Lotus Emira

[Giniw]

Are we sure about that?

I heard through the grapevine from a race engineer of Lotus Cup Europe that a soft top might be planned. Announced 1 year after the original spec, so 2022, and then production in 2023.

[ramjet]

Everyone else believes no soft top etc. Your comment is the only one that I know of that is suggesting that there will be.

[Giniw]

I can't be sure of anything and I don't know how sure he is about this either (he is an Internet acquaintance), but ...

 

[Al]

They have said not in one of the interviews. 
 

in the case of the Evora they said they to me on a factory visit at about the same stage we are at now with the Emira that they were going to do a soft top or targa (manual removable panels) and some 12+ years later we are still waiting. 😖. So who knows. Never say never! 😆

[Bravo73]

8 hours ago, Giniw said:

Are we sure about that?

As sure as we can be. Seeing as it came directly from Matt Windle. 

There were also several engineering issues which stopped an Evora convertible from ever being released. I imagine that those issues still apply to the Emira. 

[Bibs]

 

PPOT...

[PAR]

This model can stay out for the next 8 years so I guess plenty of time to consider but safely not in the next 2 years.

[Evotion]

That is my belief. There is and was no plans to do onw but money always talks and if customers strongly desire it, and it makes financial sense, then they would surely consider it.

Big IFs though, lots of headaches. Like the Evora, I don't think it will happen as they are already pushing ahead with EV.

I's settle for a dark tinted fixed pan roof 👍

[C8RKH]

On 18/07/2021 at 01:28, JJ said:

In one of the interviews they say they aren't doing a roadster/convertible/etc. But who knows, they may change their mind? It's possible they need the roof for structural reasons though.

They won't. Happy to have a bet with anyone on here for a bottle of champagne to who wins.  My preference would be Verve Cliquet, you may as well buy it now.

4 hours ago, Bravo73 said:

I imagine that those issues still apply to the Emira. 

Even though it shares not one part with and is different in every way to the Evora? 

 

1 hour ago, Evotion said:

I's settle for a dark tinted fixed pan roof

Adds a lot of weight dead weight high up in the car and will shift the CoG higher. Can't see it as the car is already struggling with its weight.

[ramjet]

48 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

Even though it shares not one part with and is different in every way to the Evora? 

I'd imagine that even though it shares no parts, other than the V6 and the gearbox/s, with the Evora, the two cars are similar enough in design principles that the issues would more than likely be very similar.

[Evotion]

1 hour ago, C8RKH said:

Adds a lot of weight dead weight high up in the car and will shift the CoG higher. Can't see it as the car is already struggling with its weight.

Ssssh, Don't mention the W word - It will set everybody off again.

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

I have a posh panoramic roof on my daily driver Passat Estate. It’s the biggest waste of money. It was incorrectly fitted at the VW factory, so unbeknown to me, rain water leaked inside the roof and down the pillars, to the wiring harness in the sills. After being left in a rainy airport car-park for a fortnight, the electronic safety features gradually shut down one by one whilst I was out working a few days later. First no adaptive cruise control, then no parking aids, next up the electronic hand brake and auto-hold failed. I finally got it back to my VW dealer on the way home and they confirmed it was too dangerous to drive and refused to let me take it away, so I had to get a taxi.

The dealer was excellent and soon diagnosed the problem and repaired the damaged wiring and re-sealed the sunroof. That was 3 years ago now and it’s been faultless ever since. As for the panoramic sunroof, I bet I’ve opened it less than 10 times in the past 4 years and probably only then to let the heat out when it’s been sat in the sun for a few hours.

I won’t be speccing it on any future car purchases, that’s for sure.

[Bravo73]

2 hours ago, C8RKH said:

Even though it shares not one part with and is different in every way to the Evora? 

That particular internet ‘fact’ has already been proved wrong. If it wasn’t in this thread, it was in one of the other Emira threads on here. 

[C8RKH]

I was speaking with tongue very firmly in cheek and finger wagging.....😁😆

@LotusLeftLotusRight the other issue with the glass panoramic roofs is that they are not usually covered by your "glass" excess on your insurance .....

