[Goose]

Does anybody else get that sinking feeling?

In light of the recent financial headlines about the sinking dollar, does anybody else think we're going to get another price bump?

I see another don't-blame-us letter from John English blaming 'unforseen exchange rates' for the price bump. My guess is that this will happen in January/February.

Opinions? Guesses at the amount of the increase?

 

[MattG]

I wouldn't be surprised to see this, for the reason you mention.

Maybe they'll take a different approach this time though, and raise the cost of the options? Most cars seem to be built with the touring pack, lots of sport packs are being sold, and lots of people are springing for the higher priced paint colors. They might raise prices of those things and keep the base MSRP where it is.

 

[masheen]

don't be calling for a price hike by posting about it.

do you both maybe already have your cars?

 

[Allan Gibbs]

I think any changes may happen with the 2006 model year and PROBABLY not before.

Lotus could also unbundle the packages and charge a little more for each option like Porsche did a few years ago. It probably would be preferable since some customers would rather buy the LSS wheels and not the suspension, or the extra insulation and not the "upgraded" radio.

 

[Randy Chase]

As far as I know, no price increase is planned or anticipated, though things can change.

????

 

[Evl]

I hope you're right randy, if lotus does another hike before I get my car, that will be 2 between when I placed my non refundable order and delivery, which is to much to take sitting down. I'd walk.

 

[DesignIt]

As long as a price increase is based on currency exchange, I have no problem with it. BTW, Star Motorcars of Houston has a fully refundable deposit, regardless of why you decline delivery.

John

 

[Goose]

I have not gotten my car yet. Believe me, I don't want a price hike.

I'm with Evl -- I won't take another hike sitting down.

Lotus USA, if you're listening, you're going to lose buyers if you jack up the price again...

 

[Ground Loop]

Lotus USA, if you're listening, you're going to lose buyers if you jack up the price again...

Yeah yeah, that's what we told them the first time and a lot of good it did us then.

What, if anything, in Lotus's loquacious communication ever gave you the mistaken notion that they care what we think? Unless you have "Dealership" in your title, you can sit down and take your lumps.

Is the bitterness coming through yet? I've had my VIN for three months now and nobody knows where the car is. If it costs even more when it gets here, there will plenty of sitting down when I'm in JAIL.

 

[Randy Chase]

Lotus USA, if you're listening, you're going to lose buyers if you jack up the price again...

I think Lotus USA knows that, and knew it. But it is not up to them, though they can argue over the point, as I understood Arnie to have done. It was his belief that $40k was an important number.

 

[Goose]

I agree with you guys. I too am frustrated with Lotus USA's (and my dealer's) attitude towards their customers. When the MSRP changed, and I mumbled a bit about it to my dealer, my dealer said I was welcome to abandon my non-refundable deposit. I don't like paying a premium for a product and getting treated like dirt.

I hope Lotus USA realizes that supply appears to be catching up with demand -- at least if you look at the secondary market.

 

[master]

LOTUS

They use to sell 100 cars here per year. If they sold just 1000 or 900 111R"s or less can you say $65000 ea. Supply and demand will always dictate price. If they only brought over 400 per year I would have paid more then 65K

 

[shay2nak]

I say increase on 01/01/2005.

 

[GMorel1916]

I say increase on 01/01/2005.

If they raise again before I get my car (hopefuly March) I might start looking at something else.

 

[shay2nak]

If they raise again before I get my car (hopefuly March) I might start looking at something else.

yeah, i'm already at my limit of 46-47k.

 

[Midlife]

Considering the dollar is down 52% in the last two years I would say we are quite lucky they are priced how they are!

 

[maxxfish]

Since I put down my deposit, the MSRP has increased AND Virginia sales tax has gone up .5%, which equates to another $250. If Lotus increases the price one penny, I'm gone, solely out of priciple.

 

[geezer]

Since I put down my deposit, the MSRP has increased AND Virginia sales tax has gone up .5%, which equates to another $250. If Lotus increases the price one penny, I'm gone, solely out of priciple.

I really don't get this. What "principle" are you defending? The principle that the value of currency should be static? The principle that either LCU or Lotus UK should eat the currency differential because if they don't it's somehow unfair to the buyer?

It just doesn't work that way. Functionally, each Elise costs LCU lots more than it did originally, but you think the cost should remain the same to the end purchaser regardless and it's a matter of principle that it should be so?

 

[Evl]

I don't know if maxxfish has placed an order yet, but the principle that when you place an order for something they should be able to tell you what its going to cost seems reasonable, especially if your deposit becomes non-refundable when you place the order.

The fact of the mater is that most of us don't have unlimited money supplies, and have a maximum price that we'll buy the car at. Even those of us with unlimited money would probably get something else if the price went high enough. So it seems shabby to me that one should have to loose their deposit just because lotus couldn't decide on a price and stick to it.

Anyway if it goes up more than a couple hundred between now and my delivery, its going to be awfully hard not to consider alternatives. I've never before considered buying a new car because nothing built in the last 20 years or so both excited me and fit in my budget. Unfortunately this may not be the case for the elise much longer either. I hope I get one, but there are still a lot of other "classic" cars I wouldn't feel bad in.

 

[Goose]

I agree with Evl.

I committed to a fairly high, non-refundable deposit when I got on my dealer's waiting list. The high amount/non-refundable nature was meant to weed out "speculators and people who weren't serious".

My problem is that we (I) shouldn't be worrying about MSRP fluctuations -- at least not in the middle of a model year. I understand that we're dealing with a hypothectical increase here. Considering Lotus USA's track record thusfar, I think my concern is valid and should be voiced. If they've done it once, I doubt they'll hesitate to increase MSRP again.

I am unaware of other (larger) car companies making mid-model year changes to their prices. It has been suggested (and I agree) that companies doing business internationally probably take measures to insulate themselves from currency fluctuations in order to avoid this situation. Lotus didn't start shipping cars internationally yesterday -- I'm sure they know that currencies fluctuate.

I'm afraid that the increase in MSRP we had was the result of Lotus USA reading market demand and wanting to capitalize on the situation, blaming "exchange rates" in order to justify the increase. It is for this reason that I'm getting nervous -- how much will our cars cost once they show up?

Not knowing the price of a car I'm essentially committed to purchasing is unreasonable. I'm admittedly unfamiliar with dealing with "exotic" car companies -- I don't like being jerked around and then being expected to say "thank you" for the privilege.

Is this just the nature of an exotic car company? Does Ferrari/Porsche/Lambo/etc deal with their customers in this manner?