eclat2emira
Emira Maniac
21 months after placing my deposit she is sitting in my driveway and I couldn't be happier.
Full spec: Dark Verdant, tan Leather, silver alloys, yellow calipers, touring chassis, manual gearbox, delete privacy glass, alcantara steering wheel.
Below I'll take you through the collection and handover process, the 390-mile drive home and first impressions.
Collection & Handover
Security staff as cheery and helpful as ever (I've been to Hethel many times) then into the handover centre where we were greeted by Scott and were part of a group of 3 for handover that morning. I'd say being part of a group adds to the experience - comparing notes, specs and admiring each other's cars on unveiling. Coffee and a great talk by Scott on Lotus history - including some stories that were new to me, a great set-up for the rest of the experience.
The factory was a lot busier than last time I was there and there were dozens and dozens of Emiras outside. Great to see the build process again, including lots of useful insights from Scott. For me, this level of detail enhances my appreciation of the Emira and the design, styling and engineering behind it. Quite a range of ages among the factory staff which was good to see and there was decent percentage of female technicians, more than 10% I'd estimate.
Back to the handover area, Scott explaining what would come next then we were into the reveals. Mine was the 3rd of the three which built the anticipation nicely. despite seeing plenty of Emiras in the flesh before I was still taken aback how good it looked. The proportions, the styling, the colour combo, the size, the stance - all spot on.
The journey home - getting acquainted
The drive was a mix of local roads for the first 60 miles or so, then dual carriageway and motorway. We both found the car extremely comfortable throughout the drive, climate control being easy to use and effective. The gearshift was better than any of the 2 Emiras I've previously driven - still with the precise, mechanical feel but with less resistance and notchiness, right in the sweet spot. Never even close to mis-slotting in any of the three planes which are nicely spaced - a joy to use. Scott mentioned that the gearbox can be a bit noisy in certain gears and I think in 2nd and possible 3d when pulling from lowish revs you do get a fairly unpleasant noise initially which then passes - mechanical but not in a good way. A slight irritant but no more than that.
The electronic parking brake works exactly as you'd expect, although I've still to decide if I want it on auto or not. Cabin noise, mainly engine and transmission, was a bit more than my 2009 4.7 Vantage, which I fully expected, even in Tour mode. This meant having the radio a little louder and talking a little louder but this is a mid-engined sports car not a front-engined GT - you want to hear the engine as part of the experience. The 4000rpm running in limit is still being observed (another 400 miles to go) so I am only just getting a suggestion of what it will sound like at higher rpm when the exhaust and supercharger will come to the fore - I am excited to hear it at full chat!
Handling
The steering has that uncanny telepathic feeling I remembered, it not only goes exactly where you want it to, it seems to carve out its own best line through any corner - remarkable feel and feedback. The steering wheel, alcantara as mentioned above, is superb - didn't feel remotely too chunky to me, although you do need to get used to the shape, which I did fairly quickly.
The legendary Lotus combination of compliant suspension and outstanding grip and handling is there in spades. The wide track must be a factor, as is decades of Elise, Exige and Evora development. It is hard to describe just how confidence inspiring this is, whether cruising or really pushing on on A or B roads. We've all read a lot on here about the merits of Sports and Touring chassis and heard a lot on YouTube reviews. For me, late 50s, who enjoys spirited driving (by no means an expert) occasional track days and a bit of Touring it is the perfect set-up. I have a daily driver 2004 911 996 generation Carrera 4S which has just had a full suspension rebuild including a set of KW V3 coilovers so I am not averse to modding cars (the rebuild was precipitated by nearing 160,000 miles and it being "done") but I would think very carefully about doing anything to the Emira's set-up, carefully honed over thousands of hours of testing and development in all conditions by a team of experts. I have no issues with the ride height and so far no speedbumps, short or long, full width or "pillow" type, have caused any graunching or grounding. I'm leaving well alone.
The Dark Verdant debate...
I absolutely love this colour - but not for the reasons I expected. In most light other than direct sunlight it looks black and what I did not expect was how much I loved that look. With the tan interior it looks classy, premium, mean, sporty, timeless and contemporary all at once - just phenomenal. when the sunlight hits it it morphs into something else altogether - complex, dynamic, playful and exciting. It's like having two different cars at once.
This car, in this colour has a presence that stops people in their tracks - it honestly looks more supercar than baby supercar. I think the width, the cab forward styling, the tapering canopy, the size of the rear haunches (which looks stunning in the wing mirrors - one of my favourite views!) all contribute to this. I really am quite taken aback by just how incredible this car looks. As many others have said, it looks like it cost 2-3 times more than it did and could easily be wearing a badge from any number of even more exotic car makers and no-one would doubt it for a second.
Sweet spot, perfect package.
As I said on here recently, while the Emira has many outstanding features, its biggest single strength is what it represents as a package, as a blend of carefully balanced attributes. That blend, that balance, is pretty much perfect for me. If that is also the blend that works for you you will love this car as much as I do.
If you have a few months, or even a year or more to wait, I'd very strongly recommend hangin' in there. There really is nothing else quite like it.
