I'm sure that's par for the course for any vehicles that weren't pre-ordered by customers. Lot allocations can and will be priced at whatever the dealer thinks they can get.

 

Yes that’s normal for Dallas or places like Naples. Gator doesn’t have any markups but you will be waiting a while unfortunately. This is one of those scenarios where if you want it now you will need to pay up for it. You could be really lucky and call a bunch of dealers and find one that doesn’t have a mark up though and be willing to sell you an Emira that the original buyer backed up last minute

 

I agree that this is normal for capitalism. Option 1 is to offer it down to a comfortable price that you are willing to pay for not having to wait. Option 2 is to test drive an Evora to see if you like it and buy/drive it until the Emira becomes plentiful. From my experience with Lotus cars, I would go with option 2. I wanted the Evora back in 2010 but end up buying the Elise because Evora was rare and overly expensive for a NA. Whereas Elise was near/at the bottom of pricing. In preparation to buy the Evora, I sold my Elise at a 18% profit. In 2014, I paid for the Evora S at a price which would have been the same for an NA back in 2010.

 

I agree that this is normal for capitalism.

This isn't completely true because the company that designs and builds the product often controls the pricing. Best Buy doesn't just get to choose pricing on all of their television and game consoles, they work things out with the manufacturer. Otherwise at release, they would have had the PS5s skyrocket in price to match scalper pricing.

I'd personally rather see dealers work this way for new cars. Then that extra cash can go towards more R&D or whatever the manufacturer wants, if they choose to raise the prices.

 

Was the ADM on existing inventory or unclaimed FE arrivals?
Makes you wonder what will happen with Base Edition pricing.

 

This is sort of sad. Its delayed in the USA for 2-3 years and now more of this garbage.

 

The cars being marked up are more than likely cars that clients backed out of and now the dealer can and will sell at whatever price. OP doesn't care as long as they get their money back and the dealer is betting somebody will pay to jump ahead in line.

 

From what I gather, most dealerships are unlikely to have any cars for the lot. They're expecting customer back out's to be those cars. Next year once dust has settled there will be dealer ordered cars and demo cars.

I don't like the ADM and if I were Lotus, I would restrict dealerships from doing so on a new car. This restriction is common in with luxury goods. Cannot sell above MSRP on new. Used is can be set at whatever price they want.

Our local dealer said they would not do ADM. Nothing is engraved in stone, but I believe them. They're only show in town when it comes time to repair them, so they got a lock on that half.

 

Just don't be STUPID and pay it. Nuff said. Never done it in my life, never going to. I have plenty of toys to keep me intrigued and simply wait for opportunity to knock...on a few different vehicles...........

 

But if you do pay it, realize you will never recover that money.

 

And you’ll be enjoying your car.

 

If it’s a 10k markup on the initial FE pricing, that would be the same price as placing an order today - But probably not the case. A new one a year from now will probably be close to what you’ll pay today with a moderate markup. Maybe less true now than a year ago with inflation on vehicles trending down.

 

True, but the dealer didn't pay the today price.

 

Per their website, it's all FEs, so I imagine it's people that backed out.

I am with @Dylan - I have trouble paying those types of overages. If it's exactly your spec - and you want it now, do it. But if you look around, or are willing to fly/wait/etc, you should be able to get around that sort of nonsense.

 

Imagine paying over $10-15k above MSRP for a base model Emira that's already been out for 2 years, only to have Lotus announce the new Emira S a few months later lol. It would surely be disappointing to realize you paid almost 15-20% more, after fees, for a car, only to see its value plummet below MSRP due to the release of the new variant. It would be faster, probably more aero, and updated than the base that you paid 15 over for.

Not to mention all the bugs and quirks that come with the early base models, whereas the Emira S should already have those sorted out. Less time at the dealer, more time on the street to enjoy. Nobody wants to ship a car back to the dealer for door alignment or AC issues because shipping will still come out of your pocket unless the car is inoperable, then the shipment is paid for under warranty.

 

My general assumption is that an S variant will cost probably $20k+ more than the current FE/Base models. That being said, do you think that the Base/FE will take a big dip after the S comes out? I was assuming you'll see some light depreciation, like $10k-$15k after about a year or 2. I guess to me, I'd be surprised to see the FE/Base take a greater hit due to the S model's release since it's likely to be significantly more expensive. Just my 2 cents.

