The great big "all the customer test drives" thread

[freefall_junkie]

Central Lotus test drive today just after Tony and before Leonard who I had a brief chat with before leaving. My impressions on the car where a lot better than I thought they where going to be, my current car is a Evora GT 410 sport having owned numerous Lotus cars in the past.
Thinking the driving experience was going to be like the Evora, well it’s totally different and in a very good way for me sports settings was always going to be the way to go having been more than happy with setup on the Evora the Emira is definitely better sprung car and really surprised me how it coped with broken bad road surfaces. Build quality is in a different league, seating position was spot on for me far better than the Evora which you sit to high and feels a more special place to be sat in. Gear change better and less transmission noise than the Evora, performance hard to judge with the weather conditions but felt very similar to the Evora the biggest thing that surprised was the sound obvious not as loud as the 410 but a a far better sounding exhaust note with the valve closed and open. So my deposit definitely stopping where it is and looking forward to collection.View attachment 19688View attachment 19689View attachment 19690

Great to read a review from a current 410 owner. Stunning car in yellow BTW . Your comments on the seat height vs the 410 are interesting. I came very close to buying a lovely new Daytona Blue 410 Sport from Central Lotus back in 2018, and the main thing which deterred me from going ahead in the end was the slightly perched driving position, especially coming from an Exige. On my test drive I thought the Emira's seat was still a bit high for my liking, although I didn't spend that long playing with tilt and backrest adjustment, so hopefully I'll like it more when mine arrives. Good to hear you liked the Emira's sound compared to the 410 too. I reckon with a 3rd cat delete the Emira will sound pretty epic

 

[Cwolf]

drove the Emira this past Saturday at Flow. I am 4th in line so should have mine in March/April...at least that is what I am told. My thoughts on the car. A lot of fun. Pedals are very close together. Very direct steering. Small inside, less room than a Cayman IMO. Sounds great from the outside, a lot of supercharger whine from the inside. The mat kept catching the heel of my shoe when the clutch was fully depressed. Car looks great and will get a lot of attention. No offense to anyone but not a fan of the yellow. I got the touring suspension but as another mentioned, I thought the sport set up was fine on the roads and could have gone with that.

 

[Lovora]

I'd like to thank Mike Leddy, David Simkin, and the rest of the Lotus staff for their hospitality and support during my Emira test drive. They were great.

To sum it up, The car did not disappoint.

I have listed a few comments/notes below. I hope you guys enjoy my comments. Much of what I say has already been mentioned I am sure, but maybe there is something new here.

Cheers,

Glenn


My driving background.
Two time graduate, Bob Bondurant driving school. I have also taught road racing at various schools.
20 years SCCA racing experience. Hundreds of races. (Spec Miata, Vintage Shelby Mustang, Formula Fords)
I have driven many student's Exotic cars on the track with them sitting beside me. Some of these cars are pretty scary, some are magic.
The Evora 400 was one of the best handling street cars I have ever driven. Period. I owned one for 3 years. It reminds me of a first generation NSX with a Comptech supercharger. I recently sold my Evora to make room for my Emira. My daily driver is a 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera S with a 100hp APR tune. 500hp with a PDK auto. I drove it (250 miles RT) to the Emira test drive. The 911 is a great daily/touring driver that is pretty quick, and handles very well. When driven in "sport or sport +" mode, acceleration from a 30mph roll is brutal. It will walk away from the Emira. The traction control fights against wheel spin up to 70mph. It also will carve sweeping exit ramps with precision. It is a great car. My wife drives a new Boxster S. While I have always had a "P" car in the garage, I have owned a variety of other fun cars and I still keep going back to a Lotus.

I have another fire breathing weekend car with over 550 hp. This can break the rear tires loose at 100mph on a 3/4 upshift. (google "tale of two Cobras, Reincarnation magazine" for a chuckle)

Emira notes. This car was the Hethel car with alcantara, black pack, Sport suspension, Cup tires, V6, 6sp. It was a demo car and not a production car. I was told that various changes will be made to these demo cars before production. Dealership was Marin Lotus also known as Cars Dawydiak. Very cool, little, enthusiasts dealer.

