UK Reasons?

[GAVLA]

@GAVLA they shouldn’t be, I was assured by the MD they were going into production next month

I wasn't aware. It still remains to be seen whether it actually happens. My local dealer has no idea when they're getting an auto in to demo to customers and they are a brand new main Lotus dealer for the whole of Sussex. If Lotus had just kept customers and dealers better informed then we wouldn't all be utterly confused right now

 

[CDM1855]

I wasn't aware. It still remains to be seen whether it actually happens. My local dealer has no idea when they're getting an auto in to demo to customers and they are a brand new main Lotus dealer for the whole of Sussex. If Lotus had just kept customers and dealers better informed then we wouldn't all be utterly confused right now

some demo cars will arrive next month

 

[Porter]

My 2c -

-Way too high expectations for a niche brand/minuscule manufacturer.

-Instant satisfaction MO

-Blown out of proportion initial issues. All reported ones are real, but excessive reaction.

Fully agree with your points 1 and 3. Point 2 is maybe a little unfair.

I think part of #1 that is unique or specific to UK buyers is the local "home market" context and the expectation of high or preferential service as a result. The same expectations wouldn't likely apply to a small volume US or Japanese manufacturer.

I think it's an uncomfortable reality that Lotus is making a UK engineered product with UK labor and UK middle management, but the company is now owned and run by Geely, so their cultural perspective and priorities will dominate. I can't conceive of a world where any Chinese-owned company would choose to cater preferentially to the English market, no matter where the product is built.


The villains in this story aren't the Chinese, but rather the US (and UK) investment bankers and ruthless corporate accountants who decided in the 1990s that market ethics were standing in the way of marginal profit increases, and so they collectively re-engineered the world's finished goods supply chain. They did so to move the centers of manufacturing and production to anywhere in the world they could find that had the lowest protections for human rights, and therefore the lowest marginal production cost after factoring in regulatory burden. 8 times out of 10 that was China. So they exported all the Western wealth that would normally be cyclically reinvested in-market by a thriving manufacturing-labor-anchored middle class, and instead that middle class grew from non-existence to world dominating critical mass on the other side of the globe, in a brutal, dictatorial communist oligarchy that shares absolutely none of our social, cultural, or civic values.

And now they're buying our finest brands and telling us all to wait our turn. Stings a bit, doesn't it?

But hey, some key stockholders in consumer goods companies made some great money for themselves in 2004, or whatever. So I'm sure that balances out the lived experience of everyone else in Western societies. Just ask an investment banker or one of the wacky economists the Tories keep as pets, they'll tell you it's a net good because they have a chart where a line went up.


/end rant

 

[Cachaco131]

Fully agree with your points 1 and 3. Point 2 is maybe a little unfair.

I think part of #1 that is unique or specific to UK buyers is the local "home market" context and the expectation of high or preferential service as a result. The same expectations wouldn't likely apply to a small volume US or Japanese manufacturer.

I think it's an uncomfortable reality that Lotus is making a UK engineered product with UK labor and UK middle management, but the company is now owned and run by Geely, so their cultural perspective and priorities will dominate. I can't conceive of a world where any Chinese-owned company would choose to cater preferentially to the English market, no matter where the product is built.


The villains in this story aren't the Chinese, but rather the US (and UK) investment bankers and ruthless corporate accountants who decided in the 1990s that market ethics were standing in the way of marginal profit increases, and so they collectively re-engineered the world's finished goods supply chain. They did so to move the centers of manufacturing and production to anywhere in the world they could find that had the lowest protections for human rights, and therefore the lowest marginal production cost after factoring in regulatory burden. 8 times out of 10 that was China. So they exported all the Western wealth that would normally be cyclically reinvested in-market by a thriving manufacturing-labor-anchored middle class, and instead that middle class grew from non-existence to world dominating critical mass on the other side of the globe, in a brutal, dictatorial communist oligarchy that shares absolutely none of our social, cultural, or civic values.

And now they're buying our finest brands and telling us all to wait our turn. Stings a bit, doesn't it?

But hey, some key stockholders in consumer goods companies made some great money for themselves in 2004, or whatever. So I'm sure that balances out the lived experience of everyone else in Western societies. Just ask an investment banker or one of the wacky economists the Tories keep as pets, they'll tell you it's a net good because they have a chart where a line went up.


/end rant

Interestingly, near shoring is the new trend. Let's see how it plays out for corporates when margins drop significantly.

 

[Porter]

Interestingly, near shoring is the new trend. Let's see how it plays out for corporates when margins drop significantly.

Western business leaders finally got uncomfortable when they started being the junior party in contract negotiations. Lack of any useful leverage makes everything a little more clear to folks in situations where they need good proverbial veg and milk, but their predecessors literally sold the farm.

 

[Wake]

I haven’t officially cancelled yet, but will be doing so this week. It’s mostly because:

1) Poor comms and poor overall experience.

