Race to the first i4

[Mitcheroo]

It will all be worth it.

 

[Mitcheroo]

Congrats. It is a beautiful looking car. I’m also the same classic Seneca blue colour.

 

[schuey100]

As the OP, I am so delighted to see closure on this with the first owners taking delivery of their i4/Emira Turbo today. Many congrats and enjoy your cars, I shall be living vicariously through you all.

The irony is that mine was delivered a week ago to the dealer and I could be picking up this week like you as well if I had not cancelled. I am actually still waiting for my 650s to complete prep and am still a week or two away from collecting it so even though I cancelled due to delays, the Emira beat my alternative 🤦‍♂️

Just buy the Emira it has your name on it, honestly the car and quality has far exceeded all of my expections, I’m a car dealer and don’t get emotional about cars but this beauty has had me beaming all day, even my mother said I’m always miserable until today 🙄 get it bought you won’t regret it! 💪

 

[schuey100]

Fantastic - glad you're feeling the same as I did after my test drive. I really don't know where all the DCT lag chat came from. I do wonder whether they updated the software since those early review models.

It’s truly lovely, feels great, just tried track mode and even more responsive and sounds good, wife says sounds better than my M4 I had, going to be hard to stick to 4000rpm for 500 miles 😳 this thing just wants to head towards the horizon! Hope everyone gets theirs soon and I have a say a thankyou to fellow enthusiasts on this forum for keeping morale and positivity high, ignore any negative comments I can’t fault a thing and Oakmere and Simon were great!

Fantastic - glad you're feeling the same as I did after my test drive. I really don't know where all the DCT lag chat came from. I do wonder whether they updated the software since those early review models.

 

[Lazaruos]

Great to read all this positive feedback need more about the sound that's the only issue making me kinda regret the i4 other than that absolutely nothing its sad to have this super car looking but without good engine sound

 

[schuey100]

Great to read all this positive feedback need more about the sound that's the only issue making me kinda regret the i4 other than that absolutely nothing its sad to have this super car looking but without good engine sound

Well it sounds better than a Tesla! Honestly sounds decent for a four pot, it’s never going to be a V8 sound but I lowered my expectations thinking it would sound like a Golf R but was pleasantly suprised and cabin noise is playful which whistling and a few pops, sounds deep and grunty! Power is ceraintlly plentiful, torque is impressive!

 

[Jan]

On Wednesday I'll finally be able to testdrive it in Belgium. Some i4's have arrived in port. They don't know if mine is one of those. Typically Lotus. Maybe typically British brands? My Defender was exactly the same expirience. But anyways, happy to be able to testdrive it.

 

[GTti]

A great run about glasgow then a couple of hundred miles headed north home. Had hail stones, snow, sleet and the standard rain.

 

[Cutting42]

Just buy the Emira it has your name on it, honestly the car and quality has far exceeded all of my expections, I’m a car dealer and don’t get emotional about cars but this beauty has had me beaming all day, even my mother said I’m always miserable until today 🙄 get it bought you won’t regret it! 💪

I don't have the space or money for two sports/super cars sadly. I do have a little regret as I was i4 all along and for the reasons you are all talking about. My plan was the Emira for a couple of years then into McLaren. I could just reverse it, and get the Emira after a couple of years. Maybe they will have a higher power version by then.

I cannot bring myself to test drive one at the moment but will do so soon. Maybe if there is a meetup in the South East to show off in the summer I could be an interloper.

 

[schuey100]

I don't have the space or money for two sports/super cars sadly. I do have a little regret as I was i4 all along and for the reasons you are all talking about. My plan was the Emira for a couple of years then into McLaren. I could just reverse it, and get the Emira after a couple of years. Maybe they will have a higher power version by then.

I cannot bring myself to test drive one at the moment but will do so soon. Maybe if there is a meetup in the South East to show off in the summer I could be an interloper.

It would be like seeing an ex misses and thinking ahh should have kept her……😂

 

[lynchy73]

Defo worth the wait for the I4, enjoy chaps it’s stunning….no lag no delay amazing, lovely throttle blip on the way down the box in manual sport mode sounds great! ❤️

Agreed, the DCT is fine, not laggy at all and it sounds very good IMO.

Trust me, once you’ve run in so you can use all the revs and all the throttle, then it gets a whole lot better again.

The modes are significantly different, sport wakes it up and track mode makes it even sharper.

 

[RyanGphoto]

So I am here in the UK now, I drove the Manual V6 before the i4 (both were broken in and no rev limits). I will say that the v6 for me was the better choice as I didn't like how loud the i4 was, the engine whined a little too loudly for my preference.

I will also say that the i4 in touring mode isn't nearly as fun as in sport mode. I feel you HAVE to drive it with paddle shifters in this car. Driving in auto mode just didn't cut it for me. Probably why I prefer manual gearboxes.

