Emira Review Index [I4 FE]

Creating a new thread and index for Emira I4 FE reviews which are scheduled for release on 8th August.
Please let me know of any missing review links and I'll update the index accordingly.

Reviewer	Type	Direct Link
Harry's Garage (Harry Metcalfe)	Video Review
Road and Track	Article	The AMG-Powered 2024 Lotus Emira Gets a Perfect Engine and an Imperfect Transmission To get the perfect engine for the Emira, Lotus had to take an imperfect transmission. It loses the manual and gets an automatic, sealed by AMG and not up to par. www.roadandtrack.com
AUTOCAR	Article	Lotus Emira I4 review | Autocar Sports car maestros’ final combustion model gains an AMG four. It’s an unexpected marriage, but an inspired one? www.autocar.co.uk
EVO	Article	Lotus Emira i4 2023 review – the final combustion-engined Lotus | Evo The AMG-engined Emira i4 is the last new internal combustion engined Lotus sports car, and it's one of the best www.evo.co.uk
Motor1	Article	2023 Lotus Emira I4 First Drive Review: AMG Power Meets British Poise Two fewer cylinders and a turbo replace Lotus’ hallmark V6 in a new take on the Emira. Cheaper, and only a little down on power, is it the pick of the range? www.motor1.com
TopGear	Video and Article	Lotus Emira i4 review: British sports car with an AMG hot hatch heart Reviews 2023 | Top Gear So this is the cheaper Lotus Emira for people who can’t stretch to the V6? It’s the entry-level car in terms of cylinders (four, not six), and power (360bhp, down from 400). But the new Lotus Emira i4 is not a cheap and cheerful door to Lotus ownership. Right now Lotus will only sell you a... www.topgear.com
Car and Driver	Article	First Drive: 2024 Lotus Emira 2.0 Brings Back the Four-Cylinder Lotus With its AMG-sourced 2.0-liter four-cylinder, the 2024 Emira hews to the Lotus tradition of getting more from less. www.caranddriver.com
Auto Express	Article	New Lotus Emira i4 2023 review | Auto Express We get behind the wheel of the last combustion Lotus ever. Is the new 4-cylinder Emira a worthy send-off? www.autoexpress.co.uk
PistonHeads	Article	2023 Lotus Emira i4 First Edition | PH Review The most powerful four-cylinder Lotus ever is also the final combustion model - a fitting farewell? www.pistonheads.com
The Smoking Tire	Video Review
Auto Daily	Article	2024 Lotus Emira i4 Review - Automotive Daily This is the last new internal combustion engined Lotus sports car. The last in a line that started with the Seven, captured the world’s imagination with the www.autodaily.com.au

 

[K_Squared]

I'm curious as to what the source(s) are about these 'scheduled releases'?

 

[TomE]

Harry, Smoking Tire and Pistonheads have said they've driven the cars, written reviews but are under embargo by Lotus until 8 August. I think others have mentioned it too.

 

[K_Squared]

Harry, Smoking Tire and Pistonheads have said they've driven the cars, written reviews but are under embargo by Lotus until 8 August. I think others have mentioned it too.

Thanks! I incidentally just heard it watching Harry's latest update a few minutes ago and figured I'd have an answer waiting for me back here as well

 

[EspritGuy]

Harry, Smoking Tire and Pistonheads have said they've driven the cars, written reviews but are under embargo by Lotus until 8 August. I think others have mentioned it too.

Organized as usual. Previously when Lotus put an embargo in place it was to issue a statement ahead of news outlets for a managed news flow.
The 14 was already addressed via Goodwood yet I'm wondering if history will repeat itself. Will know 'soon.'

 

[RichB]

My subscriber copy of Evo has dropped through the door today and it does have the i4 Emira drive review in it, presumably we aren't allowed to post it here?

 

[digilotus]

My subscriber copy of Evo has dropped through the door today and it does have the i4 Emira drive review in it, presumably we aren't allowed to post it here?

That would be a copyright issue so is best avoided!

 

[TomE]

My subscriber copy of Evo has dropped through the door today and it does have the i4 Emira drive review in it, presumably we aren't allowed to post it here?

Great to hear it's coming "soon"

Although you can't paste a copy of the whole review, I'm sure a quote from the summary would be OK! No doubt they'll have made comparisons with the Cayman as well as the Emira V6

 

[Superman]

My subscriber copy of Evo has dropped through the door today and it does have the i4 Emira drive review in it, presumably we aren't allowed to post it here?

You could summarise, in your own words, what they think, what they compared it to, and any conclusions. That would be very welcomely received here!

 

[RichB]

It doesn't really compare it to the v6 much, if at all actually, so it's a frustrating review from that angle. Pretty similar message to those early V6 reviews though. More planted/less edgy than an A110. Less polished than the Cayman. It does say the engine doesn't sound great but....doesn't grate like the flat 4 in the Porsche.

"precise and inspiring as every Lotus that has gone before it"
"lightning reflexes off the line and a punch that continues to hit you as you climb through the gears"

They gave it a higher score than the v6 out of 5, but that maybe due to the initial test cars being a sports chassis without the cup 2s rather than the engine swap. Theres a bit of a whinge about the paddles not being the most intuitive.

So to sum up its like a first drive review from last year rather than what they prefer from each engine type of write up. Hopefully the other reviews released tomorrow (?) will be more informative for those sitting on the fence.

 

[TomE]

Sounds OK. They probably don’t want to get too far into a V6 vs i4 debate, as it depends a lot on what you’re looking for.

 

[nelly111s]

Sounds OK. They probably don’t want to get too far into a V6 vs i4 debate, as it depends a lot on what you’re looking for.

I also suspect, even amongst Emira enthusiasts, but there is only a few people trying to decide between i4 and V6. Most people will know what they want the car for, and which engine/transmission would be better for that use case.
So a comparison could possibly damage the Lotus brand and the “i4/V6 loser”, not enhance the “winner”.

 

[PsymonR]

In the evo article it is also stated that they haven't been able to get behind the wheel of a production V6 (the review is on a "production spec" I4, albeit no ADAS pod in the images). As such a comparison between V6 and I4 may have been a bit too subjective, especially given the time between them driving the two.

 

[Andrew P]

I also suspect, even amongst Emira enthusiasts, but there is only a few people trying to decide between i4 and V6. Most people will know what they want the car for, and which engine/transmission would be better for that use case.
So a comparison could possibly damage the Lotus brand and the “i4/V6 loser”, not enhance the “winner”.

I am one of the few. I have a V6 manual and an i4 on order. Genuinely open minded about which will be best & no idea until I drive the i4. I expect the i4 to be faster and have a bit more punch from the turbo & gears but do like a manual.

 

[Rainier]

Appetizers

 

[Rainier]

Main course

 

[digilotus]

Motor1 article out

 

[digilotus]

TopGear and Car & Driver articles out.

 

[digilotus]

Auto Express and Evo articles out.

 

[Cutting42]

Just watched Harry (Charlie). Great review and I like what I hear in general. Love a turbo car (Saab 99 Turbo was my first) and slightly better handling and daily driver use works for me. Can't wait.