You may be right about abandoning the part-match. I had a test drive two weeks ago, told them what spec I wanted, and was offered two pre-built cars close to my ideal spec. I opted for one of them and am picking it up next week. I have never been on the waiting list.People in the UK have been able to access these cancelled orders via dealers for several months.
Lotus seem to have abandoned trying to part-match to existing deposit holders and offer to them first. Seems odd not to let them know. I have a deposit for a Q2 build and they haven’t contacted me.