V6 Autobox News

[Bilbao-Emira]

Thats really encouraging. If it's that good then it's a winner. Thanks for posting.

Welcome!

 

[JohnHoward]

I have just e.mailed Customer Care to ask whether the V6 Auto has Type Approval, I will post an update when I hear back from them.

I spoke with CC in the week on the online chat on the Lotus website and asked about the auto box and all I got back was they had no further reason to believe that there would be further delays and to expect a call in the next few weeks to arrange the final payment and delivery.

Problem is none of this stacks up with the continuous silence, I think we would all be a lot happier if the demo cars had come in to our dealers as then and only then we will be happy something is happening.

The auto box seems to be very elusive, a bit like official pictures of the dark verdant over the past months. The only thing that I can recall being mentioned about the auto V6 was when the dealers/retailers had a day at Lotus HQ early in the summer and one of the cars was an auto. I am still waiting for a reply to my question about whether the V6 auto has Type Approval. I will chase a response if I don’t hear anything in the next couple of days.

 

[Duncx]

Interesting thread - I have some recent 'experience' that is sort of relevent

A couple of months ago I bought an IPS (auto) Exige V6S, the idea being to try out driving an auto in preparation for my i4 Emira (i.e. do I really want one?). I know it's not the same gearbox but I'm bored with waiting for the Emira and I do like a nice Exige
Tried to insure the thing on the UK comparison sites and NONE of them recognised it as an Auto, the reg number came back as manual? No problem I thought, just Lotus being a PITA as usual and using block registrations to register a whole load of cars in one go with no variations for model type (this has happened before, believe me I know!). But no, upon calling half a dozen or so companies direct I was informed that the V6S Auto Exige does not exist, it is not a thing! I could get a quote for a 350 Sport Auto no problem, but NOT a V6S Auto.
To cut a long story short, I checked with Thatcham (who are responsible in the UK for assigning insurance 'groups' on new cars) and after many emails and phone calls it turns out that the V6S Auto had never been allocated a Vehicle Identification Code, so mainstream insurance companies do not recognise it. The guy I was speaking to was very diplomatic about why this might have happened, but said something along the lines of 'if we havent been told that it's on sale then we can't/won't allocate it a number'.
The final outcome is that Thatcham checked with Lotus that the car was indeed a real model and quickly allocated a VIC number, which if you're interested is 30019251. Apparantly the comparison sites may never pick this up, so for now I'm stuck with specialist (more expensive!) insurance

Let's just hope that Lotus don't 'forget' the V6 Emira Auto in a similar manner

BTW, the auto in the Exige is fine, but in the later Evoras it's very good indeed - same box but much improved software. I'm sure the Emira will get the 'good' software and it will be great to drive

 

[JohnHoward]

Interesting thread - I have some recent 'experience' that is sort of relevent

A couple of months ago I bought an IPS (auto) Exige V6S, the idea being to try out driving an auto in preparation for my i4 Emira (i.e. do I really want one?). I know it's not the same gearbox but I'm bored with waiting for the Emira and I do like a nice Exige
Tried to insure the thing on the UK comparison sites and NONE of them recognised it as an Auto, the reg number came back as manual? No problem I thought, just Lotus being a PITA as usual and using block registrations to register a whole load of cars in one go with no variations for model type (this has happened before, believe me I know!). But no, upon calling half a dozen or so companies direct I was informed that the V6S Auto Exige does not exist, it is not a thing! I could get a quote for a 350 Sport Auto no problem, but NOT a V6S Auto.
To cut a long story short, I checked with Thatcham (who are responsible in the UK for assigning insurance 'groups' on new cars) and after many emails and phone calls it turns out that the V6S Auto had never been allocated a Vehicle Identification Code, so mainstream insurance companies do not recognise it. The guy I was speaking to was very diplomatic about why this might have happened, but said something along the lines of 'if we havent been told that it's on sale then we can't/won't allocate it a number'.
The final outcome is that Thatcham checked with Lotus that the car was indeed a real model and quickly allocated a VIC number, which if you're interested is 30019251. Apparantly the comparison sites may never pick this up, so for now I'm stuck with specialist (more expensive!) insurance

Let's just hope that Lotus don't 'forget' the V6 Emira Auto in a similar manner

BTW, the auto in the Exige is fine, but in the later Evoras it's very good indeed - same box but much improved software. I'm sure the Emira will get the 'good' software and it will be a great to drive

Very interesting, thanks for posting. My (now sold) Evora 410 Sport was an auto and I was able to get quotes via the comparison sites for that, but interestingly if you did a search on the registration, it came back as a manual. The V5 correctly stated auto. So, when I was searching for insurance, I couldn't use the registration number lookup option, but could use the "I don't know the reg" option and add the car manually from the manufacturer/vehicle type etc.

