❔ QUESTION Seen the Emira live.

[Maverick1]

I was just wondering if anyone on this chat Forum has seen a Lotus Emira live in person?
And if so does, it look just as good in person as it does in pictures and videos?

 

[Singularity]

Just to provide another viewpoint (to hopefully balance this thread - almost everything on this forum is very positive and optimistic) - I'm the owner of a Lotus Elise SC, Porsche 911 C4S and Ferrari 488 Spider. The Emira does look good from the outside, but I wouldn't say it has nearly the presence of the best-looking modern Lamborghini, McLaren or Ferrari (though I think all three of those brands do have some ugly ducklings.) There are those that would say a Porsche looks more classy and wouldn't be seen dead in any supercar or lookalike. I get as much attention in my Elise as I do when driving my Ferrari, and I couldn't care less - both cars have been on the track extensively, and I bought them to drive, not to look at or ponce about in.

I am also annoyed by the constant comments in Lotus' videos talking about the Emira being more usable than the typical supercar. Maybe 20 years ago, but they need to get with the programme. A Ferrari 488 has 230 litres of capacity in its front boot (vs Emira's 151 litre boot, and 911's 145 litre front boot), plus a little space behind the seats. It has adjustable rheological suspension which gives it an astonishingly compliant ride in 'bumpy road' setting in which you can comfortably float over hundreds of miles, stiffening up for an amazing, exhilarating experience on a windy road or track. A quote from Evo Magazine: "There’s an element of witchcraft that accompanies the 488 GTB’s ride quality. ... The way it smothers imperfections in the road surface is surreal, especially so since it has no effect on how the 488 handles." In the Emira I have to choose between touring and sports suspension, and I'm stuck with that! Again, Lotus have conveniently not mentioned the fact that the competing Porsche Cayman GTS / GT4 both have adjustable suspension as standard, so you don't have to choose / compromise.

But coming back to this thread title, it was seeing the Emira in the flesh that turned me off... I buy cars to drive, not to look at; what's most important to me is how it drives and how the interior (where I spend my time) makes me feel. I think the Emira's interior is awful. It is completely bland, devoid of personality, it has a massive great screen just stuck on in the middle (very little tactility: everything about touch screes, touch pads) and is about as far away from super- or even sports-car as it is possible to be. Not a patch on a Porsche cabin, and in a different world than McLaren, Lamborghini or Ferrari; sit in one of those and your face literally lights up: you feel like you are in command. I seriously wouldn't be able to live with that interior, so sadly cancelled my Emira order the next morning.

I am a Lotus fan, and love my Elise. I get why Lotus had to evolve and fully understand that I'm in the minority here: based on the reaction here on the Forum Lotus are giving most people what they want - a good looking car from the outside with a bog-standard interior (not stripped out like Elise / Exige) with lots of touchscreen tech similar to a 'normal' modern car. I await the press reviews on performance, ride and handling with interest!

Nice to have the alternative perspective.

Like PaulP, I would totally agree the interior is the perceived weakest link in the overall package; I say perceived cos’ I have to rely on the media info and Lotus own previous performance at working handling magic for the performance/handling expectations. Nevertheless it’s seems to be a very good mix of abilities for the price point they are aiming for.

Also I’m soooooo jealous of of Wolfram’s garage collection - congrats!!

 

[NickR]

Just to provide another viewpoint (to hopefully balance this thread - almost everything on this forum is very positive and optimistic) - I'm the owner of a Lotus Elise SC, Porsche 911 C4S and Ferrari 488 Spider. The Emira does look good from the outside, but I wouldn't say it has nearly the presence of the best-looking modern Lamborghini, McLaren or Ferrari (though I think all three of those brands do have some ugly ducklings.) There are those that would say a Porsche looks more classy and wouldn't be seen dead in any supercar or lookalike. I get as much attention in my Elise as I do when driving my Ferrari, and I couldn't care less - both cars have been on the track extensively, and I bought them to drive, not to look at or ponce about in.

