[wallabyguy]

Ok Guys and Gals, heres the deal. Lotus is, despite the panic that seems to be spreading across the internet, is on time to be building Elise's for the US and they will behere arriving this summer. The allotments have been finalized and the cars
are being scheduled for production as I write. There will be a ramp up period, just as there is with every manufacturer. What will delay some deliveries is that just as the line will be reaching full speed, the factory stands down for summer break for two weeks.

The Elise is built via an "on time" method. This means that Lotus is able to reduce costs and increase efficiency by having the parts for the vehicles arrive just before assembly--just like other vehicle manufacturers. This means that right now, the only parts at the factory are for the Press Cars (which are
currently in production). When our cars hit the line, the parts will be there for them. Of all of the items that are required to build our cars, who really believes that the paint is going to hold them up?

Lotus has seen no reduction in demand by buyers. In fact, what has occurred is that some buyers have asked to be pushed back in line for personal reasons and others where not able to be contacted by their dealers in time for a particular
order batch. Those individuals shifted back and others shifted forward. Let us not forget that the first batch of orders were due right at the height of vacation season. The shifting of some buyers forward doesn't mean anyone is giving up on their car.

Here is the most important point. Lotus Cars USA is very, very busy. They are in the midst of a move and a major product launch. They are, along with the factory, making sure our cars are the highest quality, and the best Lotus built. So please use the chain of command and contact your dealer. If they don't have the answer have the Dealer contact Lotus Cars USA.

Now repeat after me oooooooosssssssssssssssaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

and breathe.........

 

[zvezdah1]

Robert,
Been tryin to get em to breathe for the last week, deaf ears so far!

Fortunately all the Esprits should be gone before the move which I think is after the dealer/press launch. Will make things a bit easier although I offered to ferry the cars over there one at a time

Chris

 

[jml1952]

What panic?? Just a reasonable debate about production rates and delivery times. Much like the reasonable debates in the past about engine, weight, etc.

Thanks for the info. Still sounds like a very slow initial production rate, but what can we do. Based on various reports, it seems that large dealers might be getting @100 cars per year, perhaps 30 of those by August/September.

What the hell is a press car?? Different from dealer demos??

 

[zvezdah1]

The press cars are the specific cars that are coming over for dealer/press launch, these will undoubtedly be the cars mags use for test report/articles. These will be LCU cars and not to be confused with the "dealer demo cars".

Chris

 

[ivan1]

Of all of the items that are required to build our cars, who really believes that the paint is going to hold them up?

I don't know - I saw it posted on the forum so it must be true, although I heard the source is unreliable

Seriously, though, thanks for the info. If we were getting reliable info at regular intervals it would make things a lot easier....

 

[Patricko]

Re: Re: Now everbody with me........ BREATHE!!!!!!!!!

I don't know - I saw it posted on the forum so it must be true, although I heard the source is unreliable

Seriously, though, thanks for the info. If we were getting reliable info at regular intervals it would make things a lot easier....

Ridge did not confirm the rumor that the lack of paint would be an issue so I don't believe it either

 

[wallabyguy]

There is a press event scheduled for later this month and the cars currently in production are specifically being built for that event. After that, I would guess the cars may make the rounds to dealers or may goto LCU for their use. I don't know for sure.

Assumption as far as rates of delivery are very bad. Yes the roll out will be slower than some expected. Assuming that cars will be shipped in batches of 10 is a bit premature. Rates will vary from dealer to dealer. Some will get 10 a month (not necessarily a shippment) and some will get 10 the entire summer. People need to call their dealers and ask them the questions.

I felt I needed to get to the bottom of things for myself and my own sanity. So I made the calls, sent the emails and the first post is what I can say. Everybody wants their car. I was hoping to get mine in time for my anniversary in May and maybe take a road trip. Well guess what, if I don't get my car until June or July, the good news is my birthday is in August and I can take that trip then. I've been waiting for this car just as long if not longer than most people on this list. I have the first customer car at PSSC. And I will take delivery when it gets there. The regulars on this site are not the problem. The problem are the idiots running around yelling the sky is falling and saying stupid unfounded garbage like "all the cars for the first 4 months will be yellow" that's driving me nuts.

