[Cale]

Latest from my dealer....

Spoke to my dealer yesterday, and he stated that (1) my Elise (in the first ten) ordered with the Sport Package and hard top will come with the touring package. All early models will have the touring package.

(2) LSD will not be offered on this year's model. According to the person that my dealer spoke with at LCUSA, (paraphrased) "The Elise stays so well planted on the road that LSD is only needed in slippery (e.g. snowy) conditions. We do not know if we will ever offer LSD on the Elise".

Any similar experiences or thoughts?

 

[huggy bear]

1) Who is your dealer?
2) So you are saying that even though you (or anyone else in the USA) that already orderd their car and didn't order the Touring Package will receive it anyway? So in essence they are forced to buy the package or if they don't want pruchase the car with the package they can forgo their spot and give it to the next guy in line?
3) What do you mean exactly by "all early models will have Touring Package"? The fist 10, 20, 30 40 ... 100 in the USA?
4) Do you think your dealer just ignored your/others orders and just ordered the Touring Package for their first 10 cars regardless of owners' wishes to make more profit and then now are trying to sell you more than you want?
5) Am I the only one who is very suspcious of the dealers?
6) Could you please provide you SSN, Passport, and DL and a DNA sample so that we can verify who you are and if you have already ordered. j/k

 

[roadrunner]

For what it's worth...

...my cynical leaning is towards #4 above (unless everyone else is being told the same thing, which doesn't seem to be the case).

 

[Cale]

I just called my dealer and Roadrunner was right. The dealer ordered all of the first 10 "loaded". They did not call anyone to confirm this. But if I wanted to, I could change mine back to just the sports package. Wow! I cannot belive that they would be so bold. Take it or leave it I guess. So if you are on the list at Maplecrest in NJ, better talk to Tom if you want to delete either the sports or touring package.

Sorry that I imlpied that LCUSA was part of this. When he said "they" yesterday, I asumed that this came down from Lotus. He just confrimed "they" are the management at Maplecrest. I'll bet there are going to be a lot of people pissed about this one if they don't read this thread.

 

[Randy Chase]

Re: LSD.

The dealers kare only going on much more limited information (and most likely out of date) than we have. I would not put too much stock in that.

 

[huggy bear]

I just called my dealer and Roadrunner was right. The dealer ordered all of the first 10 "loaded". They did not call anyone to confirm this. But if I wanted to, I could change mine back to just the sports package. Wow! I cannot belive that they would be so bold. Take it or leave it I guess. So if you are on the list at Maplecrest in NJ, better talk to Tom if you want to delete either the sports or touring package.

Sorry that I imlpied that LCUSA was part of this. When he said "they" yesterday, I asumed that this came down from Lotus. He just confrimed "they" are the management at Maplecrest. I'll bet there are going to be a lot of people pissed about this one if they don't read this thread.

It's good that you posted this so that others on the list at Maplecrest can are aware.

Randy,

Do you think this could warrant changing the title of the thread to mention something about the Maplecrest top 10 orders to alert potential customers of ordering "mishaps" and liberties taken?

 

[OneFastLotus]

Doesnt seem to smart sticking everyone with LSS etc....in fact none of it makes sense to me.


Not to rub salt in wounds but all I can say when I read these threads is THANK GOD for Lotus of Atlanta.

 

[xxxotic]

LSS on Elises in NJ land of a million potholes

Fasten your seat belts- It's going to be a bumpy ride

 

[hermanslotus]

I'm from NJ and I am now glad I did not go to Maplecrest up in Summit, NJ.

My dealer Huntingridge Motors ordered the car the way I wanted it, not the way they wanted it. Isn't that the way it should be, just like the old Burger King Ad " Have it your way"

Sorry to hear this disturbing info

Best Wishes,
Mitch

 

[Derek]

Re: Latest from my dealer....

Spoke to my dealer yesterday, and he stated that (1) my Elise (in the first ten) ordered with the Sport Package and hard top will come with the touring package. All early models will have the touring package.

(2) LSD will not be offered on this year's model. According to the person that my dealer spoke with at LCUSA, (paraphrased) "The Elise stays so well planted on the road that LSD is only needed in slippery (e.g. snowy) conditions. We do not know if we will ever offer LSD on the Elise".

Any similar experiences or thoughts?

As I have posted here before, my dealer went out of his way to dispell the LSD rumour. He said it would definitely not be offered on the 2005 Elise and would most likely never be offered in the USA. The information that has been previously posted about LSD being offered on the US Elise is false.

Please don't take my word for it, call your dealer or better still LCUSA if your dealer is not very knowledgeable. They will confirm what I have been told.

 

[hermanslotus]

Re: Re: Latest from my dealer....

As I have posted here before, my dealer went out of his way to dispell the LSD rumour. He said it would definitely not be offered on the 2005 Elise and would most likely never be offered in the USA. The information that has been previously posted about LSD being offered on the US Elise is false.

Please don't take my word for it, call your dealer or better still LCUSA if your dealer is not very knowledgeable. They will confirm what I have been told.

Derek,

I heard the exact same regarding LSD.

Best Wishes,
Mitch

 

[Randy Chase]

Re: Re: Latest from my dealer....

As I have posted here before, my dealer went out of his way to dispell the LSD rumour. He said it would definitely not be offered on the 2005 Elise and would most likely never be offered in the USA. The information that has been previously posted about LSD being offered on the US Elise is false.

Please don't take my word for it, call your dealer or better still LCUSA if your dealer is not very knowledgeable. They will confirm what I have been told.

