Members from the Carolinas

[Xroyalnavy]

I was just down in Carolina Beach last weekend and on the way I was thinking that this is a long way without cruise control in a car that’s also without a muffler. I might bring my XKR for comfort… OTOH…..hmmmm

 

[JackSlack]

Hey Jack! They're scheduled to have a demo Emira NEXT weekend (March 25th) during their grand opening event. Here's a link and although it only mentions BMW motorcycles, you can RSVP here and then call the dealer and let them know you want on the list for a 30 minute Emira drive:

https://capefeardemo.bmwmotorcyclesevents.com/?fbclid=IwAR0cMumpDg4HPAVXUKN6X92PH1OVZFDSWpKnNu1yG_j6NMNeF322VGaKmQ0

Here's their Lotus FB page:

Lotus Cape Fear | Wilmington NC

Lotus Cape Fear, Wilmington, North Carolina. 411 likes · 51 talking about this · 50 were here. Lotus Cape Fear delivers Lotus's new lineup and superior customer service to Wilmington, NC; Charleston,...

www.facebook.com

I'll be headed there from Raleigh and plan to arrive around 10am or so. My drive is set for 11am.

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Lotus or this dealer. Just a nascent aspiring Emira owner

Thanks, appreciate all the info! unfortunately I'll be in Charlotte that weekend, maybe I'll get lucky and they'll have a car too. I'm on the list at Charlotte but haven't heard about any additional FE allocations. Maybe I'm too far down their list...

 

[ttvetdoc]

Hey everyone! Allocation #1 at Lotus of Charlotte for the V6 FE just now seeing this thread and pretty new to the Emira forums! I was in the right place at the right time with Carolina Lotus Club getting wind of the new dealership prior to opening and secured my spot ASAP.

I'm located in Charlotte as well, however I have a deposit for a likely FE 2.0 in Cape Fear/Wilmington. I was initially around ~50 on the list at Charlotte (deposit June 2022), but ended up switching my deposit to Cape Fear once I realized I would likely get the car (and a FE) much sooner.

I'll be at their Grand Opening this upcoming Saturday and have a test drive scheduled for 4:30. I test drove the Emira in Charlotte in November but it was pouring rain, so I'm looking to get in the car again for a better experience. Even with the rain I really enjoyed the initial test drive.

I currently have an 2018 M2 and have the #1 allocation for the new M2. My plan was to buy the new M2, drive it for just over a year and then get into an Emira. That plan has changed now that I will likely be getting a FE 2.0. I will likely be giving up my #1 M2 allocation over the next few weeks and just keeping my existing car until the Emira arrives.

 

[K_Squared]

I'm located in Charlotte as well, however I have a deposit for a likely FE 2.0 in Cape Fear/Wilmington. I was initially around ~50 on the list at Charlotte (deposit June 2022), but ended up switching my deposit to Cape Fear once I realized I would likely get the car (and a FE) much sooner.

I'll be at their Grand Opening this upcoming Saturday and have a test drive scheduled for 4:30. I test drove the Emira in Charlotte in November but it was pouring rain, so I'm looking to get in the car again for a better experience. Even with the rain I really enjoyed the initial test drive.

I currently have an 2018 M2 and have the #1 allocation for the new M2. My plan was to buy the new M2, drive it for just over a year and then get into an Emira. That plan has changed now that I will likely be getting a FE 2.0. I will likely be giving up my #1 M2 allocation over the next few weeks and just keeping my existing car until the Emira arrives.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the Emira test drive vs. the M2. I have a 2018 340i ZHP as my daily so we're in a similar situation!

 

[ttvetdoc]

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the Emira test drive vs. the M2. I have a 2018 340i ZHP as my daily so we're in a similar situation!

I'll be happy to report back after next weekend. I've absolutely loved my M2. It's the right size, manual transmission, looks amazing in Long Beach Blue (LBB) color, and it's somewhat unique. I've owned it for just over 3 years because of these reasons. However I'm ready for a change and for an 'upgrade' and a more 'special' car. I plan to daily the Emira and I typically put about 5,000 miles p/year on my cars.

I will certainly report back. Glad to be in the same line at Cape Fear. I'm #5 for the FE 2.0, so although not guaranteed an allocation, they feel it's pretty likely they will get at least 5 more cars once the 2.0's are officially released to the US

 

[Lowtush]

I got the last test drive of the night in. Didn't get much chance to mingle, as my wife and I had other obligations to get to.

Thanks to Cape Fear Lotus for putting on a great event!

I have to say, Nimbus is a very unique color. It gave me a rose gold / bronze vibe in the sunset.

 

[ttvetdoc]

I got the last test drive of the night in. Didn't get much chance to mingle, as my wife and I had other obligations to get to.

Thanks to Cape Fear Lotus for putting on a great event!

I have to say, Nimbus is a very unique color. It gave me a rose gold / bronze vibe in the sunset.

Agreed. It was my first time seeing Nimbus Grey and I really liked it. Not a traditional grey/silver. Definitely has a warm bronze hue to it. Still leaning toward going with Seneca Blue myself.

It was fun event at Lotus Cape Fear yesterday. I was there from 3-6:30. Enjoyed talking with Shane and the Lotus rep Tom. Testing driving the Emira also confirmed my choice in the Touring suspension (which that car had).

 

[K_Squared]

Agreed. It was my first time seeing Nimbus Grey and I really liked it. Not a traditional grey/silver. Definitely has a warm bronze hue to it. Still leaning toward going with Seneca Blue myself.

It was fun event at Lotus Cape Fear yesterday. I was there from 3-6:30. Enjoyed talking with Shane and the Lotus rep Tom. Testing driving the Emira also confirmed my choice in the Touring suspension (which that car had).

