A&Q about Lotus
Q:
They should personally send their Hethel installers over with the parts and tools necessary to retrofit my car over the weekend.
xtn
PS - They should also bring a copy of the Exige Cup's ECU flash, injectors, etc.
A:
Originally Posted by SIIK2NR
There litterally hundreds of post.....begging Lotus to come with a SC version and now that they finally produced a US market version, owners are upset?
The dealers doing what they do best...that's sell cars. As a consumer....it's your/my responsibility to know the car as good if not better than the person who is selling me the car.
Getting the car you really want is a patience game and eventually you have to pull the trigger and make the purchase.
What's upsetting is that both dealers and Lotus kept repeating that it wasn't coming. At all.
As for the dealers, everyone I've dealt with has been really nice and I don't believe that they knew it was coming. Maybe I'm naive.
But what would have happened had Lotus announced that it was coming over?
Some would have waited and not bought. That's true.
But why?
You mean for the price difference it was more value to the buyer to pay more and get the S instead of the N/A?
Wow, what a concept.
So see, that really is just misleading people. It's more passive, witholding the info.
You mean if Lotus was to tell people in advance and they thought the S was a better value, does that mean all these people are just crazy? Or is it a better value?
Would the N/A prices go down? Would the S prices go up? Would Lotus have stepped in to support the N/A owners with an upgrade package?
We'll never know because someone made a decision to not be upfront about it and not say anything.
As for those telling the sad, sad story about how small Lotus is and how they need to sell alot, let me tell you, nothing erodes the opinion of a company or product than to knowingly decieve people.
The reality is that a small company like Lotus needs people that love their car. That love the experience of driving it. That love the experience of owning it.
A:
Originally Posted by Donbecker
The reality is that a small company like Lotus needs people that love their car. That love the experience of driving it. That love the experience of owning it.
I think you're 100% right. I was warned about Lotus before I bought one. Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious. Poor resale, etc. I dismissed it because this was a new Lotus with a Japanese engine. It wasn't like all of the old Lotus cars that apparently had issues. I'd never owned a Lotus before & I gave them a chance. I continued to give them a chance even after being stranded in a shopping center parking lot until 2am with a bad throttle body on a car with about 300 miles on it. I was willing to overlook a lot just because I liked the car.
Lotus' strength is that it appeals to a specific kind of car enthusiast.
1) You must like sports cars.
2) You must like small sports cars.
3) You must like small sports cars & be okay with not having huge bhp.
4) You " ... " and you must be willing to stray from BMW and Porsche, etc.
5) You " ...... " and be willing to overlook all that you've heard before.
Once they find that narrowly defined customer who actually has the money to buy a Lotus - they better KEEP THEIR CUSTOMERS.
The market is so small for these cars that Lotus really can't afford to piss off it's buyers. And guess what? They're doing just that.
I don't see great things for the future of Lotus. BMW and VWAG have already seen the appeal for lightweight cars that would excel on the track. Within a few years (less than 5) you'll see cars like the BMW Z2 (very light & smaller than a Z4) and VWAG is supposedly coming with a Bugatti-badged car that will be small and light and will have some real power. Both will be priced comparable to, or less than, the Lotus cars.
Lotus should be careful. If their main appeal is sexy styling and light weight -- others will come and eat their lunch! Most people I know who are not hair-shirt wearing Anglophiles would just assume have a small & light sports car with German build quality, more power, and an established and customer-oriented dealer network.
Until then, Lotus would be well-advised to make all the money they can. The prosperity could be short-lived.
A:
I wonder if the Exige S buyers are going to feel screwed when the 08's come here with 250 hp...
I'm puzzled by folks who feel mightily screwed even when they say they put almost no miles on their current Exige or Elise, do not now and have little or no intention of tracking or competing with the car. Why want to pay extra for performance that one has no intention of using?
A:
Originally Posted by kyohan03
I'm puzzled by folks who feel mightily screwed even when they say they put almost no miles on their current Exige or Elise, do not now and have little or no intention of tracking or competing with the car. Why want to pay extra for performance that one has no intention of using?
You're side stepping the issue. It's really simple. It's deception.
It doesn't matter if someone bought one and tracked the hell out of it, or put it on a flatbed, pushed it into the garage and put it in a bubble.
A:
Originally Posted by Exigent
German build quality...
Until then, Lotus would be well-advised to make all the money they can. The prosperity could be short-lived.
This Volkswagen owner says they can keep the German build quality.
Weren't you just complaining about Lotus trying to make all the money that can before suggesting they do just that?
A:
Originally Posted by Donbecker
You're side stepping the issue. It's really simple. It's deception.
It doesn't matter if someone bought one and tracked the hell out of it, or put it on a flatbed, pushed it into the garage and put it in a bubble.
Not side stepping the issue at all. Just making an observation about human nature when it comes to something like this.
Deception? You give Lotus way too much credit. They don't have a history of this kind of conspiracy. They're not that clever when it comes to marketing their products. No, it's more likely that they couldn't make the S thing happen until the very last minute, and up until recently THEY probably didn't believe it could happen.
