[scot]

When the cars get to the eastern ports, DOT will inspect the cars. All new production cars go through this, as a final inspection of the final production cars. This may take a few days, or if there is an issue it may take quite a bit of time. At this point, any specific announcements are premature.

When the Mazda RX8 arrived it sat in port for well over a month before a fix was created for some issues. I am not saying this will happen to the elise, but at this point it buys Lotus nothing to promise a specific date. They could turn around and say "They are in for inspection today." But think about it, if they do say the cars are in for inspection, that would pretty much obligate them to say if the cars failed and require some type of fix. Who wants to be the one driving around with a quick last minute fix tacked onto their car? While it might not be someone on this list, I bet more than a few people who are getting the elise as an icon more than a vehicle would refuse delivery and request another car.

It wouldn't kill Lotus, but it wouldn't be good either.

The cars will be here when they get here.

Scot

(Yes, it helps that I have no plans on getting mine for almost a year )

 

[hermanslotus]

Scot,

I can't agree with you more. This is what I've told everyone. Since this will be the actual Elise that drives on our roads everday and not some manufaturers show car, OUR DOT will inspect ever single one that hits port. God help us all if they find just one small minor problem. I have been in the import business for nearly 8 years and I have seen Customs, DOT, and EPA hold cargo up for months. They have the power to do this , like it or not.

I hope things go smooth for Lotus. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Mitch

 

[JonOrangeElise]

All very good reasoning.

And I am not one to stress over the delivery date -- at least not anymore, because it's clear that my #40 spot probably means a 2005 delivery at any rate.

But I think the ansgt that most people are dealing with keys into Lotus's communication policies, not actual delivery dates.

Think about it: Why should we have to be informed about DOT inspection realities from a list member? This should be coming from dealers, if not Lotus itself. (I'd prefer hearing it directly from Lotus, because the dealers have a different, trickier set of vested interests.)

It takes but a few extra breaths to say, "Deliveries in mid-June, but they could be held up by DOT for quite a while, so don't plan your vacation around this car... you never know what may happen at the port."

Regardless, I suspect communication will improve. It's just my gut feeling based on what I've read on this board for the past week or so.

 

[Ancient Wedgie]

Think about it: Why should we have to be informed about DOT inspection realities from a list member? This should be coming from dealers, if not Lotus itself.

Gee, have you ever heard about political correctness?

Bureaucrats and their political originators HATE being exposed at whatever they are doing. In the case of Lotus, if they wish things to go smoothly, they gotta hope you understand they can't mention the process.

The system will find a way to punish anyone who might bring disdain upon it. If any importer speaks openly about the process, it might scare off an overly persnickity DOT inspector from, say, holding up their banana shipments, because everybody wants bananas. But they probably also import something else, let's say cashews. There is a domestic supply of those, and a much smaller market, so the banana importer won't say much, or even nothing at all.

But for the import of a nitch-market sportscar -- woohoo, this is what punishing elitism is all about. Wanna get punished -- the next time you pass thru customs, complain that your inspector is doing his job too slowly.

You asked us to "Think about it:" Yes -- let us PRAY that Lotus let's the few of us who have thought about the potential difficulties do all the speculating we want -- and leave the "exposes" to publicity hounds and crusaders -- and continue to keep their big mouths SHUT!

 

[zvezdah1]

Exc point AW, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, MW and AW sound like they could be distantly related???

Pray for a DOT inspector that's a car nut!!!
Chris

 

[JonOrangeElise]

You asked us to "Think about it:" Yes -- let us PRAY that Lotus let's the few of us who have thought about the potential difficulties do all the speculating we want -- and leave the "exposes" to publicity hounds and crusaders -- and continue to keep their big mouths SHUT!

It would be one thing for Lotus to make an official announcement to the effect of: "Cars to arrive at port on June 15. Actual delivery dates to dealers unknown due to the fickle whimsy of Federal inspectors."

It would be a whole different matter entirely for Lotus to remind its dealer-partners that the cars have to make it through port inspection, and that they may want to explain the entire delivery process to US customers, if only so that the customers will have a more realistic understanding of what it takes to get the cars on dealer lots. This could all be done very quietly, and without hurting the fragile egos of bureaucrats.

 

[zvezdah1]

Yeah but Jon, to be fair, what other manufacturers out there announce a cars arrival in port, inspection, etc. We have no way of even knowing their'll even be a delay, and the boats apparently just hit the water in the last week some time. They've three odd weeks to announce details. Don't expect a press release on it though. IF any customers cars are in this first shipment Lotus UK will tell LCU, LCU will tell the dealers which cars are coming, the dealer contacts the particular customer, I really get the feeling LCU thinks the dealer should be the point of contact for the buyer.

Chris

 

[perryeyges]

Hopefully Dick Merritt will be in charge of the shipment

 

[Randy Chase]

IF any customers cars are in this first shipment Lotus UK will tell LCU, LCU will tell the dealers which cars are coming, the dealer contacts the particular customer, I really get the feeling LCU thinks the dealer should be the point of contact for the buyer.

Chris

I can see that. I read about someone calling Hethel to get some status on their car. That information should come from Lotus USA. And Lotus USA thinks the information should come from the dealer. And the dealer maybe is not telling your sales person?

Perhaps also... Lotus USA is bringing on a new computerized order database that all dealers can log in and use, but last I heard it was not up but was expected to be up very soon. Maybe that will help streamline the information flow?