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I've been taking deep breaths and trying to remain patient for months. Now the new configurator comes along and drops a bomb in my serenity. This car looks sooo good, and the new night views are wonderful. I want my car. Now.

The promotions are usually from one of the companies in Montana which facilitate the process. They are happy to do it since they break no Montana laws. You would be ok as long as the vehicle lives in Montana. As soon as the vehicle ‘visits’ your state of residence, you run afoul of your...

It's easy to do. Montana has built a cottage industry doing this. Perfectly legal to do per Montana laws. May be a crime in your state. Do your homework on North Carolina laws, then make your choice based on your personal risk tolerance.

Thanks! I’m going to trust that you got it right! If I read the regs I’ll just start missing the ‘60s again. 😢

Definitely a point to ponder! So a question for you, since you're in the know....if the fleet average doesn't hit the required target, is that a 'no-approval' situation, or a monetary fine, or a limited approval until they can meet the average?

It wouldn't be the first time they did it. The Evora 400 was built, shipped and some arrived at dealers before certification. They could not be sold until they were certified, then the stickers were sent to the dealers and applied on site! It's a gamble but cars could be sold instantly after...

I know absolutely nothing about DCT programming, but perhaps when it detects a spin/rear wheel lockup it shifts to neutral to protect the drivetrain. Or maybe it's like when you stop a DCT. It engages the clutch until you give it throttle then it releases. So, when he spun to a stop the...

I got the impression from my dealer that they would be released in smaller batches so September builds might be in the US by November. It may not matter if the certification process isn't complete, since all the batches will be stuck in port. I don't expect to see my November build until Jan/Feb.

I believe your “number” on the list is becoming a lot more confusing with the 2.0 allocations. The 2.0 V6 allocations have been taken pretty quickly in list order, depending on how straightforward your dealer is. The i4s are a harder sell and the dealers are having to dive much further into...

My dealer is locking in the 2.0 as we speak. I think you should have been contacted by now.

That's good news! I assume the production schedule time fence is very close now for the NA cars, and parts are on order or being built already. If that's the case then they'll have to make a reschedule decision very soon.

I thought ADM was only $6k. If it’s $15-20k then that’s a different animal.

Your crystal ball is better than mine. I’d take delivery and enjoy the car, but I’m getting old so I don’t dare wait any longer than I have already! Lol

Even with the $6k ADM, the FE1.0 is still going to be the best buy you’ll get on a new Emira. With today’s inflation where else will you get a locked in price from 2021?

My personal experience is that they have very little grip for spirited driving until the air temps are approaching 50 degrees. Try to track out under hard throttle at 45 degrees or under and you'll see instantly what I mean. For the last 20 years I've switched to performance all seasons from...

Even if they don't crack they will be hard as bricks, with about as much traction, until they get a lot closer to 50 degrees!

We did that in March and its an easy trip. Regular direct trains run from London (Liverpoool St. Station) to Norwich. Then grab a cab in Norwich for a short ride to Hethel.

I’ve been thinking more about this for a few days. And possibly, just possibly, Lotus is making some sense. Some years ago my company was preparing to launch a new product and it was decided that the launch would be the most important priority for the company. So, we redeployed people, did...

Where the cuts occur will be very telling. If they occur in manufacturing, then it will be very concerning as the only way to increase sales is to actually produce more vehicles. If, they occur in engineering and development, then it may be a sign that those functions are going to China or...

I guess 99% of all vehicles are easy refreshes then. Can't name many vehicles that aren't derivatives/upgrades/modifications of previous models. Who would have thought car design, engineering and manufacturing was so simple... :rolleyes:

Wow. If you believe a new body, chassis, interior and suspension (plus all the other items you choose to overlook ) are small, then what in your mind are big changes?

Regardless of the mechanism underlying the shift, if I put the transmission in "Drive" and the vehicle shifts itself, it is the very definition of an automatic. If I'm using the paddles and the computer puts the transmission in the correct gear, it is an automatic. Yes, they are faster than...

I see a lot of orders switching from I4 to V6. Nothing inspiring about that sound.

I'm agreeing with you, it's definitely there. Announcer notes were clearly wrong!

Hmmmm....I see what you're saying. When I watched the stream, though, the commentators clearly were talking about it being the new I4. Confusing for sure.

Granted there is more work since it doesn't come as a unit. However, the Toyota block is completely stock. There is no engine work done except bolting on the supercharger. The manual transmission is where the additional work is done - replacing gears, milling the bellhousing and polishing the...

If it's like during my tour, they will very politely dance around any questions regarding NA production.

I agree with this completely. Another US issue that I'm concerned about is parts supply. If there are failing components, will the US have an on-hand supply of those components? If we have to wait for shipments from the UK it'll make the service times even more painful. At this stage...

It really depends on the how the station is set up. When I was there, there were multiple people at each station. It's entirely possible that a quality check is performed within the workstation. And, as I watched the chassis/roof assembly, they were doing what you described. They pointed...

I wonder which station(s) is their bottleneck? They are only 5 mins off their goal so probably aren't ready to invest/reorganize for the parallel station approach just yet. Might actually be better to not push that workforce to their limit until all the gremlins are worked out! I wish I could...

I can see it now. "English cottage-industry car company has some problems with some of its cars. No cars in US affected. Story at 11."

OK - I see what you're saying. And you're correct, the Toyota lines move very quickly. There are many more stations in huge plants, each performing much smaller units of work. I read an article a few years ago that one of their car-every-60-seconds lines was actually limited by a single...

The stations are balanced so that the work performed at each station takes about the same time. Each station moves it's completed work forward to the next station at the same time. Every 23 minutes the stations move forward and a completed car leaves the line. There are a number of reasons...

They had that station when I was there in March. I think it started early this year.

Yep, you'd think that since it happens every year people would just adjust and move on. Instead, they act like it's the first time they've ever encountered slick streets. Then they go so slow and timidly that their cars don't have enough momentum to get over the slick stuff and they get...