I am also annoyed by the constant comments in Lotus' videos talking about the Emira being more usable than the typical supercar. Maybe 20 years ago, but they need to get with the programme. A Ferrari 488 has 230 litres of capacity in its front boot (vs Emira's 151 litre boot, and 911's 145 litre front boot), plus a little space behind the seats. It has adjustable rheological suspension which gives it an astonishingly compliant ride in 'bumpy road' setting in which you can comfortably float over hundreds of miles, stiffening up for an amazing, exhilarating experience on a windy road or track. A quote from Evo Magazine: "There’s an element of witchcraft that accompanies the 488 GTB’s ride quality. ... The way it smothers imperfections in the road surface is surreal, especially so since it has no effect on how the 488 handles." In the Emira I have to choose between touring and sports suspension, and I'm stuck with that! Again, Lotus have conveniently not mentioned the fact that the competing Porsche Cayman GTS / GT4 both have adjustable suspension as standard, so you don't have to choose / compromise.

But coming back to this thread title, it was seeing the Emira in the flesh that turned me off... I buy cars to drive, not to look at; what's most important to me is how it drives and how the interior (where I spend my time) makes me feel. I think the Emira's interior is awful. It is completely bland, devoid of personality, it has a massive great screen just stuck on in the middle (very little tactility: everything about touch screes, touch pads) and is about as far away from super- or even sports-car as it is possible to be. Not a patch on a Porsche cabin, and in a different world than McLaren, Lamborghini or Ferrari; sit in one of those and your face literally lights up: you feel like you are in command. I seriously wouldn't be able to live with that interior, so sadly cancelled my Emira order the next morning.

I am a Lotus fan, and love my Elise. I get why Lotus had to evolve and fully understand that I'm in the minority here: based on the reaction here on the Forum Lotus are giving most people what they want - a good looking car from the outside with a bog-standard interior (not stripped out like Elise / Exige) with lots of touchscreen tech similar to a 'normal' modern car. I await the press reviews on performance, ride and handling with interest!

Personally the 458 /488 would be my car of choice but they are in a different price league (and are bigger) so not really a fair comparison IMHO. The interior (of the Emira) is a bit weak but not massively so at the price point, at the same time it still wasn't a production car so we shall have to see.
My thoughts on your post is it isn't the car for you anyway. If i had the cash i'd get something mad like a caterham / elise. A GT like a 488 ... but i don't (have the cash)!

 

[FederGigant]

I think you have to compare apples to apples. Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren are twice or tripple the price. The 992 has a really great interior, but I wouldn't say it is way more special than the Emira. It has a few more buttons for sure, but also a big touch screen and so on. The 718s interior however just looks dated compared to the Emira and is therefor worse in my opinion, because there's nothing special about it either. It's true that there are more possibilities to individualize it, but Lotus will offer way more stuff to configure the interior to one's taste as well after the first edition models are all sold. And by the way, if you configure your Caymans interior completely to your likings it is no problem to lose 15 grand on that which is a bit ridiculous in that price range. If you look at other possible competitors like the F-Type, it's the same game. Nothing special about those interiors as well. And what do you expect? It's not possible to mill every tiny bit out of aluminium like Pagani does or use carbon fiber all over the place. If you want a car that is as special as a Ferrari, you probably have to buy a Ferrari. And if everybody could afford one, they wouldn't be special anymore. Everything has it's price and I think for the Emiras price you get quite a lot of specialty.

 

[Tonyshepp]

Just to provide another viewpoint (to hopefully balance this thread - almost everything on this forum is very positive and optimistic) - I'm the owner of a Lotus Elise SC, Porsche 911 C4S and Ferrari 488 Spider. The Emira does look good from the outside, but I wouldn't say it has nearly the presence of the best-looking modern Lamborghini, McLaren or Ferrari (though I think all three of those brands do have some ugly ducklings.) There are those that would say a Porsche looks more classy and wouldn't be seen dead in any supercar or lookalike. I get as much attention in my Elise as I do when driving my Ferrari, and I couldn't care less - both cars have been on the track extensively, and I bought them to drive, not to look at or ponce about in.