-Overall driving experience was terrific.

-Drives even better than an Evora 400. It is quieter, yet firmer.

-Steering
Steering is much better in the Emira than either the 911 or Evora. It has a direct connection to the tire patch. No fighting, no fuss, and it has a very linear connection. Much more "intimate" that the Porsche. The P car is a little subdued. Power steering is more direct than the Evora and feedback is wonderful. This car is very easy to drive fast. The one word that kept coming to my mind was "telepathic". You just think, and it goes there. There is no delay or confusion. A track prepped Emira with 500 hp would be a force to be reckoned with. I would put it up against a Porsche GT3.

-Car is pretty quick but I did not explore above 5500 rpm. It is just as fast as an Evora and I loved that power. I did not want to make the Lotus rep too nervous. Marin Lotus had a great driving loop up and down the 101 freeway with a few sweeping exits. Just like an Evora, this car pulls in nearly every gear. I do hope they can raise the rev limiter. My Evora pulled like a train right up to the very abrupt cut off. I know this is for reliability, but 500 more rpm and a soft limit would awesome! Triple digit speeds are easy to see if you are not careful. Don't ask. 3rd gear is the magic zone in sweeping turns. If you like a 400, you will love the Emira. My FE deposit is staying. I cannot wait.

-Emira is quieter than a 400 with respect to road noise, even with Cup tires on the Emira. The exhaust I think it is a bit muted as compared to an Evora. (Greg, 3rd cat delete kit?) It also is much quieter than the 911. That surprised me.

-Emira sport suspension is slightly stiffer than the 400. It is not bad at all, I could live with it. The Porsche when set to "sport" is MUCH stiffer than the Emira sport. I am glad I ordered touring suspension. (I have track only race cars)

-Pedal placement is good, clutch pedal "could" stand to be moved 1/2"-1" to the left. There is plenty of room. Super wide shoes are not the best idea. Clutch and brake could be a little bit farther apart. It is easier to manage the brake/clutch in the Emira than in an Evora. I drove with narrow driving shoes so, there was no problem. I kept a pair in the back seat of my Evora.

Rear view mirrors are perfect. The Evora 400 blind spots have been nicely addressed. Bravo.

Leg room.
There is plenty of room for tall drivers. I am 6'2" and could not easily depress the clutch with the seat all the way back. Same as Evora. I had to slide it up at least of couple of inches. Seems to be enough headroom for a helmet too. There is more room in the Emira than in an Evora.

-Shifter is magic. Anybody who misses a gear on this car needs to relearn how to drive a stick. (Go drive a Formula Ford with a Hewland transmission) I do not understand the complaints I have read about this. Maybe a variation in the demo cars? Stick throw is even shorter and more direct than the 400. They must have done a bunch of work to improve the fabulous existing Evora box and stick. (Think a more sophisticated Miata transmission) The exposed shift linkage is beautiful, a real work of art. If you did not like the shifter, you owe yourself some more time in the car. Give it another chance. I had absolutely no problems with shifting or the clutch engagement. If someone comes from a PDK Cayman or BMW or a Audi, this Emira will definitely feel a bit "raw" and notchy. I heard no objectionable transmission noise or rattle either. Remember, this is a LOTUS, not a Honda.

-Seats are good. I could spend a long day in them. Great adjustability. Alcantara was nice and really held you in place. It "could" have some down the road wear issues. I opted for red leather though.

-Fit and finish looked very good although I did not inspect panel fit that closely. The interior was well sorted, the only obvious issue was the rubber welting between the door sill and the carpet. The Evora had the same problem. They must use the same vendor. The rubber seal "puckers" where it bends in a curve. It did make me feel "at home" at least. Not a big deal. Paint was good, I'd do a mild paint correction to bring out the full luster. NO car comes from the factory with perfect paint. They all can be improved.

