waiting has allowed me enough time to reconsider my choice. I originally went with an I4 because I needed an automatic so my wife could also use the car, and I preferred a dual clutch over a torque converter auto. First red flag for me was when pricing was officially announced here in Canada; the I4 is only CAD$3k less than the V6 manual which didn't make sense to me based on pricing in other markets.
Then I started looking at other competitors and realized a well spec'ed Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0 w/ PDK is equal or less money than the Emira I4 FE. My original intention was to keep the Emira long term but all the quality issues that folks are discussing here have me doubting that plan. All things considered, in conjunction with the ever changing delivery times, I ended up cancelling my order yesterday. I still love the car, will continue to lurk on this forum, and will likely reconsider when base model pricing is released and quality has improved.

It is of course up to each of us to make our own decicions; but the price difference between i4 and V6 manual has remained within approximately 5% in most markets, unless local taxes punish the larger cylinder volume and higher emissions of the V6.

Regarding reliability, there are no indications so far that the i4 is less reliable, or have more issues/problems than the V6, rather the contrary if you look at the entire history of Emira production that for a long time was focused on the V6 (manual) with all kinds of reported “issues”, but even this has greatly improved as production has become stable.

I have also ordered the i4, since almost 3 years ago and I am still counting. My car is right around the corner, and I am still staying cool waiting in line for it. Besides I intend to keep it for the remainder of my life as the last new car (approaching the magic number 70).

If I were you; I would call back the dealer and ask to reverse the latest decision

 

[Fasttoys]

It is of course up to each of us to make our own decicions; but the price difference between i4 and V6 manual has remained within approximately 5% in most markets, unless local taxes punish the larger cylinder volume and higher emissions of the V6.

Regarding reliability, there are no indications so far that the i4 is less reliable, or have more issues/problems than the V6, rather the contrary if you look at the entire history of Emira production that for a long time was focused on the V6 (manual) with all kinds of reported “issues”, but even this has greatly improved as production has become stable.

I have also ordered the i4, since almost 3 years ago and I am still counting. My car is right around the corner, and I am still staying cool waiting in line for it. Besides I intend to keep it for the remainder of my life as the last new car (approaching the magic number 70).

If I were you; I would call back the dealer and ask to reverse the latest decision

I4 will have more torque and come in at the same HP at 400. It’s so easy to do with turbo’s and with dual clutch will be the faster track weapon. The V6 with the Super Charger on top has a higher center of gravity compared to the AMG motor. I think the V6 will be discontinued as its Port Injection not direct injection and is the older V6 designed by Toyota. Those wanting a manual experience the V6 option is the ticket and only option.

 

[lion shf]

Maybe some people don't realize that in the U.S. you don't buy from the manufacturer, you buy from the dealer. When you place an order with a dealer, they have to commit to that by ordering it from the manufacturer. The manufacturer then commits to ordering all the pieces necessary to build your car, and paying for everything (including labor) right up to and including shipping it to the dealer. They don't get paid by the dealer until they deliver the car to them. Once that happens, the dealer has to pay the manufacturer, and now has to collect the full amount from you, because they've already paid for the car.

The dealer can't just cancel your order because you want them to. They're on the hook for the car you ordered. If you don't pay for whatever reason, now they have to try and find a buyer. If you ordered a car with unusual options, or an unusual color combo, it may be very difficult for them to sell it, which is why they have the contracts about non-refundable deposits on a special order. If they can sell the car reasonably quickly, they usually won't come after you because lawsuits also cost money. Keeping the deposit after you bailed on them is considered good enough to cover their expenses to sell your car. However if they have difficulty selling the car you ordered, they have every legal right to come after you for the money. Read contracts carefully before you sign, and keep a paper trail of communications (which is what the GM was doing at Park Place when he said he would only communicate via email in this one case).

They also don't want to start trying to cancel orders they already placed with the manufacturer, because the manufacturer may just stop taking orders from them, and now they can't get any cars to sell. Cancellations cost the manufacturer too.

In the case of a dealer having to notify you of a delay in estimated delivery due to delays from the manufacturer, that's not the dealer's fault or anything they did or have control over, so taking them to court is just going to be a waste of time and money. Unless there was a stipulation in the contract that the car had to be delivered by a specific time, there's no grounds for a legal action. It would have to be something dealer-specific to have a basis for taking them to court. In this case, with a car model that hasn't even been produced and certified for the U.S. yet, it's even more unlikely you'd have a case.

Fun to see the VP of apologists is still at it.