Emira i4 reviews

Someone mentioned that Lotus staff were saying they are building the i4 now. If thats true, isnt it weird the motoring press havent been driving them? As someone who has an i4 on order (without having driven one), this is of immense interest!

 

[TomE]

They've built the first 150 production i4s to ship to China. They've been seen in the production hall and storage hangar at Hethel. Plus confirmed to me by Lotus staff when I was up there 2 weeks ago.

I expect we'll see UK press drives happening in the next couple of months. After the problems around press drives of prototype V6 cars, I expect they're waiting until they have final production cars for the i4 press drives.

 

[simonb]

They've built the first 150 production i4s to ship to China. They've been seen in the production hall and storage hangar at Hethel. Plus confirmed to me by Lotus staff when I was up there 2 weeks ago.

I expect we'll see UK press drives happening in the next couple of months. After the problems around press drives of prototype V6 cars, I expect they're waiting until they have final production cars for the i4 press drives.

I cannot believe that the first 150 China cars are pre production and full of niggles. Seems strange to have a deliberate withholding of press access. Even if the china market cars have an extra 40 bhp, it would not be the first press car ever to be a bit better than standard

 

[EspritGuy]

I cannot believe that the first 150 China cars are pre production and full of niggles. Seems strange to have a deliberate withholding of press access. Even if the china market cars have an extra 40 bhp, it would not be the first press car ever to be a bit better than standard

What if the first media reviews are planned to come from the first market to receive the i4?
Everybody else seems to have reported on the V6.
Nature abhors a (turbo) vacuum.

 

[grahamgreen]

i4 the one to have 👍😎

 

[vantager]

I cannot believe that the first 150 China cars are pre production and full of niggles. Seems strange to have a deliberate withholding of press access. Even if the china market cars have an extra 40 bhp, it would not be the first press car ever to be a bit better than standard

Where did you see ''the first 150 China cars are pre production and full of niggles'? I was just commenting that if these cars have been built, its strange no one from the motoring press has reported on them. For me, the i4 engine/DCT is the one I want - hopefully it will not dissapoint.

 

[Tokion]

What if the first media reviews are planned to come from the first market to receive the i4?
Everybody else seems to have reported on the V6.
Nature abhors a (turbo) vacuum.

For some time already; any significant news (true or not) regarding I-4 seems to have been broadcasted from China. I am sitting next door (Japan) peeping across “the demarcation line.” I hope we get some I-4 cars allocated soon as well. 365 hp is the figure announced in Japan (405 hp for the V6 supercharged).

 

[Toomanyloti]

I was at the factory yesterday in shut down. There are cars all over the place just loads of em. Plenty of i4s destined for China. If the badging doesnt give them away the ADAS sensor pod above the reg plate mount does.
I assume we all know China gets 400hp I4....and we don't....

 

[MajHall04]

I was at the factory yesterday in shut down. There are cars all over the place just loads of em. Plenty of i4s destined for China. If the badging doesnt give them away the ADAS sensor pod above the reg plate mount does.
I assume we all know China gets 400hp I4....and we don't....

So all i4 will have ADAS?

 

[Toomanyloti]

So all i4 will have ADAS?

I suppose it could be interpreted that way but that was not the message I was attempting to pass on.
China gets driver assistance we (UK I can only assume) dont.
400hp and the driver aids for China
360hp for UK - not sure about ROW

 

[TomE]

It’s only China getting 400hp. It’s still unconfirmed if ADAS will be fitted to the i4, although the sensor pod is fitted on the China cars.

 

[EspritGuy]

It’s only China getting 400hp. It’s still unconfirmed if ADAS will be fitted to the i4, although the sensor pod is fitted on the China cars.

.... and I'm back to wondering why pay much more for the same HP V6 unless: it's only to get the MT, or V6 will not be sold there?
( if only there was an official communication!).

 

[simonb]

It’s only China getting 400hp. It’s still unconfirmed if ADAS will be fitted to the i4, although the sensor pod is fitted on the China cars.

be interesting to see how locked down the engine management is

 

[Jdmc21]

be interesting to see how locked down the engine management is

I have to imagine that the China I4 has exactly the same internals/hardware. In which case, lotus should really sell a factory tune that does the same and doesn’t void the warranty. Wishful thinking I know, but hey, Geely did it with the polestar tunes for Volvos.

I’d have no qualm tuning the M139 up to 400, given that it comes out of the box from AMG with about as much/more. Seems like voiding a lotus warrant is a bold risk.

 

[TomE]

.... and I'm back to wondering why pay much more for the same HP V6 unless: it's only to get the MT, or V6 will not be sold there?
( if only there was an official communication!).

The original plan was not to sell the V6 in China. That changed due to delays and they offered a small batch of V6s to early deposit holders.

 

[yohc88]

I was at the factory yesterday in shut down. There are cars all over the place just loads of em. Plenty of i4s destined for China. If the badging doesnt give them away the ADAS sensor pod above the reg plate mount does.
I assume we all know China gets 400hp I4....and we don't....

Anyone got any photos of the ADAS sensor pod on the i4 ?

 

[Toomanyloti]

We couldn't take any photos in the factory.
The pod sits on the underside of the front grill/intake aperture and is a trapezoidal shape with the longer base of the trapezoid at the top. The size appears to be about 200mm across the top about 50mm deep and maybe 125mm underneath on the short base. Moulded in black plastic with rounded off edges. I would think when a number plate is fitted hardly noticeable.

 

[eriegz]

Anyone got any photos of the ADAS sensor pod on the i4 ?

You can kind of see a few shots of it in this thread: https://www.emiraforum.com/threads/yellow-emira-on-display-in-china.567/

 

[JClem]

 

[EspritGuy]

We couldn't take any photos in the factory.
The pod sits on the underside of the front grill/intake aperture and is a trapezoidal shape with the longer base of the trapezoid at the top. The size appears to be about 200mm across the top about 50mm deep and maybe 125mm underneath on the short base. Moulded in black plastic with rounded off edges. I would think when a number plate is fitted hardly noticeable.

Hardly noticeable, but won't the plate impair the functionality?