This car TOTALLY changes once you put it in sport over touring.. It holds the revs much longer, much higher and allows the turbo to stay kicked in the whole time.

Your driving experience might be different, but I really liked both cars, but the manual just a bit better..

I was told at the factory I was the first american to drive the i4.. not sure if that's true, but maybe it is over here in the UK..

Ryan G

 

[lynchy73]

Regards sound, my take is this. The V6 definitely has a great howl and nice tone to it. It sounds good ripping through the longer gears and sounds good at a constant high revs. The V6 is more of a classic sound IMO.

The I4 doesn’t have that, the I4 is all about the deep growl when under boost, the hissing and flutters as it changes through the very short gears. The engine tone of the I4 when sat at high revs with light load, is not great, but it sounds descent at lower revs, light load, when it sounds deep and rumbly.

The I4 is hyperactive and always ready in Sport mode, moreso in Track. I have an R33 Skyline GTR, the Emira 14 is not dissimilar to a really good tuned JDM drivetrain (4 cylinder, it’s not an RB26) from back in the day, but better, with minimal lag and with a modern DCT.

 

[Superman]

So I am here in the UK now, I drove the Manual V6 before the i4 (both were broken in and no rev limits). I will say that the v6 for me was the better choice as I didn't like how loud the i4 was, the engine whined a little too loudly for my preference.

I will also say that the i4 in touring mode isn't nearly as fun as in sport mode. I feel you HAVE to drive it with paddle shifters in this car. Driving in auto mode just didn't cut it for me. Probably why I prefer manual gearboxes.

This car TOTALLY changes once you put it in sport over touring.. It holds the revs much longer, much higher and allows the turbo to stay kicked in the whole time.

Your driving experience might be different, but I really liked both cars, but the manual just a bit better..

I was told at the factory I was the first american to drive the i4.. not sure if that's true, but maybe it is over here in the UK..
View attachment 39504
Ryan G

Nice write-up. What day were you there? Can't wait, picking mine up from the Factory on Monday!!... And just noticed the reg on their demo is only one character off the reg mine will be initially registered with 😃

 

[Andy H]

one character off the reg mine will be initially registered with

Same here!

 

[Andy H]

I4 is all about the deep growl when under boost, the hissing and flutters

Yes, similar to you, it reminded me of my old Subaru Impreza. Not quite as bassy as the boxer engine but similar and with lots of whooshing and fluttering from the turbo. Thas another aspect I was positively impressed with on the demo drive. It sounded way better than I was expecting it to.

 

[Tokion]

So I am here in the UK now, I drove the Manual V6 before the i4 (both were broken in and no rev limits). I will say that the v6 for me was the better choice as I didn't like how loud the i4 was, the engine whined a little too loudly for my preference.

After all criticism of the i4’s sound (lack of sound), I am so happy to see RyanGphoto go in the opposite direction declaring the i4 sound to be louder than its smaller brother.

However, I assume “whining” means higher frequency sound, while most probably the V6 is more “bassy” (accompanied with a “whiney” supercharger-track on top).

I am wondering what a properly tuned alternative exhaust will do for the i4. so far there is only a single supplier; but this supplier does not post any sound-track video, and also does not give any specifications for how loud it is at standard regulatory measurement distances.

 

[schuey100]

Regards sound, my take is this. The V6 definitely has a great howl and nice tone to it. It sounds good ripping through the longer gears and sounds good at a constant high revs. The V6 is more of a classic sound IMO.

The I4 doesn’t have that, the I4 is all about the deep growl when under boost, the hissing and flutters as it changes through the very short gears. The engine tone of the I4 when sat at high revs with light load, is not great, but it sounds descent at lower revs, light load, when it sounds deep and rumbly.

The I4 is hyperactive and always ready in Sport mode, moreso in Track. I have an R33 Skyline GTR, the Emira 14 is not dissimilar to a really good tuned JDM drivetrain (4 cylinder, it’s not an RB26) from back in the day, but better, with minimal lag and with a modern DCT.

Here here, I’d say the same but defo no regrets with I4, amazing, modern high tech engine, the way to go!

 

[RyanGphoto]

Nice write-up. What day were you there? Can't wait, picking mine up from the Factory on Monday!!... And just noticed the reg on their demo is only one character off the reg mine will be initially registered with 😃

still here.. Just did the factory tour, heritage tour, and test drove the 2 Emiras yesterday, and today (Sat) we did the advanced Tailor Made track day. Soo amazing.. Tell Sam and Scott Ryan G said hey when you pick up your car Monday.

 

[Superman]

still here.. Just did the factory tour, heritage tour, and test drove the 2 Emiras yesterday, and today (Sat) we did the advanced Tailor Made track day. Soo amazing.. Tell Sam and Scott Ryan G said hey when you pick up your car Monday.

Nice, sounds like you had a great time there!