[huggy bear]

Taking into consideration today's price increase and past experiences with Lotus, would you recommend them to your friends?

 

[MattG]

That's a tough question to answer; I don't think it's clear.

Can I say Lotus is a good company to buy a car from? I'd have a hard time saying yes to that.

Can I say the Elise is the best street car in the US? Yes, I can (though it's an uninformed answer I admit, I still haven't driven a Lamborghini or Ferrari yet).

The thing is, whether or not I can recommend Lotus to someone will depend on who that person is and what I think they are looking for. As discussed elsewhere on this message board, if one is looking for a Lexus-like ownership experience, Lotus isn't a good choice. If one is looking for a fantastic handling sports car at a reasonable price, Lotus is a great choice. It really all depends.

 

[huggy bear]

I know it's kind of a difficult because this car isn't for everyone and they really only have one model to sell right now. So I guess what I mean is "Would you recommend Lotus to someone who is looking for a sport car based upon your experience so far?" To make it anymore specific would be saying would you recommend an Elise to your friend. "In other words do the pluses outweigh the minuses enough for you to recommend to a friend?" the question isn't about the car exclusively but also the whole experience thus far (waiting, price, car, options, communication etc.)

 

[Gromit]

The question is, of those who voted 'no', how many actually mean it ? By 'mean it'; aren't buying the car because of the raise (zoomz doesn't count ).

If you say 'no', and go ahead and buy the car, well - "I don't recommend getting a Lotus, but you gotta get an Elise" - sounds pretty dumb.

 

[Patricko]

You are all a bunch of girls

We have always known that Lotus is an idiot savant.

They produce great cars that no reasonable company would ever contemplate making and for this all they get is bitching and moaning.

Get a grip:no:

This is a great car and no other company in the world is offering you anything comparable.

If they need another $2M per year to keep the doors open then so be it.

Under the stewardship of Arine the great they turned over about $7M last year, this year they should do about $100M

That is huge growing pains and a big problem...when you take the dollar slider in to account an even bigger problem!

Give them a break and if that is too much of a problem please ask for your deposit back:evil: :evil:

 

[Dan]

Lotus Engineering? Yes.

 

[Patricko]

Lotus Engineering? Yes.

And your point is

 

[huggy bear]

You are all a bunch of girls

We have always known that Lotus is an idiot savant.

They produce great cars that no reasonable company would ever contemplate making and for this all they get is bitching and moaning.

Get a grip:no:

This is a great car and no other company in the world is offering you anything comparable.

If they need another $2M per year to keep the doors open then so be it.

Under the stewardship of Arine the great they turned over about $7M last year, this year they should do about $100M

That is huge growing pains and a big problem...when you take the dollar slider in to account an even bigger problem!

Give them a break and if that is too much of a problem please ask for your deposit back:evil: :evil:

Maybe you are use to taking it up the ass but I'm not so I'll bitch and moan as much as I want.

If Lotus is on the brink of extinction because of 2 million dollars per anum then I say hurry up and die because there is more wrong with this company than just a sliding dollar. Grip on to that!

 

[Patricko]

Maybe you are use to taking it up the ass but I'm not so I'll bitch and moan as much as I want.

If Lotus is on the brink of extinction because of 2 million dollars per anum then I say hurry up and die because there is more wrong with this company than just a sliding dollar. Grip on to that!

Rowan,

We don't all have McLaren F1s to play with in our spare time

Lotus is a tiny company and $2M is a huge amount of money to them...is this news to you

 

[Gromit]

Comical

Over 66% of people here are going to show their disgust in Lotus by buying one of their cars and driving around in it with a giant grin

Or is there going to be an overwhelming number of depressed Elise drivers ?

rotfl

 

[xxxotic]

Comical

Over 66% of people here are going to show their disgust in Lotus by buying one of their cars and driving around in it with a giant grin

Or is there going to be an overwhelming number of depressed Elise drivers ?

rotfl

I think a lot of people in the higher numbers are going to say forget it and get their deposits back, or wait and see what the price is when it is time to order and see how Lotus ranks in satisifying their existing customers and then make their decision regarding if they want to purchase the car or not.

My Opinion:

Lotus Cars UK and Engineering are great. Best handling cars in the world.

Their management, accounting, communication, and financial planning is poor at the present time, and dealership ratings vary from place to place.

We cant comment on servicing or warranty items yet since there isnt enough info to make an informed decision, but I believe they are reallly trying hard.

I'm just upset about the price increase. I feel like a newlywed husband who has just found right before the wedding that his wife slept with his best man the night before. My anticipated happiness has been replaced with shock and disappointment.

 

[zvezdah1]

All the business issues beside, Lotus still has brought one of the most exciting cars to the US in many years, wouldn't hesitate to recommend the car to an enthusiast.

Chris
Trying to remove his Lotus Cheeerleader cap for a moment, won't come off!

 

[Stan]

I'm astonished how good the car is...I agree with what the reviewers have noted about it. I also think it is underpriced for what it is and compared to it's price in other parts of the world. Maybe some folks had to really stretch to buy one and are concerned about paying for it, insuring it and so forth. It costs way less than many cars it dramatically outperforms in exclusivity, magazine test numbers, and the pure driving experience and feel.

