And we're back in the room...

[eclat2emira]

Hi everyone, hope you are all well.

I've been absent on here since September last year, having been a regular thread starter and poster until then, including many regarding my Emira paintings which I'll come to in a bit.

The short update is I am still in. So "in" that I should be collecting my Dark Verdant Emira from the factory next week - that's incredibly exciting and photos and early impressions will be forthcoming. It will look exactly like this, including wheels and calipers:

I've been keeping an eye on many of the threads here - my goodness a lot has happened in the last 6 months since I last posted on here!

- The Emira review roller coaster!
- Some early ownership niggles but everyone seems to love owning and driving them
- Economic uncertainty - increasing the cost of borrowing
- Frustrations with Lotus delays and comms
- Some of you have fallen out with each other!
- The vast majority of you are still being respectful of each other's views
- Lots of great new members and some brilliant insight
- @TomE became an Admin (always good to have an adult in the room!)
- @TomE found a unicorn Evora - she's a beaut.
- The condition of UK roads got even worse thanks to winter potholes - thank god for Touring spec.
- Some of you still insist one chassis spec is "the best" or the "right" one. There is no best, it's all down to your own preferences, use and needs.

Since I last posted:
I took over the Chairmanship of our local rugby club in the Scottish Premiership - on top of the day job, that kinda ate up my spare time and put the brakes on painting - sorry!
My Dad, a talented artist whose car paintings may soon get some recognition, sadly passed away - he's the one responsible for the petrol in my veins...and my own paintings.
I've had Covid again and a knee operation - jeez, GETTING OLDER SUCKS!!!

A number of you have DM'd me, either about painting commissions or just to ask where the heck I've been - thanks for getting in touch. Sorry to say I cannot offer prints of any paintings just now - this is my bad. The original images belong to Lotus so I do not have image ownership or the right to reproduce and sell, so I'm truly sorry for any disappointment this may cause and that's on me for not doing my homework properly - it started as something fun to share with you all, then grew arms and legs. One-off commissions are not affected. If any of this changes you'll be the first to know.

This is a truly great global group of people and I'm looking forward to being an active part of it again. I look forward to swapping views, stories and photos.

For me, the Emira is still the great proposition it always was. There was an interesting post last week asking what our two top reasons are for buying one. I think the Emira's greatest strength by a mile is what it represents as a carefully balanced package: performance and handling, value for money, features and comfort, looks and ownership experience - the real x-factor is it having the right amount of each one of these attributes. This blend is not right for everyone, as we've seen on this forum, but it is right for a lot of people - a heck of a lot more more people than any Lotus that's come before.

That's why I'm in and why I'm here.

 

[TomE]

Welcome “back”, although judging by your perceptive synopsis of the last six months of forum activity you haven’t really been away!

Sorry to hear about your dad. Mine passed away a decade ago and was similarly influential in my love of cars, so he is often in my thoughts when I’m out driving mine. Those parental influences and how they are reflected in us (and our own children) are small snippets of their legacy and one way their memory lives on.

Congratulations on the new role and the imminent arrival of your Emira. Look forward to hearing your ownership experiences and hopefully meeting up at a Lotus event sometime this year.

 

[freefall_junkie]

Welcome back. Looking forward to seeing your car. I still haven't seen another Emira on the road since getting mine. Enjoy the big collection day and the drive back up to Scotland.

 

[VL3X]

Welcome back Gavin! Sorry to hear about your dad. As you know, I lost my dad last February. The past year has been rough and I'm sad I won't be able to take him for a ride in my Emira. I know he'll still be with me in a sense though.

On a more positive note... Congratulations!!! Factory pick up will surely be an amazing experience and I can't wait for your feedback. Good luck and thanks for posting again. We've missed you!

 

[eclat2emira]

Welcome “back”, although judging by your perceptive synopsis of the last six months of forum activity you haven’t really been away!



Sorry to hear about your dad. Mine passed away a decade ago and was similarly influential in my love of cars, so he is often in my thoughts when I’m out driving mine. Those parental influences and how they are reflected in us (and our own children) are small snippets of their legacy and one way their memory lives on.



Congratulations on the new role and the imminent arrival of your Emira. Look forward to hearing your ownership experiences and hopefully meeting up at a Lotus event sometime this year.

Thanks Tom, yes losing that same-sex parent is a biggie, the biggest shaper for most people, it's nice that your shared love of cars keeps your Dad very much alive in your present thoughts as well as your memories.

My Dad and my Son both had blue Toyota Celicas - about 40 years and 5 generations apart! I got my son to pose with his in exactly the same pose as my Dad had done in a photo 40 years prior and mounted them together in a frame for Dad. Things change, and things stay the same.

Would be great to meet you at an event, and plenty of others here, will keep my eyes open for the opportunity.

 

[EspritGuy]

Hi everyone, hope you are all well.

I've been absent on here since September last year, having been a regular thread starter and poster until then, including many regarding my Emira paintings which I'll come to in a bit.

The short update is I am still in. So "in" that I should be collecting my Dark Verdant Emira from the factory next week - that's incredibly exciting and photos and early impressions will be forthcoming. It will look exactly like this, including wheels and calipers:

View attachment 24349

I've been keeping an eye on many of the threads here - my goodness a lot has happened in the last 6 months since I last posted on here!

- The Emira review roller coaster!
- Some early ownership niggles but everyone seems to love owning and driving them
- Economic uncertainty - increasing the cost of borrowing
- Frustrations with Lotus delays and comms
- Some of you have fallen out with each other!
- The vast majority of you are still being respectful of each other's views
- Lots of great new members and some brilliant insight
- @TomE became an Admin (always good to have an adult in the room!)
- @TomE found a unicorn Evora - she's a beaut.
- The condition of UK roads got even worse thanks to winter potholes - thank god for Touring spec.
- Some of you still insist one chassis spec is "the best" or the "right" one. There is no best, it's all down to your own preferences, use and needs.

