Auto only: Turbo vs V6?

[Rayjoedef]

I4 sports w/ cup 2s 5-60 = 4.5 sec
V6 touring w/ Goodyears 5-60 = 4.7 sec

Additionally, the gap in acceleration between sports and touring accounts for 0.1-0.2 seconds.

The I4 (sports) has a torque advantage but has to overcome turbo lag, evidenced by the 1.1 sec gap between its 0-60 and 5-60 times, as opposed to 0.4 sec for the V6 (touring).

US car or UK?

 

[Lotus64]

@Adam Brouillard, there are multiple types of turbo lag. I'm referring to low end and boost threshold turbo lag. You are referring to transient turbo lag.

@Rayjoedef , us cars.

 

[Adam Brouillard]

Yes, you are correct. By the definitions on that chart, I'm trying to explain that the I4 has "low-end" or "boost threshold" turbo lag, but does not have noticeable "high-end" or "transient" turbo lag.

 

[Lotus F1]

I have thought about adding an electric turbo to eliminate any lag but it's just not that bad in this car

 

[Lotus F1]

If anyone is in South Florida and wants to put these theories to test let me know

 

[yk793]

Cant imagine having a Lotus in auto. But if its the i4 only option, all the issues i read in this forum would keep me away from it alone. At $106k there are way better paddle shifting cars imo. But at $105k there are no alternatives at all, also V6s seem problem free due to Toyota reliability.

 

[Lotus F1]

Cant imagine having a Lotus in auto. But if its the i4 only option, all the issues i read in this forum would keep me away from it alone. At $106k there are way better paddle shifting cars imo. But at $105k there are no alternatives at all, also V6s seem problem free due to Toyota reliability.

I am curious what issues are you talking about. The DCT in my car has been exceptional. I don't know if you're working off old data or if you just going off of one or two people's opinions. But I'm here to tell you it is so much faster than a regular auto and/or standard car

 

[NJemira85]

So I went to drive the turbo yesterday evening. My thoughts below:
- sport suspension was too jittery for my liking
- there was a rattle in the driver side window sill that the salesperson said was seatbelt (definitely was not the seatbelt as I held it and the door/window was still rattling)
- engine was potent. Sounded good inside but pretty quiet outside.
- DCT was quicker than the V6 slush box but it’s definitely no PDK (downshifts were quick in sport mode while upshifts were a bit slower). I felt sometimes when I downshifted coming to a stop, it didn’t really react.
- everything else was pretty good: sound system, looks, interior, etc.

I’m still conflicted as I really want to like the Emira. It’s a bit below budget too. I just can’t help feeling like I need a bit more from the car.

Felt same way. Found jb4. Made purchase. It’s either a v6 Emira manual or a 997.2 gt3 manual, and that car is approx double, much harder to tune, hard to find with daily miles unmodified.

For you with the auto, why not get a lightly used vantage or mc20 or McLaren gt? There’s a million variations on auto supercars. Many depreciate like rocks. Not much more than a new Emira frankly. And will ride much more numbly than an emira

 

[Rainier]

I am curious what issues are you talking about. The DCT in my car has been exceptional. I don't know if you're working off old data or if you just going off of one or two people's opinions. But I'm here to tell you it is so much faster than a regular auto and/or standard car

This is a significant issue with the I4 for anyone affected by it:

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2025/MC-11013331-0001.pdf

We don't know how many folks are impacted; their is this poll for what its worth, but it's just an informal roll call and not many people have responded:

Poll: I4 Sand Contamination

Please help us gather some statistics on the I4 engine sand contamination issue. (This may manifest as stuck thermostats, broken coolant pump or other issues with the coolant system)

www.emiraforum.com

 

[Lotus F1]

This is a significant issue with the I4 for anyone affected by it:

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2025/MC-11013331-0001.pdf

We don't know how many folks are impacted; their is this poll for what its worth, but it's just an informal roll call and not many people have responded:

Poll: I4 Sand Contamination

Please help us gather some statistics on the I4 engine sand contamination issue. (This may manifest as stuck thermostats, broken coolant pump or other issues with the coolant system)

www.emiraforum.com

I've Have no such issue as t all and don't know of any who have

 

[Lotus F1]

