Lotus Emira

[emstan]

I'm not sure if somebody else's picked it up already, but it looks Lotus's not yet confirming whether 60k is going to be a V6 or an I4... That'd be quite an interesting plot twist to our digressions of V6 being minimum 75k. 

Edited July 23, 2021 by emstan

[JJ]

If the V6 ends up being the "cheap" one that's good news for many but probably bad news for those in countries where they tax based on emissions. The V6 will probably be prohibitively expensive regardless, and then the I4 may also be pushed there due to it's higher base price (though if it's only a few K the damage is limited).

It has been said before by multiple people (only loosely associated with Lotus) that the V6 would be the cheaper option, while others said the I4. Not that surprising if they actually haven't decided yet.

Edited July 23, 2021 by JJ

[emstan]

Perhaps they could offer both options at the very similar price then. It'd be a real win-win, I think.   

[JJ]

For the UK, Germany, etc, maybe. The emissions tax over here for I4 vs V6 is something like 15K EUR vs 35K EUR, so if they end up being the same price (here)... Well I sure hope not 😂

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Is that an auto translate from another language? The Lotus Cars text doesn’t seem like the Queen’s English.

[emstan]

Ah, no, the UI is in Polish, but the content's original, straight from Hethel.  

[TomE]

Maybe Lotus will blindside everyone and they'll both be the same price.  I don't think anyone from Lotus has officially confirmed or denied if the sub-£60k base is V6 or i4, just lots of speculation.  Some of that has been clouded by the speculation on base versus First Edition cost.

[richhickey]

If I had to guess which engine costs Lotus more, I'd guess the AMG. If they consider the fancy DCT a value-add, and eventually it will pass the V6 in HP (and long-term availability) it makes sense that the AMG may be the premium option, at least at some power levels.

[TomE]

I'm assuming the Toyota isn't going to cost Lotus any more than in the Evora, probably less.

So it depends how much of a deal on the AMG engine they've managed to get as a result of Geely buying power and more importantly Geely chairman Li Shufu's influence on it as a result of his 9.7% stake in Daimler.  It may not be a straightforward arms-length commercial deal.

[jimichanga]

No other company’s 4 cyl costs more than their 6 cyl when both are offered. In the extremely unlikely event that the V6 was cheaper or similar then it will have the 360 end of the 360-400bhp range. It’s much more likely that the 4 will start at 360bhp so as not to show up the aging and (sorry wishful thinkers!) more expensive V6 and also to allow room for an Emira 380 and 400 down the line. Plus what Evora owner would swap for a heavier 360bhp V6 Emira?

[Evotion]

Hold on.. What has happened here?!

I thought a few sources said the AMG4 was the 60K and the V6 about 75k+

That Lotus answer could actually have meant to read:

"The starting price for each engine variant has not been confirmed"  It is simply poorly written.

Calm down..

[simonb]

Be a real shit if £60K is the full Camry spec V6

[Evotion]

Ha - not for me    Sounds better and 100% it comes first. I would be delighted!

 

[Matt W]

The amount of confusion and almost mis-information bounding about seems indicative of a company both in change and chaos. Having spoken to four people now with existing delayed car orders, and all five of us being given different reasons and timings for the delays shows how information just isn't being communicated on any level. 

I bought into Lotus expecting a few small volume manufacturer issues, but the more I've seen, the more the company appears to be in a confused mess, with a somewhat arrogant attitude to its customers.

I'm no expert in marketing, but why all this faff? Why not just release the car, with a spec, and allow people to buy a car based on actual information? 

[Likuid]

I just want to say I called it that the AMG may be the "higher end" version and may be the more powerful version over a month ago. I have a feeling Lotus may be attempting to stay vague on power specs and prices, I assume to throw competition off? I can't imagine Lotus doesn't know what kind of power and how much they will be charging yet. However, it is very confusing for the customer.

Edited July 24, 2021 by Likuid

[Al]

2 hours ago, Matt W said:

The amount of confusion and almost mis-information bounding about seems indicative of a company both in change and chaos. Having spoken to four people now with existing delayed car orders, and all five of us being given different reasons and timings for the delays shows how information just isn't being communicated on any level. 

I bought into Lotus expecting a few small volume manufacturer issues, but the more I've seen, the more the company appears to be in a confused mess, with a somewhat arrogant attitude to its customers.

I'm no expert in marketing, but why all this faff? Why not just release the car, with a spec, and allow people to buy a car based on actual information? 

