Harry's Garage videos - visit to Hethel and Matt Windle interview, Emira collection and drive

[Cachaco131]

Well, money. Costs almost nothing for them to produce, assuming the engine can handle it, it's pure margin and I think would skirt regs. I'm sure lawyers could figure out the wording, just as Jeep lighting is "for off road use only".

If they sell 10,000 V6 cars and upsell an extra $5k map to each, that's $50,000,000 pure profit potential. Regs vary by region so not sure what the actual uptake would be, but it has to be one of the easiest ways lotus can make money on their existing customer base. Again, assuming the engine can handle it without increasing their warranty claims etc.

It also avoids the development challenges of a low volume Emira S or GT.

 

[emiraspain]

I think what he said is something along the lines of the Emira being a more interesting choice, that it is better styled than the Cayman, which would he left him wondering if he should have gotten the 911, etc. He said that the Emira stands on its own - to which I take to mean that it is less of a compromise among available choices.

The Emira being about 100k in FE configuration is not a bargain based on raw performance and features. There is a variety of M cars and AMGs that is a better "bargain". What you can't get for Emira money is the combination of looks and the chassis feel. If it didn't look the way it does, and offer the promise of a well connected driving experience, I wouldn't be interested in it at all. No one else offers a car like this for 100k USD.

absolutely, its a more interesting...and fundamentally, its a choice... where as before there was no real choice.

its as simple as that, now there is.
The debate as to the best choice is personal. The lap times matter to some and not to others, the brand matters to some and not to others, reliability, dealer network etc etc. It is a bit funny how the evora was always set against the 911, but now the emira is set against the cayman..... simply by removing the 2 back "seats" its changed. Although the gt3 and T 911's dont. change when they remove their seats. Price point is the real change and just shows how overpriced the evora was in many respects, another reason why it didnt sell well.....

 

[Grumpy]

Harry seemed pretty happy with 400hp and. There are a group who always want to mod their cars no matter what, even if in some cases it makes them a worse car by others standards. Ie make the car much noisier - great fun for a while, PITA as you slog up a motorway for 3 hours. The transmission is the limiting factor for tuning as it can’t handle much more torque. A more powerful, harder version is coming but it is unlikely to exceed 430hp for the gearbox reasons. The Emira is a run out ICE car so no transmission work is likely to be done as it’s very costly. My take from the video is that the V6 is a very quick A to B useable road car which works nicely in GT mode. The i4 May of course be a better car if you want DcT - it’s barely lighter in the real world and it may be more economical. However a better car for me personally has a manual gear box so a V6 it is. Given the aim with this car , I’d say that Harry’s video would confirm they have hit the nail firmly on the head so well done Lotus.

 

[FrenchBred]

I've been on the ropes for the last couple weeks, now winter has set in there's a lot to be said for a 4wd hot hatch. I can't imagine the Emira being as happy in these conditions on a daily basis.
Harrys latest video has somewhat kept me in the queue but I expect this won't be the last time I have my doubts given I still have 18mo+ to go...

 

[SuperBusa]

I've been on the ropes for the last couple weeks, now winter has set in there's a lot to be said for a 4wd hot hatch. I can't imagine the Emira being as happy in these conditions on a daily basis.
Harrys latest video has somewhat kept me in the queue but I expect this won't be the last time I have my doubts given I still have 18mo+ to go...

Yaris GR is the car for this kind of weather, been out in mine a lot recently, great cars.

 

[For the drivers]

You can not beat a lotus for this time of year even with Cup2s fitted 😂

 

[Aero]

Nice to see more Emira content in his "Emira" series, very informative. Would be nice at some point (months) if he could do a follow-up series where he returns to the factory and does another interview with Matt Windle to get updates to the issues etc covered in first interview.
Might not get the views but would be well received in the Emira community. Suggest on his videos maybe?

 

[hml_xy]

I was keen to hear more of the high-speed driving impressions, as the bonnet aero design and air flow management was said by Lotus to create unique downforce effects at speed.

Let "zee german" step in here... 🤣 as the one doing loads of driving on unrestricted Autobahn sections, often at 200km/h ++

The Emira feels more planted than the Evora 400 or my GT430 Sport does. It's not a huge difference but it is more confidence inspiring, but not by much.

A 718 with PASM in comparison feels MUCH more "nervous" to me and not as planted.

McLaren 570S feels similar to the Emira in terms of high speed stability and confidence but has less of a comfortable ride in general.