I am also annoyed by the constant comments in Lotus' videos talking about the Emira being more usable than the typical supercar. Maybe 20 years ago, but they need to get with the programme. A Ferrari 488 has 230 litres of capacity in its front boot (vs Emira's 151 litre boot, and 911's 145 litre front boot), plus a little space behind the seats. It has adjustable rheological suspension which gives it an astonishingly compliant ride in 'bumpy road' setting in which you can comfortably float over hundreds of miles, stiffening up for an amazing, exhilarating experience on a windy road or track. A quote from Evo Magazine: "There’s an element of witchcraft that accompanies the 488 GTB’s ride quality. ... The way it smothers imperfections in the road surface is surreal, especially so since it has no effect on how the 488 handles." In the Emira I have to choose between touring and sports suspension, and I'm stuck with that! Again, Lotus have conveniently not mentioned the fact that the competing Porsche Cayman GTS / GT4 both have adjustable suspension as standard, so you don't have to choose / compromise.

But coming back to this thread title, it was seeing the Emira in the flesh that turned me off... I buy cars to drive, not to look at; what's most important to me is how it drives and how the interior (where I spend my time) makes me feel. I think the Emira's interior is awful. It is completely bland, devoid of personality, it has a massive great screen just stuck on in the middle (very little tactility: everything about touch screes, touch pads) and is about as far away from super- or even sports-car as it is possible to be. Not a patch on a Porsche cabin, and in a different world than McLaren, Lamborghini or Ferrari; sit in one of those and your face literally lights up: you feel like you are in command. I seriously wouldn't be able to live with that interior, so sadly cancelled my Emira order the next morning.

I am a Lotus fan, and love my Elise. I get why Lotus had to evolve and fully understand that I'm in the minority here: based on the reaction here on the Forum Lotus are giving most people what they want - a good looking car from the outside with a bog-standard interior (not stripped out like Elise / Exige) with lots of touchscreen tech similar to a 'normal' modern car. I await the press reviews on performance, ride and handling with interest!

I think we all need to remember that the car has been built to be supplied at £60k - thats some car for the money and sadly some areas it wont be the best on the market such as interior. There's no way if Porsche made a car that looked and hopefully drives like the Emria that it wouldn't be well over £100k.
Everyone loves a looker!!

 

[NickR]

I think you have to compare apples to apples. Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren are twice or tripple the price. The 992 has a really great interior, but I wouldn't say it is way more special than the Emira. It has a few more buttons for sure, but also a big touch screen and so on. The 718s interior however just looks dated compared to the Emira and is therefor worse in my opinion, because there's nothing special about it either. It's true that there are more possibilities to individualize it, but Lotus will offer way more stuff to configure the interior to one's taste as well after the first edition models are all sold. And by the way, if you configure your Caymans interior completely to your likings it is no problem to lose 15 grand on that which is a bit ridiculous in that price range. If you look at other possible competitors like the F-Type, it's the same game. Nothing special about those interiors as well. And what do you expect? It's not possible to mill every tiny bit out of aluminium like Pagani does or use carbon fiber all over the place. If you want a car that is as special as a Ferrari, you probably have to buy a Ferrari. And if everybody could afford one, they wouldn't be special anymore. Everything has it's price and I think for the Emiras price you get quite a lot of specialty.

Yeah, that was pretty much my point above. There was also someone on FB asking the question "i'm undecided between an Emira and a Aston MArtin Vantage...." Is it a question of more money than sense??

 

[Tonyshepp]

Yeah, that was pretty much my point above. There was also someone on FB asking the question "i'm undecided between an Emira and a Aston MArtin Vantage...." Is it a question of more money than sense??

I think its because we have one pot of cash to blow on a car that does it for us and some people are wanting reassurance from others that the Lotus has prestige like other brands. There is nothing new in this price range that has the drama the Emira has. There's always the debate of used prestige vs new and always will be.