A:
Originally Posted by solar
Weren't you just complaining about Lotus trying to make all the money that can before suggesting they do just that?
Yeah - Lotus is pursuing a lousy business practice and is very short-sighted. But given what the future probably holds for Lotus anyway, they better make their money now and then start saving their pennies.
It doesn't particularly matter to me anymore what Lotus does. I have my car. I may keep it. I may sell it. But I don't see myself buying another as an upgrade or as a replacement. That decision is not based on any anger - it's just that I don't see a need for another car like this one & if I were looking a GT car, I'd probably consider another marque.
A:
Originally Posted by kyohan03
Not side stepping the issue at all. Just making an observation about human nature when it comes to something like this.
Deception? You give Lotus way too much credit. They don't have a history of this kind of conspiracy. They're not that clever when it comes to marketing their products. No, it's more likely that they couldn't make the S thing happen until the very last minute, and up until recently THEY probably didn't believe it could happen.
They themselves didn't know until very recently? That's just plain wrong.
Lotus dealers have Exige S car on the way & scheduled for delivery in the next month or so. So Lotus knew at least a few months ago and chose to say nothing. The dealers also said nothing.
I bought my Exige back in February - the very same week that the first talk of an Exige S even surfaced. Back then, I would agree that no one knew for sure if it would ever make it to the U.S. However, those who bought more recently could have and should have been better informed if Lotus had been forthcoming with their information. I understand why they didn't tell, but I think the practice sucks.
It is possible to tell a lie by omission of information.
A:
Sorry, but I don't think that it was a last minute thing.
How long do you think it would take the paperwork to go thru?
How efficient is our government at processing paperwork?
Ever been to the BMV/DMV?
A:
The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'
"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'
"So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
A:
I feel the same way. My Exige rocks just as hard as it did when I test drove it and bought it. The fact that there is an improved version out there doesn't change that decision. And while the extra juice would be great at the track, I am already getting myself into some seriously high speeds on my favorite sections of road. The supercharger would be real trouble.
A:
If any representative of Lotus is reading this I think it should be clear that many current Exige owners feel that they've been deceived. There is however a simple solution to this that would be very beneficial for both sides. Offer current Exige owners a Lotus made, dealer installed, and fully warranteed supercharger for the difference in MSRP (~$6,000). This would keep the market from being flooded with Exiges, turn current owners into even happier customers, and be fantastic PR for Lotus as a brand that takes it's reputation seriously. All of these things would ultimately put money into your pockets. I hope that in the end you will do what is right to keep your customers happy.
~Evan
A:
If they took their reputation that seriously, they would have never sold the Europa S, mind you.
A:
I saw this and just had to post it in this thread...
A:
Still don't get it, why do you guys feel cheated?? You got a great car, the following year they're offering a great car with a supercharger. The following year they'll offer a great car with a supercharger and a few more ponies. Nothing secret deceptive about it, Lotus has always made incremental improvements/changes to their cars.
The assertion that a supercharged diminishes the exclusivity (and is exclusivity really so important) of a standard exige just seems kinda whacked. Does the exige diminish the exclusivity (that word again) of the elise?
A:
What about availability of an sc ecu for cars with a throttle cable? It will not be as easy as ordering an 07 Exige S ecu. Any word on an sc kit? Has anyone asked since the Federal S was official?
A:
Originally Posted by Spudboy
So if you'd gotten the S, would you suddenly not be disappointed by the quality? No. Sounds like you didn't do your homework before buying it. Enjoy the 6-series.
No, I did my homework, and I was willing to live with some quality shortcomings for the overall performance of the car. When I bought my last two BMWs I went for the 330 coupe since it was not a proirity to me to have the fastest version of the car, I just wanted a nice coupe. This time performance was at the top of my requirements, and having always wanted a Lotus, I would surely have bought the S. I would still be somewhat dissappointed in the build quality, but at least I would have gotten the speed that I was after.
A:
Originally Posted by Flash G
With only 200 units coming, I have serious doubts that you will be able to pick up a 2007 Exige S for the sticker price. My guess is that most dealers will tack on a $5,000 "limited availability" surcharge.
I think you may be able to get an `07 "S" for sticker in about a year... when the `08s arrive.
No surcharge here. Last week I signed a contract on an Exige S for MSRP for Delivery in December.
What I don't understand is why people didn't know or wouldn't let themselves believe it was coming... even after people posted that they put deposits down.
A:
The one piece of advise I would offer to Lotus is to fully support "upgrades" to previous versions. Both Porsche and a host of aftermarket companies have done quite well keeping Porsche buyers happy with upgrade/retrofits for older cars. I've seen 1970's Porsche's upgraded to 1980 standards and beyond (this was years ago - but I assume it is still the case). The model is brilliant. We will happily pay more money to keep up with the Jones's and feel good about doing it to a car we already have. Lotus makes there money on the kits, we feel good and Lotus has a ton of very fast and admired cars running around. What more could anyone ask for? (Please don't respond - "Free").
Anyway that's 2 more cents. I've got 4 cents in the pot now.