Lotus Emira

[Giniw]

5 hours ago, scotty435 said:

the cheap looking shiny plastic surrounds on vents feeding the engine and same applies to the rear arch vents

I have not seen it in the flesh but from the photos & videos I think the same. But those black things are probably less obvious with other colours?

[Mark Blanchard]

At FOS at the moment.  The Emira’s stunning in the flesh! And the Evija is out of this world.  This is the most exciting time for Lotus I can remember.  

[scotty435]

7 minutes ago, Giniw said:

I have not seen it in the flesh but from the photos & videos I think the same. But those black things are probably less obvious with other colours?

There will probably be a Carbon option somewhere down the road and would look the business in Carbon instead of the cheap looking shiny plastic.

[Spinney]

My thoughts on the Emira for what they're worth.

I watched the unveiling on Tuesday evening with great excitement, prior to going down to Goodwood yesterday and my plan had always been to place my order early on for my build slot. So what have we got with this new car?

Stunning looks - Check

Beautiful interior - Check

Affordable - Check

Great engine options - Check

Superb build quality - Check

Easy entrance/exit from cockpit - Check

I'm an MB fanboy, so go for the AMG - Check

Will obviously handle and steer well - It is a Lotus after all - Check

But then I started to wonder just how much better is it than my GT410 Sport Evora? The interior is nicer but mine really isn't that bad a place to be. The external styling is better and more resolved, but I can't see much of the outside from the drivers seat anyhow. Entry and exit from the cockpit of my car is perfectly acceptable. Build quality of mine seems perfectly good to my eyes and certainly hasn't given me any major problems. Handling and steering probably not a lot different and, in any case, my car is already far more capable than me.

Ok, my car has the Toyota engine, but I can live very happily with that and it is a pretty bombproof motor. I realise that not yet having placed a deposit, I will have to wait a good while for a new Emira but I understand the AMG version won't be available at first anyhow.

So what to do???? Well, unusually for me, I have decided to stick with the Evora for now, review my thoughts once the initial furore and excitement have abated and I can get the opportunity to actually drive one. I applaud and completely understand the decision of all those who have already taken the plunge. I'll catch you up later!  

 

 

[550superfast]

I went to see it at GFOS. It looks great, but I cannot see why it weights so much. 1400kg. An Alpine A110 is about 300kg less - why can't Lotus compete and be true to it's ethos?

[TdM]

Well, the Alpine is quite a bit smaller to be fair. After all, Lotus did have to design the chassis with 4 seats in it.

Wait, no sorry, all new chassis wasn't it... No, no idea why it's that heavy.

[Yan]

It's the cup holders. 🙃

[C8RKH]

18 hours ago, NedaSay said:

gearbox cooler on the most potent spec

I believe this debuted on the Evora 410 Sport and was carried over the GT410 and GT430 models.

[Gadzooks]

Saw the Emira at FoS today and managed to have a short chat with Russell Carr.  I asked whether the engine position had changed in relation to the bulkhead and height compared to the Evora  He said not really but went on to say that the  4 cyl sits a bit lower compared to the V6.

Fairly long queue at the Lotus stand every time I went past.

[exeterjeep]

Whilst waiting in the queue, it was amazing how may people walked up the steps and tried to go straight in (most were turned away) and they had not seemed to notice a line of 30-40 people queuing up the steps.  May be with their eyesight problems they should not be driving....

[cobwatch]

My neighbour enjoyed his first ever GFOS on Thursday, and I of course pinned him down for a thorough debrief. He loved Emira up close and personal. Evija though, he said, was something else. In that gold-flecked yellow he says it was incredible. All the silly colours and stripes that have been rolled out do it a major disservice. He was planning to wait for a later Emira model, with 450hp+, all the carbon, £100k or so.

But plans have now possibly changed. Another car caught his eye. A Wells Vertige. 210hp. 815kg kerb. £45k. Small, narrow. Amazing dihedral doors. Everything is UK made and supplied. Old school styling. So now he is giving serious consideration to a base Emira plus a Vertige. I knew nothing of this Wells car, but the website had me drooling too...I seconded his new plan as soon as I knew more about it. His wife loved the Wells Vertige and is pressuring him to get both, but he says he thinks he will miss the go-faster Emira. 

