Information update

So ahead of the information update that is coming next week I was invited down to Hethel to be part of a small panel discussing new and existing questions.

Here's the headlines of what was learned:

Seen all the colours
Seats are going to be great
Finishes are superb
V6 sounds fantastic
Fancy new configurator coming very soon.

Obviously no picture taking allowed in the factory so these were just the ones I could / wanted to take on the day. Plus some renders that represent well the actual colours.

Starting with the hot potato the colours: Seen two cars in Dark verdant (my spec colour) Which IS dark but super classy and is going to be great. But even stood next to it in the factory from one angle green, from another almost black. Which is fine by me but I know many have issue with that. It's pretty exact in the image I’ve posted here of the 3 angles.

Magma red: Is not bright red (although they did have an almost Ferrari red one in the factory which looked cool) The renders I’ve posted with this is pretty spot on to what it looks like.

There was an actual silver car driving round the grounds of the factory which looked off the scale good! Silver with Silver forged wheels. They said they didn’t think it was nimbus grey (it was very close) but it looked sooooo good.

All other colours you have already seen and they look as expected.

Something that made me laugh was that they now have a production ready finished car which will be the first car going out to press. And the first guys to drive it will be on Top Gear. Guess what colour it is?……..White. Ha just brilliant. The first one out there and not in a launch colour. I think what they might have done is pay homage to the first Esprit. The famous story of the PR guy from Lotus Parking a pre production Esprit in the allocated parking spaces outside the main entrance at Pinewood studios so Cubby Broccoli would see it and want it in the Bond film. And the Spy Who Loved me white Esprit rocketed Lotus in to iconic status.

I saw the white one still with a few bits of wrapping on it parked outside and it looked great. In the factory there are all sorts of test colours, black (amazing) flat grey (amazing) dark metallic blue and then many, many flat blue mules. ALL of the cars you have seen in any factory pictures are verification prototypes. Customer production hasn’t started yet. They have screens all round the factory with a digital countdown. Counting down the days till production starts. 45 days, 6 hours, 25 minutes and 32, 31, 30 seconds. Pretty damn cool.


Next seats: There are many VP seats in the factory. And they are MUCH MUCH better than the show car seat. Much deeper, much more supportive and look much more sportier. And they were just production mules. So the fished ones will look great. The hard shell back looks great. Even with coat hooks on the back

There were also a few dashboards hanging round ready to go in cars. And the finish was superb. I think the dashes are made in Germany. The leather on the tops, stitching and finish of all the vents and buttons was really very good.

Spoke to the Head of dynamic testing and he did a few laps in one of the bright Emira liveried dynamic testing cars. V6 auto. And it was fast and loud and everything you’d expect from a Lotus.

The key has been designed in house. So although it will obviously have Geely innards the casing will be Lotus specific so hopefully it will be a nice thing.

There is a brand new configurator coming soon (next week?) and it will allow you to change the background from studio to natural settings and light so light will change etc. And the ability to watch a video of your spec driving down the Big Sur in California. So looking forward to seeing that.

Think that’s it but if you have any questions let me know I might know it or can find out.

 

[Ubergreg]

Just thinking about it - I get an email on Monday saying great news we've changed your colour and you are still on for a June delivery but deviate again and we cant guarantee a June delivery. Then today we get an email saying there's going to be better shots of the colours next week.
So if I find that Nimbus Grey is nothing like the current configurator view I cant change for another colour for fear of missing the June deadline. So by being an early adopter means I'm more disadvantaged then those placing deposits after me??? #treatedfairly?

I don't think thats how it's working. If you change your spec you don't go to the back of the queue. You “might” move back a few spaces but not far. Anyway seeing paint samples of Nimbus and the silver car at the factory it is going to look epic.

 

[TXEMIRA]

Wait. New config?
What’s @Eagle7 going to do now?
Did Lotus promote him?

Congrats!

 

[Ubergreg]

Thanks for the update on progress at Lotus on the Emira and great you have seen actual cars in all the FE colours. In the case of Dark Verdant, did the cars have the full black pack or just the lower black pack? Interested to know if the full black pack roof is distinguishable from the DV green (as per the original configurator) or little or no difference in reality. Same for the rear Lotus lettering.

