Emira Road Tests & Reviews

[simonb]

11 hours ago, Rambo said:

I've not heard from anyone who has test driven an Emira saying it will be easier to live with than an Evora.

Where are they all hiding?

how long was the waiting list for the evora?

I think more people will be living with an Emira

[Tim H]

I have just visited Central Lotus to look and sit in the Emira, It is wonderful to see such a car, and when I sat in I had not had that feeling of just sitting in a car since I bought my Esprit in 2004.... I had to walk out the showroom as I felt I would/ could spend a lot of money. The sales lady was laughing, it looks and feels a fabulous car.... and the quality, well done lotus....

[PaulLee]

Lotus missed a trick with the Emira. They created a car with supercar looks albeit without the performance. A lot of people are already looking at after market exhausts and maps to increase the performance on top of the £81k OTR, which tells me they are not ok with the performance and sound.  Maybe Lotus could have offered performance options at the configuration stage - it would be added value for Lotus. I know there is talk of Lotus having these as after market options. 

[gregs24]

On the road the Emira has more than enough performance. Any more performance is completely unusable unless you are on a track. At no point did I ever want more power in my Evora S on the road.

A mate of mine sold his Pista because it was too much for the road.

Exhaust is down to new sound regulations not Lotus

[PaulLee]

Again performance is subjective.

 

[Timbo999]

Eh? No it isn't you can measure it! You're comparing the Emira's figures with those of other cars, so it's clearly an objective measurement you're using. Odd use of the word subjective, do you mean relative (i.e. relative to other cars or what you're used to)?

[TomE]

On 29/11/2022 at 07:06, C8RKH said:

To be fair the Evora 4xx cars are much easier than the S1. The Emira is lower roofline, iirc, so cannot see how it will be "easier" than a 4xx. Look forward to your honest review.

Emira overall height is almost identical to Evora, but the door opening is higher on the Emira so with the narrower sills too it is easier to get in and out.

[exeterjeep]

2 minutes ago, TomE said:

he Emira so with the narrower sills too it is easier to get in and out.

Did have a go at getting in and out of the Exeter demo, it is easier than my gt430, but thought that part was due to my CF seats having more side/back bolsters.  Also thought that the door may have opened slightly more?

[C8RKH]

50 minutes ago, TomE said:

Emira overall height is almost identical to Evora, but the door opening is higher on the Emira so with the narrower sills too it is easier to get in and out.

That's comapring to an S1, the 4xx is much better than an S1 with regard to access as can be seen below - in fact the sill looks thinner on the 400 and the door wider.

[electro_boy]

I own an S1 Evora (+2), have sat in a few 4XX Evora's but not loads of experience of them and have driven the Emira during a day at the LDA.  Getting in and out of the Emira is much easier than a S1 Evora, its very obvious and noticeable straight away mainly due the huge sill that the S1 has.  Emira vs 4XX car is a lot closer, its not something that you would instantly detect and you would have to be specifically trying to compare but maybe, possibly, the Emira is a little easier to get into and out?

The seats in all three cars are comfortable, different but all comfortable.  Both the 4XX and Emira seats hold you in a bit more so better for spirted driving or track driving but then possible S1 seats better for a long drive down the motorway... 

The space in the back of my +2 Evora is certainly bigger than the space in the Emira.   But again I think there is plenty room to put a couple small suitcases in the back of an Emira.  I didn't bother looking at the boot of the Emira when at the LDA but I gather its similar to the Evora.  So I think is practical enough for two people to head off on an adventure for a few days.  For sure on a trip down to Ikea I am going to fare better in my +2 Evora compared to the Emira but thats not really a sensible test.

So overall I think the Emira is going to be perfectly fine car to live with everyday and get around in comfort and carry a typical and sensible load for the type of car.  So I guess the extra cup holders in the Emira tips the balance in favour of the Emira for everyday liveability! 😉 

[philcool]

Very easey to get in and out don't take this the wrong way it's like it's not a lotus 

[mdavies]

2 hours ago, philcool said:

.................. don't take this the wrong way it's like it's not a lotus 

Are there really "right" and "wrong" ways to take that statement, Phil?  Very much a matter for the person doing the "taking" to decide and choose, I suggest! 

[Whitey]

On 28/11/2022 at 22:05, Whitey said:

My test drive is on Thursday and I’ll be driving down in my Evora of 11 years and 40k miles and have had many Lotuses over the last 40 years. I’ll let you know what I honestly think after my test drive and if I see it as an additional £50k well spent or if I decide to cancel my Jan build car and keep my brilliant NA Evora longer. One thing I know already is that the Emira is easier to get into / out of than my NA. It will definitely be quicker, but will it be as fun…………… looking forward to Thursday👍

Had my test drive yesterday at Hendy, so here are my thoughts - and stress that these are my opinions on how I found the car with a view to comparing it with my current NA Evora and possibly replacing it.

Firstly I love the looks of the car - this one was in Nimbus with black pack and black wheels - mine is Nimbus, no BP and silver wheels. 