Edited July 9, 2021 by cobwatch
missed out the price

[CocoPops]

I looked at the wells vertige…. It’s erm.., interesting… reminds me of a half finished kit car.

[Evotion]

Me too.

I can see the attraction but I am not that brave.

[Barrykearley]

Never ever heard of them before - simply had to have a peek.

love the pics on the website - the blokes watch seems more important a focal point since they’ve even swapped wrists to get it in the shot.

id defo pass on one. Watch as well.

[ramjet]

Must be two different guys wearing the same shirt. Different watch in each of the photos. Or maybe he is one of those admin assistant types that wears two and gets his boss to appointments based on the earliest watch so that his boss is never late?

I had never heard of this car either, so I went and had a look as well. To keep the weight down, are they sacrificing safety items like airbags etc? If they are, doesn't that seriously limit the countries they can sell in?

Is it just me, or isn't there another company that made a car called the Elise from years ago that was very much like this?

[exeterjeep]

4 hours ago, ramjet said:

had never heard of this car either, so I went and had a look as well.

Me too, the back end reminds on an early TVR? wish them luck, but launching a new brand with the upcoming EV situation makes me wonder how long they would last.

I will be looking for the launch of the Lotus suv's , as for me that is more likely than an Emira. As long as it/they do not look like a Porsche, and is at the smaller end of the market.

But will have to try out both Emira engine versions to make sure.

[IwantOne]

18 hours ago, 550superfast said:

I went to see it at GFOS. It looks great, but I cannot see why it weights so much. 1400kg. An Alpine A110 is about 300kg less - why can't Lotus compete and be true to it's ethos?

Probably because the Emira is aimed at appealing to a crowd that is used to slightly more creature comforts (like a Porsche...). It's also has more power than the a110 so everything has to be stronger (heavier). I'm sure they could have made it lighter but probably not without either sacrificing what the car turned out to be or by significantly raising the price by use more lightweight materials.

[Evotion]

Yes, for sure. It is a fabulous job and let's get a bit real, 400+ HP is more than you need on a street and it will still be good on the track. Let's wait until we drive it and see how many days that smile lasts for. 👍

[jimichanga]

18 hours ago, 550superfast said:

I went to see it at GFOS. It looks great, but I cannot see why it weights so much. 1400kg. An Alpine A110 is about 300kg less - why can't Lotus compete and be true to it's ethos?

That’s the ‘lightest possible’ figure too. The V6 with all the options incl kef stereo and 12-way electric seats will be a lot heavier. Seems like 4-way electric seats are now the lightweight option! I would hate there to be no alternative to electric seats in any sports car let alone a Lotus.

Lots to celebrate about the Emira for sure but I am amazed how few people here of all places really care about the weight gain.

[Evotion]

I suspect Carbon buckets and other nice bits will come later down the line - maybe even with the i4,. which I still see as being a track weapon.

[ewand]

On the FoS stand today, the two guys I was talking with brought in a lady who presumably knew more about the exact spec; I was asking about the exhaust note on the V6 - unlike the Evora there's no switchable valve or anything; she said it is just below the legal limit all the time.

The guys also made the point that in a few years, Emira will need to switch to electric PAS due to ADAS and lane departure requirements. They also said the V6 was planned to be in place for the duration of the model life; wouldn't say how long that was going to be...

[rallyesax]

Love the car look. But will wait and see if any more 'focused' version are coming in the future. When I bought my 400, the 410 Sport came out a few month later and it was the car I wish I had bought. I don't need more power but something a little less comfy.

I turned my 400 into something a bit more like a 410 Sport and love it that way. So we will see what the future brings. 

Long live Lotus! 

[exeterjeep]

3 minutes ago, ewand said:

lane departure requirements

Wife's car has this - it a PITA as it sometimes to turn itself on.

Perhaps it would stop later Emira models from crossing the white line when coming in/out of the pits at a track (not serious about this bit...)  

[TomE]

I heard a different story on the V6 life. It won’t meet future emissions regulations in current form and I’m not sure Toyota or Lotus have plans to address that.  So I suspect the Toyota V6 will only be available for a couple of years.

[TdM]

Which would give the model a life of around 4-5 years of they stop producing at that point sounds about right for a normal model.