The Lotus Cars Community banner
  • Hi there! Why not register as a user to enjoy all of the benefits of the site? You may register here. When you register, please pick a username that is non-commercial. If you use a name that appears on any search engine commercially, you must pick another name, whether it applies to you or not. Commercial usernames are for supporting vendor use only. If you want to become a supporting vendor and grow your business, please follow this link. Thanks!
81 - 100 of 224 Posts
The cracks in "demand pricing" are starting to show (see link). The real tell is the number of private sellers already trying to flip. I thought for sure it would take through the end of the year or at least Summer. Clearly, the "I gotta have it now" population dried up or is running low.

For anyone actually ready to buy, you can start trolling the dealers asking for a premium by contacting them and letting them know that clearly there are more of them thinking they can get a premium than there are fat wallet buyers still looking. Oh, and remind them, there's no more "cheap" money to fuel sales to those that can't write a check.

 
What I've been saying!! Once again, Lotus timing is a massive fail. Have they ever caught an economic upswing? Elise in 2005 was the closest to success they have ever timed. Evora in 2010 was a massive recession fail. US Emira intro times with highest interest rates since????? Prime reason the exotic market has tanked. There is a real big difference financing 150K at 1.9-2.9% v 6.9-8.9%. Currently the only folks in the game are those that have entered the AI market and hit it big or those with returns exceeding interest rates...in other words a crapshoot.

If the car had come out on time in 2021 with 430-450HP, they would have had a runaway homerun...they better have something up their sleeves because if they went all chips min with EV, We will all be singing "this is the End" soon. I doubt Electre sales hit 50% of the expectations.....
 
A little early for the doom and gloom talk. Spring is just arriving. The biggest global market for sports cars…So Cal…has yet to receive any Emiras. First are due this week. None have hit Bring a Trailer yet. Markets are barely off their all-time peaks…S&P, gold, BTC…take your pick. The party is just getting started…
 
A little early for the doom and gloom talk. Spring is just arriving. The biggest global market for sports cars…So Cal…has yet to receive any Emiras. First are due this week. None have hit Bring a Trailer yet. Markets are barely off their all-time peaks…S&P, gold, BTC…take your pick. The party is just getting started…
I love that you brought up So Cal and no cars. That's where I live and kind of my point. You have (arguably) the largest geographic location with fat wallet carrying car nuts, but no cars. You would think the second one became available, it would get picked up, but they aren't. A simple example of this would be Porsche and their GT cars, but to some extent anything remotely special within the 911 family. I found a 911 Carrera T a couple of years back at a smoking price in Oklahoma City. I negotiated the price, gave a deposit, flew in with a friend and drove it home over a holiday weekend (OKC to LA and only 1 ticket...). That's what people do when locally (in So Cal) when cars are being sold with double digit ADM's and/or they are simply not available, period.

Emira's right now are being delivered, and some are walking away, that's why any cars are even available for sale. I'm not saying the sky is falling, but I am saying that ADM's in excess of anything over a couple thousand bucks is not really working out right now for those dealers just based on the number of cars available. And to your point, this is early, these things should be flying off the shelf especially to So Cal "Fat Wallets" that have to have it now.
 
What I've been saying!! Once again, Lotus timing is a massive fail. Have they ever caught an economic upswing? Elise in 2005 was the closest to success they have ever timed. Evora in 2010 was a massive recession fail. US Emira intro times with highest interest rates since????? Prime reason the exotic market has tanked. There is a real big difference financing 150K at 1.9-2.9% v 6.9-8.9%. Currently the only folks in the game are those that have entered the AI market and hit it big or those with returns exceeding interest rates...in other words a crapshoot.

If the car had come out on time in 2021 with 430-450HP, they would have had a runaway homerun...they better have something up their sleeves because if they went all chips min with EV, We will all be singing "this is the End" soon. I doubt Electre sales hit 50% of the expectations.....
Someone is completely overlooking the lengthy depositor lines at every dealer.
V6 Auto units are arriving 3Q. Base Edition order books will open by 4Q and i4 deliveries will commense 1Q.
Every Emira on the road is an advertisement. Driving season is underway.
 
Someone is completely overlooking the lengthy depositor lines at every dealer.
V6 Auto units are arriving 3Q. Base Edition order books will open by 4Q and i4 deliveries will commense 1Q.
Every Emira on the road is an advertisement. Driving season is underway.
I've heard that Base Edition order books are to open up within the next month or 2 because all FE V6 manual cars have been sold out. Whether that intrinsically means that Base i4 or V6 auto will be available is unknown, but my dealer said its still possible to order either of these are FE models.
 
See what F1 above has said. This ship has sailed and many folks have waited so long, myself included, that they got themselves booked on another ship. Many just left the deposit open so they have first right of refusal. I was on target for 2023-2024 with my typical vehicle lifecycle. I was never to be an FE guy......That has long since past. I was waiting for the upgraded version, which is ALWAYS what Lotus does and I wasn't going to play their game this time. THis was supposed to be yr 3.......
I bought a 4C for track last June... After a 20yr history with Lotus, I am in no hurry at present, but there is a definite loss of a sale here. Or at least it will be delayed by years. There is another vehicle competing for my attention now. Much more coin,.but MUCH more car!!! I know SEVERAL track type folks that have done the same thing.
In the motor department, this is like the last unlucky folks that bought a flathead before OHV 90 degree V8s took over. Toyota makes many DI motors........

For the right price, maybe. Certainly not for anything at or above MSRP. Hell after 3 yrs i still haven't sat in one...........