 

[andrew6382]

Having test driven the

Just to provide another viewpoint (to hopefully balance this thread - almost everything on this forum is very positive and optimistic) - I'm the owner of a Lotus Elise SC, Porsche 911 C4S and Ferrari 488 Spider. The Emira does look good from the outside, but I wouldn't say it has nearly the presence of the best-looking modern Lamborghini, McLaren or Ferrari (though I think all three of those brands do have some ugly ducklings.) There are those that would say a Porsche looks more classy and wouldn't be seen dead in any supercar or lookalike. I get as much attention in my Elise as I do when driving my Ferrari, and I couldn't care less - both cars have been on the track extensively, and I bought them to drive, not to look at or ponce about in.

I am also annoyed by the constant comments in Lotus' videos talking about the Emira being more usable than the typical supercar. Maybe 20 years ago, but they need to get with the programme. A Ferrari 488 has 230 litres of capacity in its front boot (vs Emira's 151 litre boot, and 911's 145 litre front boot), plus a little space behind the seats. It has adjustable rheological suspension which gives it an astonishingly compliant ride in 'bumpy road' setting in which you can comfortably float over hundreds of miles, stiffening up for an amazing, exhilarating experience on a windy road or track. A quote from Evo Magazine: "There’s an element of witchcraft that accompanies the 488 GTB’s ride quality. ... The way it smothers imperfections in the road surface is surreal, especially so since it has no effect on how the 488 handles." In the Emira I have to choose between touring and sports suspension, and I'm stuck with that! Again, Lotus have conveniently not mentioned the fact that the competing Porsche Cayman GTS / GT4 both have adjustable suspension as standard, so you don't have to choose / compromise.

But coming back to this thread title, it was seeing the Emira in the flesh that turned me off... I buy cars to drive, not to look at; what's most important to me is how it drives and how the interior (where I spend my time) makes me feel. I think the Emira's interior is awful. It is completely bland, devoid of personality, it has a massive great screen just stuck on in the middle (very little tactility: everything about touch screes, touch pads) and is about as far away from super- or even sports-car as it is possible to be. Not a patch on a Porsche cabin, and in a different world than McLaren, Lamborghini or Ferrari; sit in one of those and your face literally lights up: you feel like you are in command. I seriously wouldn't be able to live with that interior, so sadly cancelled my Emira order the next morning.

I am a Lotus fan, and love my Elise. I get why Lotus had to evolve and fully understand that I'm in the minority here: based on the reaction here on the Forum Lotus are giving most people what they want - a good looking car from the outside with a bog-standard interior (not stripped out like Elise / Exige) with lots of touchscreen tech similar to a 'normal' modern car. I await the press reviews on performance, ride and handling with interest!

Clearly you are welcome to your view.

Having test driven the Porsche Cayman GTS4 , and costed it out with leather to match the Lotus, it costs more..... and yes its all well put togther. does not have twin front wish bone suspention as the Emira has..... but found its cramped.... buttons and switches all over the place. The Lotus I felt had more space, less cluttered

As for all of the other cars..... well out of my price range.... very nice if you have the money I would yes.

But for me its the Lotus.... Its new... smart.... and I hope fun to drive

 

[andrew6382]

I think that’s an entirely fair summary. The interior is definitely a let-down. Compared with the porsche configutor the options to make the cabin an enjoyable space are almost non-existent. Never been in the others you mention as they are far out of my price range.

Erm.... the problem with the Porsche to get leather etc.... 12 way seats you looking at a few thousand, each button has a cost. When I test drove the Cayman GTS4 I found the cabin a little cramped. I find the EMIRA has less culter. Even my BMW 840D felt culttered next to the EMIRA. Just saying....

 

[Sir Donald Trump]

I was just wondering if anyone on this chat Forum has seen a Lotus Emira live in person?
And if so does, it look just as good in person as it does in pictures and videos?

