Let's talk about the new bonnet/hood seal

[TomE]

I’ve seen all the recent press cars (final stage pre-production) in person and none of them have a gap you could put a finger into. That’s just being exaggerated by the close up pictures.

 

[Autopsy]

Before we go on and on about this issue none stop can anyone with access to production-esque car go and measure the following dimension?

bonnet length: _____________
gap width: ________________

Then let's compare that with show car's and we go on from there.

 

[Tailslides]

Before we go on and on about this issue none stop can anyone with access to production-esque car go and measure the following dimension?

bonnet length: _____________
gap width: ________________

Then let's compare that with show car's and we go on from there.

The blue "show car" is a mock up model, not a car, it was at Hethel in the centre on Saturday, yes, the gap is smaller than the production car because the production hinging mechanism requires a little extra clearance as the hinge is at the front.

 

[Tonyshepp]

If the seal looks prominent because it’s sticking out over bodywork or because it’s sticking up proud of the surface and either of those is just visually highlighting it and it’s also easily removed, then it’s a non-issue. That’s honestly what I’m hoping for as the final solution.

At the same time, that is clearly not what was going on in the pictures at the beginning of the thread with very clear side views of an enlarged gap that you could just about run a finger through without the rubber.

View attachment 7708

I never noticed the gap on the blue one i saw in 2021 , mind you probably wasnt any rubber in the gap then. It is quite big but if you remove the rubber the gap will still exist. I do hope when pressure washing the car it doesnt force it further into the recess.

 

[eriegz]

Not to beat a dead horse here, but I'm still trying to get to the bottom of this bonnet seam issue...

I think everyone will agree, us Hethel Yellow customers are particularly affected by how this plays out (Dark Verdant & Shadow Grey customers have long since left the chat ). To that end, I still want to know what the FINAL production version of the Hethel Yellow + bonnet seal combo is going to look like.

If last week's delivery to the German car dealership is any indication of what the final production bonnet seam will look like, then I'd say that things are looking positive! In the photos below, the bonnet seam is barely any more noticeable than any other seam on the car (e.g.: trunk seams or door seams).

In this shot below, the bonnet seam doesn't even seem any wider than the ones near the windshield!

And a shot of the car's door seams and trunk seams, for comparison:

 

[NicolasB]

I agree, and the photographer for that car is top-notch! Car looks incredible

 

[TomE]

Not to beat a dead horse here, but I'm still trying to get to the bottom of this bonnet seam issue...

I think everyone will agree, us Hethel Yellow customers are particularly affected by how this plays out (Dark Verdant & Shadow Grey customers have long since left the chat ). To that end, I still want to know what the FINAL production version of the Hethel Yellow + bonnet seal combo is going to look like.

If last week's delivery to the German car dealership is any indication of what the final production bonnet seam will look like, then I'd say that things are looking positive! In the photos below, the bonnet seam is barely any more noticeable than any other seam on the car (e.g.: trunk seams or door seams).

View attachment 8622
View attachment 8623

In this shot below, the bonnet seam doesn't even seem any wider than the ones near the windshield!

View attachment 8624

And a shot of the car's door seams and trunk seams, for comparison:

View attachment 8625

If you also look at the Belgian and Italian Hethel Yellow demo cars, you'll see the bonnet seal is no more obvious than any other seam, close up or from mid distance:

 

[ADC]

So they just increased all the other panel gaps to match then...? Nice.

 

[VL3X]

Looks like they adjusted the weather strip as much as possible. Say what you will about comms, delays, etc.. But Lotus is listening to us (forum members and feedback from roadshow tours) and making some positive changes. I imagine the next Emira models will be tweaked even better. Still happily accepting my First Edition though!!

 

[Medic518]

Alexandria, just outside DC. I'm originally from just west of the Roanoke area though, so I grew up with incredibly twisty Appalachian back roads as part of my everyday driving norm. You?

