Lotus has just announced that customer collections of the new Emira sportscar have now begun at the automaker's Hethel production facility. The first recipient is Shaan Kodituwakku, who made his way from his home in Edinburgh, Scotland, to collect a V6 First Edition finished in Hethel Yellow.

Factory collection is an option for all Emira buyers in the UK and can be specified when completing the purchase of their cars. We reached out to Lotus to determine if there will be any special ceremony or tour open to American buyers and understand that nothing is planned at this time, but fans from anywhere in the world can obviously book a vacation to tour the facility if they wish.

We know that these customers will have to wait until next year regardless, as Lotus has faced numerous challenges that have delayed some deliveries by six months. In the meantime, one could always get a Hot Wheels model of the sports car.

Those who do get the opportunity to collect the Emira at Hethel are also given a tour of the Chapman Production Center, where the Emira is made, getting to see the hands-on assembly of the car. Once the tour is complete, the customers are presented with their new sports cars, with a handover workshop taking them through the Emira's various features and technologies. Finally, a framed image of the customer's Emira is handed over as a souvenir to remember the day by.

"When I arrived at Hethel, I was greeted by a super-friendly security guard who knew my name, knew I was picking up an Emira, and congratulated me," said Kodituwakku. "That was such a great feeling and worth the 4 AM start to fly down from Edinburgh."

He added that the car looks even better than in photos and on video, and both it and Lotus have exceeded his expectations.

Making customers feel special is certainly an important factor in retaining their business, something that Porsche understands fully.

"Factory collection is already proving incredibly popular, and it's thrilling for the team to be able to share this wonderful moment with people who are so genuinely excited to be visiting our spiritual home," remarked Head of Hethel Retail Operations, Scott Walker.

If you don't want to make the trip to the factory, the car can also be delivered to your home or a nearby Lotus Centre. We suspect that this is the process American buyers will follow, but we have no doubt that Lotus will do its best to make US Emira handovers as special as possible.