The video from Harry's gives you most of what we saw. I would add that paint quality looks insanely better on production cars than any of the prototypes.
The aluminum bonding process is fascinating and it looks like they have upped their game with tolerances with Emira, not just carried over from Evora. Should help with longevity and quality and probably contributes to some of the weight gain.
They throw out a ton of brand new parts from the stock V6 engine as it comes in. Also the transmission is built to lotus spec by Toyota. Looks like the wiring is cleaner than on Evora GT. More looming. Steel rear subframe for V6, Aluminum for i4.
Materials interior are night and day better on Emira vs Evora. Softer more luxurious but also put together better.
Exterior panel gaps interior and exterior are far better on production vs prototypes. Switch gear and screen much more high end and from Volvo and Link and co.
Each assembly station has torque tracking power tools to make sure the screws are being put in to spec to the appropriate torque beyond just the green hashmarks. This is tracked via software for quality control.
Each station has a quality control manager that watches and signs off on each car at each station before it goes to the next on the robotic carrier.
GT4 prototype was out on the track when I drove Emira. It used a 1900 Harrop supercharger instead of the 1740 Edelbrock on FE. I wondered if that's a mule for the GT/GT410/GT430 or indeed the GT4.
They have a virtual dyno like road at the end that dials I'm alignment, and does some quality checks. Very cool to see. Very sophisticated.
They have entire connected adjacent building dedicated to final checks and quality. No badges go in unless it passes final quality.
The laser quality station was very impressive and new for Emira.
@Next Decade knows more about this since he is the engineer.
There is a jig contraption that is the most accurate Emira in the world that all Emiras are based of. I wish we could have taken pictures since it wasn't on Harry's video.
Rear subframe assembled seperately from front subframe and separate from passenger cell.
All in all, I am impressed. Sorry I can deep dive on the engineering. That's
@Next Decade 's forte.
Edit: a few other things regarding the dynamics now that I've had a time to really let it settle in. Having driven the Emira hard and easily on the heffal track. It really is a flow car. If you honestly become one with the car, it rewards you immensely. If you try and manhandle it, it misbehaves mildly. Still fun but not at the peak of its capabilities. I think this is the difference between all the Porsche and BMW cars I've driven versus Lotus.
There are times during my track sessions with emera that I felt so gelled with the car and it was clear the vehicle dynamics, engineering intent and decisions were dead on.
With regard to the shifter feel it is so positive, part of the mechanical analog feeling of the car and I think that if you are the primary driver of the car, you won't have any issues with it because inevitably the cables will loosen incrementally over time, but you won't notice it somewhere to how you won't notice yourself aging till you look at old pictures.
The torque delivery is so smooth and not at all lumpy like most forced induction cars. For me that is a plus. Compared to my BMW M2 CS , The lotus is an easier car to drive Although both are sweet in their own way.
I don't feel it needs more power but I do feel it needs more revs so I will certainly be looking into tunes that bring it up to 7200 which would suit it perfectly. For the track. On the road/ canyons you would never feel it or miss it at 6850.
The mid-engined lower center of gravity of Emira is such a sweet feeling. It wants to dance with you and you really feel the low polar inertia as opposed to the BMW with I6 up front and my old 911 Targa 4s with definitive rear bias. You can change directions instantly with the Emira and I think with an alignment to give it slightly more front camber, zero toe it will corner just like a GT4, with more front bite. I'm still on the fence of whether it needs more rear sway bar or not. I could go either way. To be honest. It's quite good as it is.
Probably my favorite thing is how well it rides. It's just soaks up the curb bumps on the track without unsettling the chassis. It communicates so well without beating you up. It feels stiff without being impersonal. To me. It felt far more emotional than my 911 and more than my M2CS, which to be honest are at their best at the track at 10/10ths. The Emira you are giggling at 5/10ths.
The Cup 2's are the right about of sidewall firmness and grip for enthusiasts. Bridgestone Re-71 RS- the new ones will suit it well on the track. Or Advans A052. PS4S for the road instead of Goodyear's would be my choices.
I will add more here as I think about it more.
@Next Decade had written copious notes during our 6 hour tour which I want to share. Both of us are swamped with some serious stuff back home so it may or may not come. That's life.
