Emira Road Tests & Reviews

[TomE]

1 hour ago, DaveC72 said:

I feel for Lotus.  From "it's a great drivers car, but we'd sacrifice some of that for more practicality/ creature comforts" to "it's more practical and has creature comforts, but it's lost some of that great driver's feel".

Go figure.

I'm confused as to how the prototype reviews that were so positive ended up being so diluted in the release.

 

I think this is the crux of the issue with most of the reviews.  Reviewers (and customers) seem to have expected the ride & handling and driver-related stuff to be at least as good as the more recent Evoras, perhaps even a step forward given the extra development effort, increased track, opportunity to improve suspension etc.  Gav Kershaw even described it as "an Evora dialled up to 11".  But it appears it isn't to these reviewers.  And actually some of the driving attributes have been softened - a consequence of extra weight, slightly less power, a bit less communication from the steering.  So maybe "an Evora dialled back to 9".

And those things are mainly a consequence of addressing the perceived shortcomings of the Evora: practicality, comfort, interior, technology, trying to compete with Porsche and others.  It sounds like those are all a big step forward, even enough to get much closer to Porsche, but not enough to overtake them (which was unrealistic to expect).  It's added weight and made it slightly less raw and a few degrees less analogue. 

So we've got an Emira that overall is probably a better package than the Evora if you add up all the factors, but with the Lotus special bits not quite as strong as before (so potentially disappointing for current Lotus enthusiasts) and the improved areas better but not "the best".  On that basis it's largely met the original brief and should sell well, particularly to people new to Lotus.  But it's unlikely to entice people out of a recent Evora and if you're a hardcore Porsche fan it probably won't reel you in.

[jerzybondov]

There's a lot of doom and gloom in this thread, but I don't think it's merited from the reviews I've read / watched. All of them have said the Emira is, at the very least, 'good' (I've not watched the Evo video). And that's by 2022's very high standards, with a pre-production review car, often with the wrong chassis for the testing conditions.

Matt Prior's autocar film might be a good cure for insomnia, but he basically puts the Emira at the same level overall as the GTS, which if you read any of the reviews for it when it came out, was literally THE BEST SPORTSCAR EVER MADE OMG OMG JIZZ EVERYWHERE. So if the Emira can be considered in the same breath as that then it's done pretty well IMO.

And the most important thing, really, is the order book. If Emira was selling like late Evora, you could kiss goodnight to the idea of ever having another Lotus sportscar. It would be SUVs and saloons until we're all wormfood.

So lighten up folks. If you've ordered an Emira, it's a better all round car than the Evora. If you've got an Evora, it's still just as good to drive as it ever was.

And those full order books mean the chances of a lightweight Emira with either tuned V6 or i4 up to mid 400s are pretty good. That WILL be an exciting car.  

[Evotion]

Alas , 'good' is not good enough.

They will still sell and I cannot see the waiting list going down that much.

All in all, most of what we expected has been confirmed:

• If you want more rawness then keep/get the Evora/Exige
• If you will use the car a lot get the Tour package. If you will only use it as a third car occasionally, like me, sports is fine
• The overall quality is a big step up from previous Lotus
• The Cayman is still the 'class' leader

I still remain a tad 'horrified' at the reviews. Far worse than I had even feared as all I really wanted to hear was lust and excitement and cooing noises. 

Still looks an incredible package to me and I still see nothing close in terms of the mix between looks and performance.

[Graham Ridgway]

Agree 100%.  I wanted to hear that Lotus had nailed it.  First new Lotus for the masses for an eternity, a saviour for Lotus until the electric Lotus cars arrive.  And by nailed it, I wanted the reviewers to rave about the Lotus secret sauce - a great blend of "for the drivers" with proper modern day interior accoutrements (not that the seat is still too high and the gearchange is still notchy ffs).  It still looks awesome (hope the colours look good in the flesh), but the rest feels a bit "not quite good enough" to me.

[AK70]

As a longtime Lotus owner, I did not expect the Emira to beat the GTS in a "just-the-facts"-and-figures review. Having driven the GTS back-to-back with my Evora, I fully understand why testers and porsche fans love the thing. Still, for me it was missing the Lotus steering-suspensions-brakefeel-sound-magic, even against my 2012 Evora S IPS....

The Emira was said to be superior in all areas than the Evora, but that (after reading the reviews) seems not to be the case.  It is wider, less practical (less storage space than the Evora 2+0), same "problems" with the manual gearbox..(that's why I got the IPS..) and as it seems it has even lost a bit in the driving magic department... brrrrr... I really looking forward for my test drive, again back-to-back with my Evora.

