Why U No Rapid Depreciation, Lotus?

"Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney" (braddelaparker) 12/13/2013 at 13:20 • Filed to: None

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As far as I'm concerned, with never having actually driven one, the Evora could be a fantastical daily driver. And yet as I look at prices, $46.5k for a 2011 is the absolute cheapest example I could find, with most year or two old models still posted in the $60k+ range.

The same goes for the Elise, as a good deal on an 8 year old example is anything south of $30k.

For our English friends: do they retain their value like this in the motherland, or does their relative ubiquity deflate prices somewhat?

BeaterGT > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 12/13/2013 at 13:21

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All I know is that this is awesome. Even some of the "minor damage" cars stay in the mid to high 20s. I think this is perfect because you are getting a car you want to hoon the crap out of anyway for a bargain!

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > BeaterGT 12/13/2013 at 13:23

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That's the flipside: if you want to get into one, you can do so and get out of it within a year or so and not have given up much, if at all, in the process.

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 12/13/2013 at 13:25

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Lotus' strategy? Sell after depreciation.

BeaterGT > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 12/13/2013 at 13:27

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I wonder what the hardest part of driving an Elise/Evora is. Keeping it? Maintaining it? Getting in it?

EL_ULY > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 12/13/2013 at 13:27

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we have a couple here at my dealer that are 2012's and 13's that haven't sold and have been marked down to the mid to high sixties. Technically they are brand new. Stop by Star Motor Cars' website for more info :] We just got a set of 2014's. One is in British Racing green, $98,000

Flat Six > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 12/13/2013 at 13:30

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Getting in and out of a Lotus is not something you can do quickly :)

TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma > EL_ULY 12/13/2013 at 13:36

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You work at Star? My parents looked at Benzes there cause the one in Sugarland sucks ass. Told my mom that the C63 wasn't a lady's car.

davedave1111 > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 12/13/2013 at 13:43

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Prices are about the same here, give or take. But the depreciation seems to be about what you'd expect for an expensive car - roughly 50% over the first three years.

Bear in mind as well that Lotus have sold bugger-all Evoras. Less than 500 in the UK, for sure.

http://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/combined/evora…

There are 439 with road-tax paid up, and I assume the remainder - SORN means declared off the road so no need to tax - are sitting on dealer forecourts desperately hoping to sell. Once you factor in dealer demonstrators, press cars, and so-on, Lotus have probably sold fewer than 400 Evoras in the UK.

It's been a disastrous flop.

Edited to add: And the thing with disastrous flops is that often they sold so few that they retain their value quite well, like the Avantime, because the niche is a lot bigger at a somewhat lower price.

HammerheadFistpunch > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 12/13/2013 at 13:45

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for reals. I want an evora! but Esprits are still valuable so...damn.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > EL_ULY 12/13/2013 at 14:02

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Halve that price and I'll be there in 4 hours!

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > BeaterGT 12/13/2013 at 14:04

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Getting in, it sounds like. Maintenance on modern Lotii appears to not be so bad, especially with the Toyota powertrains and renewed attention to, uh, detail.

EL_ULY > TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma 12/13/2013 at 14:46

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yup, I was a tech here a couple years back (Volvo Master and front end specialist "alignment guy" for all 4 brands) Now in the parts department. Fellow OPPOnaut Blunion05 came by yesterday to pick up the 100 HotWheels for tomorrows C&C. Unfortunately, i will not be making it since the one Saturday of the year I work (inventory day) is tomorrow :( First C&C i'll miss in 2 years. I believe Mcchicken will be there as well. January for sure we should meet up if we can :]

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma > EL_ULY 12/13/2013 at 15:07

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I wont back in Texas till next Saturday, upset I'm missing it too. An Oppo meet up would be fun! I'll definitely try to make it to the January one.

EL_ULY > TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma 12/13/2013 at 15:10

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awesome, Whataburger afterwards :]

TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma > EL_ULY 12/13/2013 at 15:11

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mmm Whataburger

EL_ULY > TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma 12/13/2013 at 15:14

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lol right. It's only the best place in the universe. Haven't been in forever though. I did see a burger place in the westside of Columbia S.C. called What a Burger. Besides that, I'd probably die living in another state knowing that they don't have WB

TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma > EL_ULY 12/13/2013 at 15:15

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I currently attend school in Colorado. I've had to sustain my fatty Southern food diet solely on Chick-fil-a. It's a hard life.

EL_ULY > TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma 12/13/2013 at 15:18

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lol, they are good also :] I'm getting married in a couple months and gotta loose the gut for the 10th time lol. See ya down here soon buddy

TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma > EL_ULY 12/13/2013 at 15:24

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Congrats! Yep, be there soon, haha. Home sweet home.