-Infotainment system. At first, it seems a bit complex. (And, I am an audio engineer) I did not spend much time with it and only listened for about a few minutes. I brought along a well recorded high resolution SACD on a memory stick. so, that is not the problem. My first listening impression was that it was good. Maybe a little bright. Nice Left, Center, Right staging, but I was not blown away like I was told I would be. Vocals did image up front and across the dash. One vocal did seem to come from the hood, that was good. Bass seemed to be a little weak, but I have no idea how the EQ and or controls were previously set. I will give it a full test in the near future. And, I was told that this is a pre-production car, so the audio "upgrades" (bigger amp and possible DSP adjustments) were probably not present. They are "listening" to the reviews and even took notes when we were downloading after the test drive. I am confident that our comments will get back to Hethel.

My summary comment; the Emira is in every way a better car than the Evora. Think of the Emira as an Evora that went to ballet school, finishing school, and wears just the right amount of make-up.

I cannot wait. My V6, 6sp, Nimbus/red car is due in March. Fingers crossed.

 

[KCMO68_510]

I'd like to thank Mike Leddy, David Simkin, and the rest of the Lotus staff for their hospitality and support during my Emira test drive. They were great.

To sum it up, The car did not disappoint.

I have listed a few comments/notes below. I hope you guys enjoy my comments. Much of what I say has already been mentioned I am sure, but maybe there is something new here.

Cheers,

Glenn


My driving background.
Two time graduate, Bob Bondurant driving school. I have also taught road racing at various schools.
20 years SCCA racing experience. Hundreds of races. (Spec Miata, Vintage Shelby Mustang, Formula Fords)
I have driven many student's Exotic cars on the track with them sitting beside me. Some of these cars are pretty scary, some are magic.
The Evora 400 was one of the best handling street cars I have ever driven. Period. I owned one for 3 years. It reminds me of a first generation NSX with a Comptech supercharger. I recently sold my Evora to make room for my Emira. My daily driver is a 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera S with a 100hp APR tune. 500hp with a PDK manual. I drove it (250 miles RT) to the Emira test drive. The 911 is a great daily/touring driver that is pretty quick, and handles very well. When driven in "sport or sport +" mode, acceleration from a 30mph roll is brutal. It will walk away from the Emira. The traction control fights against wheel spin up to 70mph. It also will carve sweeping exit ramps with precision. It is a great car. My wife drives a new Boxster S. While I have always had a "P" car in the garage, I have owned a variety of other fun cars and I still keep going back to a Lotus.

I have another fire breathing weekend car with over 550 hp. This can break the rear tires loose at 100mph on a 3/4 upshift. (google "tale of two Cobras, Reincarnation magazine" for a chuckle)

Emira notes. This car was the Hethel car with alcantara, black pack, Sport suspension, Cup tires, V6, 6sp. It was a demo car and not a production car. I was told that various changes will be made to these demo cars before production. Dealership was Marin Lotus also known as Cars Dawydiak. Very cool, little, enthusiasts dealer.

-Overall driving experience was terrific.

-Drives even better than an Evora 400. It is quieter, yet firmer.

-Steering
Steering is much better in the Emira than either the 911 or Evora. It has a direct connection to the tire patch. No fighting, no fuss, and it has a very linear connection. Much more "intimate" that the Porsche. The P car is a little subdued. Power steering is more direct than the Evora and feedback is wonderful. This car is very easy to drive fast. The one word that kept coming to my mind was "telepathic". You just think, and it goes there. There is no delay or confusion. A track prepped Emira with 500 hp would be a force to be reckoned with. I would put it up against a Porsche GT3.

-Car is pretty quick but I did not explore above 5500 rpm. It is just as fast as an Evora and I loved that power. I did not want to make the Lotus rep too nervous. Marin Lotus had a great driving loop up and down the 101 freeway with a few sweeping exits. Just like an Evora, this car pulls in nearly every gear. I do hope they can raise the rev limiter. My Evora pulled like a train right up to the very abrupt cut off. I know this is for reliability, but 500 more rpm and a soft limit would awesome! Triple digit speeds are easy to see if you are not careful. Don't ask. 3rd gear is the magic zone in sweeping turns. If you like a 400, you will love the Emira. My FE deposit is staying. I cannot wait.

-Emira is quieter than a 400 with respect to road noise, even with Cup tires on the Emira. The exhaust I think it is a bit muted as compared to an Evora. (Greg, 3rd cat delete kit?) It also is much quieter than the 911. That surprised me.