I have seen the Seneca blue twice, once at Concours D'Elegance and then at a dealer. I mentioned on a previous post that im not really a Lotus fan and have never wanted one apart from an Esprit of course. But within 30 mins of the photos being released by Lotus i had ordered one. In the flesh its signifcantly better looking and at least in the blue, the lines are prevalent. Its s striking car from every angle.
Im seeing a lot of comparisons with other high end sports cars, such as Mclaren, Ferrari or Porsche. But you need to understand, this is a £60k car in base price and there is nothing on the market that compares, persuade me otherwise.
Yes i do agree the interior is nothing special, but i can live with that
I had planned to buy a 458, but the Lotus FE in Seneca Blue will satisfy my appetite and save me about £50K, at least for the time being or until they release the new Maserati Grand Turismo.....which i know are a bit S%$T in terms of build quality but im smitten by them and owned a few

 

[Magma]

Definitely appreciate wolf's opinion and his experience with top notch cars, but I do have to agree with those who said you have to compare apples to apples. Most people are going to think the Emira is way more expensive than it is...even after seeing the interior.
There aren't a ton of choices in the $100k price range that are very exciting really. And there is nothing that looks like an Emira for that price. That said, I'm willing to forgive the Emira for some things that may not be "on par" with Porsche...and definitely not Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maclaren.

 

[Maverick1]

Just to provide another viewpoint (to hopefully balance this thread - almost everything on this forum is very positive and optimistic) - I'm the owner of a Lotus Elise SC, Porsche 911 C4S and Ferrari 488 Spider. The Emira does look good from the outside, but I wouldn't say it has nearly the presence of the best-looking modern Lamborghini, McLaren or Ferrari (though I think all three of those brands do have some ugly ducklings.) There are those that would say a Porsche looks more classy and wouldn't be seen dead in any supercar or lookalike. I get as much attention in my Elise as I do when driving my Ferrari, and I couldn't care less - both cars have been on the track extensively, and I bought them to drive, not to look at or ponce about in.

I am also annoyed by the constant comments in Lotus' videos talking about the Emira being more usable than the typical supercar. Maybe 20 years ago, but they need to get with the programme. A Ferrari 488 has 230 litres of capacity in its front boot (vs Emira's 151 litre boot, and 911's 145 litre front boot), plus a little space behind the seats. It has adjustable rheological suspension which gives it an astonishingly compliant ride in 'bumpy road' setting in which you can comfortably float over hundreds of miles, stiffening up for an amazing, exhilarating experience on a windy road or track. A quote from Evo Magazine: "There’s an element of witchcraft that accompanies the 488 GTB’s ride quality. ... The way it smothers imperfections in the road surface is surreal, especially so since it has no effect on how the 488 handles." In the Emira I have to choose between touring and sports suspension, and I'm stuck with that! Again, Lotus have conveniently not mentioned the fact that the competing Porsche Cayman GTS / GT4 both have adjustable suspension as standard, so you don't have to choose / compromise.

But coming back to this thread title, it was seeing the Emira in the flesh that turned me off... I buy cars to drive, not to look at; what's most important to me is how it drives and how the interior (where I spend my time) makes me feel. I think the Emira's interior is awful. It is completely bland, devoid of personality, it has a massive great screen just stuck on in the middle (very little tactility: everything about touch screes, touch pads) and is about as far away from super- or even sports-car as it is possible to be. Not a patch on a Porsche cabin, and in a different world than McLaren, Lamborghini or Ferrari; sit in one of those and your face literally lights up: you feel like you are in command. I seriously wouldn't be able to live with that interior, so sadly cancelled my Emira order the next morning.

I am a Lotus fan, and love my Elise. I get why Lotus had to evolve and fully understand that I'm in the minority here: based on the reaction here on the Forum Lotus are giving most people what they want - a good looking car from the outside with a bog-standard interior (not stripped out like Elise / Exige) with lots of touchscreen tech similar to a 'normal' modern car. I await the press reviews on performance, ride and handling with interest!

