My LOTUS EMIRA is READY! Visiting the New Shmeemobile at the Factory

My new Lotus Emira is built! Join me at the Lotus HQ and Chapman Production Centre to check out my Emira First Edition on the assembly line, to discover the build process for the Emira and see my own car for the very first time. Plus, there's a final detail before it's ready to be delivered!

It's been quite the journey already, a few years from placing a deposit through to seeing the car revealed for the first time, and even riding on board with Jenson Button at the famous Goodwood Festival of Speed hillclimb, but it's nearly time for mine to be here. I've ordered a First Edition with the Supercharged V6, Sport chassis, in bright and bold Hethel Yellow, with of course a manual gearbox, but unusually with an Ice Grey interior to link to the silver wheels - so I've been anxious to see how that would look as most just go with black against the yellow car.

However, we're setting off from @TheShmuseum in Firefly, the final Lotus Elise Cup 250 Final Edition for what is actually my first proper drive in it since the running in process was completed. As a car marking the end of an era, it's also quite exciting to take it to view my new car that marks the start of the next era for Lotus Cars.

Upon arrival, we're immediately visiting the Chapman Production Centre, the facility that houses the pre-production and assembly for the Emira and is quickly up to speed with around 500 cars already built. On the line we can find everything from the parts like the engine and body panels arriving, through to the fit and finish of everything as the cars take shape making their way through. With the First Edition, all the cars come with a very high spec and the options are limited to just a few colours and minor elements, meaning a sea of Seneca Blue, Nimbus Grey, Shadow Grey, Magma Red, Dark Verdant, and Hethel Yellow cars making their way through.

It's not until the end and quality control areas that we find my car, nearly complete and awaiting the badge being placed on the noise. There's also an opportunity for me to start it up, and shuffle it forward a step before it will head for final sign-off and ultimately delivery in only a matter of weeks. I can't wait for delivery, and a lot of fun ahead!

Thanks for watching, Tim

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:07 Firefly Update
02:15 Driving to Hethel
07:42 Chapman Production Centre
11:34 Main Production Hall
15:12 Final Quality Control
15:45 Revealing My Lotus Emira
17:22 Fitting the Lotus Badge
18:07 Starting up the Emira
20:36 Wrap Up

#Lotus #Emira #Factory

[alismith]

I work at lotus, and can confirm everyone is friendly and extremely enthusiastic about emira production. Your spec looks amazing and hope you enjoy it 👍🏼

[Joseph.Swiger]

The silver wheels are mint! Perfect match with that yellow! But that green is beautiful

[CarCrazy]

Great color, congrats on your yellow lotus! Very underrated supercar brand too

[philips]

I actually love the silver wheels and it matches well with the ice grey interior. It’s the dual colored diamond cut wheels I’m not a fan of

[switchlanez]

BANANA!! (yellow outside, white inside)

[stuartlloyd-jones]

This really looks like the fun sports car Lotus need to improve their image and financials. Hope this allows the Lotus name/ brand to remain for years to come.

[itc]

Great video I’ve owned a few yellow cars and always black interior but the grey seats look well especially with the silver wheels

[ouricon]

It looks phenomenal. Also thank you for sharing the Factory tour with us, learned quite a few things along the way.
Congratulations Tim💪

[travis]

this kind of stuff gets me far more excited than any 2000hp ev or concept car ever will

[RomeoKiloLimaWasTaken]

Huge congrats Tim! It’s a really lovely spec. #savesilverwheels

[svgaming]

Cant wait to see it driven on a country road

[markwilliams]

Harry Metcalf's report on the Emira on 'Harry's Garage' suggests the Touring setup is better over bumpy roads than 'Sport' - worth watching.

[luvzangetsu]

Love the choice of interior. I always found white interiors so classy but maintenance I assume can be an issue. Any tips would be very much appreciated. Looking forward to delivery day!

[johncarlo]

One of the cleanest, most cohesive designs ever. Lotus has done themselves proud. Great content as usual Shmee, best of luck.
PS: perfectly spec’d IMHO

[ninetenduh]

I love these Behind the scenes videos, those are things we usually don't get to see, so it is interesting that there are actually big differences in the manufacturing depending on the number of cars needed to build. The Lotus plant is between a fully automated like a BMW/VW plant and a full on manual production.

[einautofan]

Emira is such a cool car! I like the Design, Engine, Manual transmission, all is Perfect!😎👌
Too bad, their most perfect car is also the last real Lotus car...😢

[rekleif]

The genius of how Lotus let you and Harry in to their factory I'll bet gets them quite a few more orders. Just how the factory, (and your tour of it and that Lotus seems to get the value of social and new media forms), is automated with state of the art robots give me confidence that the quality will be on par with the big boys, probably better since Lotus has a point to prove. What a refreshingly intelligent approach to building the brand.

[Justme]

This car just looks mega good! I like the color choice for the interior, though I'd be a bit concerned about the white seats. They might get dirty and black after a few year. Also white trims tend to yellow in the sund. But great spec overall!

[TimShelnut]

I would love to have that Elise! That orange or a green one. Might start looking for one my daughter's middle name is after this car.

[jamesolive]

I really like that man it doesn't have over styling like aggressive lines and huge chin and rear diffuser spoilers and rear diffuser it's just all nice and clean that body has it's own language beautiful ❤️