-Emira sport suspension is slightly stiffer than the 400. It is not bad at all, I could live with it. The Porsche when set to "sport" is MUCH stiffer than the Emira sport. I am glad I ordered touring suspension. (I have track only race cars)

-Pedal placement is good, clutch pedal "could" stand to be moved 1/2"-1" to the left. There is plenty of room. Super wide shoes are not the best idea. Clutch and brake could be a little bit farther apart. It is easier to manage the brake/clutch in the Emira than in an Evora. I drove with narrow driving shoes so, there was no problem. I kept a pair in the back seat of my Evora.

Rear view mirrors are perfect. The Evora 400 blind spots have been nicely addressed. Bravo.

Leg room.
There is plenty of room for tall drivers. I am 6'2" and could not easily depress the clutch with the seat all the way back. Same as Evora. I had to slide it up at least of couple of inches. Seems to be enough headroom for a helmet too. There is more room in the Emira than in an Evora.

-Shifter is magic. Anybody who misses a gear on this car needs to relearn how to drive a stick. (Go drive a Formula Ford with a Hewland transmission) I do not understand the complaints I have read about this. Maybe a variation in the demo cars? Stick throw is even shorter and more direct than the 400. They must have done a bunch of work to improve the fabulous existing Evora box and stick. (Think a more sophisticated Miata transmission) The exposed shift linkage is beautiful, a real work of art. If you did not like the shifter, you owe yourself some more time in the car. Give it another chance. I had absolutely no problems with shifting or the clutch engagement. If someone comes from a PDK Cayman or BMW or a Audi, this Emira will definitely feel a bit "raw" and notchy. I heard no objectionable transmission noise or rattle either. Remember, this is a LOTUS, not a Honda.

-Seats are good. I could spend a long day in them. Great adjustability. Alcantara was nice and really held you in place. It "could" have some down the road wear issues. I opted for red leather though.

-Fit and finish looked very good although I did not inspect panel fit that closely. The interior was well sorted, the only obvious issue was the rubber welting between the door sill and the carpet. The Evora had the same problem. They must use the same vendor. The rubber seal "puckers" where it bends in a curve. It did make me feel "at home" at least. Not a big deal. Paint was good, I'd do a mild paint correction to bring out the full luster. NO car comes from the factory with perfect paint. They all can be improved.

-Infotainment system. At first, it seems a bit complex. (And, I am an audio engineer) I did not spend much time with it and only listened for about a few minutes. I brought along a well recorded high resolution SACD on a memory stick. so, that is not the problem. My first listening impression was that it was good. Maybe a little bright. Nice Left, Center, Right staging, but I was not blown away like I was told I would be. Vocals did image up front and across the dash. One vocal did seem to come from the hood, that was good. Bass seemed to be a little weak, but I have no idea how the EQ and or controls were previously set. I will give it a full test in the near future. And, I was told that this is a pre-production car, so the audio "upgrades" (bigger amp and possible DSP adjustments) were probably not present. They are "listening" to the reviews and even took notes when we were downloading after the test drive. I am confident that our comments will get back to Hethel.

My summary comment; the Emira is in every way a better car than the Evora. Think of the Emira as an Evora that went to ballet school, finishing school, and wears just the right amount of make-up.

I cannot wait. My V6, 6sp, Nimbus/red car is due in March. Fingers crossed.

Your review really establishes your credentials to judge the Emira. 20 years of SCCA road racing may be more than the rest of us have on this site combined. Excellent review, much appreciated.

 

[Lovora]

Firstly... Don't listen to what I have to say haha, definitely go get your butt in all and every car you're interested in. Half the nonsense I spout is purely for myself, as I'm fanatical about certain aspects of driving. Happy to share my experiences though:

I've driven quite a few 718 2.0 and 2.5s, never the 4.0 GTS. The turbo flat 4s in the cayman/ boxster are a royal pile of crap haha. They heavily, heavily detract from the experience. Very quick, very capable. But entirely lifeless. Arguably sound bad. Don't expect subaru flat 4 warble. It sounds almost 2.0l diesel ford transit van-like. It's also an incredibly boosty, laggy engine.

