and i would drive 500 miles
Discussion
did 500 miles in the exige s yesterday;
still intact except;
a) harness on drivers side came off in my hand (lucky?)
b)and light behind the air con stopped working
the route was delivering christmas pressies from belfast to derry, the senic hone over sperrin mountains. only other thing to report is the wnakers that think the have to drive ontop of you!!
a job in hethel with the black license boys awaits eh?
still intact except;
a) harness on drivers side came off in my hand (lucky?)
b)and light behind the air con stopped working
the route was delivering christmas pressies from belfast to derry, the senic hone over sperrin mountains. only other thing to report is the wnakers that think the have to drive ontop of you!!
a job in hethel with the black license boys awaits eh?
I'd be back to the supplying dealer pronto with regards the harness (assuming its a dealer supplied car) and having some very harsh words.
You'll get used to the idiots on your tail - relax you've nothing to prove.
I've done a few runs of 350 miles now but my best effort yet is 700 in a day ............ in an S1
You'll get used to the idiots on your tail - relax you've nothing to prove.
I've done a few runs of 350 miles now but my best effort yet is 700 in a day ............ in an S1
it was tipper, i got the 'its a hand made car' response. i know the owner of the garage and am saving the hair dryer for him. the car hasnt had 6 of the seven snags sorted out on it yet, even tho i gave him 6 weeks before i picked it up! i know its not an audi, so i shouldnt expect, but FFS!
Some dealers are better than others. Don't know how many you've got in your part of the world but I suspect not many so he's pretty much got you by the balls. Six weeks isn't very satisfactory though. I'd complain to the dealer principle in writing and send a copy of the letter to Lotus customer services.
yeah linders. they are now saying i need a reg number to get anything done on warranty ( i have the car on ZZ's at mo) it was the speed the girl retorted 'its a hand built car sir' that scred me, you know when you get that feeling that you ll be hearing that quite a bit over the next while!!!
but, if i keep getting poor responses, i ll go to scoltland to get work done. but i like the dealer principal idea!!!!!!
but, if i keep getting poor responses, i ll go to scoltland to get work done. but i like the dealer principal idea!!!!!!
mylesmcd said:
......it was the speed the girl retorted 'its a hand built car sir' that scred me, you know when you get that feeling that you ll be hearing that quite a bit over the next while!!!!!!
Hmm, but if you think about it, pretty much all cars are hand built. OK the body panels may be robot positioned and welded and some items such as windsreens are often positioned by robot, plus the spray job of course - but outside of that, most cars are screwed together by blokes with compressed air tools on a track - just like a Lotus?What she really means is 'its a poorly hand built car sir' - however, that said, if it wasn't such a great thing to drive and didn't make me feel like I was about to embark on the Le Mans 24 hrs, every time I scrabble into it, I would be seriously doubting my decision to drop the 997S for it?
Just having to re-align my "expectations meter"!
nsm3 said:
mylesmcd said:
......it was the speed the girl retorted 'its a hand built car sir' that scred me, you know when you get that feeling that you ll be hearing that quite a bit over the next while!!!!!!
Hmm, but if you think about it, pretty much all cars are hand built. OK the body panels may be robot positioned and welded and some items such as windsreens are often positioned by robot, plus the spray job of course - but outside of that, most cars are screwed together by blokes with compressed air tools on a track - just like a Lotus?What she really means is 'its a poorly hand built car sir' - however, that said, if it wasn't such a great thing to drive and didn't make me feel like I was about to embark on the Le Mans 24 hrs, every time I scrabble into it, I would be seriously doubting my decision to drop the 997S for it?
Just having to re-align my "expectations meter"!
To be fair to them though my S1 is getting on now (1999 car) but things don't drop off - in fact its a very reliable car. I don't know if the harness issue is something that should have been picked up on the PDI but I'd still be damned angry with the dealer. A receptionist patronising me would not be good enough. E-mail and phone the dealer principle and copy Lotus in.
Tipper, if they could (make that would - it is a fact that they COULD) sort out these irritating, 1970's Longbridge-esque niggles, like failing indication lights, crappy heaters (the engine generates just as much heat as in a Celica), water ingress, dodgy radio reception etc etc, the market would surely open up to them more, enough surely to vastly improve their profits?
