Manual vs Auto orders. U.K.

AndySXV · Feb 25, 2023

Hi all. I was on the forum, but cancelled last year and returned as I how placed another order, so apologies if this has been covered/asked already.

Does anyone know how many Auto V6 Emira have been ordered for the U.K. market?

action_turtle · Feb 25, 2023

No one seems to know. I have an order, and a few others here, so at least 5 lol. Someone said 10% of orders were for autos… I do not know where they got that number from, though.

AndySXV · Feb 25, 2023

action_turtle said:
No one seems to know. I have an order, and a few others here, so at least 5 lol. Someone said 10% of orders were for autos… I do not know where they got that number from, though.

I am being selfish and hope it’s not a lot just so I don’t have to wait too long! The actual number of U.K. orders seems a bit vague too, so 10% of what?

although I cancelled my last order it looks like either way I will get a car this year, I’ve gone from the front of the queue to the back of hopefully a short queue. Keep those cancellations coming

JohnHoward · Feb 25, 2023

I dont think anyone knows the actual numbers, but the 10 -15% of whatever the total is (auto v manual) has been quoted a number of times. I seem to remember that the 10-15% was quoted from an official Lotus source, but not absolutely certain on this. Not sure if this is worldwide or not so may be possibly skewed by greater auto demand in some territories.

Auto production should have started last year, but has been delayed until Feb/Mar this year. Autos are being produced in unknown numbers in both LHD and RHD as confirmed by a forum member on a factory tour recently. There is still no type UK Type Approval for UK V6 autos. Hopefully they have this in hand, but the early buyers (me included) will be penalised with more expensive insurance as it takes a while for a car with newly granted Type Approval to filter through all of the insurers databases.
Manual quotes are now cheaper with some insurers than they were just after manual approval was granted last autumn.

The auto deliveries due in March were pre reveal/pre Goodwood and the very start of Goodwood (all 2021), the second batch (mine) are due in April and seem to consist of first day of Goodwood, possibly some 2nd day?

There may, of course be some cancellations, but that will be the same lottery as the manual cars.

I would expect that Lotus will be pretty keen to gets some cars to the US ASAP, so I think any new orders for UK autos will be at the back of a long and slow moving queue (with the exception of getting a cancelled order).

As I have mentioned elsewhere, Type Approval could very easily slow everything down (for the UK at least). Lotus can't sell the cars without it (in the UK).

action_turtle · Feb 25, 2023

AndySXV said:
I am being selfish and hope it’s not a lot just so I don’t have to wait too long! The actual number of U.K. orders seems a bit vague too, so 10% of what? although I cancelled my last order it looks like either way I will get a car this year, I’ve gone from the front of the queue to the back of hopefully a short queue. Keep those cancellations coming

I rang up, again, Friday. Lady said that any cancellations go to the front of the line. No jumping.

Personally, after a few chats with customer service, I’m convinced they will store as many cars as they can so they sell them after the price increase cut off. They seem very reluctant to say I have a chance to get my car earlier than the cut off date, yet they say they are getting a lot of cancellations. One guy even told me that my slot will definitely not be brought forward out of the pay increase window. Either each rep has a different script, or they just make it up day to day. Time will tell, but I won’t be surprised if my delivery comes a week after signing the finance as I’ll have someone’s cancelled car.