Could well be, that I still like the Emira as Testers and thelikes did not like the Evora S IPS and from my perspective they where totally wrong... 😉

 

[Tuna]

Interesting reviews - maybe it was the dull weather, but a handful of them seem dull pieces all round. Then you get to Harry just enjoying the car and suddenly the sunshine is out again.

Given the state of motoring in 2022, I'm not sure what anyone was expecting. This was not going to be revolutionary, there's really not much space left for ground breaking changes in ICE cars within the current regulations and environment - and the car has been signposted for a year, so there was never going to be shock and awe. However, in one fell swoop it removes just about all of the "reasons not to buy an Evora", and leaves us with a car that you have to nit pick to make a case between it and the Porsche offering. That speaks volumes about how far the company has stepped up since Geely took over, and bodes well for the future.

With a few tweaks, I'd say Lotus have nailed it. This is a stunning car, with a modern high quality, usable interior and dynamics that are incredibly rewarding. No, it doesn't "obliterate" the competition, and people who are fans of the Porsche, or the Alpine or whatever flavour BMW will still prefer those cars, but you could put one of those in a forecourt anywhere in the world and people would stop to look and ask about a test drive. That has to be the next step for Geely - get that dealer network growing fast and let people make up their minds for themselves. When reviews start with "This reminds me of the Ferrari...", we should be pretty pleased with the result.

 

[scotty435]

Yep not the Glowing reviews. The sad part of this thread and the Evora prices post Emira launch thread is that some members seem happy that it did not get the reviews most of us where hoping for and dare i say want it to fail. I am a owner of a late Evora and still believe the Emira will be a better product so will be keeping my deposit where it is. 

[Rambo]

2 hours ago, jerzybondov said:

Matt Prior's autocar film might be a good cure for insomnia....

I actually did fall asleep watching that clip ! What a boring, monotone voice.

I really enjoyed Harry's review. He really engages with the car and sounds enthusiastic.

So, Matt Prior to put you to sleep and Harry to wake you up.

PS I'm sure you guys who are lucky enough to have an Evora on order are going to give it very positive reviews 👍

[exeterjeep]

I'd be interested to see a Lotus specialist (not dealer) do a road test comparison of the Emira V6 manual (touring) against the Evora GT410 non sport, or between a V6 manual Emira with the track focused suspension vs an Evora Gt410 sport. With no mention of a VW.

I can't say the reviews that came out yesterday would turn me on or off an Emira, more a question of easy of access and that if I could get used to its looks.

[hedgerley]

PH seem to like it. A lot. This cheered me up.

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-driven/2022-lotus-emira-ph-review/45782

[Techyd]

Yes just read that - they are excited it by it it would seem and make a good point that the i4 engine will deliver an Emira with a personality of its own.

[Beady]

Have to say i don't like the burgundy colour in most of the pictures.

There are a few sunny shots where it looks good but in the main, not convinced (pulls pin and retreats safe in knowledge that hardly anyone has yet seen DV))

🙊

[gregs24]

I had a Mondeo (don't laugh) in Ruby Red which is almost identical to Magma Red. It really didn't photograph well, but it absolutely popped in the sun

[Mctaff]

On 07/06/2022 at 12:49, Emiralust said:

 

think this is a great review of the lotus... clearly its never going to beat the GTS in a review... I'm still 100% glad I've cancelled my GTS order for the Lotus...

Honestly I don't really care what reviewers think, I had a Vantage for years which I far preferred over the competition (including the 911 GTS which I found quite boring , yet every reviewer would say is a much better car!)

Bring on the test drives!

 

 

Edited June 8, 2022 by Mctaff

[New Emira]

I won’t be driving mine on a track so quite happy to completely discount the EVO track review and share Harry’s excitement at just getting behind the wheel and blasting it down a deserted B road. It’s a beautiful looking car and the V6 sounds superb so still very much looking forward to taking delivery in November.
 

 

[ramjet]

On 08/06/2022 at 17:15, DaveC72 said:

I feel for Lotus.  From "it's a great drivers car, but we'd sacrifice some of that for more practicality/ creature comforts" to "it's more practical and has creature comforts, but it's lost some of that great driver's feel".

Go figure.

I'm confused as to how the prototype reviews that were so positive ended up being so diluted in the release.

Probably 'journos' acting nice to get a first drive just to get 'views' and being non-plussed about the car.

It will be interesting to see who gets a second go at it when the i4 makes its debut.