Getting in and out of the car is definitely easier than my S1 and the interior is a big step up in terms of quality, fit etc. Briefly tried the KEF stereo which was very good and all the controls had a nice feel to them.

Now on to the important driving bit. It instantly feels like a Lotus and the ride with Touring susp and Goodyears (as per my build) was excellent and very similar in feel and compliancy to my S1 on some bumpy and twisty B roads. Although it is wider than the Evora, it didn't feel it when driving it which is good as I spend a lot of time driving the smaller B roads. I didn't like the steering wheel at all - I don't mind it not being round but for me it just felt too chunky and odd in my hands. Much prefer the Evora wheel. Sound wise in Tour or sport modes you can hear both the exhaust, which I liked and the supercharger whine, which I know is a feature of the car, but Ill take the soundtrack from my NA Evora any time. This and the steering wheel were my 2 main negatives but I know alot of people like the supercharger noise, I don't! The gear change was nice and precise and with blips on the throttle on down shifts very smooth and slightly quicker than my Evora. In terms of acceleration I wasn't blown away with the extra 100hp this car has but it was very linear and the car pulled cleanly from low revs in all gears. Brakes were great and I found no grabbyness that other people have mentioned. Overall, it drives very nicely indeed and not surprisingly very similar to the Evora.

Now the crunch - will I get £50ks worth of more fun out of it than my Evora, I dont think so. Will it be easier to live with than my Evora, yes slightly due to getting in and out. Does it give you serious grin factor - yes, but so does my Evora. I think If I had been new to the Lotus brand and had just jumped it the Emira I would have been amazed with the drive and handling - but I have 40 years of continuous Lotus ownership and driving so I am well used to it and as they say "nothing drives like a Lotus" and the Emira is clearly from the same family.

My build is January, so I only have a short while to finally decide. I think in the short term it is a fairly safe bet re residuals etc and the current long waiting list, and if I do go ahead my Evora will be staying until I can properly decide which one to keep. And yes, you can tell that I am quite attached to my light weight 2+0 3 pack Evora which continues to be a fab fun and usable car. Now, if Lotus were to dangle a targa Emira in front of me or a light weight 350hp NA engined car, I would have more of a reason to change.

 

 

 

[C8RKH]

@Whitey the extra 100bhp will be offset somewhat by the extra weight over your NA. I never really, ever, found my NA wanting for performance to be honest. I hate the supercharger whine (so much so I have really dampened it down on my VX220 SC) and happy to say that I hear none of it in my current Evora 410.

Overall, I think you have created a very honest review, shorn of the usual "it's the latest shiny shiny so beats everything else hands down" typical comments.

Thanks for sharing. I'm now convinced that only a lighter, more focused, Emira will replace my Evora, though an I4 as a daily driver could still happen, with the Evora kept for when I really wanted to grin....

[TdM]

Thanks for the review Whitey. Very useful to hear from a current NA owner. Was interested to hear on the acceleration front. From my own perspective I would personally like a bit more Torque to break traction more easily in the NA Evora so that's the one thing where the higher power Evoras and Emira might have an edge in the dynamics. Wouldn't know without driving one though!

To note, I'm with you on supercharger whine. Americans love it. I've had a 'charger before and I always wanted it to shut up so I could hear the engine better.

[esprit17]

I had my test drive at Lotus Bradford JCT600 at the weekend. As an v8 Esprit owner and have a v6 deposit down on the Emira I thought I'd share my thoughts.

Well, overall it was ok as I'm left with mixed emotions and my deposit still remains with Lotus, for the time being.

Well known good stuff...the looks and the interior are great. The brakes, and all round visibility including the mirrors are way better than the esprit. Access and egress, especially as a passenger is soooo much easier.

The supercharger whine, is something that I would get used to as I think it's an acquired taste.

The real problems are threefold IMO:

1) the seat, whilst I understand lotus have dropped by an inch I cannot seem to fit. I know at 6ft 3" I'm at the border line of fitting in the esprit, hence I've dropped the driver's seat and make use of a wedge to support my right leg on long journey's but the Emira is confusing me. There is plenty on adjustment on the seat, I can push it back so that I can run out of leg length to depress the clutch which is impossible in the Esprit unless you're the size of Richard Hammond.

What I struggle with his head height,  as just where I need to put my head there is a bump covering the rear boot hinge. I hope that I'll be able to drop it an inch so will look to others to see if this is an option

2) Exhaust note, or absence of. I'm sure it sounds great outside but I'm the one paying so I need to be able to hear it over the supercharger. It was progressively louder as you go through the settings but it's still absent for a £80k car

3) Performance was ok, it feels too good a car! It's totally planted on the goodyears let alone cup2s, the chassis is so good that it needs at least another 100bhp to get anywhere close smiles per miles in the Esprit, which is a worst car. To be fair, I'm not looking to drive the car like a teenager, I'm nearly 50 but I do want to feel a bit more of a sensation. I know the i4 is the obvious route for more power but I'm old skool and prefer higher displacement engines. 