I'll continue sharing my ownership experience on here, including any negatives, after the honeymoon period...
Full spec: Dark Verdant, tan Leather, silver alloys, yellow calipers, touring chassis, manual gearbox, delete privacy glass, alcantara steering wheel.
Below I'll take you through the collection and handover process, the 390-mile drive home and first impressions.
Collection & Handover
Security staff as cheery and helpful as ever (I've been to Hethel many times) then into the handover centre where we were greeted by Scott and were part of a group of 3 for handover that morning. I'd say being part of a group adds to the experience - comparing notes, specs and admiring each other's cars on unveiling. Coffee and a great talk by Scott on Lotus history - including some stories that were new to me, a great set-up for the rest of the experience.
The factory was a lot busier than last time I was there and there were dozens and dozens of Emiras outside. Great to see the build process again, including lots of useful insights from Scott. For me, this level of detail enhances my appreciation of the Emira and the design, styling and engineering behind it. Quite a range of ages among the factory staff which was good to see and there was decent percentage of female technicians, more than 10% I'd estimate.
Back to the handover area, Scott explaining what would come next then we were into the reveals. Mine was the 3rd of the three which built the anticipation nicely. despite seeing plenty of Emiras in the flesh before I was still taken aback how good it looked. The proportions, the styling, the colour combo, the size, the stance - all spot on.
The journey home - getting acquainted
The drive was a mix of local roads for the first 60 miles or so, then dual carriageway and motorway. We both found the car extremely comfortable throughout the drive, climate control being easy to use and effective. The gearshift was better than any of the 2 Emiras I've previously driven - still with the precise, mechanical feel but with less resistance and notchiness, right in the sweet spot. Never even close to mis-slotting in any of the three planes which are nicely spaced - a joy to use. Scott mentioned that the gearbox can be a bit noisy in certain gears and I think in 2nd and possible 3d when pulling from lowish revs you do get a fairly unpleasant noise initially which then passes - mechanical but not in a good way. A slight irritant but no more than that.
The electronic parking brake works exactly as you'd expect, although I've still to decide if I want it on auto or not. Cabin noise, mainly engine and transmission, was a bit more than my 2009 4.7 Vantage, which I fully expected, even in Tour mode. This meant having the radio a little louder and talking a little louder but this is a mid-engined sports car not a front-engined GT - you want to hear the engine as part of the experience. The 4000rpm running in limit is still being observed (another 400 miles to go) so I am only just getting a suggestion of what it will sound like at higher rpm when the exhaust and supercharger will come to the fore - I am excited to hear it at full chat!
Handling
The steering has that uncanny telepathic feeling I remembered, it not only goes exactly where you want it to, it seems to carve out its own best line through any corner - remarkable feel and feedback. The steering wheel, alcantara as mentioned above, is superb - didn't feel remotely too chunky to me, although you do need to get used to the shape, which I did fairly quickly.
The legendary Lotus combination of compliant suspension and outstanding grip and handling is there in spades. The wide track must be a factor, as is decades of Elise, Exige and Evora development. It is hard to describe just how confidence inspiring this is, whether cruising or really pushing on on A or B roads. We've all read a lot on here about the merits of Sports and Touring chassis and heard a lot on YouTube reviews. For me, late 50s, who enjoys spirited driving (by no means an expert) occasional track days and a bit of Touring it is the perfect set-up. I have a daily driver 2004 911 996 generation Carrera 4S which has just had a full suspension rebuild including a set of KW V3 coilovers so I am not averse to modding cars (the rebuild was precipitated by nearing 160,000 miles and it being "done") but I would think very carefully about doing anything to the Emira's set-up, carefully honed over thousands of hours of testing and development in all conditions by a team of experts. I have no issues with the ride height and so far no speedbumps, short or long, full width or "pillow" type, have caused any graunching or grounding. I'm leaving well alone.
The Dark Verdant debate...
I absolutely love this colour - but not for the reasons I expected. In most light other than direct sunlight it looks black and what I did not expect was how much I loved that look. With the tan interior it looks classy, premium, mean, sporty, timeless and contemporary all at once - just phenomenal. when the sunlight hits it it morphs into something else altogether - complex, dynamic, playful and exciting. It's like having two different cars at once.
This car, in this colour has a presence that stops people in their tracks - it honestly looks more supercar than baby supercar. I think the width, the cab forward styling, the tapering canopy, the size of the rear haunches (which looks stunning in the wing mirrors - one of my favourite views!) all contribute to this. I really am quite taken aback by just how incredible this car looks. As many others have said, it looks like it cost 2-3 times more than it did and could easily be wearing a badge from any number of even more exotic car makers and no-one would doubt it for a second.
Sweet spot, perfect package.
As I said on here recently, while the Emira has many outstanding features, its biggest single strength is what it represents as a package, as a blend of carefully balanced attributes. That blend, that balance, is pretty much perfect for me. If that is also the blend that works for you you will love this car as much as I do.
If you have a few months, or even a year or more to wait, I'd very strongly recommend hangin' in there. There really is nothing else quite like it.
I'll continue sharing my ownership experience on here, including any negatives, after the honeymoon period...
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