If my Exige were to be built to the standard of say a Cayman (not much difference in cost), I doubt if I would ever want to part with it?
After 11k miles in the 997S (and plenty in 996C4S/Boxsters), which was superb in almost every way, I am shocked at how much the Exige makes me enjoy even a short blast down into town, but I find myself using that as an excuse when one of the minor niggles pops up to spoil the fun.
If my Exige were to be built to the standard of say a Cayman (not much difference in cost), I doubt if I would ever want to part with it?
After 11k miles in the 997S (and plenty in 996C4S/Boxsters), which was superb in almost every way, I am shocked at how much the Exige makes me enjoy even a short blast down into town, but I find myself using that as an excuse when one of the minor niggles pops up to spoil the fun.
I know what you're saying nsm but strangely enough I doubt the market would be that much bigger. The Elise/Exige are raw cars which limits the market very much.
I agree that Lotus do need to up their QC but I think they are well aware of this. The other thing that would help are dealers that give a damn. I think the days of getting away with 'its a hand built car, Sir' are over. Obviously not all dealers are like that but given the limited network its not good enough if that's the view of your local official Lotus dealer.
I agree that Lotus do need to up their QC but I think they are well aware of this. The other thing that would help are dealers that give a damn. I think the days of getting away with 'its a hand built car, Sir' are over. Obviously not all dealers are like that but given the limited network its not good enough if that's the view of your local official Lotus dealer.
The light could have gone any car - doesn't warrant the dealer to go on the defensive with the token "it's hand built" or "TADTS" line.
The harness is obviously a human problem but it should have been checked by the dealer when they inspect the cars for faults. So again, they need a can of woop-ass opening if they think they can blame that on Lotus.
Report them to Lotus.
You should have a look over on Elisetalk.com. The yanks don't take no crap. The slighest "wierd sound" and they are down to their dealer to get their steering rack replaced!!! Totally different culture over there.
The harness is obviously a human problem but it should have been checked by the dealer when they inspect the cars for faults. So again, they need a can of woop-ass opening if they think they can blame that on Lotus.
Report them to Lotus.
You should have a look over on Elisetalk.com. The yanks don't take no crap. The slighest "wierd sound" and they are down to their dealer to get their steering rack replaced!!! Totally different culture over there.
Good points both of you.
Just one comment though Nathan, I accept that a bulb can go on any car, but I haven't had a bulb go in my last 3 cars (TT, M3 and 997), spread over 6 years and 60k miles.
Now this heater pod light failure for instance, is a well documented issue and it really can't be that difficult to trace the underlying fault and rectify it? I suspect it isn't actually a problem with the bulbs? Surely that would be cheaper for Lotus to resolve than deal with the endless stream of replacement heater unit warranty claims (or perhaps not that many people bother?).
Even Ducati (who are prone to isuue motorcycles will silly faults - I know only too well!), eventually latch on and change things!
Just one comment though Nathan, I accept that a bulb can go on any car, but I haven't had a bulb go in my last 3 cars (TT, M3 and 997), spread over 6 years and 60k miles.
Now this heater pod light failure for instance, is a well documented issue and it really can't be that difficult to trace the underlying fault and rectify it? I suspect it isn't actually a problem with the bulbs? Surely that would be cheaper for Lotus to resolve than deal with the endless stream of replacement heater unit warranty claims (or perhaps not that many people bother?).
Even Ducati (who are prone to isuue motorcycles will silly faults - I know only too well!), eventually latch on and change things!
i hear you guys, i have an audi for the donkey work, and if a seat belt came off in my hand in it, i would be eplietic (thinks thats it!) and looking for compensation etc etc. i just hope i havent blown 40k!!!
but on the porsche / lotus topic, i sold a 350z to fund the exige, and did it for 2 reasons, firstly, i wanted more of a hobby and secondly, i can add aftermarket parts to a lotus without lookin like those goats from fast and not that furious.
but i have to leave it into dealers, and i ll be sure i ll let u guys know what happens!!!!
thanks for the opinions too!
but on the porsche / lotus topic, i sold a 350z to fund the exige, and did it for 2 reasons, firstly, i wanted more of a hobby and secondly, i can add aftermarket parts to a lotus without lookin like those goats from fast and not that furious.
but i have to leave it into dealers, and i ll be sure i ll let u guys know what happens!!!!
thanks for the opinions too!
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