Since I last posted:
I took over the Chairmanship of our local rugby club in the Scottish Premiership - on top of the day job, that kinda ate up my spare time and put the brakes on painting - sorry!
My Dad, a talented artist whose car paintings may soon get some recognition, sadly passed away - he's the one responsible for the petrol in my veins...and my own paintings.
I've had Covid again and a knee operation - jeez, GETTING OLDER SUCKS!!!

A number of you have DM'd me, either about painting commissions or just to ask where the heck I've been - thanks for getting in touch. Sorry to say I cannot offer prints of any paintings just now - this is my bad. The original images belong to Lotus so I do not have image ownership or the right to reproduce and sell, so I'm truly sorry for any disappointment this may cause and that's on me for not doing my homework properly - it started as something fun to share with you all, then grew arms and legs. One-off commissions are not affected. If any of this changes you'll be the first to know.

This is a truly great global group of people and I'm looking forward to being an active part of it again. I look forward to swapping views, stories and photos.

For me, the Emira is still the great proposition it always was. There was an interesting post last week asking what our two top reasons are for buying one. I think the Emira's greatest strength by a mile is what it represents as a carefully balanced package: performance and handling, value for money, features and comfort, looks and ownership experience - the real x-factor is it having the right amount of each one of these attributes. This blend is not right for everyone, as we've seen on this forum, but it is right for a lot of people - a heck of a lot more more people than any Lotus that's come before.

That's why I'm in and why I'm here.

Stellar post! Welcome back into the fold.
Thanks for much valued perspective .

 

[TomE]

For anyone who has joined the forum over the last 6 months, you may have missed @eclat2emira's Emira art last year.

Here are the relevant threads for you to enjoy, not just the beautiful finished pictures but also a chance to see how they are created. Be warned, allow plenty of time to read and enjoy these:

• Hethel Yellow: https://www.emiraforum.com/threads/emira-art.870/
• Dark Verdant: https://www.emiraforum.com/threads/more-emira-art-this-time-dv.1061/
• Seneca Blue: https://www.emiraforum.com/threads/...y-misquoting-the-late-great-david-bowie.1303/
• Nimbus Grey: https://www.emiraforum.com/threads/emira-art-its-nimbus-time.1642/
• https://www.emiraforum.com/threads/emira-art-first-proofs-and-a-poll-on-suitable-sizes.1637

 

[eclat2emira]

Welcome back Gavin! Sorry to hear about your dad. As you know, I lost my dad last February. The past year has been rough and I'm sad I won't be able to take him for a ride in my Emira. I know he'll still be with me in a sense though.

On a more positive note... Congratulations!!! Factory pick up will surely be an amazing experience and I can't wait for your feedback. Good luck and thanks for posting again. We've missed you!

I remember swapping messages with you on that, hope it's getting a little easier, that's tough that you never got to take him out in the Emira. As well as sharing the experience with them I think there's always the element of "See, I did good!?" with our Dads, the bit of us that's always seeking validation and approval.

Will be posting aplenty here after collection, 350 mile drive back to Edinburgh!

 

[eclat2emira]

Welcome back. Looking forward to seeing your car. I still haven't seen another Emira on the road since getting mine. Enjoy the big collection day and the drive back up to Scotland.

Hey, great to hear from you! I'm sure we can meet up soon after collection if that works for you, will be great to contrast and compare - and moan about the state of the roads!

 

[eclat2emira]

Stellar post! Welcome back into the fold.
Thanks for much valued perspective .

Thank you, sometime a bit of distance is a great way to get perspective on things.

 

[freefall_junkie]

Hey, great to hear from you! I'm sure we can meet up soon after collection if that works for you, will be great to contrast and compare - and moan about the state of the roads!

Don't get me started on the roads, especially as I'm on sport suspension! Yes, it would be great to meet up, give me a shout anytime, but be warned I'm still a bit precious about taking my car out on wet salted roads

 

[digilotus]

So sorry for your loss Gavin. I’m lucky to still have dad around but lost mum a couple of years ago during the worst of covid. Loss of a parent certainly changed my perspective on life and made me re-evaluate my life decisions and priorities.

The bigger decisions I make are now influenced by what I feel would make my late mum proud. No doubt your dad would have been thrilled with you getting the Emira!

On a personal note, we’re so glad you’re back!

 

[eclat2emira]

So sorry for your loss Gavin. I’m lucky to still have dad around but lost mum a couple of years ago during the worst of covid. Loss of a parent certainly changed my perspective on life and made me re-evaluate my life decisions and priorities.

The bigger decisions I make are now influenced by what I feel would make my late mum proud. No doubt your dad would have been thrilled with you getting the Emira!

On a personal note, we’re so glad you’re back!

Thanks, and sorry to hear about your Mum. That's a very healthy way to look at things, we all need something to guide us, whether it's a moral compass, our values or imagining what a trusted and respected friend or relative would think.

Dad knew the Emira was on its way which was nice, I can still remember his face 15 years ago when I turned up in my 911 for the first time. what I saw was a moment of reflection where he was thinking, "Well, I can't have done too badly as a parent."

 

[RevMonkey]

@eclat2emira
I am 100% down for buying one of them:
Magma, black wheels, no black pack, no privacy, yellow callipers.

Oh, and a slight colour change as I added stealth satin PPF