 

I’m not willing to pay a dealer markup on anything. I think the growth in this phenomenon has been
spurred on by the extreme conditions fostered during the pandemic supply chain debacle. Dealers learned that customers would pay a tax just for the privilege of buying now. They were even charging extra for vin ordinaire like F150s, Tacomas, and of course Vettes which now go for list or are even mildly discounted. It was simply a terrible time to buy anything at all.

Nothing lasts forever, and that will include the excitement about the Emira. If you can’t sleep at night thinking about driving one, you’re flush and you don’t care what it costs, do what you gotta do. Me? It’s against my religion to pay over retail with no promises of a fair return when my time comes to move on. These things are expensive toys that will depreciate. And however terrific they are, depreciate they shall.
A lifetime of profligacy has finally taught me the value of patience. Early adopters are rarely rewarded for their enthusiasm. And Lotus isn’t FerrarI or even Porsche.

 

I’m not willing to pay a dealer markup on anything. I think the growth in this phenomenon has been
spurred on by the extreme conditions fostered during the pandemic supply chain debacle. Dealers learned that customers would pay a tax just for the privilege of buying now. They were even charging extra for vin ordinaire like F150s, Tacoma’s, and of course Vettes which now go for list or are even mildly discounted. It was simply a terrible time to buy anything at all.

Nothing lasts forever, and that will include the excitement about the Emira. If you can’t sleep at night thinking about driving one, you’re flush and you don’t care what it costs, do what you gotta do. Me? It’s against my religion to pay over retail with no promises of a fair return when my time comes to move on. These things are expensive toys that will depreciate. And however terrific they are, depreciate they shall.
A lifetime of profligacy has finally taught me the value of patience. Early adopters are rarely rewarded for their enthusiasm. And Lotus isn’t FerrarI or even Porsche.

ADM started long before covid. I remember the first time I encountered it I had ordered a brand new Honda CRX HF model back in '85? when gas prices were still heading up. I averaged 200 miles a day of local driving while averaging six service calls daily and really thought the HF would be perfect for me. It was until the time to sign on the final paperwork and the dealer tacked on 3K. I was pissed to say the least.

I ended up taking it since my previous car couldn't begin to be as functional and mizerly as the HF could at 52 MPG. I vowed to never buy another car from Checkered Flag.

None of my new cars since did I ever pay ADM but did have multiple bad deals leaving new car stealerships with bad feelings. Not one deal ever went event free.

 

I held out buying a 400 or GT. MY FEELINGS HAVE NOT CHANGED. IMHO, sad to say , the Emira is like buying a newer STi.
The original 04-06 were still the best. They have not kept pace with progress and I will pay accordingly someday.....if the door knocks. Not saying no, just saying everything has a price. The wait has opened my eyes to the otherworld.....a 4C heavily dialed in has my attention these days....Lotus fd up. I wait to see some of the hardcores on this forum chime in on their new Emiras to see if the bar really has been raised. I know several multi Lotus owners that are in no hurry either....and not short on $$$$$$$.

 

Do not support dealers who are gouging their customers. You WILL regret it later.

 

I couldn’t agree more!

 

Look at it from a different perspective. ADM is bad for people that don’t need a vehicle. However, it is good when you need to buy a car/truck for work or other things. My friend needs a commuter, and she is willing to pay 5K ADM in another city because no one local has the car she needs. My brother brought a work van with 10K ADM. He was happy that he was able to find one in another town during post covid and continue to make money with that truck. With out this ADM in place, he would have been out of a home because no work, no income.

 

The way I perceive ADM, is that it's more about taking advantage of scarcity of supply to reap higher gains from a sale. However, since it does incentivize dealerships to be more aggressive to get specific products, it is possible that it helps ensure certain vehicles may reach areas that would otherwise go to more populated/popular areas.

Separate of that, I vehemently dislike ADMs and would avoid them as much as I can. It feels too much of an "impatience" tax, at least for the cars I look at. Thankfully my Lotus dealership near me doesn't believe in them either, but that isn't always the case for everyone.

