Diaries of the first Lotus Emira picked up from Hethel - V6 FE - yellow / ice / silver / sport

[shaank]

Well Friday 11th November, 2022, was a special day! I got to pickup UK customer car number 8, and the 1st ever Hethel factory collection of an Emira. Massive thanks to Scott Walker and Matt Windle, absolute pleasure meeting you both and for the handover, tour of the factory and all the chat! Kai from Lotus took a whole stack of professional pictures, and there will be a subsequent formal press release I believe, however here's a few phone snaps of the morning

I'll do a full write up re my experience over this weekend from start to finish, the collection, and most importantly, the car very soon! To summarise though - F'ing brilliant.

WARNING - LOTS OF PICS. SOME WITH ME LOOKING STUPIDLY OVER EXCITED

EDIT 13/11 - added instagram links:
www.instagram.com/shaank247 is my main account
www.instagram.com/yellowemira I made for the car and I'll try to use it more often

EDIT 14/11 - updated my collection day 'review' on Post number 65 (page 4).

EDIT 15/11 - Lotus PR team pics - a few samples of these uploaded on Post number 80 (page 4) and pre run in miles opinion of the car on Post number 81 (page 5)

EDIT 22/11 - Full detail carried out - video / details - Post number 97 (Page 5)

EDIT 14/12 - Video walkaround and exhaust noise - Post 133 (Page 7)

EDIT 03/01 - a LOT of photoshoot uploads added - Post 155 (Page 8)

And after 500 miles of driving, finally home....

 

[NicolasB]

At least someone is getting good treatment. Congrats and enjoy.

 

[Wake]

I love it! Car looks fantastic! How are you finding it?

Is that the ice grey leather interior? I think I spec’d the same with my Hethel Yellow!

 

[TomE]

Looks fantastic and very pleased for you. Tell us more about what's involved with the Hethel collection experience. How many other handovers did they do on the same day?

A shame Lotus still hasn't (as far as I'm aware) delivered a UK car to anyone with a pre-reveal deposit.

 

[jimbobc]

Looks fabulous! Glad you enjoyed it

 

[richbrown]

Congratulations looks like an awesome experience !

 

[Logoman]

Perfect spec.
Wishing I'd chosen that light leather interior too. I wasn't sure it would work in a yellow car but it's great 👍

 

[Lotus64]

Love your energy. Congratulations!

 

[Emira]

Congrats, that's exactly my spec too aside from the caliper colour!

 

[Magma]

Congrats! Gorgeous spec!

 

[lion shf]

LOOK AT THAT SMILE! Don’t know bout the rest of you but I love this cat.

 

[Lots_Of_Trouble]

Looks fantastic and very pleased for you. Tell us more about what's involved with the Hethel collection experience. How many other handovers did they do on the same day?

A shame Lotus still hasn't (as far as I'm aware) delivered a UK car to anyone with a pre-reveal deposit.

Do you think this is anything to do with the wheel choice,Tom?

Might just be me,but I've seen a few with the plain silver wheels delivered now.
I've opted for the black alloys and wondered if that was low in stock etc and reason for a pushback?

 

[VL3X]

Congrats! I saw Matt posted your pic together too. So exciting!

Nice to see the Lotus marking in the door sill carpet. Nice touch. 👌🏽

 

[eriegz]

Well Friday 11th November, 2022, was a special day! I got to pickup UK customer car number 8, and the 1st ever Hethel factory collection of an Emira. Massive thanks to Scott Walker and Matt Windle, absolute pleasure meeting you both and for the handover, tour of the factory and all the chat! Kai from Lotus took a whole stack of professional pictures, and there will be a subsequent formal press release I believe, however here's a few phone snaps of the morning

I'll do a full write up re my experience over this weekend from start to finish, the collection, and most importantly, the car very soon! To summarise though - F'ing brilliant.

WARNING - LOTS OF PICS. SOME WITH ME LOOKING STUPIDLY OVER EXCITED

And after 500 miles of driving, finally home....

Oh hells yes! I think you're the first non-black pack customer to take delivery on this forum too! Thanks for sharing all these pictures with us; the car looks amazing. 💛👌😎

 

[Tonyshepp]

A shame Lotus still hasn't (as far as I'm aware) delivered a UK car to anyone with a pre-reveal deposit.

Do I detect some bitterness still lingers Tom?

 

[TomE]

Do I detect some bitterness still lingers Tom?

Yes "some"

 

[TomE]

Do you think this is anything to do with the wheel choice,Tom?

Might just be me,but I've seen a few with the plain silver wheels delivered now.
I've opted for the black alloys and wondered if that was low in stock etc and reason for a pushback?

No. I've seen cars with all three wheel types delivered and there are stocks of all of them at Hethel.

 

[Citizen]

Congrats! I saw Matt posted your pic together too. So exciting!

Nice to see the Lotus marking in the door sill carpet. Nice touch. 👌🏽

Is that lotus marking new ?

 

[emiraspain]

Well Friday 11th November, 2022, was a special day! I got to pickup UK customer car number 8, and the 1st ever Hethel factory collection of an Emira. Massive thanks to Scott Walker and Matt Windle, absolute pleasure meeting you both and for the handover, tour of the factory and all the chat! Kai from Lotus took a whole stack of professional pictures, and there will be a subsequent formal press release I believe, however here's a few phone snaps of the morning

I'll do a full write up re my experience over this weekend from start to finish, the collection, and most importantly, the car very soon! To summarise though - F'ing brilliant.

WARNING - LOTS OF PICS. SOME WITH ME LOOKING STUPIDLY OVER EXCITED

And after 500 miles of driving, finally home....

fantastic, you just need to fotoshop that purple thing out of the last few shots....
well done...number 8, bet you'd have been even more excited with number 7 eh!

 

[K3OVN]

fantastic, you just need to fotoshop that purple thing out of the last few shots....
well done...number 8, bet you'd have been even more excited with number 7 eh!

Shaan is a good friend of mines and I joined him for the collection, it was an unbelievable experience, Scott and Matt were a pleasure, with Scott’s Lotus knowledge unmatched.

We really did have a red carpet experience, up close and personal to the full production line on a 1:1 factory tour was special, we got to handle and inspect many of the components and see the car from bare engine to finished article.

The providence of Shaan’s emira now is that of the very first customer car collected and to drive out of Hethel. Personally think the other 7 delivered cars missed a massive oppertunity and more importantly an experience.

Oh and that purple thing is my Individual Twilight Purple M4 competition that’s got more power and leather than any emira or lotus for that matter, however it isn’t going to stop me dumping it when my emira lands 😉