Wife had a non opening glass roof on her old Qashqai, great in the winter to let light in during the day. In the summer the full length blind was usually deployed or the interior got too hot....

[JJ]

8 hours ago, Bibs said:

PPOT...

Well if that one dealer is correct, and we'll see two new SUV's announced, and then another sportscar in '24, it could well be that one loses the roof rather than the Emira, from how he words it. Regardless, if there's demand, I'm sure they'll ultimately deliver.

Edited July 19, 2021 by JJ

[Bibs]

That's Matt Windle, the Managing Director of Lotus cars, not a dealer! 

[Giniw]

4 hours ago, C8RKH said:

My preference would be Verve Cliquet

It won't be too expensive but might be hard to find a Verve Cliquet bottle though

 

@Bibs > This interview looks interesting, thanks! I was not aware of its existence to be honest Thank you!
As for the my race engineer source, he may have mixed up the infos with the soft top Matt Windle is referring too (he or his sources)

[JJ]

37 minutes ago, Bibs said:

That's Matt Windle, the Managing Director of Lotus cars, not a dealer! 

Yes, I realize that? I'm just clarifying that may be on the 2024 to-be-announced Lotus sportscar a dealer mentioned (possibly electric Elise successor), and not necessarily a future Emira iteration? Just trying to put 1 and 1 together, not sure where we're at odds?

Edited July 19, 2021 by JJ

[C8RKH]

2 hours ago, JJ said:

Just trying to put 1 and 1 together, not sure where we're at odds?

In this case 1 and 1 does not equal an Emira and this is the Emira thread...

[JJ]

OK. I give up. Bye. 👋

[Giniw]

13 hours ago, Bibs said:

 

PPOT...

Great news about the heritage service. I understand it would/will be a lot of work for them but they could start easy by making a batch of dampers for the M100 for instance. I mean, they don't need to make a new spec dampers/springs set like they did for the Esprit, just an original 30 year old spec dampers sets would be nice enough since we are left with only after market ones (not too keen on buying a set and I am not so sure about the Nitron set either. Probably good build quality, but no guaranty they really fit the car whatsoever? I think I understand the original spec was designed like a double stiffness system with the use of the bump stops — at least that's what I deduced from a John Miles' article and I would be surprised the Nitron set mimics this). Anyway, we (I) need new dampers (and also the hood seals but that's easier to replicate 😛 )

/off topic, sorry

 

(and the whole interview was interesting too of course ^^)

[Mark030358]

Had my money down a good few months now, but still feeling kind of meh….

Its kind of like when I was a kid and looking at the Europa Twin Cam (to me the finest looking Lotus ever built) and thinking just wow, and my dad looking at a Ford Capri and him thinking just wow… Where one was just something from another planet, the other was, well, a Ford with net headrests…

And that’s my worry, a modern day Capri ….. 

 

[duncx]

Nah, the Capri looked ok but drove like a shed, the Emira looks spectacular AND will drive like a true Lotus

[Mark030358]

Hope your right….

[ramjet]

8 hours ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

I have a posh panoramic roof on my daily driver Passat Estate. It’s the biggest waste of money. It was incorrectly fitted at the VW factory, so unbeknown to me, rain water leaked inside the roof and down the pillars, to the wiring harness in the sills. After being left in a rainy airport car-park for a fortnight, the electronic safety features gradually shut down one by one whilst I was out working a few days later. First no adaptive cruise control, then no parking aids, next up the electronic hand brake and auto-hold failed. I finally got it back to my VW dealer on the way home and they confirmed it was too dangerous to drive and refused to let me take it away, so I had to get a taxi.

The dealer was excellent and soon diagnosed the problem and repaired the damaged wiring and re-sealed the sunroof. That was 3 years ago now and it’s been faultless ever since. As for the panoramic sunroof, I bet I’ve opened it less than 10 times in the past 4 years and probably only then to let the heat out when it’s been sat in the sun for a few hours.

I won’t be speccing it on any future car purchases, that’s for sure.

We've got one on our Skoda. Love it. Gets used frequently. Not in the rain at this time of the year though.