I'm out - the cancellations thread

[MPD]

I wondered the same, so still waiting for an reply from the dealer. I was thinking a possible 2-3 year wait period for a base may improve the quality, given also that it'll have less content so less gremlins.

I'm assuming I will not have to forfeit my deposit at all. However, if required to take the FE, but once quality issues come up I guess I would have to sell.

No win-win situation here. I really love the car but no news from Lotus is not good news to me. I see it as things not going well, so they'd rather not say.

Hopefully they would let you shift your deposit as they would be able to sell the car no problem. That would be a win win for you. But, we know some dealers will not allow that as easy $$. Agree more 'kinks' would be worked out but you will be paying a higher price for base and waiting another 2 years.

Well it has been one full day for the US Lotus rep in the UK but wouldn't expect news this soon. Let's hope by end of week we have some positive news about FE dates as well as base

 

[Lolub]

Wow, you all have made some excellent points and made me rethink my position. Not sure if I want to gamble it anymore. Told the dealer I'm staying put with FE for now and that I want to hear about at least one or more USA deliveries and experience before making up my mind.

I hadn't considered giving up a color interior (tan) like @Lotus64 said, given as a likely expensive option. That'd be kind of a deal breaker for me. I'm definitely tired of always black interiors (except for blue with current S2K). Need colors to spice things up!

 

[Porter]

I decided I am out as well I am looking for a different Dealer to order one though closest to WA State
The dealer here although very nice people wants 5K witch I already gave and then a 10K non Refundable deposit when my allocation is ready to build so i am looking for a dealer that will do just the 2500 deposit i really don't care too much about waiting I have a F -150 A new Badlands Bronco and a Jaguar F -type to hold me over

Don't just cancel. Work with Lotus USA to try to move your order to another dealer, and tell them why.

 

[simonb]

It's a gamble as by the time the base hits the market I suspect you'll be paying pretty close to FE price with only a few essential options.

this keeps me in the FE pile, inflation already makes £60K at launch £68K. Appreciate a desire to peg to porsche prices, but with a waiting list would be surprised to see many with a £60K sticker new

 

[kitkat]

Don't just cancel. Work with Lotus USA to try to move your order to another dealer, and tell them why.

I wouldn’t trust Lotus USA or otherwise to be able to do that. That seems outrageously impossible for them to do at this point given their existing capabilities.

 

[TomE]

There are restrictions on Lotus Cars USA telling dealers who they allocate which slots to. So it’s unlikely they’d be able to help with moving a deposit between dealers.

 

[Porter]

I wouldn’t trust Lotus USA or otherwise to be able to do that. That seems outrageously impossible for them to do at this point given their existing capabilities.

Oh I don't think it will succeed. But without the staff at Lotus USA receiving the request and understanding how some customers are being abused by dealers, they won't ever know that there's something actionable that needs to be addressed. If all they hear is radio silence, they assume that everything is great.

 

[Porter]

There are restrictions on Lotus Cars USA telling dealers who they allocate which slots to. So it’s unlikely they’d be able to help with moving a deposit between dealers.

Yep I understand that this won't likely work. But they do need to understand that there's a customer need attached to that kind of scenario, and they need to work it into their thinking and their planning for the future. I simply don't have any confidence that they are doing that strategic work today, and it's likely that they don't even perceive that any issue exists. Without raising issues like this to them, they never will.

 

[CarGuy07]

Welps, it’s been fun boys and girls, but I am out. After going back and forth for the past month or so, I decided I don’t want to have the deposit sit with dealer for a car I wasn’t that impressed by. Coupled with high probability of issues with quality, parts, customer service, etc., I simply don’t want to put up with it. The delays and crappy comms took a lot of the excitement away. For $110K+, the experience hasn’t lived up to the price. For all those reasons, I’m out. I messages dealer this morning to start process of refunding the deposit. I’ll still be lurking around. Best of luck to those that are still in!

 

[Mctaff]

Me too. With a heavy heart after the first 6 months of real excitement, and driven by an underwhelming test drive, with the nail in the coffin being Lotus approach to customers in general, and lack of parts to fix delivered customer cars... I'm really out this time, and have emailed to cancel.

I sincerely hope that those who take delivery of their cars find it everything they wanted it to be, and that Lotus are working to iron out their current issues, and to give more focus to their customers and building a trusted relationship.

I'm quite sad about the whole affair really...


so hopefully someone on here with a UK late 23 delivery, DV, alcantara, no BP, privacy glass spec will be getting a call about a delivery next month! Enjoy....

 

[Beady]

Me too. With a heavy heart after the first 6 months of real excitement, and driven by an underwhelming test drive, with the nail in the coffin being Lotus approach to customers in general, and lack of parts to fix delivered customer cars... I'm really out this time, and have emailed to cancel.