Without having even driven the I4 Emira (and with only a tiny bit of time in the A45), even if it's only 50% as good as the A45, I have no doubt the I4 Emira will be substantially better than the 718 turbo 4s. I don't think there'll be any way, any iteration of that A45 engine will be worse than the Porsche flat 4. If lotus just plonk that engine, exhaust and gearbox in, as is, you'll be very happy no doubt.

Porsche should be embarassed and ashamed of the abomination they created. Especially considering they make arguably some of the best engines in the world. CO2 emissions have to be reduced somewhere though I guess... I know the boxster and cayman are two of their hottest selling cars, my local dealership mentioned that sales of the i4 have been substantially lower than previous generations, proportionally. Take that as you will, people tend to vote with their wallets though...

Saying all of that. Go buy a 981 3.4 (N/A) Cayman/ Boxster GTS. You'll save some money and it'll be all the car you'll ever need. (or a 981 Boxster spyder/ GT4 if you can stretch to it). The PDK is the best auto gearbox you'll ever use, the 3.4l engine is bulletproof and will outlive you, it's sonorous, makes you feel incredible and the balance of the car is magical. If a 718 pulls up next to you, they'll probably beat you in a race, but you'll be feeling way more special. The GTS is worth it over an S too, having spent extensive time in both, boxster and cayman iterations. There's something about that exhaust tuning and note that makes your hairs stand on end.

R8's are another good buy, but I found that they're slightly less enjoyable at the limit - but far more of an occasion if that's more your thing.

Every Aston I've driven has felt very cool and great, but I found they worked way better as a touring car than it did an outright sports car. Even the V12 manual Vantage I drove, wasn't as fun to hustle down the road, but sublime for driving at 5/10ths. So if that fits your bill, then not a bad buy either (apart from some mechanical woes and costs). In the UK at least, earlier vantages can be found very cheap, I don't know what they're like in the US. Aston robotised manuals (automatic) are also a pile of poop, but again, works in the whole "GT" car motif, if you don't rush it, it's perfectly fine. The AMG derived cars are far more refined. I don't know from personal experience or even hearing, but I suspect they're far more reliable than the older naturally aspirated engines and gearboxes.

If you want one of the best noises you can ask for in a car - Maserati Grantourismo, specifically the 4.7. It's very much a GT car though, will definitely break and won't be cheap to run. But the car itself can be found often very cheap and i'd argue it's one of the prettiest designs in existence. I've had people (with exceptionally poor taste) say that it was ugly though... Maserati's also have a robotised manual automatic, similar jerky experience with them - but again, GT car, drive it like a GT car! All of that is entirely moot though when you hear the exhaust note on that 4.7 V8. I'd argue one of the nicest notes on any (reasonably attainable) production car.

Saying that... Go drive every single last one of those cars, just as an experience if nothing else. To know what they're like!

Great comments!

 

[VL3X]

I'd like to thank Mike Leddy, David Simkin, and the rest of the Lotus staff for their hospitality and support during my Emira test drive. They were great.

To sum it up, The car did not disappoint.

I have listed a few comments/notes below. I hope you guys enjoy my comments. Much of what I say has already been mentioned I am sure, but maybe there is something new here.

Cheers,

Glenn


My driving background.
Two time graduate, Bob Bondurant driving school. I have also taught road racing at various schools.
20 years SCCA racing experience. Hundreds of races. (Spec Miata, Vintage Shelby Mustang, Formula Fords)
I have driven many student's Exotic cars on the track with them sitting beside me. Some of these cars are pretty scary, some are magic.
The Evora 400 was one of the best handling street cars I have ever driven. Period. I owned one for 3 years. It reminds me of a first generation NSX with a Comptech supercharger. I recently sold my Evora to make room for my Emira. My daily driver is a 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera S with a 100hp APR tune. 500hp with a PDK auto. I drove it (250 miles RT) to the Emira test drive. The 911 is a great daily/touring driver that is pretty quick, and handles very well. When driven in "sport or sport +" mode, acceleration from a 30mph roll is brutal. It will walk away from the Emira. The traction control fights against wheel spin up to 70mph. It also will carve sweeping exit ramps with precision. It is a great car. My wife drives a new Boxster S. While I have always had a "P" car in the garage, I have owned a variety of other fun cars and I still keep going back to a Lotus.