We must have just missed you as we hit the road back to Raleigh around 3ish. I did see a blue southbound blue M2 shortly after we hit I-40 northbound but it might have been someone else if you were there by 3.

I did like the Nimbus but I'm also struggling between that or possibly Seneca Blue or Magma Red. I'm fairly certain about all the options at this point except I'm still conflicted about the color. I like how the Nimbus is a bit more 'subdued' given how flashy the car already is but I'd really like to see the blue/red in person before having to make a final decision. In some pics and videos I love them both and in others I find myself thinking the blue has a bit of a 'plastic-esque' look to it and the Magma sometimes seems a bit too flat. If the blue had a more deep, metallic look and the red was a deeper, metallic cherry red I'd probably go for either one of those. Tough decisions!

 

[ttvetdoc]

We must have just missed you as we hit the road back to Raleigh around 3ish. I did see a blue southbound blue M2 shortly after we hit I-40 northbound but it might have been someone else if you were there by 3.

I did like the Nimbus but I'm also struggling between that or possibly Seneca Blue or Magma Red. I'm fairly certain about all the options at this point except I'm still conflicted about the color. I like how the Nimbus is a bit more 'subdued' given how flashy the car already is but I'd really like to see the blue/red in person before having to make a final decision. In some pics and videos I love them both and in others I find myself thinking the blue has a bit of a 'plastic-esque' look to it and the Magma sometimes seems a bit too flat. If the blue had a more deep, metallic look and the red was a deeper, metallic cherry red I'd probably go for either one of those. Tough decisions!

We actually flew in to the Wilmington airport and had an airport courtesy car (white minivan!), so it definitely wasn't us unfortunately.

I completely agree with all your comments on color! I am actually struggling with those exact same issues. The new C8 Corvette has a 'Rapid Blue' which looks similar to the Seneca. I definitely don't want to be mistaken for a Corvette! I've seen photos of the Magma Red with the black roof and it looks really nice, but I agree that it's a 'different' red and at times looks a little too dark in dim light. I really liked the Nimbus and it would definitely be more understated than the Seneca or Magma, however I really didn't want a 'silver' car, however as we just mentioned it definitely isn't traditional silver. I really wish I could see Seneca and/or Magma in person but that's not going to happen at this point. From the get-go I was always Seneca Blue but I've been wavering on that decision recently. The Lotus rep Tom said that he expects the additional 2.0 FE allocations to be released in about 1 month, which is when we'll have to lock in our orders. So another 1 month of torture and going back and forth!

 

[JackSlack]

Has anyone heard about plans for a Lotus dealership in Raleigh? Very few details on their site.

 

[981KMAN]

Wow, seems like Raleigh is getting a Lotus Dealer!

I wish we would get one in Greenville, SC!

Edit: Just took a quick look at the "Location" from Forum members..... Seems like I maybe the only one from South Carolina??
Talk about exclusive - if Lotus ever sell the Emira in North America!

 

[K_Squared]

Has anyone heard about plans for a Lotus dealership in Raleigh? Very few details on their site.

Hey Jack,

I spoke with Shane who owns runs the new Lotus Cape Fear dealership in Wilmington, NC and asked about this earlier this month. They have plans to bring a dealership to Raleigh but if it does happen, it likely won't be until late 2025/early 2026. Hopefully we'll all have our Emiras long before then and will be enjoying them without too much trouble.

The drive down to Wilmington from Raleigh is pretty easy but I for one hope not to make many trips down there for troubleshooting purposes.

 

[Lowtush]

Shane is the GM of Lotus Cape Fear. He's a very nice guy.

There was another gentleman who I briefly met at their grand opening event, AJ, who is an owner.

 

[K_Squared]

Shane is the GM of Lotus Cape Fear. He's a very nice guy.

There was another gentleman who I briefly met at their grand opening event, AJ, who is an owner.

Thanks for the correction, I edited my previous post

 

[Cwolf]

Hey Jack,

I spoke with Shane who owns runs the new Lotus Cape Fear dealership in Wilmington, NC and asked about this earlier this month. They have plans to bring a dealership to Raleigh but if it does happen, it likely won't be until late 2025/early 2026. Hopefully we'll all have our Emiras long before then and will be enjoying them without too much trouble.

The drive down to Wilmington from Raleigh is pretty easy but I for one hope not to make many trips down there for troubleshooting purposes.

Great to get one in Raleigh. I live in Cary and am #4 on the list in the State for an FE. Supposed to get the car by Halloween but not holding my breath. Ordered via Flow Lotus. Would be nice to have a local dealer for service.

 

[K_Squared]

Man if you get one that early I'd love to come by and just drool at it until mine arrives (Dec/Jan ETA)

 

[JackSlack]

I placed an order for an i4 through Charlotte a couple weeks ago after being on the waitlist since Dec 2022. Supposedly I have a Jan production date, maybe March/April delivery, but who knows really. For maintenance and any 'unforeseen issues', it's a shorter drive (or flatbed trip!) to Flow in WS than Cape Fear in Wilmington.

 

[Cwolf]

Man if you get one that early I'd love to come by and just drool at it until mine arrives (Dec/Jan ETA)

You know Lotus. This is my fourth delivery date. I'll believe it when it's parked in front of me.

 

[Lowtush]

I'm #6 (I think... Been a while since I checked) at Cape Fear. Actually spent 8 hours on my day off yesterday cleaning and organizing my garage in 90 degree / 180% (estimated) humidity thinking about now nice the Emira will look in there this fall/winter/next spring.

 

[Porter]

I wish we would get one in Greenville, SC!

Edit: Just took a quick look at the "Location" from Forum members..... Seems like I maybe the only one from South Carolina??
Talk about exclusive - if Lotus ever sell the Emira in North America!

I love Greenville! I went to Furman and lived in Greenville for several years afterward.