The DV cars were still just mules so no cars had black pack. or in some cases bumpers and tailgates etc. Its just that the body had been totally sprayed in DV so you got to see the colour on pretty much the whole car. Under factory lights which are pretty bright. However I really wouldnt bother with black pack on the green. It is too dark for it to make enough difference. Unless you really want black tailpipes and black boot lettering and dont mind spending too much money for them.

 

[Ubergreg]

Did they have all the interior colors on view? Specifically a tan and/or an ice interior?

Fantastic update to start the day!

No. all current seats / dash were just black leather.

 

[Ubergreg]

No. all current seats / dash were just black leather.

By the way @Eagle7 we had Lunch with Matt Windle and I showed your DV renders to him. So there you go the Lotus MD has seen your fine work.

 

[Pav]

Exciting stuff, thanks for sharing!

 

[andrew6382]

No. all current seats / dash were just black lea

By the way @Eagle7 we had Lunch with Matt Windle and I showed your DV renders to him. So there you go the Lotus MD has seen your fine work.

Scott mentioned to me @Eagle7 that he had seen your work.... can not remember who or how it was said, but it was mentioned how good yours are... and how the config did

 

[Tonyshepp]

I don't think thats how it's working. If you change your spec you don't go to the back of the queue. You “might” move back a few spaces but not far. Anyway seeing paint samples of Nimbus and the silver car at the factory it is going to look epic.

Phew, I've swapped from blue to silver... Thought I'd be swapping again, good that you have seen a silverish car.

 

[AGP]

Scott mentioned to me @Eagle7 that he had seen your work.... can not remember who or how it was said, but it was mentioned how good yours are... and how the config did

 

[Eagle7]

By the way @Eagle7 we had Lunch with Matt Windle and I showed your DV renders to him. So there you go the Lotus MD has seen your fine work.

Wow thank you! Next time you see him, tell him my fee is a Lotus coffee mug lol.

 

[Eagle7]

Scott mentioned to me @Eagle7 that he had seen your work.... can not remember who or how it was said, but it was mentioned how good yours are... and how the config did

This is very rewarding to read, and I thank you guys so much for not only mentioning this to them, but letting me know this!

 

[TomE]

Great write up and info @Ubergreg and @andrew6382 - really glad you got the invitation

I was at Hethel today as part of this same programme of customer feedback. I had an extensive factory tour, saw a wide range of pre-prod cars in FE and non-prod colours, saw various running pre-prod cars (including on track) and had long and productive chats with development team, Matt Windle, Geoff Dowding (Director of Sales) and Scott Walker.

I will gather my thoughts (just got home after a 3.5 hour drive) and post some notes later.

Key headlines from me in the interim are (a) all the FE colours look brilliant and (b) they have invested a huge amount in quality and it shows.

Plus they acknowledge comms hasn’t been as good as it should have been and actions are being taken to address that.

Oh, and first customer cars are on track for June delivery - I can’t wait!

 

[andrew6382]

Great write up and info @Ubergreg and @andrew6382 - really glad you got the invitation

I was at Hethel today as part of this same programme of customer feedback. I had an extensive factory tour, saw a wide range of pre-prod cars in FE and non-prod colours, saw various running pre-prod cars (including on track) and had long and productive chats with development team, Matt Windle, Geoff Dowding (Director of Sales) and Scott Walker.

I will gather my thoughts (just got home after a 3.5 hour drive) and post some notes later.

Key headlines from me in the interim are (a) all the FE colours look brilliant and (b) they have invested a huge amount in quality and it shows.

Plus they acknowledge comms hasn’t been as good as it should have been and actions are being taken to address that.

Oh, and first customer cars are on track for June delivery - I can’t wait!

Did you see the count down clock clearly they know there is a date coming they have to be ready for

 

[TXEMIRA]

Great write up and info @Ubergreg and @andrew6382 - really glad you got the invitation

I was at Hethel today as part of this same programme of customer feedback. I had an extensive factory tour, saw a wide range of pre-prod cars in FE and non-prod colours, saw various running pre-prod cars (including on track) and had long and productive chats with development team, Matt Windle, Geoff Dowding (Director of Sales) and Scott Walker.

I will gather my thoughts (just got home after a 3.5 hour drive) and post some notes later.