Rest assured that I am on the case with the insurance issue and the question regarding Type Approval and will keep everyone updated via this thread. Thanks for the tip regarding Thatcham, this may turn out to be very useful.

 

[Duncx]

Very interesting, thanks for posting. My (now sold) Evora 410 Sport was an auto and I was able to get quotes via the comparison sites for that, but interestingly if you did a search on the registration, it came back as a manual. The V5 correctly stated auto. So, when I was searching for insurance, I couldn't use the registration number lookup option, but could use the "I don't know the reg" option and add the car manually from the manufacturer/vehicle type etc.

Rest assured that I am on the case with the insurance issue and the question regarding Type Approval and will keep everyone updated via this thread. Thanks for the tip regarding Thatcham, this may turn out to be very useful.

At the time I tried the 'I don't know the reg' option and the 350 Sport Auto was on the list but not the V6S Auto, the V6S was manual only. Come to think of it I havent been back to try again, maybe it's now on the list for 'I don't know the reg' ?
I have the name and email for the relevent person at Thatcham if you need it - very helpful chap and amazingly (for this day and age) you can speak to him on the phone, which is great!

 

[JohnHoward]

I have the name and email for the relevent person at Thatcham if you need it - very helpful chap and amazingly (for this day and age) you can speak to him on the phone, which is great!

Thanks, that would be very helpful. Please would you be able to send it to me by private message as I wouldn't want to encourage publishing anyones details without their prior permission. Many thanks.

 

[JohnHoward]

I have just heard back from Lotus regarding the question of Type Approval for the V6 Auto.

To give proper context, this is an extract of the e.mail I sent:

In anticipation of the build of my car commencing next month, I have been looking into insurance options. I have checked sites that I usually use, that include confused.com and comparethemarket and they are not listing the V6 auto Emira. The only choice is the manual option. For new models of cars, the lack of a listing is usually because Type Approval has not been granted yet by the UK Vehicle Certification Agency.
Please would you confirm the position with Type Approval for the V6 auto Emira.

EXTRACT ENDS

This is extracted from their reply:
Unfortunately we are unable to comment on the position with type approval at this stage.
We will have more information in the next few weeks.

EXTRACT ENDS

I can only assume that they do not have Type Approval, because if they had it I am sure they would be happy to confirm it.
So, at this very late stage with production due to start, what is likely to happen? Could we be facing a situation where the UK V6 auto never makes it to sale? If UK auto orders are only around 15% of UK total and will only be produced for the next couple of years or so as regulations restrict the V6, it is not a large number of cars and probably not worth any significant amount of investment to get it over the line. Will Lotus focus their efforts on the 2.0L and hope that some V6 auto folk switch to the 2.0L
I do hope that I am wrong, but I have a bad feeling about all this and even if it does get sorted, there are likely to be further delays.

 

[CDM1855]

That’s a rather alarming reply

Seems rather late in the day to still not have type approval, even though they’ve been promising our cars are being produced next month

 

[DJS]

If that actually becomes true I think Netflix will be all over this Lotus shambles to make a documentary about the biggest automotive shit show of all time. Sorry thats as polite as I could put it.

 

[JohnHoward]

That’s a rather alarming reply

Seems rather late in the day to still not have type approval, even though they’ve been promising our cars are being produced next month

Absolutely. It would make no sense to produce cars without it, otherwise they could need any kind of modifications made to them depending on what is holding up Type Approval.

 

[Bilbao-Emira]

My optimistic side is fading with that answer (no answer) from LCC

I am struggling to understand what can be pending for the Auto box which would be so different from the Manual regarding type approval .
With reduced power from the latest Evora Auto in the same engine, have the emissions legislation changed so much that they can't achieve it?
and why for Manual they achieve and not for auto?
and even if they couldn't achieve , why would it take so long to find a solution?
and if there is no solution, why don't they tell us and give us the options whether we want to change for v6 manual, or change for the i4 queue, or cancel the order?

 

[CDM1855]

My optimistic side is fading with that answer (no answer) from LCC

I am struggling to understand what can be pending for the Auto box which would be so different from the Manual regarding type approval .
With reduced power from the latest Evora Auto in the same engine, have the emissions legislation changed so much that they can't achieve it?
and why for Manual they achieve and not for auto?
and even if they couldn't achieve , why would it take so long to find a solution?
and if there is no solution, why don't they tell us and give us the options whether we want to change for v6 manual, or change for the i4 queue, or cancel the order?