I went down this road at looking at McLaren 570 and the MC 20. But the bottom line is for the 97,000 I paid for the Emira brand new under warranty it just didn't make sense for me to go to those very expensive to maintain cars with warranties that were already coming to explration. The Emira I got with the sport suspension and the JB4 running on map 4 gives me a rare car, that's fast and brand new with warranty. I mean could you imagine what it cost to fix and maintain an MC 20 or McLaren in comparison. Nah I didn't want to take that chance. My car did 0 to 60 and 3.2 seconds and is in the low 11s in the quarter mile all while retaining that Lotus feeling and drivability and being brand new. This is all without even lightening it up with a battery seats and wheels

 

[NJemira85]

I went down this road at looking at McLaren 570 and the MC 20. But the bottom line is for the 97,000 I paid for the Emira brand new under warranty it just didn't make sense for me to go to those very expensive to maintain cars with warranties that were already coming to explration. The Emira I got with the sport suspension and the JB4 running on map 4 gives me a rare car, that's fast and brand new with warranty. I mean could you imagine what it cost to fix and maintain an MC 20 or McLaren in comparison. Nah I didn't want to take that chance. My car did 0 to 60 and 3.2 seconds and is in the low 11s in the quarter mile all while retaining that Lotus feeling and drivability and being brand new. This is all without even lightening it up with a battery seats and wheels

Concur in full. Manual 600lt is my eventual build target

 

[yk793]

I am curious what issues are you talking about. The DCT in my car has been exceptional. I don't know if you're working off old data or if you just going off of one or two people's opinions. But I'm here to tell you it is so much faster than a regular auto and/or standard car

Two close friends, both purchased new.. Both went back to shop for check engine lights. One was misfire.. later on thermostat.. other one in shop for 3 weeks for engine light to be still figured out.. And yeah read some issues in our FB group too. I feel like Lotus is just Mclarens, some are just bad apples.. No consistency in build quality..

 

[yk793]

Concur in full. Manual 600lt is my eventual build target

Mclaren build quality absolutely terrible. Owned a 600lt, amazing car when problem free.. Rarely ran amazingly problem free tho.. MC20 i just read reviews and one friends car i drove.. Car felt so incomplete.. sounds terrible too.. I so agree wt u, at $100k Emira especially the manual V6 SC is unmatched.. super analog.. engagement is perfect.. sound is intoxicating.. cant beat it

 

[Lotus F1]

Two close friends, both purchased new.. Both went back to shop for check engine lights. One was misfire.. later on thermostat.. other one in shop for 3 weeks for engine light to be still figured out.. And yeah read some issues in our FB group too. I feel like Lotus is just Mclarens, some are just bad apples.. No consistency in build quality..

European market spec or US?

 

[NJemira85]

Mclaren build quality absolutely terrible. Owned a 600lt, amazing car when problem free.. Rarely ran amazingly problem free tho.. MC20 i just read reviews and one friends car i drove.. Car felt so incomplete.. sounds terrible too.. I so agree wt u, at $100k Emira especially the manual V6 SC is unmatched.. super analog.. engagement is perfect.. sound is intoxicating.. cant beat it

Same here. Owned 600lt. Great steering when car operative. Rarely so :/

 

[PatrickJS]

get i4 since its cheaper with Lotus incentives etc and faster than v6 without having to spend 20k to match performance

 

[CHEESE]

If an auto transmission is on the radar, why not get, say a Model S Plaid? Roughly the same price, WAY WAY WAY faster, far more practical.

 

[Lotus F1]

If an auto transmission is on the radar, why not get, say a Model S Plaid? Roughly the same price, WAY WAY WAY faster, far more practical.

I'm really trying to understand how one can equate the driving dynamics and feel of a Lotus being the same driving experience as a Tesla based on a transmission being auto or not. As if a Lotus is purely defined by the mediocre stick shifter. Are you really serious? Do you even own a Lotus? It's almost an unbelievable argument

 

[Rayjoedef]

As an I4 owner, I'm having a bit of trouble with the above logic....Plaid, used Mclarens, etc. over the 100k I4 just because buyer has appetite for a DCT? The absolute only reason to buy the V6 is that you like to row your own gears, that is it! Every other objective measure leans towards the I4 and with the addition of JB4 (1k), there's no contest. Sound is subjective and if you spend a bit of time in the I4, you will come away giggling like a school boy (confirmed by all US reviews). Find an i4 to test drive, not a dealer drive at 50mph around the city. I mean WOT in track mode and then let's hear some thoughts. Lotus did an absolute horrid job in releasing the 360hp variant in the UK - The US car is not that one. As far as issues with said car, only a small handful has had the casting sand issue and thermostat/flush has remediated most (according to US Lotus Engineer). August of this year another DCT software upgrade is coming that will further improve the trans.