LCU and Lotus Cars PLC are starting to get abused and I won't stand for it. They have bent over backwards for us repeatedly and have rarely gotten credit where credit is due. As has been mentioned before, lets see someone pick-up the phone and get the kind of response we have from another manufacturer. And the fact some people are getting pissed that Europe got their cars first should be shot. Last time I looked, Lotus is in Europe! Yes, our cars were announced first but how would you feel if the new 2005 Mustang was sold in Germany before Georgia? Besides, the 111R is not the Fed Elise, it has the 111S interior and doesn't have the Airbags and such that our car does. If it'll make everyone feel better, the good news is that any bugs with the mechanics of the car, and I'm not saying there are any, will be worked out long before we get ours.

 

[LarryB]

None of this really should be surprising or really make all that much difference. When I put a deposit down over a year ago talked to the old GM of my dealership. Was expecting a ramp up of a few months and he agreed. This should only affects cars 4~20. With as much shuffling around of those later in line moving up should make up for this 1-1.5 month "delay". Think it's a bit more wishful thinking on our part. Was hoping for July, expecting August now it may be Sept for my car. In the big picture a month or two doesn't matter much.

But I will be happy when we can move on to owning and driving our cars.

 

[ivan1]

The problem are the idiots running around yelling the sky is falling and saying stupid unfounded garbage like "all the cars for the first 4 months will be yellow" that's driving me nuts.
[/B]

I guess I should be honored to be the idiot you are referring to. My post about the paint was meant to be a joke, as I wrote in a subsequent post. The fact that it was not evident to everyone is either a reflection of my bad sense of humor or a sad commentary on our confidence with the process so far.


"I felt I needed to get to the bottom of things for myself and my own sanity. "
Please realize we are not all as connected as you are so try to understand our frustration

 

[wallabyguy]

Ivan,

I appologize for personally mentioning your post. It was, unfortunely, the one that came to mind that came up during my conversations with the powers-that-be. The problem is people are so freaked out that they are now running to the dealers and changing their color in hopes of getting their cars earlier. This is just out of hand. I will agree, more "offical" info would likely help the situation. But frankly, too many people forget that their dealer is their source for "offical information". They need to use the dealers and not the 1-800 lines to ask their questions. LCU and Lotus PLC are not the only ones hurt. The dealers are sick of hearing things first from the Elisetalk web site and their buyers. Some of this is their own fault for not taking the car and the buyers seriously. In the end, they need to be our first source of info esspecially when it comes to delivery of our cars. They know when they are getting cars. We need to ask them not LCU.

 

[ivan1]

hey - I'll get over it.... I didn't realize I had so much influence

 

[Steve W]

My problem with all of this is that it is so very easy to fix. A press release on either the US or UK official website stating their plans at the moment and that they are subject to change is all thats needed.

As for saying the Dealers should be the source of information, well that might work if they had info we could trust. Unfortunately, because in the past the web has been the place to get the info, people still go to it first.

So lotus, press statement please.

 

[Derek]

Ok Guys and Gals, heres the deal. Lotus is, despite the panic that seems to be spreading across the internet, is on time to be building Elise's for the US and they will behere arriving this summer. The allotments have been finalized and the cars
are being scheduled for production as I write. There will be a ramp up period, just as there is with every manufacturer. What will delay some deliveries is that just as the line will be reaching full speed, the factory stands down for summer break for two weeks.

The Elise is built via an "on time" method. This means that Lotus is able to reduce costs and increase efficiency by having the parts for the vehicles arrive just before assembly--just like other vehicle manufacturers. This means that right now, the only parts at the factory are for the Press Cars (which are
currently in production). When our cars hit the line, the parts will be there for them. Of all of the items that are required to build our cars, who really believes that the paint is going to hold them up?