Yep definitely new to Lotus!  This always seems the way and I guess deliberate.  Gets the market talking about it, gets our juices flowing, gets everybody pent up waiting for the next snippet or step - dealer static preview/ spec and price release/ Car mag drives/ dealer demo/customer cars. Then there will be the Lotus Marketing trolls who will be watching forums like this to see what a) new customers to the brand think and b) what serial Lotus owners like me think being on my 4th Evora and with other ones in the family or garage.  There is that expression there is no such thing as bad publicity in motorsport and I guess this is the same.

Doesn't time just drag though!  Only just over 2 weeks since launch! 🙄

[jimichanga]

There is nothing good about Lotus being disorganised and causing confusion among  buyers. Other people in other departments need to get their $hit together because they will quickly undo the great work done by Russell Carr to bring new people to the brand.

To be fair they would have been screwing parts on the Emira minutes before the launch, there was some last minute bodges evident on the blue show car at Goodwood. So it’s a very new car to many there. One Lotus guy at Goodwood had no idea how to open the boot!

[glen8]

14 hours ago, Evotion said:

Hold on.. What has happened here?!

I thought a few sources said the AMG4 was the 60K and the V6 about 75k+

That Lotus answer could actually have meant to read:

"The starting price for each engine variant has not been confirmed"  It is simply poorly written.

Calm down..

 

There is certainly a lot of confusion.  Many people keep going on about the AMG at £60k and the V6 at £75k.  They don't seem to realise there is the base spec customers can design, and the first edition at a higher price.

I assume there will be base specs of both AMG and V6 (confirmed by MW) and first editions of the AMG and V6.

Saying the V6 is £15k more expensive is nonsense.  That £15k (and that's speculation) will be all the added options.

Until September, nobody knows.....and by the sound of it, Lotus haven't made their minds up yet.

[TomE]

A senior Lotus person at Goodwood told me there would be First Edition V6, First Edition AMG, own spec V6 and own spec AMG (with deliveries starting in that order).  So yes there will be a base spec of each.  FE was indicated to be +£12-15k on base for a bundle of £15-17k of options.

Lotus have reconfirmed recently (in replies on their Instagram feed) there will be a base spec car for just under £60k.

[Evotion]

It was always my impression that the LE cars will be made and completed and then the base cars will be made. So there will only be an LE choice if you want one in the first few months.

However, it does kinda make more sense to build i4 and V6 and let the customer build it - giving them the option so I now believe it.

Of course, the i4 comes a few months later on anyway - that surely has not changed?

There is still a small chance that Lotus will stop the V6 engines completely in 2022. We already know they are well on their way with the GT4 race versions already.

[IwantOne]

I know you said small chance but why sell a v6 option for such a short time? Even if for whatever reason plans changed fairly last minute, selling a engine option for such a short while surely must be very expensive in the long run? 

I would be great if the v6 was the cheapest option. Though as others have mentioned that will be impossible in some countries due to taxes. 

Maybe both engine options will be priced similar? Can't see one being much more expensive from a production point of view. From a marketing point of view usually more cylinders is better so that would make you think the v6 would be positioned higher regardless of the actual production cost. Than again, there is the issue of gearbox options as well. Manual, great. But I think the crowd this car is aimed at is mostly being automatics. Maybe a lot of buyers would feel short changed if the more expensive model comes with a "old" torque converter instead of a fancy pdk?

 

[Bibs]

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/technology-news/under-skin-why-torque-converters-are-coming-back-dead

[Denno]

16 hours ago, Likuid said:

I just want to say I called it that the AMG may be the "higher end" version and may be the more powerful version over a month ago. I have a feeling Lotus may be attempting to stay vague on power specs and prices, I assume to throw competition off? I can't imagine Lotus doesn't know what kind of power and how much they will be charging yet. However, it is very confusing for the customer.

But Lotus have confirmed the power from the off haven’t they? 360hp i4 and 400hp v6? That’s how I’ve understood it anyway. 

[Al_C]

Felt at the time I was being brave ordering a car I’d never sat in, seen or driven, but instead relying on how much I’d loved my Evora in the past.

Now I’m feeling I need to be even braver over colour choices.  I’ve narrowed it down to either the blue or the Nimbus Grey in both cases with black packs.  But what interior to have with either?

I don’t want alcantara, and I don’t want all black which rules out the black leather.  Desperately hoping cars touring the showrooms will have different interiors as really can’t decide if light grey, tan or even red would work!

Anyone else going for a coloured leather interior?

[Mrandres6935]

I will do the tan Inter with blue exterior black pack forged wheels yellow brakes AMG DCT