❓ QUESTION Emira front ground clearance

[ttvetdoc]

Hi there,

I was wondering what the experience has been with UK Emira owners regarding the front splitter/spoiler ground clearance. Have you had issues going over speed bumps, entering angled driveways, etc? I had a 911 turbo and was constantly aware of the front lip spoiler and would occasionally scrape it even despite my best efforts. Just curious how good/bad it has been with the Emira.

 

[Tonygcar]

I don’t know if this is any help but when I went on my test drive at Bristol there was an accident on the motorway and the guy that accompanied me was local so we avoided the motorway and stayed on A and B roads there was a lot of speed bumps which we put in the middle of the car with no problem also bumped over a few with the edges of the car positioned over the hump also with no problem and the suspension handled the bumps quite smoothly, I can’t remember if the car was sport or touring setup it was a nimbus and the reg AO72FJA.

 

[TomE]

AO72FJA has Touring suspension

 

[duff]

I don’t know if this is any help but when I went on my test drive at Bristol there was an accident on the motorway and the guy that accompanied me was local so we avoided the motorway and stayed on A and B roads there was a lot of speed bumps which we put in the middle of the car with no problem also bumped over a few with the edges of the car positioned over the hump also with no problem and the suspension handled the bumps quite smoothly, I can’t remember if the car was sport or touring setup it was a nimbus and the reg AO72FJA.

The nimbus Bristol car is touring.

The Emira can clear fairly large speed bumps without an issue. The ones in the centre of the road you can just put your wheels either side of them and sail over the top.

On slopes it can ground at the front though. I ended up in a narrow lane more suitable for tractors after the sat nav died on me, car play having already thrown a strop, and had to use a sloped drive to change direction. The slope was fairly steep, probably a similar angle to the car park pictured above. Reversing up it at an angle was ok but I had to come back down almost straight and I got some pretty nasty grinding noises as the front bottomed out. That said I couldn’t see anything visible when I checked afterwards. If I remember rightly there is a small lip at the back edge of the front lip and I think it was that which was making the noise and had prevented the visible leading edge from getting scraped.

 

[Porter]

Thanks, yes I have seen that. Unfortunately, it is not an accurate picture of the production vehicle. That rubber molding is not on the production car. It’s also unclear if there is a difference between sport and touring ride heights. U.S. cars may also be higher due to regulations.

What regulations are you referring to?

 

[Rapture]

What regulations are you referring to?

DOT, and perhaps other, state regulations re: bumper height, crash protection. We also have different rules for lighting (Amber reflectors, etc.). We are finally getting up to speed on new higher tech headlight system. Even the rubber used around windshield glass may be different.

 

[Rapture]

the slope is not all the same angle, there is a gradient ant the beginning and at the end, this may help the passage. I didn't find the emira so down on the ground!

Thanks, yes, it has an unusual grade. I've been okay with my current M2, prior TT RS, and 14 C4S. I tried getting a Porsche with the sport design front end down once, and it was a no go. The front end of the Emira extends pretty far, and it's just hard to tell if I could make it down that ramp.

 

[Porter]

DOT, and perhaps other, state regulations re: bumper height, crash protection. We also have different rules for lighting (Amber reflectors, etc.). We are finally getting up to speed on new higher tech headlight system. Even the rubber used around windshield glass may be different.

The Emira was designed as a world car. Height regs were taken into account in the original design, with no market-specific suspension required.

 

[Cachaco131]

Thanks, yes, it has an unusual grade. I've been okay with my current M2, prior TT RS, and 14 C4S. I tried getting a Porsche with the sport design front end down once, and it was a no go. The front end of the Emira extends pretty far, and it's just hard to tell if I could make it down that ramp.

Is the overhang worse than a 911?

 

[Rapture]

The Emira was designed as a world car. Height regs were taken into account in the original design, with no market-specific suspension required.

I guess we'll see when we get some deliveries here. Many vehicles designed as world cars have market specific differences.

I inquired about this subject months ago with Lotus USA and this is the response I received then. That 9-degree number provided is different than the 7.9-degree spec found in other Lotus documentation.

"Paul:

I have been told by my colleagues in the UK that the Emira approach angle is approximately 9 deg for Federal vehicles. I hope this helps."