Lotus has seen no reduction in demand by buyers. In fact, what has occurred is that some buyers have asked to be pushed back in line for personal reasons and others where not able to be contacted by their dealers in time for a particular
order batch. Those individuals shifted back and others shifted forward. Let us not forget that the first batch of orders were due right at the height of vacation season. The shifting of some buyers forward doesn't mean anyone is giving up on their car.

Here is the most important point. Lotus Cars USA is very, very busy. They are in the midst of a move and a major product launch. They are, along with the factory, making sure our cars are the highest quality, and the best Lotus built. So please use the chain of command and contact your dealer. If they don't have the answer have the Dealer contact Lotus Cars USA.

Now repeat after me oooooooosssssssssssssssaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

and breathe.........

The information I posted is 100% accurate. It's interesting that you're telling others not to call LCUSA when that is exactly what you did (against your own advise... Breath... Breath). Hmmm… I guess you didn't believe my post and wanted to verify it for you own peace of mind, even though I have well over 600 post to my credit and have never posted anything stating it is official unless it was verifiable.

ASK YOUR DEALER - The reason so many here don't ask their dealer is because many dealers don't know the answers to the questions they pose. Take allocation for example, some salesmen at the dealerships are claiming ridiculous numbers and dates. Try asking a dealer about LSD People just want a straight answer.

RIGHT TO CALL - I am a customer. When spending in excess of $50k for a product you can bet you a$$ I'm gonna call if I have questions. Just like you did. If Lotus is having trouble answering the calls there are solutions. They have a website that could easily be updated with news bulletins and projections on delivery schedule, delays and new options. Lotus Admin could be canned (can I get a Amen on this one brothers and sisters) and someone more industrious hired.

This is all part of something called sales relations. Sorry for the trouble that Lotus may be having but if they want to play here they had better get with the program.

 

[tidalwdave]

None of this is news to me. This is the same info I got from Dimmitt awhile back.

Thanks for checking with Lotus though. Gives me even more faith that my dealership has been straight up with everything they've said thus far. I've had no reason to doubt them yet.

 

[MikeAR303]

how would you feel if the new 2005 Mustang was sold in Germany before Georgia?

Come on now, what German in their right mind would buy one of those things?

I think it's a good thing that they're selling the 111R in Europe before they sell us our cars. Gives them a little time to work out any bugs that come up with the engine and gives them more money to develop future cars.

 

[jml1952]

I guess I should be honored to be the idiot you are referring to. My post about the paint was meant to be a joke, as I wrote in a subsequent post. The fact that it was not evident to everyone is either a reflection of my bad sense of humor or a sad commentary on our confidence with the process so far.


"I felt I needed to get to the bottom of things for myself and my own sanity. "
Please realize we are not all as connected as you are so try to understand our frustration

Well that's a relief. I thought he was talking about me!

No offense, but relying upon the dealers as our source of information has been a joke over the past 12 months, given that Lotus has kept them in the dark. So it's rather hard to believe that we now should trust dealer info as gospel truth. Worth a try, I suppose.

 

[ivan1]

Well that's a relief. I thought he was talking about me!

Well technically he did say IDIOTS, so there may be more than one of us

I am afraid now that Lotus will be adding extra orange to my saffron paint.....

 

[zvezdah1]

You guys have got to remember, Lotus USA is still a tiny company with only 9 or 10 people. Perhaps they can work better on communication but this is the first time in many years they've had a car people are literally fighting to get. Give them some time, sure their are lots of unknowns out there, unfortunately a lot of the misinformation comes from all the different forums.

The car has not even officially been launched, trust me, after the press launch many mags will be publishing lots of info on these cars.

As to the allocation (in beating dead horse mode again) LCU Shouldn't discuss number of cars going to dealers EXCEPT WITH THAT PARTICULAR DEALER, same as what the car costs the dealers from Lotus, that's confidential information that should be disseminated by the dealers, not LCU.

And Derek, (not singling you out by any means ) but a good example. How many car companies can you call and get to talk to the guy who's helping to set up the whole deal, ie - Clyde, sales director and get the word from the horses mouth. Call Porsche NA and see how far you get, let me know in two or three weeks when you finally here from someone's asst. In talking with Clyde and seeing some of his posts about the elise, you can see just how passionate he is about the car, something that's quite refreshing I think.