I have another fire breathing weekend car with over 550 hp. This can break the rear tires loose at 100mph on a 3/4 upshift. (google "tale of two Cobras, Reincarnation magazine" for a chuckle)

Emira notes. This car was the Hethel car with alcantara, black pack, Sport suspension, Cup tires, V6, 6sp. It was a demo car and not a production car. I was told that various changes will be made to these demo cars before production. Dealership was Marin Lotus also known as Cars Dawydiak. Very cool, little, enthusiasts dealer.

-Overall driving experience was terrific.

-Drives even better than an Evora 400. It is quieter, yet firmer.

-Steering
Steering is much better in the Emira than either the 911 or Evora. It has a direct connection to the tire patch. No fighting, no fuss, and it has a very linear connection. Much more "intimate" that the Porsche. The P car is a little subdued. Power steering is more direct than the Evora and feedback is wonderful. This car is very easy to drive fast. The one word that kept coming to my mind was "telepathic". You just think, and it goes there. There is no delay or confusion. A track prepped Emira with 500 hp would be a force to be reckoned with. I would put it up against a Porsche GT3.

-Car is pretty quick but I did not explore above 5500 rpm. It is just as fast as an Evora and I loved that power. I did not want to make the Lotus rep too nervous. Marin Lotus had a great driving loop up and down the 101 freeway with a few sweeping exits. Just like an Evora, this car pulls in nearly every gear. I do hope they can raise the rev limiter. My Evora pulled like a train right up to the very abrupt cut off. I know this is for reliability, but 500 more rpm and a soft limit would awesome! Triple digit speeds are easy to see if you are not careful. Don't ask. 3rd gear is the magic zone in sweeping turns. If you like a 400, you will love the Emira. My FE deposit is staying. I cannot wait.

-Emira is quieter than a 400 with respect to road noise, even with Cup tires on the Emira. The exhaust I think it is a bit muted as compared to an Evora. (Greg, 3rd cat delete kit?) It also is much quieter than the 911. That surprised me.

-Emira sport suspension is slightly stiffer than the 400. It is not bad at all, I could live with it. The Porsche when set to "sport" is MUCH stiffer than the Emira sport. I am glad I ordered touring suspension. (I have track only race cars)

-Pedal placement is good, clutch pedal "could" stand to be moved 1/2"-1" to the left. There is plenty of room. Super wide shoes are not the best idea. Clutch and brake could be a little bit farther apart. It is easier to manage the brake/clutch in the Emira than in an Evora. I drove with narrow driving shoes so, there was no problem. I kept a pair in the back seat of my Evora.

Rear view mirrors are perfect. The Evora 400 blind spots have been nicely addressed. Bravo.

Leg room.
There is plenty of room for tall drivers. I am 6'2" and could not easily depress the clutch with the seat all the way back. Same as Evora. I had to slide it up at least of couple of inches. Seems to be enough headroom for a helmet too. There is more room in the Emira than in an Evora.

-Shifter is magic. Anybody who misses a gear on this car needs to relearn how to drive a stick. (Go drive a Formula Ford with a Hewland transmission) I do not understand the complaints I have read about this. Maybe a variation in the demo cars? Stick throw is even shorter and more direct than the 400. They must have done a bunch of work to improve the fabulous existing Evora box and stick. (Think a more sophisticated Miata transmission) The exposed shift linkage is beautiful, a real work of art. If you did not like the shifter, you owe yourself some more time in the car. Give it another chance. I had absolutely no problems with shifting or the clutch engagement. If someone comes from a PDK Cayman or BMW or a Audi, this Emira will definitely feel a bit "raw" and notchy. I heard no objectionable transmission noise or rattle either. Remember, this is a LOTUS, not a Honda.

-Seats are good. I could spend a long day in them. Great adjustability. Alcantara was nice and really held you in place. It "could" have some down the road wear issues. I opted for red leather though.