The seat and exhaust I'm sure I can address, the performance we'll have to see. I hope that Lotus support the 1st edition owners like Mclaren did for the MC12C and provided free retrofitted upgrades to improve performance.

Anyway just my thoughts

 

 

 

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

I very much doubt that Lotus will provide free retrofitted upgrades to improve performance. I think you will have to go aftermarket for that, which will probably have implications on your 3 year warranty.

[KennyN]

I had my test drive today at B&C, the short version is my checkout process is complete and I'm waiting on potential delivery dates.

The longer version... It's a very competent package, it still has the Lotus feel, but without fighting the steering wheel on less than perfect roads.  The interior noise is lacking lower in the rev range, although it does sound good outside.  I'm disappointed that the seat does not go significantly lower than the pre-production cars that I sat in, I still felt a bit too high (I'm 6'2" with a long back).  That said, I was able to get into a better driving position than my Exige was ever able to offer.  The brakes initially felt sharp very early in the pedal travel, but I soon got used to that.  The engine and gearbox were very familiar and as expected...better when worked a bit.  Thankfully, the car was run in and revs were encouraged.  It did not feel lacking in power or torque on the road, although I reckon another 100bhp would liven things up on track.  I expect the rest of the package would handle the additional power just fine.

I cannot comment on the infotainment, as I didn't really try it.  Although, it seemed responsive enough when flicking through the drive modes.

The red leather of the demo car was already showing a bit of dye transfer from drivers jeans, so it's probably worth considering a leather protection treatment if you've selected anything other than black.

In summary, to me, a fully loaded Emira for £80k is a bit of a bargain for a new car with the looks and driving dynamics on offer.  The fit and finish seemed spot on for the price point too.

I expect my FE Emira will be with me until a more powerful stripped out version comes along.

[electro_boy]

13 hours ago, esprit17 said:

... Performance was ok, it feels too good a car! It's totally planted on the goodyears let alone cup2s, the chassis is so good that it needs at least another 100bhp to  ....

11 hours ago, KennyN said:

...It's a very competent package, it still has the Lotus feel, but without fighting the steering wheel on less than perfect roads.... 

...  It did not feel lacking in power or torque on the road, although I reckon another 100bhp would liven things up on track.  I expect the rest of the package would handle the additional power just fine.

I echo the thoughts above, it's almost as if the Emira is too composed and feels capable of so much more that you forget how good it already is and want more from it.  Its what I expected the car would feel like; in my opinion the general public don't want a car too feel too lively and exciting so I guess Lotus had to dial down the fizz the bit to give the car more mass market appeal.

[jep]

22 hours ago, electro_boy said:

the general public don't want a car too feel too lively and exciting so I guess Lotus had to dial down the fizz the bit to give the car more mass market appeal.

I agree. And well done Lotus for doing so. If you can't sell 3000 Evora per annum, the market is telling you something. 

It's amusing that so many road testers of Evora criticised the transmission noise at low speeds. When Porsche dialled in a similar noise on GT3, they all raved about the car feeling alive. 

I rather wish I had ordered an Emira and I'm sure one day that I will buy one. It's a Lotus after all, so will be better than most stuff out there. 

Justin

 

[jimichanga]

The market wasn’t given a chance to buy the Evora it was starved of the promotion the Emira has enjoyed, though interestingly the Evora was much better received by the press. The Evora did become expensive under JMG I guess he figured that if they’re only going to sell a few they need to max the profit on each one. But the Emira isn’t any better than the Evora as a daily useable car, it’s no more practical or easier to get in and out of, it’s less practical if anything. Only major advance is in infotainment which will of course be out of date before the end of the year. However the perception that it’s a ‘grown up’ Lotus is working wonders and probably helped by Lotus dropping the Evora like a hot spud before anyone realised how similar they are!

[C8RKH]

I do think you are tight @jimichanga re why Lotus dropped the Evora Final Edition as it would have been a better performance car.

i might have an Emira one day, but increasingly struggling to see why you woukd buy one new over an Alpine (apart from the fugly Alpine front).

[Woodman]

The Emira is good value in todays market. Chassis is so competent it makes the performance feel good but not extreme because it just takes it. Foot hard down in a 718 or 911 GTS and you back off pretty quickly as it feels dramatic. Foot hard down in the Emira even in the rain and no drama - although it's very quick. Arguably Lotus is a better chassis if less dramatic. I doubt Mercedes will ever allow a high tune I4 beyond what they use themselves. There will undoubtedly be a GT430 V6 but that's probably as powerful as it will go and that will be far more than the current model. Difficult to see the price on the current model holding past the year end orders. Its a great car to drive, gives so much confidence.

[Barrykearley]

6 hours ago, jimichanga said:

But the Emira isn’t any better than the Evora as a daily useable car, it’s no more practical or easier to get in and out of, it’s less practical if anything.

I absolutely have to disagree there - as will many others.

[Rambo]

From what I've seen on video's it certainly looks easier go get in than an Evora.

But, then again, I have no difficulties getting in my Evora despite being 100+ kg, being in my 7th decade and having 2 replacement hips 😕