[jerzybondov]

12 hours ago, New Emira said:

I won’t be driving mine on a track so quite happy to completely discount the EVO track review and share Harry’s excitement at just getting behind the wheel and blasting it down a deserted B road. It’s a beautiful looking car and the V6 sounds superb so still very much looking forward to taking delivery in November.
 

 

I just read the Evo track review in the magazine. Sounded pretty fair enough to me, not biased. They wanted to like the car. Possibly some combo of LSD and the Goodyear tyres that made it a bit understeery? Quite a few other reviews have hinted at the same thing.

Does seem like Lotus has veered into BMW territory of being very spec sensitive!

If I was ordering, think it would be tour/Goodyear/no LSD!

[Rambo]

Who gives a toss what reviewers say anyway? It's your car and if you enjoy driving it, owning it, wrapping it toxic green etc...who cares what anyone says or thinks?

I am more interested in what you potential Emira owners say, once you get behind the wheel 😉

 

 

[ramjet]

You're right.

People even bought Ford Falcons and some of those were ugly.

Lada 2101. Mind you. The Russian media probably lied about it.

It really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

They'll just be a part of the 'missing out' majority.

[TdM]

You are right. Reviewers are going to be seeking out the extremes of every envelope and those extremes probably don't matter and at worst can make things worse in the real world for a prospective shopper. I've had cars that 'reviewed badly' and have been really good. As I just wrote on PH, people want many HP+ and they want it tied down so that it feels secure and does great laps around the NR, but they also want it to slip around because they want fun... That doesn't exist. *real world* they have delivered a car that's easy to get in and out of and live with, will get you where you are going safely, still behaves like a really good sports car, is fast enough for almost everyone isn't punishing on ride and can carry your luggage (mostly). That's what they were aiming at, that's seemingly what they've hit.

[jimichanga]

I am amazed how much some people are influenced by reviews. Aside from everything else they are often contradictory. Half say the pedals are perfect for heel and toe the other half say they are no good. I honestly can’t relate to the constant criticism of the gearbox. The Evora/Exige V6 shift has been really good for some years now, transformed since Evora 400 and I don’t know how or why they are missing gears on track. Not my experience at all. I have experienced of gearshift issues with early Exige V6, one Lotus Academy car in particular but that had a very hard life. No such issues in any V6 car built since Evora 400. In fact I think the gearshift is fantastic a real plus. I tried a manual M4 recently and was shocked it felt identical to the last 3 series diesel I drove. Ordinary, rubbery and cheap. Lotus shifter is up there with the best manuals for me. If Emiras is any better at all then it must be superb.

The Emira is already a success regardless of reviews. The focus from day 1 has been styling, ease of use and interior tech. That’s what has been delivered and what most here wanted going by the orders. The brief was never to make it a faster or more exciting sports car than the Evora. But it had to look great, feel modern and cost less. Lotus succeeded in building a desirable, daily useable sports car which was competitively priced, the order books speak for themselves. Personally I’d be keeping hold of a later Evora. Less power, 1486kg, 6800rpm redline, quieter exhaust, more sound deadening mean the Emira can’t be as exciting to drive nor is it meant to be. It will still be good enough and fast enough for most but it’s definitely too soon to be calling it a step forward over the Evora as a driver’s car. Emira is a better all rounder by design, the highs might not be quite as high but there are fewer lows and rough edges, more pleasing to more people more of the time. Cars like the Elise and Exige were always polarising. Best car ever for some, absurd for others.

Really with weight going up so should power. By detuning to leave room for faster models the Emira doesn’t look like the step forward it in performance it could have been and that seems to be coming across in the reviews. But keeping the price competitive was the priority and that worked when it came to orders.

I still think the Emira should have had adaptive dampers, imagine what Lotus could have done with that? Every Emira having both Tour and Sport chassis at the push of a button. Would have been brilliant. One day hopefully. Seems unreasonable to ask people to make the right decision for them without trying both set ups. Easy to arrange when you have your own test track too!

[pete]

Have just read the review of the emira v alpine v Cayman and it is nowhere near as bad as I thought from reading this thread. Yes the Cayman just comes out on top but their last sentence says the Cayman wins but if you have ordered an Emira you won't be disappointed. For presence the lotus has the other two licked and nothing turns heads like a Seneca blue emira. 

[Bibs]

I think the only really negative review has been EVO who tracked the car which isn't meant for track use for most owners on the wrong tyres and then said a Porsche is better which they say about any car ever, even if it's not in the review! 

Other than that, most reviews including their mag review have actually been pretty good! 

[Rambo]

Is EVO a Porsche publication?

[Bibs]

Pretty much, has been for many years now.