Not that you asked, but also spend good amount of time in VA - I listed Palm Beach but split time between PB and Leesburg area..

...and wait - the hood opens? Always heard it did not..

 

[Leonard]

I

Not that you asked, but also spend good amount of time in VA - I listed Palm Beach but split time between PB and Leesburg area..

...and wait - the hood opens? Always heard it did not..

It unbolts and hinges for Service access only

 

[emiraspain]

not to be -ve, that wouldnt be me at all, BUT, could it be possible they have simply removed it until needed? Could it be dealer cars dont have it, as they wont be going 180 km/h? And they cannot yet sell these cars.
Could it be Lotus final customer cars will have it... and back to square one?

I would HOPE this is not the case, but I would not put it totally out of mind and I think if I were in Germany or Holland and a customer, I would be helping others out by asking the dealers to photo it up close... or go and do so myself, if I lived close....
just saying..... worth an email ..... to put people out of their......

 

[richbrown]

If you also look at the Belgian and Italian Hethel Yellow demo cars, you'll see the bonnet seal is no more obvious than any other seam, close up or from mid distance:

View attachment 8628View attachment 8629View attachment 8630View attachment 8631View attachment 8632View attachment 8633

The nimbus grey car I sat in at the HAC confirms this also. Its a non issue in my view and certainly not a dealbreaker. Scott Walker chuckled when I said it was becoming a topic of growing concern

 

[eriegz]

not to be -ve, that wouldnt be me at all, BUT, could it be possible they have simply removed it until needed? Could it be dealer cars dont have it, as they wont be going 180 km/h? And they cannot yet sell these cars.
Could it be Lotus final customer cars will have it... and back to square one?

I would HOPE this is not the case, but I would not put it totally out of mind and I think if I were in Germany or Holland and a customer, I would be helping others out by asking the dealers to photo it up close... or go and do so myself, if I lived close....
just saying..... worth an email ..... to put people out of their......

I don't have the answer, and probably, neither does anyone on here either. The only thing I can do is just keep posting photo after photo of production vehicles as they arrive! @VL3X just posted this one which is apparently from Lotus Antwerp:

 

[TomE]

not to be -ve, that wouldnt be me at all, BUT, could it be possible they have simply removed it until needed? Could it be dealer cars dont have it, as they wont be going 180 km/h? And they cannot yet sell these cars.
Could it be Lotus final customer cars will have it... and back to square one?

I would HOPE this is not the case, but I would not put it totally out of mind and I think if I were in Germany or Holland and a customer, I would be helping others out by asking the dealers to photo it up close... or go and do so myself, if I lived close....
just saying..... worth an email ..... to put people out of their......

It's apparent from pictures of the European dealer cars that it has been fitted, just that the gap and seal are less obvious.

Pic: Frederic Koninckx

 

[TomE]

Compare those with the picture from the first post in this thread of one of the Goodwood cars, its clearly tighter:

 

[James DG]

Taken this weekend.

 

[eriegz]

It's apparent from pictures of the European dealer cars that it has been fitted, just that the gap and seal are less obvious.

View attachment 8640

Pic: Frederic Koninckx

Actually, the customer Seneca Blue car pictured above worried me initially, as I thought the seam looked quite prominent from that angle! But thankfully, from the multiple photos of multiple production cars that we're starting to see trickle out, the problem seems like it's been fixed, or at least lessened.

 

[emiraspain]

Compare those with the picture from the first post in this thread of one of the Goodwood cars, its clearly tighter:

haha..that seal is from my moms double glazing ...
so yes, looks like the seal is now angled down, which was the logical thing to do, ie push it as much into the gap as possible.
So they have worked with the manufacturer of the seal to get it as less noticeable as possible... should not have taken that long, but seems they got there in the end, although some will still want to remove it, which is also an option.

 

[Wizardwings]

Taken this weekend.
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Any more pics of Nimbus??