The end is near....And no its not CARB approval

Piece in "DRVE" by Nico Demattia

Sort of a recap of what we know...but its a good read.

Lotus' Final ICE Sports Car Will Be Replaced by an EV in 2027

Lotus already plans to replace its new internal-combustion Emira with an all-electric sports car that will be revealed next year.

www.thedrive.com

 

[CHEESE]

The latest generation of the Dodge Viper was only available for a few years, and now they're worth, like, 2 or 3 times what they retailed for.

 

[brainf18]

The latest generation of the Dodge Viper was only available for a few years, and now they're worth, like, 2 or 3 times what they retailed for.

I agree that theres a chance the Emira will hold its value well. It has a timeless design and with low production numbers it will likely be sought after for years. This assumes that Lotus continues to be a viable company with adequate OEM parts support.

 

[Deeznuss]

V6 discontinued by 2026. I4 might hang around for a few mores after that.

 

[brainf18]

V6 discontinued by 2026. I4 might hang around for a few mores after that.

In the USA at least, I think the i4 is going to be be seen as the lesser of the two engine options and depreciate much more over time. Additionally the i4 being a turbo is much more likely to be "tuned" (translation for mechanically molested) and that will further reduce the i4's resale

 

[Nova]

Yea, if it's just around for 5 years total, then it'll truly be a fairly special car. If they keep up production velocity, there'll roughly be about 20-25k total cars around the world, which is not a bad run. Given this compressed schedule, I'm not sure what the schedule for the Emira S and R would be - if those are forth coming.

 

[RoryBellows]

I think the hierarchy for future resale will end up being V6 manual > i4 > V6 auto. Even if the manuals end up being the most bought Emiras a modern manual is still quite rare and there will always be the not-a-Porsche market to fuel sales. For those looking for an auto they will want the DCT.

I was going to hold out a bit longer but the announcement to end production has me test driving this week and probably getting on the list soon after.

 

[ToonFan]

In the USA at least, I think the i4 is going to be be seen as the lesser of the two engine options and depreciate much more over time. Additionally the i4 being a turbo is much more likely to be "tuned" (translation for mechanically molested) and that will further reduce the i4's resale

It's possible in time that the i4 becomes the more sought after as everyone is knocking down doors for the V6/manual. Chances are demand for the i4 in the states will be meager because it's a 4 cylinder turbo. Fine by me. Happy with my choice either way. Bought it for me, not for anyone else.

 

[Fasttoys]

Yea, if it's just around for 5 years total, then it'll truly be a fairly special car. If they keep up production velocity, there'll roughly be about 20-25k total cars around the world, which is not a bad run. Given this compressed schedule, I'm not sure what the schedule for the Emira S and R would be - if those are forth coming.

What will be the total by end of production for the USA, thoughts?

 

[CHEESE]

It's possible in time that the i4 becomes the more sought after as everyone is knocking down doors for the V6/manual. Chances are demand for the i4 in the states will be meager because it's a 4 cylinder turbo. Fine by me. Happy with my choice either way. Bought it for me, not for anyone else.

I'd say for most Americans buying a Lotus, the desirability between a supercharged V6 and a turbocharged I4 is negligible, and the real differentiator is the transmission. I would've been happy with the turbo I4 if it had a proper manual transmission option, but it doesn't.

 

[Nova]

What will be the total by end of production for the USA, thoughts?

If less than 5 years total, I would guess 8-10k cars total for just the US.

 

[brainf18]

I'd say for most Americans buying a Lotus, the desirability between a supercharged V6 and a turbocharged I4 is negligible, and the real differentiator is the transmission. I would've been happy with the turbo I4 if it had a proper manual transmission option, but it doesn't.

I disagree. Look at the Boxster/Cayman turbo 4. it was a sales flop compared to the flat 6. And the depreciation curve / resale value for the 4 cylinder version is significantly lower than its flat 6 counterpart. A quick search of BaT sales history clearly shows turbo 4's are not the preferred engine in the US market. Moreover, sports cars with a manual transmission ALWAYS command a higher resale value. Multiple examples including the Evora, 911, BMW M cars, Ferrari. Lambo etc. Cars with a stick are more desirable and hold their values much better than auto's/DCT's

 

[CHEESE]

I disagree. Look at the Boxster/Cayman turbo 4. it was a sales flop compared to the flat 6

Probably an unpopular opinion, but I don't think the typical Boxter buyer is interested in rowing through gears.

 

[brainf18]

Probably an unpopular opinion, but I don't think the typical Boxter buyer is interested in rowing through gears.

respectfully...Its not an opinion, its fact. Resale values and long term desirability is not subjective. The price these cars change hands at is easy to determine with a quick search of BaT sales history

 

[CHEESE]

respectfully...Its not an opinion, its fact. Resale values and long term desirability is not subjective. The price these cars change hands at is easy to determine with a quick search of BaT sales history

You didn't mention anything about the transmissions, though. For example, if the flat6 is available with a manual transmission, but the I4 isn't, that would put it in a similar situation as the Emira. If both engines were availabel with manual, that's a different situation. I honestly don't know what combinations the boxters were available in.

 

[brainf18]

You didn't mention anything about the transmissions, though

Like for like the Manual transmission version of the Boxster / Cayman always command a price premium in the secondary market. That price premium increases as the cars have aged b/c the vast majority of "new" cars sold by porsche come with the PDK making the manual trans models rarer and more sought after by enthusiasts.

 

[CHEESE]

Like for like the Manual transmission version of the Boxster / Cayman always command a price premium.

Edited my previous post a bit to clarify. Anyway, my original point was all about the transmission being a bigger differentiator than the engine. If the manual is pricier/selling more in the Porsche world, that kind of backs up my point.

 

[brainf18]

Edited my previous post a bit to clarify. Anyway, my original point was all about the transmission being a bigger differentiator than the engine. If the manual is pricier/selling more in the Porsche world, that kind of backs up my point.

If your saying the Manual is more desirable, esp in the secondary market, then we are in agreement!

 

[EZcheezy]

I'd say for most Americans buying a Lotus, the desirability between a supercharged V6 and a turbocharged I4 is negligible, and the real differentiator is the transmission. I would've been happy with the turbo I4 if it had a proper manual transmission option, but it doesn't.

I really disagree with this. I think americans think bigger the better. both in liters and cylinders.

also when it comes to car enthusiast it think most will think
NA > supercharged > turbocharged

 

[Nova]

The problem with the Emira I4, if it truly turns out to be only 360HP, is that it will also be the "lesser" engine like the turbo 4 in the Cayman. However, if it is fully 400HP and comes in even higher in the future, then that will mitigate some of the desirability flaws it has. I have watched several Chinese youtube videos that compared the V6 and I4 at 400HP and there seems to be somewhat of a consensus that the V6 manual has the OG/nostalgic draw, but that the I4 is objectively the better car in terms of performance and drivability.