Wolf, there is something hugely important that you missed here with the Emira.
In your post you made a comment that you buy your cars to drive, not for looks, making it sound like you think the Emira for some reason will not come with Lotus's legendary handling, I beg to differ.
Being the last internal combustion powered vehicle, and an end of an Era, they will make darn sure they get everything right with the Emira.
All the high end sports cars you mentioned, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren with the exception of Porsche, and there are many others including Mercedes, Pagani, Koenigsegg, Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Maserati Etc unfortunately don't offer any of their sports cars and supercars with a proper manual transmission.
I would guess that there are many, many enthusiasts on this forum who are purists, and much prefer to row their own gears.
I applaud Lotus for offering their last internal combustion sports car with a proper manual transmission otherwise I would not be interested in this vehicle.

 

[Maverick1]

I have seen the Seneca blue twice, once at Concours D'Elegance and then at a dealer. I mentioned on a previous post that im not really a Lotus fan and have never wanted one apart from an Esprit of course. But within 30 mins of the photos being released by Lotus i had ordered one. In the flesh its signifcantly better looking and at least in the blue, the lines are prevalent. Its s striking car from every angle.
Im seeing a lot of comparisons with other high end sports cars, such as Mclaren, Ferrari or Porsche. But you need to understand, this is a £60k car in base price and there is nothing on the market that compares, persuade me otherwise.
Yes i do agree the interior is nothing special, but i can live with that
I had planned to buy a 458, but the Lotus FE in Seneca Blue will satisfy my appetite and save me about £50K, at least for the time being or until they release the new Maserati Grand Turismo.....which i know are a bit S%$T in terms of build quality but im smitten by them and owned a few

That's good to know since I plan on going with the Seneca Blue with the black top, V6 manual.
I'm hoping there is lots of flake in the paint, so it really pops in the sunlight.
Personally, I don't think there is any bad viewing angle when it comes to the Emira.
Compare that with the C8 Corvette which looks hideous from the back and many other angles.
Lotus definitely 100% got the styling right with the Emira, in my humble opinion. Love the hood with those boomerang 🪃 styling cues.
I really like the dark Grey, but my daily driver is the same color, so blue it is.
Are there going to be options for different wheel choices?

 

[captbalon]

Yeah, that was pretty much my point above. There was also someone on FB asking the question "i'm undecided between an Emira and a Aston MArtin Vantage...." Is it a question of more money than sense??

Yeah I also love the emira but I don't know if I should go for the vantage

 

[captbalon]

Yeah I also love the emira but I don't know if I should go for the vantage

Which would you go for?

 

[Sirtreeman]

Recently traded out of a vantage while waiting for the Emira, it was a great motor, but not in the same bracket as an Emira imo. This should be so much more involving.......

 

[Evotion]

It will be - even that Evo geezer would admit that,

 

[captbalon]

Yeah the emira and the vantage are not in the same league at all. But I was wondering which one will be better the emira or the vantage?

 

[Evotion]

Yeah the emira and the vantage are not in the same league at all. But I was wondering which one will be better the emira or the vantage?

For/at what?

The Vantage will be more comfy.
The Emira will be more nimble and communicative.

The vantage has the added Kudos of a premier, luxury FT brand,,.
The Lotus has the more sports car vibe.

The Emira will be rare for a couple of years but only you will know which one will make you feel most special.

 

[Tommyboy1986]

Yeah the emira and the vantage are not in the same league at all. But I was wondering which one will be better the emira or the vantage?

Different cars , I wouldn’t have the vantage as it’s an expensive merc with the new v8 e give it now has , the new vantage v12 is totally different beast and is sexy as fuck but you have to sell your house to buy it … the emira is fun sexy and priced right .. for me it’s a daily car I will use it for a year or so then change up to a huracan or a Bentley w12 continental all depends if I like the 2 seater aspect or not ! Good times a head 🙌

 

[Sirtreeman]

Yeah the emira and the vantage are not in the same league at all. But I was wondering which one will be better the emira or the vantage?

I hear your question but it depends what you as a driver are looking for. I'm hoping it will be a more involving drive and still retain some comfort/premium against what has come before. The Vantage was a great ride, the only down side probably being the noise when you got at it. And I don't mean the engine noise that was great. I toured it, had it on track and generally drove everywhere like I stole it most of the time lol. And I'll be doing the same with it's replacement, while waiting patiently for the Emira. This prob doesn't help you much lol