I think I will get very bored of waiting another eight months to get an AMG engined version. Despite it perhaps being potentially quicker and cheaper to fuel, it doesn’t hold the same allure to me

 

[JohnHoward]

If that actually becomes true I think Netflix will be all over this Lotus shambles to make a documentary about the biggest automotive shit show of all time. Sorry thats as polite as I could put it

My optimistic side is fading with that answer (no answer) from LCC

I am struggling to understand what can be pending for the Auto box which would be so different from the Manual regarding type approval .
With reduced power from the latest Evora Auto in the same engine, have the emissions legislation changed so much that they can't achieve it?
and why for Manual they achieve and not for auto?
and even if they couldn't achieve , why would it take so long to find a solution?
and if there is no solution, why don't they tell us and give us the options whether we want to change for v6 manual, or change for the i4 queue, or cancel the order?

None of it makes any sense. As I mentioned, I do wonder how hard they are looking at it. They may not want to/ be allowed to commit money to it as the payback for the volume of cars (in the UK) is not worth the expense. Having said that, what about the rest of the world? I don't know, but I can't imagine that we are leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the world in terms of regulations, so how are they going to get Type Approval in Europe. I expect that all other countries will have some similar regulations that may have different nomenclature, but is it going to be an issue everywhere?

 

[CDM1855]

I think I will get very bored of waiting another eight months to get an AMG engined version. Despite it perhaps being potentially quicker and cheaper to fuel, it doesn’t hold the same allure to me

If we saw an AMG version and there were reviews, I may perhaps change my mind and decide that could be the better option after all. But no one outside of the senior circle has experienced one

 

[Bilbao-Emira]

I think I will get very bored of waiting another eight months to get an AMG engined version. Despite it perhaps being potentially quicker and cheaper to fuel, it doesn’t hold the same allure to me

Same here

 

[Bilbao-Emira]

None of it makes any sense. As I mentioned, I do wonder how hard they are looking at it. They may not want to/ be allowed to commit money to it as the payback for the volume of cars (in the UK) is not worth the expense. Having said that, what about the rest of the world? I don't know, but I can't imagine that we are leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the world in terms of regulations, so how are they going to get Type Approval in Europe. I expect that all other countries will have some similar regulations that may have different nomenclature, but is it going to be an issue everywhere?

Problem is at least for me in Spain that the dealer has no info at all about the type approval.

Therefore I am as blind as you guys in UK.

Out of the 12 allocations for FE V6 in the whole country, at least 3 are Auto, including mine and one for the dealer

 

[DJS]

They have to deliver the V6 auto, they have to. Also if there are issues then alot of us wouldn’t be locked in for October builds.

Another mess up will be costly, do they care do they f__k

 

[Bilbao-Emira]

They have to deliver the V6 auto, they have to. Also if there are issues then alot of us wouldn’t be locked in for October builds.

Another mess up will be costly, do they care do they f__k

Hope you are right!

 

[JohnHoward]

Problem is at least for me in Spain that the dealer has no info at all about the type approval.

Therefore I am as blind as you guys in UK.

Out of the 12 allocations for FE V6 in the whole country, at least 3 are Auto, including mine and one for the dealer

I've no idea how car insurance works in Spain, but that may give you clue possibly. Do they have insurance comparison sites like the UK, if so, can you get a quote for an auto Emira, or can you ask a Spanish broker for a quote. If the system is similar to the UK, you won't be able to get a quote without type approval (the EU equivalent) as the car will not be loaded onto the insurers databases. It may work completely differently in Spain but just putting the idea out there.

 

[Rudolph]

I have just heard back from Lotus regarding the question of Type Approval for the V6 Auto.

EXTRACT ENDS

This is extracted from their reply:
Unfortunately we are unable to comment on the position with type approval at this stage.
We will have more information in the next few weeks.

EXTRACT ENDS

I can only assume that they do not have Type Approval, because if they had it I am sure they would be happy to confirm it.
So, at this very late stage with production due to start, what is likely to happen? Could we be facing a situation where the UK V6 auto never makes it to sale? If UK auto orders are only around 15% of UK total and will only be produced for the next couple of years or so as regulations restrict the V6, it is not a large number of cars and probably not worth any significant amount of investment to get it over the line. Will Lotus focus their efforts on the 2.0L and hope that some V6 auto folk switch to the 2.0L
I do hope that I am wrong, but I have a bad feeling about all this and even if it does get sorted, there are likely to be further delays.

* * * * *
For the Evora the CO2 emissions of the automatic's were higher as the speed box.......
The undermentioned figures probably give an indication for the reason why the Emira V6 is limited to only 400 hp (due to CO2 emission limitations ?).....

EVORA 400 (MANUAL)................................CO2 emissions........225 g/km.
EVORA 400 (AUTOMATIC)........................CO2 emissions........230 g/km
EVORA GT 410 Sport (MANUAL).............CO2 emissions........234 g/km
EVORA GT 410 Sport (AUTOMATIC).....CO2 emissions........247 g/km