Lotus - Q3 results

https://ir.group-lotus.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lotus-technology-reports-unaudited-third-quarter-and-first-0

Couple of things worth noting:

-- Only 1,298 Emiras were sold in the first nine months of 2025
-- EV sales are holding up better than I expected, but mostly in China. 3,314 EVs sold so far this year. Then again, the original plan was to sell 70,000 units a year!
-- The PHEV (hybrid) vehicle will be launched in the next few months. Probably a hybrid Eletre? I'd be surprised if the TYP 134 (Macan competitor) is ready for launch

This comment made me worry about the future of Hethel: " . . . the Company maintains active cooperation with Lotus UK and is methodically and prudently developing detailed integration plans to ensure a smooth transition and maximize synergies"

 

[ffre92]

Thanks. So does it beep as soon as you are 1 mph over the speed limit? How easy is it to disable it before every drive? I reslly hope there is a short cut or so…

I didn’t pay that close attention, but i think it did beep right above the speed limit. Dealer quickly disabled in the menu. Forgot to ask him about any short cut buttons

 

[JohnnyB]

that 6k incentive was for 2025 models tho, not 2026. incentives for old stock isnt unusual

Correct, 2026 Emiras have barely begun to trickle into the US.

The first model year for the US Emira was 2024 and 2025 US production was truncated. IMHO, a 6K incentive on 2025 units is unusual considering that the Emira was in the second year of US production, fewer units were produced in 2025 than originally planed, and there were no 2026 Emiras on us soil when the incentive was announced. So there wasn't an issue with next year's model taking sales away from the current year model.

Lotus' financial position, paint issues, and 6 figure price tag are a difficult combination to overcome.

 

[redgarl]

Dude they stopped shipping them and very few were available for many months. ESP Manual v6s. Plenty of amgs but no one wants those..

If it was true, the dealer lots would be filled with them, instead they are filled with discounted FE V6 Manual. The purists wanted their manual transmission, and now they bought their cars. I asked the question to my dealership and they told me numbers for 2025 were pretty close, half AMG, half Toyota.

I would have worked on much clearer positioning of the Emira on what it should be and who should buy it. Now it is a bit neither of everything... or at least for me it is not 100% crisp and clear on who the intended buyer should be. Plus add the far from perfect introduction, delays and lack of quality and you have created a 'non-attractive' proposition. Worst case you could view it as: It's a bit of a sportscar wannabe vehicle with a Yaris interior. I have added Nitron, forged wheels, lowered it a bit, carbon bucket and 6p harness... this makes the car SO MUCH BETTER looking and driving! For me...this is how the car should have been, yet did not have that choice from EOM Lotus.
In standard trim, it's good, but not iconic. In today's very competitive market its very hard to create a desirable product... Lotus was at 70% with the Emira, but did not finish it.

You got to be kidding me. I would have take you seriously if you were talking about the powertrain or the weight of the car, but you are talking about accessories?

Not to mention you have the audacity to compare a Toyota interior to the Emira? Have you sit on a Toyota lately? Because for a matter of fact, Toyota has a problem with their interiors. Their Lexus brand is not even on par with Koreans anymore. They just announced the GR GT and the interior of that supposed 250k$ car is looking worst than this 100k$ Lotus Emira.

My only complaint design wise is not having put a V6 twin turbo with the DCT ,and not trying to shed another 100kg to the car. For the rest, the Emira has nothing to envy to its competitors. I choose that car over a GT4 RS and a ZR1 (well, I couldn`t get an allocation anyway).

 

[hagen111]

If it was true, the dealer lots would be filled with them, instead they are filled with discounted FE V6 Manual. The purists wanted their manual transmission, and now they bought their cars. I asked the question to my dealership and they told me numbers for 2025 were pretty close, half AMG, half Toyota.

You got to be kidding me. I would have take you seriously if you were talking about the powertrain or the weight of the car, but you are talking about accessories?

Not to mention you have the audacity to compare a Toyota interior to the Emira? Have you sit on a Toyota lately? Because for a matter of fact, Toyota has a problem with their interiors. Their Lexus brand is not even on par with Koreans anymore. They just announced the GR GT and the interior of that supposed 250k$ car is looking worst than this 100k$ Lotus Emira.

My only complaint design wise is not having put a V6 twin turbo with the DCT ,and not trying to shed another 100kg to the car. For the rest, the Emira has nothing to envy to its competitors. I choose that car over a GT4 RS and a ZR1 (well, I couldn`t get an allocation anyway).

Power train and weight are no problem for me. Ride height (too high), poor turn in, lack of sharpness, seats were all below standard it should have been imo. You call it 'accessories', I call it 'essential'. I just compared it to my much sharper Exige V6 that preceded it.

I have a Toyota Yaris GR....and yes the Emira reminds me to a Yaris GR with (too) high seating postion, and boring interior...they are actually not so far apart. Changing the seats in the Emira was such an improvement and game changer for me personally.

I absolutely adore the Emira I currently have. It is exactly what I want. However could not get it from the factory, which is a miss imo.

 

[freefall_junkie]

Q4 25 results are going to be interesting. Everything I have heard anecdotally points to new Emira sales having fallen off a cliff in the UK. I can't remember the last time someone came on this forum having taken delivery of a new UK Emira built to their own spec. Good news for used values I guess, but where is the refreshed or R version of the Emira to drum up a bit of interest? Lotus have really done very little to develop the car since deliveries started well over 3 years ago. Hopefully they'll surprise us by revealing something in the Spring, but the complete silence from Hethel since all the layoffs last year is rather concerning.

 

[Beachbum]

Lotus thinks they have done something, by making the I4 400bhp in the UK and releasing the SE variant
The fact that everyone else sees that as nothing, completely eludes them

 

[MiamiBlue]

Q4 25 results are going to be interesting. Everything I have heard anecdotally points to new Emira sales having fallen off a cliff in the UK. I can't remember the last time someone came on this forum having taken delivery of a new UK Emira built to their own spec. Good news for used values I guess, but where is the refreshed or R version of the Emira to drum up a bit of interest? Lotus have really done very little to develop the car since deliveries started well over 3 years ago. Hopefully they'll surprise us by revealing something in the Spring, but the complete silence from Hethel since all the layoffs last year is rather concerning.

Someone recently posted that a new car optioned up to FE level is now over £110K + the new £5K tax from next month. Apart from a couple new colours and some very minor changes you don't really get anything worth having from a new car. With a supply of used cars available with very low mileages that will save you £50K off the new price I can't imagine anyone of sound mind would buy a new one.

The new factory was designed to build 5,000 cars per year (according to my Google search). I wonder how many they built and sold in 2025. I'm aware of at least two UK dealers that just stopped selling them all together last year. It wasn't worth it anymore as they sold so few. It doesn't paint a great picture for Lotus. I hope they can turn it around.

The only silver lining is that with supply drying up, values of existing cars should stay buoyant.