I sincerely hope that those who take delivery of their cars find it everything they wanted it to be, and that Lotus are working to iron out their current issues, and to give more focus to their customers and building a trusted relationship.

I'm quite sad about the whole affair really...


so hopefully someone on here with a UK late 23 delivery, DV, alcantara, no BP, privacy glass spec will be getting a call about a delivery next month! Enjoy....

shame really i am feeling in the same boat. I have 2nd test in a Sports suspension car on Friday and trying to arrange a back to back test in a Maclaren 570 as a (not really fair but similar cost) comparable.

 

[Mctaff]

dangerous back to back comparison - I did it with a new shape (similarly priced ) Vantage and that pretty much did it for me.

in retrospect I've realised I'm more GT than sports car...

 

[Beady]

dangerous back to back comparison - I did it with a new shape (similarly priced ) Vantage and that pretty much did it for me.

in retrospect I've realised I'm more GT than sports car...

yep...but need to be sure. I plan to then try a vantage, 991 and poss 992 in the next week or 2, before i get 'the call' from Lotus

 

[Lotus64]

in retrospect I've realised I'm more GT than sports car...

Appreciate the honesty. My observation is that a large percentage of posters appear to be in this camp and wouldn't benefit from the Emira's sporting focus (i.e. steering feel / mid engine balance / dampening).

Due to the Emira's amazing looks and reasonable pricing, seems it attracted a lot of buyers not necessarily interested in a sporting focus over grand touring.

 

[Tonyshepp]

dangerous back to back comparison - I did it with a new shape (similarly priced ) Vantage and that pretty much did it for me.

in retrospect I've realised I'm more GT than sports car...

Snap, I've realised I'm more of a GT man - but boy those Emira looks. I will come back to a Lotus in a few years when hopefully my worries about after care have been addressed. I'm still keeping my private plate for the lotus on retention for now.

 

[Ceejay]

I’ve been pretty much feeling the same as you. The test drive in December was a bit underwhelming performance wise, the test route was really good, no complaints there and I was allowed to use the full rpm band. When I signed up at goodwood in July 21 I was hoping for a 1400kg car to make the 400bhp work. The published weight is 1493kg, as soon as I saw that I’ve had my doubts about the performance of the car. After a great deal of thought I’d decided I could live with the car given it has a lot of positives and maybe make it into the car I wanted with some engine upgrades and exhaust. But my main concern is customer service both short term and long term, my experience to date isn’t great, probably topped off by the going to the back of the queue if I changed from V6FE to I4FE, mine is due in March 23. A bit miffed I decided to look at test driving alternatives and today I’ve put a deposit on a 992 GTS manual due sometime in 24. Ironically I’m not a Porsche buyer I’m a TVR guy (my son has an Elise S which I love), love British cars but lotus has pushed me away from the brand. I may take the emira and run it for a few months or possibly cancel, it all depends on the customer experience over the next few months.

 

[Beady]

Appreciate the honesty. My observation is that a large percentage of posters appear to be in this camp and wouldn't benefit from the Emira's sporting focus (i.e. steering feel / mid engine balance / dampening).

Due to the Emira's amazing looks and reasonable pricing, seems it attracted a lot of buyers not necessarily interested in a sporting focus over grand touring.

quite the opposite in fact - I think many are dissappointed it is not sporty enough and has been deliberately softened for mass market appeal

 

[Lotus64]

quite the opposite in fact - I think many are dissappointed it is not sporty enough and has been deliberately softened for mass market appeal

I don't agree. Many have said it they want more power, which is fine. But as far as saying the Emira sport chassis is soft, that's not really a logical opinion, as the the Emira sport / touring chasis overlap in stiffness with the Evora lineup (NA Evora, S, GT, etc.), not the Elise/exige lineup. It's barely gained any weight from the Evora as well.

 

[Ceejay]

I don't agree. Many have said it they want more power, which is fine. But as far as saying the Emira sport chassis is soft, that's not really a logical opinion, as the the Emira sport / touring chasis overlap in stiffness with the Evora lineup (NA Evora, S, GT, etc.), not the Elise/exige lineup. It's barely gained any weight from the Evora as well.

There’s a lot to like about the chassis but the car lacks that bit of theatre I’m looking for in a long term car. Power is lower than the later evoras and weight is up, neither helps.

 

[Lotus64]

There’s a lot to like about the chassis but the car lacks that bit of theatre I’m looking for in a long term car. Power is lower than the later evoras and weight is up, neither helps.

Look, I'm being objective. It's non sensical to say an Emira sport chassis is soft compared to a naturally aspirated Evora, regardless of how much theatre one subjectively wants.