As to responsiveness. What are the chances of getting Porsche or another car company to add colors to the range, work on developing LSD etc, like Lotus has done. Porsche would probably have to form a committee and hire consultants. To have the kind of responsiveness to these requests that LCU has means a trade off with having a huge PR and support network.

I feel much better now.

Chris

 

[Derek]

You guys have got to remember, Lotus USA is still a tiny company with only 9 or 10 people. Perhaps they can work better on communication but this is the first time in many years they've had a car people are literally fighting to get. Give them some time, sure their are lots of unknowns out there, unfortunately a lot of the misinformation comes from all the different forums.

The car has not even officially been launched, trust me, after the press launch many mags will be publishing lots of info on these cars.

As to the allocation (in beating dead horse mode again) LCU Shouldn't discuss number of cars going to dealers EXCEPT WITH THAT PARTICULAR DEALER, same as what the car costs the dealers from Lotus, that's confidential information that should be disseminated by the dealers, not LCU.

And Derek, (not singling you out by any means ) but a good example. How many car companies can you call and get to talk to the guy who's helping to set up the whole deal, ie - Clyde, sales director and get the word from the horses mouth. Call Porsche NA and see how far you get, let me know in two or three weeks when you finally here from someone's asst. In talking with Clyde and seeing some of his posts about the elise, you can see just how passionate he is about the car, something that's quite refreshing I think.

As to responsiveness. What are the chances of getting Porsche or another car company to add colors to the range, work on developing LSD etc, like Lotus has done. Porsche would probably have to form a committee and hire consultants. To have the kind of responsiveness to these requests that LCU has means a trade off with having a huge PR and support network.

I feel much better now.

Chris

Actually I would bet when dealing with smaller companies it would not be too hard to ge someone on the phone that had good information. Not that I don't think Lotus has been very responsive... They have been great (apart from the no Type-25 thing ). However there is room for improvement and if they want to move into the US market and expand their business things will need to change.

 

[hermanslotus]

LCU and Lotus Cars PLC are starting to get abused and I won't stand for it. They have bent over backwards for us repeatedly and have rarely gotten credit where credit is due. As has been mentioned before, lets see someone pick-up the phone and get the kind of response we have from another manufacturer. And the fact some people are getting pissed that Europe got their cars first should be shot. Last time I looked, Lotus is in Europe! Yes, our cars were announced first but how would you feel if the new 2005 Mustang was sold in Germany before Georgia? Besides, the 111R is not the Fed Elise, it has the 111S interior and doesn't have the Airbags and such that our car does. If it'll make everyone feel better, the good news is that any bugs with the mechanics of the car, and I'm not saying there are any, will be worked out long before we get ours.

Nice post,

My partner John and I took delivery of the very first 111R in Australia on January 28,2004. I am certain we are in the top 5 customers of the world to get a Toyota powered Elise in private hands .I knew that Europe and Australia were getting the Toyota Elise way before the US, as fare back as November of last year. What did you guys expect?? After all the car is made in England Not the USA. Plus, they have been selling Elise's in those countries since 1997. I mean what did you really expect? They have never sold a road going Elise in the US until this year. I knew they were never going to have it in the US before Europe or Australia, that is life. We should all be happy and thank Lotus Cars USA that we are even getting it all.

The main reason why we were able to get this car is because my partner John worked for Lotus Cars Australia since 1987 and he is very well contected with Lotus Cars Australia and the factory in England. It's safe to say he knows the right people in the right places.
We have had our new 111R since January and yes it is a little different than the Federal car, but only by a small margin. We have had it on several race tracks, roads, highways, and on our chassis dyno. We are in the middle of developing some very nice parts for this car. The people that are working on this project have at least 10 years or more Lotus experience and know the Elise very well. If you want to see more of our car and whats in store please visit our web site below. Sorry, I know shameless plug.
In the meantime thanks to Lotus for bringing the Elise to the US and I don't care when it gets here, as long as it gets here!!!!

Best Wishes,
Mitch