Phaeton91

I put a deposit on an Emira 2 days after the Goodwood launch. Cancelled it 20 months later after driving one. Couldn’t realistically see it as a big enough step forward from the Evora and in terms of practicality it was retrograde. I likened it to someone ditching their wife for a younger woman. It may be all shiny and new for a while but then after the gloss has faded, it’s all very much the same - and they are significantly lighter in the pocket.

Thank you for sharing this. Look forward to hearing more about your experiences with these changes..

When you strip it all away the cabin of the Evora is effectively a composite bath tub with the acoustic qualities to match so it’s not surprise it’s a bit boomy. It’ll take some doing to reduce this but why not try? I have used (off Amazon) Canopus sound deadening material on the inside of my doors and the sub enclosure. It’s self adhesive and easy to work with. I wouldn’t know if it’s the best on the market but it did the job for what o was after. I’d say that under the back seat and behind it would be a good place to start. Then the floors, underseats and doors etc. in terms of weight, it is around 4kg for every 10sq ft. I get the comments about weight but I’m 72kg, and no one seems to suggest that a driver who is 80kg makes a substantial difference to a car and if it’s that much of an issue one can leave a couple of gallons of fuel out to balance it out Besides, having the weight at floor level would reduce the centre of gravity by a fraction of an inch to compensate. The only thing is that if you do this and don’t like it, it will be a pig to unstick it all. I really wouldn’t fancy that job.

Currently in South Africa and wondered what the local market was like for Lotus cars. There are currently 5 for sale. An Elan, 2 dubious looking non badged Sevens (ie kit cars) and 2 Emiras. Here’s one of the Emira’s - current exchange rate is around 23 rand to the pound, so north of £100k being asked. Cars here are definitely more expensive than in the UK but this is really big money!

Suggest you also research the insurance aspects carefully. A few years back I was looking to retrofit cruise control to an older car and the insurance companies didn’t like the idea of such mods.

Those pressures sound v high, certainly compared to the specification for Michelin PSS on the 400. I’m wondering whether there’s a different pressure that works better for the Contis than what the original spec tyres were for the S. Could that make a difference?

Yes this sounds pretty crappy. I can’t escape the thought that it’s a manufacturers warranty and not a dealers warranty. If it was built in September and not sold until let’s say a year later, why would that be that down to the manufacturer? Hopefully, the issues you have are more niggly than serious.

I agree with you @Bibs. Something looked very wrong there. Fortunately, I don’t have a habit of pouring sand in my engine, and I don’t drive in the Sahara with the oil cap off so I should be safe with an OE filter.

I’d normally expect a clutch that’s on its last legs to slip, but as @LotusFella said, it looks like it’s not the only reason they may need changing. My 400 is on 36k miles and whilst it’s not slipping, I’m interested in finding out more generally - hearing about clutches going at anything under 40/50k miles is a worry.

What was the main symptom you experienced - was it slipping?

Hi. Mines a 400 but I think they are the same. The surround to the head unit unclips. There are no screws but the clips are pretty strong. There are 4 clips - 2 on the top and two on the bottom. Run your fingers along the bottom rear edge of the surround and you’ll get a feel for how to pull it towards you. You need to pull hard and you will go ouch (tops of fingers) when it releases but nothing too bad. Then gently encourage the top clips to release. Then it’s 4 cross head screws and that should be it.

Very funny. I actually edited my comment to add the “any other colour bit” 😂. Anyway, I guess grey it is then. Great colour too by the way 😉

When you look at the structure of the boot there are very few possibilities for water ingress so a process of elimination should expose the issue. I’d start with removing all the carpets and leaving them out. Do the “peanut butter test”. I was taking the p**s but also serious. Use Vaseline, chalk or whatever but you want to establish whether the seal is pushing up against the underside of the bootlid before replacing it. Also check that there is no ingress from under the seal but seems that Bibs etc have tested that. You don’t say if this happens only when stationary or when driving? Do you use a jet wash? Like you said, it doubles as an aquarium and in that case there’s limited points where water can come in or out. You could for example tape small (1”-2”) sections of cloth to the inside of the boot and see which ones get wet and which stay dry?