Key headlines from me in the interim are (a) all the FE colours look brilliant and (b) they have invested a huge amount in quality and it shows.

Plus they acknowledge comms hasn’t been as good as it should have been and actions are being taken to address that.

Oh, and first customer cars are on track for June delivery - I can’t wait!

Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Been waiting for this write-up. Come on @TomE please don’t disappoint.

I want to grab some Magma wine, sit back in my Seneca chair, and read your glorious opinion on happenings!

 

[SloAlfa]

Great write up and info @Ubergreg and @andrew6382 - really glad you got the invitation

I was at Hethel today as part of this same programme of customer feedback. I had an extensive factory tour, saw a wide range of pre-prod cars in FE and non-prod colours, saw various running pre-prod cars (including on track) and had long and productive chats with development team, Matt Windle, Geoff Dowding (Director of Sales) and Scott Walker.

I will gather my thoughts (just got home after a 3.5 hour drive) and post some notes later.

Key headlines from me in the interim are (a) all the FE colours look brilliant and (b) they have invested a huge amount in quality and it shows.

Plus they acknowledge comms hasn’t been as good as it should have been and actions are being taken to address that.

Oh, and first customer cars are on track for June delivery - I can’t wait!

Its awesome they are bringing consumers in to learn from and get their perspective but frankly the majority of the complains are really customer service 101, communication. But, it seems they are getting one consumer perspective only, the UK customer base. Or, are they getting feedback from other countries? Be great to hear if they have any new info for customers in the US market (or anywhere else). I hate the thought they are using the Dealer network as the voice for the US consumer. if it was not for this forum, we wouldn't know anything at all. Thank you to all of you!

Since experiences with dealers seems to be completely different, would be nice to see what and how they plan to control allocations without dealers messing things up. I wish they would have just let us order directly from Lotus. I ordered almost two months ago and just got my "welcome to the fast lane" email today.. I may be in the fast lane now but that on-ramp sure was slow. So, I don't know if that was a delay of communications from Lotus or the dealer did something wrong.

 

[andrew6382]

Its awesome they are bringing consumers in to learn from and get their perspective but frankly the majority of the complains are really customer service 101, communication. But, it seems they are getting one consumer perspective only, the UK customer base. Or, are they getting feedback from other countries? Be great to hear if they have any new info for customers in the US market (or anywhere else). I hate the thought they are using the Dealer network as the voice for the US consumer. if it was not for this forum, we wouldn't know anything at all. Thank you to all of you!

Since experiences with dealers seems to be completely different, would be nice to see what and how they plan to control allocations without dealers messing things up. I wish they would have just let us order directly from Lotus. I ordered almost two months ago and just got my "welcome to the fast lane" email today.. I may be in the fast lane now but that on-ramp sure was slow. So, I don't know if that was a delay of communications from Lotus or the dealer did something wrong.

Dont worry..... it was not just the UK that was talked about..... it was made clear that many are unhappy... Clear that Customer Service need to do better.

 

[NickR]

@TomE @andrew6382 @Ubergreg

Chaps,
Did lotus say the FE colours are new colours or repurposed ones?
I e Magma = fire red
And so on?

 

[andrew6382]

@TomE @andrew6382 @Ubergreg

Chaps,
Did lotus say the FE colours are new colours or repurposed ones?
I e Magma = fire red
And so on?

It was said to me that they are all new colours..... it infact was commented how many at the show had been trying to match them to old colours.... but they are not

 

[Leonard]

Just thinking about it - I get an email on Monday saying great news we've changed your colour and you are still on for a June delivery but deviate again and we cant guarantee a June delivery. Then today we get an email saying there's going to be better shots of the colours next week.
So if I find that Nimbus Grey is nothing like the current configurator view I cant change for another colour for fear of missing the June deadline. So by being an early adopter means I'm more disadvantaged then those placing deposits after me??? #treatedfairly?

And meanwhile the colours are out there but haven't been shared. If they had still could have changed in time....

 

[andrew6382]

And meanwhile the colours are out there but haven't been shared. If they had still could have changed in time....

They are coming....... but they all look good..... sorry not much help I know. I know from speaking to Scott.... he has tried to get pictures out there.... but its complex, more than you think..... lighting.... camera.... colour correction etc