-Fit and finish looked very good although I did not inspect panel fit that closely. The interior was well sorted, the only obvious issue was the rubber welting between the door sill and the carpet. The Evora had the same problem. They must use the same vendor. The rubber seal "puckers" where it bends in a curve. It did make me feel "at home" at least. Not a big deal. Paint was good, I'd do a mild paint correction to bring out the full luster. NO car comes from the factory with perfect paint. They all can be improved.

-Infotainment system. At first, it seems a bit complex. (And, I am an audio engineer) I did not spend much time with it and only listened for about a few minutes. I brought along a well recorded high resolution SACD on a memory stick. so, that is not the problem. My first listening impression was that it was good. Maybe a little bright. Nice Left, Center, Right staging, but I was not blown away like I was told I would be. Vocals did image up front and across the dash. One vocal did seem to come from the hood, that was good. Bass seemed to be a little weak, but I have no idea how the EQ and or controls were previously set. I will give it a full test in the near future. And, I was told that this is a pre-production car, so the audio "upgrades" (bigger amp and possible DSP adjustments) were probably not present. They are "listening" to the reviews and even took notes when we were downloading after the test drive. I am confident that our comments will get back to Hethel.

My summary comment; the Emira is in every way a better car than the Evora. Think of the Emira as an Evora that went to ballet school, finishing school, and wears just the right amount of make-up.

I cannot wait. My V6, 6sp, Nimbus/red car is due in March. Fingers crossed.

Fantastic review! Thank you.

I googled your Cobra too! Coincidentally, there was one pulling into the NJ dealer just as I was leaving from my Emira test drive last month!

 

[Cwolf]

I meant to add I thought the clutch was a little heavy and short engagement range. I thought it could have been a little less effort.

 

[Forlorn]

I'd like to thank Mike Leddy, David Simkin, and the rest of the Lotus staff for their hospitality and support during my Emira test drive. They were great.

To sum it up, The car did not disappoint.

I have listed a few comments/notes below. I hope you guys enjoy my comments. Much of what I say has already been mentioned I am sure, but maybe there is something new here.

Cheers,

Glenn


My driving background.
Two time graduate, Bob Bondurant driving school. I have also taught road racing at various schools.
20 years SCCA racing experience. Hundreds of races. (Spec Miata, Vintage Shelby Mustang, Formula Fords)
I have driven many student's Exotic cars on the track with them sitting beside me. Some of these cars are pretty scary, some are magic.
The Evora 400 was one of the best handling street cars I have ever driven. Period. I owned one for 3 years. It reminds me of a first generation NSX with a Comptech supercharger. I recently sold my Evora to make room for my Emira. My daily driver is a 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera S with a 100hp APR tune. 500hp with a PDK auto. I drove it (250 miles RT) to the Emira test drive. The 911 is a great daily/touring driver that is pretty quick, and handles very well. When driven in "sport or sport +" mode, acceleration from a 30mph roll is brutal. It will walk away from the Emira. The traction control fights against wheel spin up to 70mph. It also will carve sweeping exit ramps with precision. It is a great car. My wife drives a new Boxster S. While I have always had a "P" car in the garage, I have owned a variety of other fun cars and I still keep going back to a Lotus.

I have another fire breathing weekend car with over 550 hp. This can break the rear tires loose at 100mph on a 3/4 upshift. (google "tale of two Cobras, Reincarnation magazine" for a chuckle)

Emira notes. This car was the Hethel car with alcantara, black pack, Sport suspension, Cup tires, V6, 6sp. It was a demo car and not a production car. I was told that various changes will be made to these demo cars before production. Dealership was Marin Lotus also known as Cars Dawydiak. Very cool, little, enthusiasts dealer.

-Overall driving experience was terrific.

-Drives even better than an Evora 400. It is quieter, yet firmer.