Good luck with the search. You’re starting early enough in the year to be a little selective but if my experience is anything to go by the colour and trim is a bit like having a child. You might think you would love a boy but when you have a girl it’s fantastic and when you would love a daughter your new born son is the bees knees. Ultimately it’s the connection that gripped me and not the colour of the clothing. The 400 will deliver joy in white black red yellow or any of the colours Lotus painted it in 😁

I’d recommend that anyone attempting work in or around the engine bay lays an old bedsheet or such like over the bay. The 5 minute job can become a fair bit longer if you drop a nut, bolt, circlip or a tool - it’s easily done - especially with cold fingers.

That’s pretty good value. Main dealers get knocked quite a bit but £19 to change both sides is very fair. I’ve done it myself and it’s easy enough but fiddly and for that money it’s a good option.

Yes that’s a logical comment and if they are mismatched I think the offside is the correct one for that reason. However, I’ve had a few cars whose mirrors fold in and not seen the mismatch before. I’ve also trawled pictures online to get an idea but the mirrors are out on almost every picture. Next time you peeps go to your cars would be great if we could get an idea of this is just mine or if it’s normal…

Am I right in thinking you are still in the process of elimination or are you certain it’s the stalk? Just wondering if the former, whether a used eBay part might do the trick to test it. Appreciate there’s always a risk it is faulty but as a test mule it might be more cost efficient than buying new, if you find one new of course.

Hi. Wonder if anyone has experience of adjusting the park position on the door mirrors. As you can see from the picture, the near side parks much closer to the door window than the offside. Questions are: Which is the correct park position of the two? Can they be adjusted? Any guidance as to how? cheers,

There are some drain holes at the rear of the boot on the top ledge (see photo). These could be blocked and so with the car facing up hill will cause an overflow with any substantial flow of water running down the channels to the side of the hatch and towards the rear of the boot. Easy to test with a bottle of water and the boot open. Another possibility is that the seal is the not making proper contact with the inside of the boot lid. This is what @Lee Valleley would be alluding to with the bump stops. If the tailgate is not putting sufficient pressure on the seal, water will come over the top of it. You can check this by rubbing a line of chalk or failing that some peanut butter on the top of the seal, closing the tailgate and then checking for a perfect and consistent line in the inside of the tailgate once you open it again. Failing all of that, have you confirmed it’s not coming from underneath - via a missing bolt or grommet perhaps?

Do you park on a slope? Front higher than rear?

Thought I’d add some of my experience here. Since buying mine in 2022, I’ve used Lotus at Silverstone for a service, a health check report and some warranty work that came from it. On the 3 occasions I went there the treatment me and my car received was top notch. I’ve also used them to buy parts (carbon tailgate and trimmings plus other parts). Again, every member of the team is super helpful, knowledgable and professional. The only thing for me though is that it effectively means half a days holiday for me. Whilst I use their lounge area and WiFi its not the same as being in the office. So when I needed a tie rod end replacing I booked into Steve Williams in Maidenhead. They are not a main dealer but for me they certainly know their stuff and from that experience, and some tips that Steve game me when I called him on another matter, I’ve booked in for my next service too. I’m confident my car will get the TLC it needs from a team with donkeys years of experience and what I would call an old school specialist garage.

I’m sure with the benefit of hindsight Lotus themselves would agree but they are in a marketplace now with so many external factors influencing buyer mentality and ability that I can’t lay all of the blame on them. Development of the cars (both Evora and Emira) will have been running for years before launch with significant R&D expenditure. In both cases the market conditions at launch were far less than favourable - Evora came post banking and financial crisis and Emira, amid high inflation and interest rates and global pandemic. They had two options on both occasions - delay or shelve the launch or push on and accept the risk of low take up. For me, I’m glad that they did push on with both launches and did not bottle it because the reality is that the world without the Evora or the Emira would be a slightly less interesting place. Well certainly for the 2,000 odd people who bought them new and the many more who enjoy them “previously owned”. I also think that from a strategic standpoint the press attention around the Emira would have helped elevate the significance of Lotus’ launch of the Eletre and Emeya.

To test if the ABS is still working perhaps find a clear wet muddy lane and slam on the brakes.

I was thinking exactly what @Bruss said. They’ve treated you extremely disrespectfully. Keep your money well away from them.