My Emira is a Tour setup (and I'm very happy with that decision!)

 

[Flashback]

I've had a quick scan through this thread so apologies if already mentioned and I've missed it, but when did Harry's spec' change to tan leather and yellow calipers from Alcantara and black calipers?

 

[centerpunch]

It didn't seem to me that he was complaining about the side bolsters in the seats, instead he was arguing that it would be easier for buyers to make the right purchase decision if there were more differences between the tour version (his preference) and the sport version, something like

Tour version : normal suspension, goodyear tires, comfier seats
Sport version: stiffer suspension, cup 2 tires, sportier seats

 

[kitkat]

It didn't seem to me that he was complaining about the side bolsters in the seats, instead he was arguing that it would be easier for buyers to make the right purchase decision if there were more differences between the tour version (his preference) and the sport version, something like

Tour version : normal suspension, goodyear tires, comfier seats
Sport version: stiffer suspension, cup 2 tires, sportier seats

Yeah I suspect that could have been done, however the options have really been simplified. Really wish there was a sport seat.

 

[Nova]

Yeah I suspect that could have been done, however the options have really been simplified. Really wish there was a sport seat.

I believe that's probably what's coming down in the future in a more sporty version of the Emira, likely with the I4. The FE Emira in V6 form is more of a GT car that is very sporty, based on the less-than-ideal power-to-weight ratio, 12-way "inclusive" seat design, heavily optioned, etc. A future sporty version could have a >400HP version of the I4, lighter weight, sports seats, adjusted wheel sizes, carbon bits, etc, that would be a better match for sports suspension and CUP 2 tires.

 

[Pugwash]

I wonder how many Caymens come with comfy leather seats as opposed to form fitting composite/carbon ones.

 

[Pugwash]

On Top Gear at the week end, Paddy test drove a new V12 Ferrari where the seat is custom made for the driver and glued into position. Even Paddy had to comment about how the drivers pals, partner and the next buyer cope. We are all different shapes, one man’s sports seat is another man’s arm chair.

 

[firstlotus]

Lots of positives. Screen, auto dimming lights - secondary for me. Seats, I think it's fair to say an upgrade is warranted if you are track oriented, but enough for spirited drives.

I was surprised to hear Harry make the comment about the seats and that he opted for leather. If you want the seat to hold you in place around corners etc., you better choose the Alcantra seats... kinda easy choice and I don't know why he didn't get them. We know that leather is slippery unless the seats have huge side bolsters. The demo car had Alcantara and was fine for me, no sliding around during hard cornering...

 

[Rainier]

 

[Magicman]

Harry did an end of year garage summary in tonight's video where he mentions the Emira in high praise.

 

[GetawayDriving]

Really enjoyed this vid. Sobering stuff to anyone who aims for a collection this good lol. The problems with both Jags were hilarious. Transmission rebuild on a Countach AND an Engine out service in a Ferrari good lord that’s a lotta cheddar.

Also visually, how good does that Emira look sitting in there amongst these gems. It’s just an instant classic. Needs to be in film or something like the Esprit was, because it’s got the bonafides of cool. Put it in Mission Impossible or something.

So what if it isn’t the fastest thing out there. Neither was Evora, Elise, Exige, Esprit, Elite, Elan, M100, Eclat… I feel like even the greats of the Lotus heritage took some time to be understood and appreciated and I don’t think this one will be any different. Add that rumored tune and I think most journalists will change theirs.

 

[Eagle7]

Yeah I was thinking I'm so glad to have left that world behind me. It was just a standard feature that if you owned a performance car in the past, you were going to have to spend time keeping it going for one reason or another. There was always something that was working fine, then suddenly it wasn't.

I did all my own work back then, and when I saw that image of rotors and a distributor cap with worn contacts inside from rotor contact, it was almost like having a flashback lol. I remember those days and dealing with the issue of inconsistent quality and specification for parts.

People complain that Lotus should have come up with a new revolutionary powertrain, but honestly, after watching that video, I'm all for something that's reliable and just works, even if it isn't the latest and greatest in power and technology. I'm too old to be dealing with being on the bleeding edge of technology.

I really appreciated Harry's praise and enthusiasm for the Emira. That's as good an endorsement as any out there.

 

[Calran]

Emira came in 3rd for Harrys car of the year 2022. Not bad considering his one and two were a GT3 touring and a Bugatti!!