And as I have posted, the dealers are wrong and as seen in almost everything else that has been posted here, they are often out of the loop.

Let's take a theoretical scenario. Suppose Lotus said early on that LSD is not needed in the cars and would not be offered period. In fact, that is not supposition, that is what they said. I personally was told that.

Okay, so let's assume that this was relayed to the dealers..or somehow the dealers learned this. Fine.

Not, what if a couple of decision makers at Lotus reconsidered this stance, based on information from SCCA and a few people in the know? What if those people at Hethel decided to do some more investigation on LSDs and made that decision in the last month.

Let's suppose that they were investigating various types of LSDs and things like cost. And let's suppose that they think they can make this happen sometime this year, but it's not going to be on the first cars.

WHY WOULD THEY TELL THE DEALERS??? And if they have not bothered to let the dealers in on their development process and the fact that sometime this year there WILL be an LSD... why would you expect the dealers to be telling you anything different from what they know?

To make this clearer... when Hethel agreed to offer Chrome Orange based on the requests of the COM, did they tell all the dealers right away? No... and if you had called your dealer and said "I want Chrome Orange"... the answer would be, "it's not being offered!"

BUT IT IS....

I hope that is clear enough. I really have no problem with speculation. But this is based on some real data, some of which I am not at liberty to discuss any more than general theories and possibilities. But I can say, we should be getting an optional LSD that can be put into the 2005 Elise. At some time.

 

[huggy bear]

How does a Maplecrest thread about ordering irregularties get bastardized and thread-jacked into something about LSD that was IMHO already resolved? Thanks Derek

 

[Derek]

How does a Maplecrest thread about ordering irregularties get bastardized and thread-jacked into something about LSD that was IMHO already resolved? Thanks Derek

Can you read? Cale's point (2) mentions LSD not being available.
You clearly have it out for me, why don't you just chill.

 

[Derek]

Re: Re: Re: Latest from my dealer....

And as I have posted, the dealers are wrong and as seen in almost everything else that has been posted here, they are often out of the loop.

Let's take a theoretical scenario. Suppose Lotus said early on that LSD is not needed in the cars and would not be offered period. In fact, that is not supposition, that is what they said. I personally was told that.

Okay, so let's assume that this was relayed to the dealers..or somehow the dealers learned this. Fine.

Not, what if a couple of decision makers at Lotus reconsidered this stance, based on information from SCCA and a few people in the know? What if those people at Hethel decided to do some more investigation on LSDs and made that decision in the last month.

Let's suppose that they were investigating various types of LSDs and things like cost. And let's suppose that they think they can make this happen sometime this year, but it's not going to be on the first cars.

WHY WOULD THEY TELL THE DEALERS??? And if they have not bothered to let the dealers in on their development process and the fact that sometime this year there WILL be an LSD... why would you expect the dealers to be telling you anything different from what they know?

To make this clearer... when Hethel agreed to offer Chrome Orange based on the requests of the COM, did they tell all the dealers right away? No... and if you had called your dealer and said "I want Chrome Orange"... the answer would be, "it's not being offered!"

BUT IT IS....

I hope that is clear enough. I really have no problem with speculation. But this is based on some real data, some of which I am not at liberty to discuss any more than general theories and possibilities. But I can say, we should be getting an optional LSD that can be put into the 2005 Elise. At some time.

Randy,

I never mentioned LSD to my dealer. He mentioned it to me and he said he wanted to make the point to dispel the rumor. He will get the US show car this week and has been in contact with LCUSA. So I think it is OK to believe what he is telling me.

Anything is possible, but I have heard zero news from any official sources at Lotus to confirm LSD as an option. The only thing I've seen is a post form someone going by BTC and that news was his very first post. I will believe it when I see confirmation from Lotus.

 

[Randy Chase]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Latest from my dealer....

Randy,

I never mentioned LSD to my dealer. He mentioned it to me and he said he wanted to make the point to dispel the rumor. He will get the US show car this week and has been in contact with LCUSA. So I think it is OK to believe what he is telling me.

Anything is possible, but I have heard zero news from any official sources at Lotus to confirm LSD as an option. The only thing I've seen is a post form someone going by BTC and that news was his very first post. I will believe it when I see confirmation from Lotus.

Fine. I have closer sources than that, but that is all I can say.

 

[huggy bear]

Can you read? Cale's point (2) mentions LSD not being available.
You clearly have it out for me, why don't you just chill.

Didn't mean to jump on you, but IMO I believe the LSD option is done with and pretty much a ALMOST certain thing. I don't have it out for you. My appolgies. I can read but comprension has been difficult since the accident. LOL

 

[Derek]

Didn't mean to jump on you, but IMO I believe the LSD option is done with and pretty much a ALMOST certain thing. I don't have it out for you. My appolgies. I can read but comprension has been difficult since the accident. LOL

Huggy, No problem... Powering down phase canons

 

[hermanslotus]

Regarding the LSD issue, I have also heard from the dealer and other sources that it won't be available in the US this year, but like everything else in life that could change. Only time will tell what is going to happen. I am just gonna sit back and pray for car to arrive this summer.

Best Wishes,
Mitch

 

[europa73]

I don't think its only the top 10 at Maplecrest...I'm #15 and the car will "automatically" be loaded. I don't mind, I wanted everything anyway. But EVERYONE on the list at Maplecrest better look into it. From what I understood, all the cars (50 or so) would come loaded.