 

[bboersma]

"I think a lot of people in the higher numbers are going to say forget it and get their deposits back, or wait and see what the price is when it is time to order and see how Lotus ranks in satisifying their existing customers and then make their decision regarding if they want to purchase the car or not."

BINGO, this is my plan and I assume many others on the tail end of the list. If the car is holding value/demand I will still order but if values have deteriorated at all I will hold out another year and pick up a dissatisfied elisetalker's car in '06!

I think Lotus is taking a risk, the market is not that large for this type of car at this price point and if things go South it could get ugly. I also think the C6 is going to be a huge success and may draw in some Elise fans (especially if there is another MSRP increase in the next 6 months)

As for EBAYers I am surprised that none of the $50k auctions have seen any action, to me that implies a $5k premium is about the most the market will bear.

 

[Vangman]

Am I getting this car no matter what? Yes - as long as my final cost comes in under 50K.
Did I vote no above? - Yes and here's why:

How can I recommend a car company (a dynomite engineering company) when as a customer I feel completely alienated by their business practices. Cases in point:
1) Delays happen. It is a part of the manufactoring world. BUt was there clear communication to customers why there was a delay? NO.
2) In an age of instant communication, cell phones, blackberries and the internet, why is it taking so long to get the Lotus database up? It wasn't like they decided to bring this car to the US in January and they had no network of dealerships set up. This is a company that has sold cars in this country for many years. This database should have been setup ahead of time. There is a ton of software out there that makes this setup a no brainer.
3) Clearly defined expectations. We're still speculating on what each dealership is expecting to get per month. Why? Why is it so hard to comminucate (see item 2).
4) If Lotus is reading the posts on EliseTalk and Puresportscar then why aren't they responding to these posts? If they are, I haven't seen that. Randy could give them they're own section and replies could be limited by some factor. At least we would feel like we're a part of something, instead getting screwed by it.
5) Everything revolves around communication. Hell, we got more informatin out of the KGB than we're gettting out of Lotus. Communication is a business necessity and a pleasant after thought. More than half of my ill feelings would have been removed had Lotus and it's dealerships just told me the facts, upfront, without hesitation.


Finally, I am not buying the Elise to support Lotus. I'm buying the Elise for my personal satisfaction and to complete a promise I made to myself many years ago. If the Vauxhall 220 was coming instead, I'd get that. There is a "right" way and a "wrong" way to do business and treat customers. So far, my experience with Lotus and it's dealerships (except for Mark Starr - who Lotus should model their business plan after) has been less than satisfactory. And Lotus has now become the poster child of how to do it all wrong. Did they not learn from the Elan? There is no excuse. All this crap about small company, misplanning, etc. is BS. This is 2004 and the sales, ecomonic and demograhpic information is out there. You have to do more that just read it, you have to implement in a successful manner. Not stuff it down people' throats.

 

[Gromit]

So, you want the car. You feel that it's definately worth the extra $945. But yet, you don't think Lotus deserves the money because all they did was build this fantastic car.

You're not buying the car to support Lotus, even though you're giving them money (as you would if the VX was here).

HA! You show them! That reverse psychology stuff is a sure thing!

 

[babak]

As for EBAYers I am surprised that none of the $50k auctions have seen any action, to me that implies a $5k premium is about the most the market will bear.

That 'premium' is very shortlived if it has any life at all. I'd be surprised if the bottom doesn't fall out of the secondary market soon. We've said time and again that this is a poor bling car due to its hardcore constrictions. Many watch the ebay market but how many keep popping back up after conclusion?

 

[Stan]

Guys you have to drive a car like this for awhile to appreciate it. I drove a Lotus Europa for years and understand the benefits of a properly designed small, light weight sports car.

Anyone who thinks oh well i'll pick up a C6 doesn't get it. The most unique and rewarding aspects of an Elise don't show up on a spec sheet or test report. They are sensed by the enthusiastic driver.

 

[Patricko]

Anyone who thinks oh well i'll pick up a C6 doesn't get it. The most unique and rewarding aspects of an Elise don't show up on a spec sheet or test report. They are sensed by the enthusiastic driver.

Stan gets it:clap:

 

[Vangman]

Gromit,

My point is not so much the money. It's the friggin communication. Talk to me. My dealer has only called me when he's wanted money from me. Never has he picked up the phone to give me the latest news. If Lotus needs an extra grand then they should have had all the dealers call all their customers and alert them. Is that too much to ask? Why is it I have to learn everything about my car thru this forum and not the dealership? Why? Stuff happens, economies change, this is life. But if you communicate this sh!t to your customers it allows them to make resonable decisions based on fact. So far, most information has started out as rumor first, negative confirmation second. That's why this increase has pissed me off.

Am I backasswards for still getting this car, maybe. But there is a limited number coming in and I want it. Does it still help Lotus? Yes. However, there are a number of countries and companies that I'm not crazy about but in this global community I would be reduced to buying NOTHING in order to ensure that I didn't send money to them. Right now I'm using a microsoft powered computer with Chinese part and Indian support. What can I do? All I can do is make myself happy and pick my fights where I can.

BUT I CAN AT LEAST COMMUNICATE. CAN LOTUS? Appearently not.