 

My point is ADM does help cases where people willing to pay so that they can have a job and continue working. If there was no ADM, people with money would haul all the available vehicles and flip them for a profit anyway. There were so many flipper post-covid.

I too dislike ADM and would never buy a car over MSRP if I could help it. I currently have 4 Lotus, and I have never brought them on their first year of release and I have paid well under MSRP for a new car that sits on a lot after a year. Once the dust settles, any idle Emira will follow the same fate as all the older Lotus models. New to Lotus, prob thinks the Emira is very special and willing to wait a few years with a deposit for a MSRP price and I don't disagree. However, I have driven Elise, Exige, Esprits, Evora S, and I think all of them are special for different reasons.

 

Amen brotha!!! Just happens that I expected this to be year 3 by now...........my automotive addiction needed to look elsewhere for a new fix........the flipper era is crashing down on Porsche at present now that the market is flooded with highly profitable GT cars that everyone gobbled up to sell at a profit. UK is a Porsche mess at present.

 

Think of people being stupid enough to pay ADM on a PT Cruiser!!!

 

Blanket reply to Catsailor & Exira:

Perhaps there are unique circumstances where paying over fair market value for something makes sense but in my experience buying at a premium as an early adopter almost always qualifies a person to spend more for the privilege of dealing with an abundance of recalls. YMMV. No insult taken or intended!

If you want it, gotta have it and understand the costs involved, by all means. That just ain't me.

 

FYI if you want to address a member use @Username or it's headed to thin air.....

 

This is why I'm always in favor of Lotus dealers like Gators Motorsports who support the community and are truly Lotus enthusiasts. They previously mentioned that they would never tack on market adjustments and will stand by selling new cars at MSRP. Yes, dealers are in business to make a profit, but they should also know better than to gouge their customer base and upset the car community by taking advantage of the supply issue, especially in a niche community such as Lotus, where everyone knows one another.

After reading that Lotus Naples & Earth Motorcars are tacking market adjustments on these cars and publicly stating it, they are on my blacklist for doing business with. I would never support these dealers and will refer friends & family elsewhere. There's a huge thread about them in the Emira FB group. I would rather go the extra mile and get the one 800 miles away than do business with the one 150 miles from me. It's the principle that counts; never support someone who doesn't support you.

 

I’ve driven my car from Charlotte to Indy for service. Gator Motorsport is great. And they really are car people and serious Lotus nuts! I’ve known them since 2005. Young (the owner) used to help people work on their Lotuses in his garage at home before he ever thought of owning a dealership. Need a short shift kit installed??? Young would help you. Can’t go wrong with Gator!

 

Hi guys, Just wanted to throw this out there for anyone looking to shorten the wait at the cost of a mark-up at the dealers.
I knpw this process is frowned upon within our community, but most of the manufacturers have dealers that do this. So if you MUST have a car now and not in 18 months then Earth Motors in Carrolton TX have three for sale at a $10k-13k mark-up. Nimbus Grey, Dark Verdant and that launch Light Blue color. I have no affiliation with them just passing it along. Ask for Josh. They tried to sell me those yesterday.

 

The wait time isn't 18 months, so I'm not sure where you got that information. In 18 months, the Emira S will have been released. That's just a psychological tactic used to guilt-trip people into buying now—I used to work at a dealership, and they do that kind of thing all the time in order to meet sales. Why pay $10-13k over the MSRP for a base model when the Emira S is slated to be announced any day now? Better to just opt for the newer and cooler variant for what you're going to pay for that market adjustment, and put it towards the Emira S purchase order... at MSRP.

Also, for the record, there's a blue 2024 Emira for sale right now in Glenview at MSRP. The dealer just posted it in the Lotus Emira group this morning. Search on FB Marketplace, expand to 500 miles, and you'll see a few more being listed, including a yellow one. It's a sweet deal, but I don't want it for the same reason above. I waited this long, I might as well get the Emira S than a base model that's been out for 2 years. As Brgelise mentioned, let it bake in the sun.

 

Let'm bake in the sun.....................

 

During the pandemic the local Porsche dealer was doing similar stuff, i won’t buy a car from neither, and i was a repeat customer.

 

Sorry to hear that as I was told flatly when I was there for the test drives that their company policy was to not mark up above MSRP. I guess they couldn’t resist.