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:D I might not put it so bluntly, but I do have some sympathy with this view. The Emira's exterior, interior and chassis is a pinnacle of automotive modernity. It seems aesthetically wrong to define it by its aged powertrain variant, rather than the ultramodern M139. Of course, if you love a...

Possibly a base 993 for me. It's just so dainty. But I totally agree with the comments so far about the Emira. I stopped the car so me and my son could get out and see one for the first time. It was green over tan and parked on a small highstreet in London, and I have never seen a response...

I agree, and current Emira pricing is in line with historical comparisons, too. In 1987, the Esprit started at £20,570 or £25,980 for the Turbo. The Ferrari 328 started at £44,196, and the BMW M3 was £22,750. Today, the Roma is £178,180 (Amalfi will be more), while the M3 starts at £89,545...

You really nailed this look, nice one!

Yes, the Lotus UK configurator for the Turbo (360hp) gives 4.3s for 0-60 and 3.1s for 49-74. I'll update my posts.

In a contrived traffic light Grand Prix (0-60). Lotus data supports this: I4 Turbo (360hp): 4.3s I4 Turbo SE (400hp): 3.8s V6 SE Manual: 4.2s V6 SE Auto: 4.6s We're all wired differently. Whenever I see a data point that challenges conventional wisdom, I get interested and see opportunity...

Could the red-headed stepchild of the range actually be the fastest in real world driving conditions? I was intrigued to see the 49-74mph times published on the Lotus UK configurator: I4 Turbo (360hp): 3.1s I4 Turbo SE (400hp): 3.1s V6 SE Manual: 3.3s V6 SE Auto: 2.67s I'd never seen this...

Probably because partnership with Lotus adds brand value/cachet to their low-end models, but (in their eyes) would detract from their high-end models.

More concerning is the FT's claim about non-payment of suppliers, citing two sources. That sounds like the fat lady singing.

Well, that was unexpected! How ironic, that after all the talk of V6 production ending, the Emira could now be V6 only until they can find a V8 solution. As a small manufacturer, Lotus have until 2030 to comply with Euro 7, and Toyota will likely be far more amenable than AMG to supplying an...

Thanks for sharing your perspective. Do you have a Touring or Sport i4?

Given how low your state sales taxes are compared to UK VAT and luxury car tax, this is a very good price imo, even with the tariffs. You're getting your Emira much cheaper than us right now.

I like JayEmm, and many of his criticisms are valid, but his bitterness towards Lotus is getting the better of him. Every other sports car manufacturer takes the same iterative approach to chassis design. Porsche and Ferrari take literally decades to release a new architecture, while boldly...

Very interesting. I speculated in another thread that Geely may see the British leg of the Lotus strategy (global brand-building) as actually outperforming. The problems have come from poor execution on the China EV side (range/efficiency). There's hope for Hethel yet!

Lotus China EVs in the USA was never going to happen and never will. I can't imagine their US Emira presence is seen as anything more than a global brand building exercise. I guess we'll find out soon just how strategically committed Geely are to this vision. I was always sceptical, but I see...

The 400hp i4 is so far up on torque than the V6, the real-world performance difference is big enough to render the manual vs auto purity test irrelevant. With that said, I would openly choose a DCT for convenience alone. I daily drove an NB MX5 in central London for 12 years, and made more gear...

Even with a 25% tariff I think Lotus ICE cars can still compete in the US. When you account for VAT and luxury car tax, plus higher base pricing, UK and US prices are still comparable. To make this work, the V8 speculation makes sense. I could see a small Ricardo V8 in the back, with a...

Now you've got rid of AMG's Real Performance Sound™, perhaps you're just hearing the real performance sound? :) Would you consider recording some in-cabin sound to document your results? I'm curious to hear another take on how this engine actually sounds.

Impressive work, enjoyed that!

Will you be attempting to jump any moving trains when that turbo comes on boost?

I can see where everyone is coming from, and I was worried about DV based on all the commentary. But when I saw it in person (on an overcast day, no less), I was thrilled. It's exactly what I'm looking for, and appears to have been perfectly matched to the tan interior. As a combination, it's...

Yeah, that was clearly their aim, and it was a reasonable strategy. Unfortunately, they didn't realise that EV demand was almost entirely inorganic, and subsidy-driven. False incentives have distorted the market and are now doing serious damage to brands and bottom lines. There is no passion...

I think he was referring to electric hypercars in general, and he's correct I suppose. Porsche have shelved theirs, and the Rimac Nevera was a complete flop. After watching the Top Gear review, the Evija was utterly stunning, inside and out. What a shame the project will likely die a quiet...

Victims of inflation throughout the supply chain, and eroded purchasing power, in my view. The cars are now absurdly overpriced. A poster on Pistonheads reported that their local Lotus dealer hasn't received a single new order since the latest round of price hikes. Employers have also just had...

So glad I waited for the Turbo SE, even if the price is a bit ridiculous. At 3.6s to 60, the 400bhp Turbo is a legitimately quick car, no caveats.

You legend. Hoping you'll document the effects of your future mods!

It's true in the UK at least. You can only option the Driver's Pack (switchable exhaust, etc) with Sport suspension on the V6. With the I4, it's available regardless of chassis choice.

If I was KEF, I wouldn't have agreed to this. But then, I guess AMG forced it on Lotus, and everyone decided to pretend it's not happening.

The infotainment system already has access to the vehicle speed, though. I don't see why an additional connection to the ECM would be required. In any case, I certainly don't hear any evidence of necessity for the fake noise on the V6, so you guys can still drive cringe-free :)

Because they corrupt both the driving and listening experience. Fake sounds through the speakers are in the realm of young lads and hot hatches. I don't want to pay £95k for a computer game. And yes, anyone who enjoys music - audiophile or not - shouldn't want the distortion caused by fake...

Yes, I'm in the UK. Based on your video this affects every i4 globally. So I'd say this is an underappreciated thread at this point, and really should make waves in any future round of Turbo SE press drives and reviews.

Thanks for talking me off the ledge :) Just need someone to defeat this thing now.

Thanks for the video Kaz. On the one hand, I can't believe Lotus did this. On the other, I can see why AMG wouldn't let them disable it. I'm embarrassed to admit I was a huge fan of the M139 sound signature, only to find it's completely fake, and not just "enhanced". As you're the only man to...

Small Volume Manufacturers (less than 10k cars per year) have until 2030 to comply with Euro 7.

I see a surprising number of Eletres around West London. There are at least two in my immediate neighbourhood. Kind of on par with a Urus or something like that in terms of sightings. No doubt some sweet lease deals got these cars sold.

Is the fake sound played in Tour mode? Does anyone have any evidence that this also afflicts UK i4s? I dread to think that this will be in our Turbo SEs when they start to be delivered.

I've found the review, which was quite critical overall. The speeds in question are triple digit like C&D, and his conclusion was that the Emira shouldn't be driven above 200kph. This isn't a great concern for a road car obviously, but how the car behaves on fast, long European journeys is...

I was watching a Korean review of the i4 on YouTube (with subtitles), and the very thorough road tester noted some high speed instability. As a prospective i4 owner, I was interested to read that again here. Is this a Sport setup thing? The Korean review was also on Sport suspension with Cup 2s...