Emira track impressions

[jp129]

Totally understood on the theory and not judging in a vacuum based on one factor, but I cannot ignore what I've observed between driving Cayman, 911 and Emira when they exceed their grip limits - as subjective as that might be. I'd keep a more open mind in either direction as a benefit for driver skill development.

100%, as we all know, there are many factors that influence chassis dynamics and balance. Static WD is just one data point.

 

[OppositeLock]

The Cayman is a more balanced car than the Emira, for sure, and at the limit it's pretty neutral. More factors into this, though. The Emira has a LOT more rubber in the rear than the front, and Lotus is clearly tuning it for understeering. When I was driving mine on the track in a giant rain storm, when I exceeded the limit, the car wanted to spin, the back really wants to be in front coming out of a turn. IMO, the engineering of the whole car dynamics matter more than the difference between Cg and moment of inertia. 911's have a rear engine (but moving forwards with the generations), and despite that, they're among the fastest cars on the track, and inspire confidence. They are INSANE when braking. The engineering is fantastic, however, they are there to do a job, run the fastest laps, and there isn't all that much character, just pure precision. The Emira feels a lot more relaxed to drive than my Elise was, despite going a little faster, and it's a car with some character. It will never go as fast as a 911 GT car, but it's more fun for me. The steering wheel feedback is fantastic compared to a 911/Cayman, which you can really feel when it takes a "set" in a turn, and you adjust a little bit. I love to see how close I can get to those "big boys". My last Laguna Seca track day, before I got the Nitrons and Dunlops, I was running 1:42 laps, not great, not bad. There was a GT3RS running 1:26's. I will never find 16s in the Emira, unless I totally strip it out into a track toy and add lots of power and aero (and the GT3RS is a streetable car).

 

[NorCalEmira]

The Cayman is a more balanced car than the Emira, for sure, and at the limit it's pretty neutral. More factors into this, though. The Emira has a LOT more rubber in the rear than the front, and Lotus is clearly tuning it for understeering. When I was driving mine on the track in a giant rain storm, when I exceeded the limit, the car wanted to spin, the back really wants to be in front coming out of a turn. IMO, the engineering of the whole car dynamics matter more than the difference between Cg and moment of inertia. 911's have a rear engine (but moving forwards with the generations), and despite that, they're among the fastest cars on the track, and inspire confidence. They are INSANE when braking. The engineering is fantastic, however, they are there to do a job, run the fastest laps, and there isn't all that much character, just pure precision. The Emira feels a lot more relaxed to drive than my Elise was, despite going a little faster, and it's a car with some character. It will never go as fast as a 911 GT car, but it's more fun for me. The steering wheel feedback is fantastic compared to a 911/Cayman, which you can really feel when it takes a "set" in a turn, and you adjust a little bit. I love to see how close I can get to those "big boys". My last Laguna Seca track day, before I got the Nitrons and Dunlops, I was running 1:42 laps, not great, not bad. There was a GT3RS running 1:26's. I will never find 16s in the Emira, unless I totally strip it out into a track toy and add lots of power and aero (and the GT3RS is a streetable car).

It will be interesting to see how your lap times improve with the suspension and tire upgrades. The Porsche GT series and the RS in particular have really doubled down on aerodynamics with each successive generation. That has been the primary driver of their improved performance as normally aspirated power has reached a plateau.