 

[Rapture]

Is the overhang worse than a 911?

I think the front end of the Emira is more pointed than the 911. (2014 C4S). I believe it extends further which will affect the approach angle calculation. I think it may be difficult to determine this when trying to measure on the car, unless you have access to a lift. You need to measure from the forward most contact patch of the tire to the most forward (center, I think on the Emira) of the front end.

 

[Cachaco131]

I think the front end of the Emira is more pointed than the 911. (2014 C4S). I believe it extends further which will affect the approach angle calculation. I think it may be difficult to determine this when trying to measure on the car, unless you have access to a lift. You need to measure from the forward most contact patch of the tire to the most forward (center, I think on the Emira) of the front end.

Oh no, I really hope it isn't worse than the 992. I'll have to look at measurements.

 

[4MIR3]

DOT, and perhaps other, state regulations re: bumper height, crash protection. We also have different rules for lighting (Amber reflectors, etc.). We are finally getting up to speed on new higher tech headlight system. Even the rubber used around windshield glass may be different.

Maybe he is mistaking the habit of some manufactures revising USA spec ride heights due to legal issues. Volkswagen did this due to lawyers... had lawsuit from oil pans hitting a few years back.

 

[K_Squared]

On my test drive today I had to go over some pretty steep curb ramps into the dealer parking lot and it was a total non-issue. I have a lowered BMW 340i (HR Sport Springs) and I think this Emira may even handle dicey conditions from a clearance-perspective better than the bimmer which I use as a daily and rarely have any major clearance issues.

 

[motorpool]

I just measured, to the bottom of the small plastic rubbing blocks is about 132mm as calculated, to the base of the front lip was around 150mm. This is on sport suspension with around 850miles in case suspension settling plays a part. For reference a similar spot on my GT86 (plastic under tray about the same distance in) was around 110mm from the ground, and a Jaguar XF was about 180mm. Since the Emira has a flat underbody as well it seems like there's loads of ground clearance!

Thank you for confirming

 

[Toomanyloti]

I'm on tour suspension and have caught the sacrificial bobbins twice so far.
Both times when descending a gradient onto an opposing gradient at a junction.
This was the first and last time at each as I now approach at a different angle.
The ground clearance has not caused a problem other than these examples. We have some savage full width and lane centre bumps which it basically glides over no snags at all.

 

[Rapture]

I'm on tour suspension and have caught the sacrificial bobbins twice so far.
Both times when descending a gradient onto an opposing gradient at a junction.
This was the first and last time at each as I now approach at a different angle.
The ground clearance has not caused a problem other than these examples. We have some savage full width and lane centre bumps which it basically glides over no snags at all.

Thanks for the response. I'm still concerned about making it down the incline to my garage, but I locked in an order today for an FE 2.0 so no turning back now. I'm hopeful if I take it at an angle, it will be okay.

 

[Toomanyloti]

I had a mess about last night. its about as unscientific as I could make it with a steel loft ladder key and an off cut of OSB.
Mine is on tour and nearly up to 2000miles
Static clearance at the very front of the splitter is 170mm.
Taking a line roughly past the sacrificial bobbins (which are a hard ally by the way I thought they were plastic then steel but the magnet confirmed - metal but not steel) the angle is about 10 degrees.
Exige is a mare over road humps so do the same taking them at as big an angle as i can get away with.
Obviously descending on brakes with a load on board will make it a bit 'worse'.

 

[EmirOfDenmark]

Man, I wish they would. I need to navigate this to get to my garage. View attachment 24103View attachment 24104

Without taking any responsibility 😉, I think you should be able to navigate that with some angling.

 

[EmirOfDenmark]

It’s a sports car and it thereby has a front lip for aero, so clearly you have to be careful. But, the one thing I love about the Emira is how much clearance you do get, WITHOUT having a nose lift. I have scraped it only once, very lightly as I got the angle wrong on a drive way. Other than that, garages, speed bumps, etc, no issues. And, not having a nose lift avoids situations like with some other cars where you’re sat there in front of a speed bump with a line of cars behind you waiting for the nose lift.

You have got to keep it in mind but far more practical than any other car I’ve driven.

 

[KJD]

Official front approach angle is 7.9 degrees, if that helps.