This is not just a Lotus thing. The GT Porsche oversell thing is coming back to bite them in the ass too. There have been several very informative videos online discussing these things. The wealthy walk in and buy what they want. The second owners are far more often those with more constrained financially. Financing etc.

This is not doom and gloom. Just the facts maam. I know how badly the recession screwed Evora sales...I came in to swoop up the deals...........I smell it coming again.

BTW I drove one of those Evora advertisements in 2011 when I bought my $84414 list 2010 LE car for $60K 7/11.........................you know , the ones that had new Window stickers for $76K the following year. Different scenario, but not really in many respects
 
See what F1 above has said. This ship has sailed and many folks have waited so long, myself included, that they got themselves booked on another ship. Many just left the deposit open so they have first right of refusal. I was on target for 2023-2024 with my typical vehicle lifecycle. I was never to be an FE guy......That has long since past. I was waiting for the upgraded version, which is ALWAYS what Lotus does and I wasn't going to play their game this time. THis was supposed to be yr 3.......
I bought a 4C for track last June... After a 20yr history with Lotus, I am in no hurry at present, but there is a definite loss of a sale here. Or at least it will be delayed by years. There is another vehicle competing for my attention now. Much more coin,.but MUCH more car!!! I know SEVERAL track type folks that have done the same thing.
In the motor department, this is like the last unlucky folks that bought a flathead before OHV 90 degree V8s took over. Toyota makes many DI motors........

For the right price, maybe. Certainly not for anything at or above MSRP. Hell after 3 yrs i still haven't sat in one...........

This is not just a Lotus thing. The GT Porsche oversell thing is coming back to bite them in the ass too. There have been several very informative videos online discussing these things. The wealthy walk in and buy what they want. The second owners are far more often those with more constrained financially. Financing etc.

This is not doom and gloom. Just the facts maam. I know how badly the recession screwed Evora sales...I came in to swoop up the deals...........I smell it coming again.

BTW I drove one of those Evora advertisements in 2011 when I bought my $84414 list 2010 LE car for $60K 7/11.........................you know , the runs that had new Windoew stickers for $76K the following year. Different scenario, but not really in many respects
 

Attachments

I love that you brought up So Cal and no cars. That's where I live and kind of my point. You have (arguably) the largest geographic location with fat wallet carrying car nuts, but no cars. You would think the second one became available, it would get picked up, but they aren't.
Because nobody outside of these forums knows they are available…
 
So I've seen a LOT of posts about "Don't pay ADM!" I would be curious to know if anyone is getting a "cancelled" FE1 for the MSRP under $100K from any dealers? If so where?
 
Dealers who tack on ADM are getting destroyed on the larger for sale platform groups on Facebook. What makes it worse is that there are dealers selling inventories at MSRP, undercutting other dealers trying to flip for ADM profit, and they are getting wrecked by the internet lol.

Yes, location and demographic market may vary by state, but this is a niche company with a limited dealer network, so people are going to fly in or ship the car anyway, so it's not like it matters.
 
Dealers who tack on ADM are getting destroyed on the larger for sale platform groups on Facebook. What makes it worse is that there are dealers selling inventories at MSRP, undercutting other dealers trying to flip for ADM profit, and they are getting wrecked by the internet lol.

Yes, location and demographic market may vary by state, but this is a niche company with a limited dealer network, so people are going to fly in or ship the car anyway, so it's not like it matters.
Seeing how Lotus dealers aren't normally giving out loaner cars, what extra do you get buying a car (beyond patronage) locally?

As much as I want to keep my business local, I was never even offered an opportunity to put down a deposit with my local dealer. I've been a service customer for a decade too.
 
Seeing how Lotus dealers aren't normally giving out loaner cars, what extra do you get buying a car (beyond patronage) locally?
Nothing besides the convenience of having one nearby, allowing you to go there in person at your own leisure and visually look at what you're buying rather than through pictures.
 
This is simple...
if you own or have one coming the Emira prices are staying and going up.

if you are looking for one, the Emira prices are falling.

LOL
It's even simpler, look at Lotus price performance history in the US since the beginning of their resurgence in 2005 with the Elise. Prices have always dropped the second you drive the new car off the lot, and then only start to track back up roughly 10+ years later when the rest of the sports car world figures out these cars are actually a "thing".

Also, previous models always take an outsized hit when new models come out. Just look at what Evora GT's are trading for right now. By far the best Evora brought to the US, and the few for sale are just sitting.
 
It is always interesting to read these ADM / MSRP / discount money-talk threads on the various sports car forums and groups. It is a nice diversion from the performance and problems discussions. Every marque has pretty much the same hand wringing about what these toys are selling for. First is about too much, then later about too little.
 
Very true, but each manufacturer's context is different. You look at what Porsche dealers have been able to wring out of their GT cars from an ADM perspective, and it's clear that their demand is exponentially higher than others. And don't get me started on Ferrari where they all but spit at you when you walk through their doors if you haven't purchased at least a handful of cars from them. On the other extreme is McLaren. These cars sit, they are regularly heavily discounted and maintenance/repair work after warranty is essentially a money pit.

Long winded way of saying, there's always a reason as to why some marquees command a premium, while others don't. I truly believe Lotus puts out an incredible product, but the brand recognition is not there. Then, every time they get a win (i.e., they convert a Porsche or some other owner to Lotus), they all but destroy the experience via the dealership network. There are some dealers that are good, but most are average at best and don't realize that the "other Marquee" owner they just got, inherently has a higher bar that they hold the dealer to (because it's what they are use to).
 
81 - 100 of 224 Posts