2) Realisation that it’s probably not what I want anymore. To start with I wanted a car that could be used everyday. Because Lotus kept promising dates they knew they could never deliver on I ended up buying another car to use as a daily and I quite like it so don’t see the point in getting out of it. Because of that I don’t need something quite as “sensible” and can just have it as a full on weekend car, which I think for the cost of the Emira vs what is out there (albeit secondhand) makes it seem less appealing.


In some ways I owe Lotus a thank you, as their incompetence in reason 1, lead to the purchase of another car in reason 2 and the realignment of what I want.

I’m sure it will be an awesome car, and I’m sure the first time I see a Hethel Yellow one zipping about I will feel a twang of regret that I could have had one. But ultimately I can also come back to an Emira, they are at the start of their production life. I might not be able to justify something more hardcore/extreme in the future!

What’s not changed is that I do want something British. So McLaren, Morgan, Caterham, even a different Lotus (Exige) is still very much on the cards.

 

[lion shf]

I'd say in no particular order:

- crappy Lotus customer experience taking shine off of the car (add in excessive wait times here.

- change of circumstances. Cost of living/investments etc etc was at a high (good high) when Emira was launched.

- reported faults on early cars and a mixed message from Lotus about fixes and/or dealing with the issue in a timely manner.

- not as expected after test drive/looked at other brands models and gone with a different car.

Think that's about it isn't it?

also Walk street is SLAUGHTERING me

 

[Mctaff]

A poll might be useful?

1. Underwhelming test drive
2. Appalling comms and the underlying we don’t give a shit about you as a customer message
3. Concerns driven by 2 re post delivery support, parts and servicing

 

[Cachaco131]

A poll might be useful?

1. Underwhelming test drive
2. Appalling comms and the underlying we don’t give a shit about you as a customer message
3. Concerns driven by 2 re post delivery support, parts and servicing

An unbiased / well designed poll would be a good start.

 

[Vanman1936]

are you manual or auto - do we know of anyone who has test driven auto yet?

Manual

 

[Boombang]

A poll might be useful?

1. Underwhelming test drive
2. Appalling comms and the underlying we don’t give a shit about you as a customer message
3. Concerns driven by 2 re post delivery support, parts and servicing

4. The seats.

 

[Mctaff]

#fortheseats!

 

[action_turtle]

Me neither, the auto is a good way off I reckon.

I spoke to Lotus on Friday for more info, Autos are being started in June. And it sounds like a hard date too, so you will be paying the increase, even if they move your build date forward they will have you sign June 1st. I would not be shocked if some of us on the Auto list get the car a week or two after signing for it. Lots of manual cancellations, but all that will do is move other manual builds into the line.

 

[action_turtle]

@GAVLA they shouldn’t be, I was assured by the MD they were going into production next month

Interesting. Had a phone call and they told me a hard June start date on the Autos... They won't be pulling it forward unless an insane number of cancellations happened. They had 'lots' of manual cancellations, his lots and mine probably differ greatly

 

[CDM1855]

Interesting. Had a phone call and they told me a hard June start date on the Autos... They won't be pulling it forward unless an insane number of cancellations happened. They had 'lots' of manual cancellations, his lots and mine probably differ greatly

I was told March and CS confirmed March to me last week. Who said June

 

[action_turtle]

I was told March and CS confirmed March to me last week. Who said June

Didn't catch his name, but rang lotus UK on Friday afternoon, via the number on our emails, and he said autos will start in June. Mine should be started in June, July delivery. I rang to see if i could get a more firm date as my current car has to go back soon, and I cannot be without a car, so really cannot have this pushed back again. I should be driving it already.

The way he was putting it made it out to be a June start no matter what. Manual cancellations will just move other manual dates around. Unless they have a lot of cancellations, auto start dates are not changing. So he's wrong? Good if true. Im sure im thousands in line, so I want it to start sooner rather than later!

 

[JohnHoward]

Interesting. Had a phone call and they told me a hard June start date on the Autos... They won't be pulling it forward unless an insane number of cancellations happened. They had 'lots' of manual cancellations, his lots and mine probably differ greatly

That doesn't stack up with a post from someone who collected their car last week and saw lots of V6 Auto FE LHD and RHD cars on the production line when they did their factory tour. I think CS can be hopelessly misinformed or just make things up sometimes it seems. I will e.mail them to ask what is going on.

 

[CDM1855]

that’s very surprising and I hope that is wrong, it contradicts what I was told

 

[JohnHoward]

that’s very surprising and I hope that is wrong, it contradicts what I was told

e.mail sent to CS will post the answer

 

[Pugwash]

That doesn't stack up with a post from someone who collected their car last week and saw lots of V6 Auto FE LHD and RHD cars on the production line when they did their factory tour. I think CS can be hopelessly misinformed or just make things up sometimes it seems. I will e.mail them to ask what is going on.

If that’s me you are referring to I did see autos in LHD and RHD. Wouldn’t say it was lots however. The ones I saw were at the end of the line before they go into the testing chamber and looked like complete cars.