-Steering
Steering is much better in the Emira than either the 911 or Evora. It has a direct connection to the tire patch. No fighting, no fuss, and it has a very linear connection. Much more "intimate" that the Porsche. The P car is a little subdued. Power steering is more direct than the Evora and feedback is wonderful. This car is very easy to drive fast. The one word that kept coming to my mind was "telepathic". You just think, and it goes there. There is no delay or confusion. A track prepped Emira with 500 hp would be a force to be reckoned with. I would put it up against a Porsche GT3.

-Car is pretty quick but I did not explore above 5500 rpm. It is just as fast as an Evora and I loved that power. I did not want to make the Lotus rep too nervous. Marin Lotus had a great driving loop up and down the 101 freeway with a few sweeping exits. Just like an Evora, this car pulls in nearly every gear. I do hope they can raise the rev limiter. My Evora pulled like a train right up to the very abrupt cut off. I know this is for reliability, but 500 more rpm and a soft limit would awesome! Triple digit speeds are easy to see if you are not careful. Don't ask. 3rd gear is the magic zone in sweeping turns. If you like a 400, you will love the Emira. My FE deposit is staying. I cannot wait.

-Emira is quieter than a 400 with respect to road noise, even with Cup tires on the Emira. The exhaust I think it is a bit muted as compared to an Evora. (Greg, 3rd cat delete kit?) It also is much quieter than the 911. That surprised me.

-Emira sport suspension is slightly stiffer than the 400. It is not bad at all, I could live with it. The Porsche when set to "sport" is MUCH stiffer than the Emira sport. I am glad I ordered touring suspension. (I have track only race cars)

-Pedal placement is good, clutch pedal "could" stand to be moved 1/2"-1" to the left. There is plenty of room. Super wide shoes are not the best idea. Clutch and brake could be a little bit farther apart. It is easier to manage the brake/clutch in the Emira than in an Evora. I drove with narrow driving shoes so, there was no problem. I kept a pair in the back seat of my Evora.

Rear view mirrors are perfect. The Evora 400 blind spots have been nicely addressed. Bravo.

Leg room.
There is plenty of room for tall drivers. I am 6'2" and could not easily depress the clutch with the seat all the way back. Same as Evora. I had to slide it up at least of couple of inches. Seems to be enough headroom for a helmet too. There is more room in the Emira than in an Evora.

-Shifter is magic. Anybody who misses a gear on this car needs to relearn how to drive a stick. (Go drive a Formula Ford with a Hewland transmission) I do not understand the complaints I have read about this. Maybe a variation in the demo cars? Stick throw is even shorter and more direct than the 400. They must have done a bunch of work to improve the fabulous existing Evora box and stick. (Think a more sophisticated Miata transmission) The exposed shift linkage is beautiful, a real work of art. If you did not like the shifter, you owe yourself some more time in the car. Give it another chance. I had absolutely no problems with shifting or the clutch engagement. If someone comes from a PDK Cayman or BMW or a Audi, this Emira will definitely feel a bit "raw" and notchy. I heard no objectionable transmission noise or rattle either. Remember, this is a LOTUS, not a Honda.

-Seats are good. I could spend a long day in them. Great adjustability. Alcantara was nice and really held you in place. It "could" have some down the road wear issues. I opted for red leather though.

-Fit and finish looked very good although I did not inspect panel fit that closely. The interior was well sorted, the only obvious issue was the rubber welting between the door sill and the carpet. The Evora had the same problem. They must use the same vendor. The rubber seal "puckers" where it bends in a curve. It did make me feel "at home" at least. Not a big deal. Paint was good, I'd do a mild paint correction to bring out the full luster. NO car comes from the factory with perfect paint. They all can be improved.

-Infotainment system. At first, it seems a bit complex. (And, I am an audio engineer) I did not spend much time with it and only listened for about a few minutes. I brought along a well recorded high resolution SACD on a memory stick. so, that is not the problem. My first listening impression was that it was good. Maybe a little bright. Nice Left, Center, Right staging, but I was not blown away like I was told I would be. Vocals did image up front and across the dash. One vocal did seem to come from the hood, that was good. Bass seemed to be a little weak, but I have no idea how the EQ and or controls were previously set. I will give it a full test in the near future. And, I was told that this is a pre-production car, so the audio "upgrades" (bigger amp and possible DSP adjustments) were probably not present. They are "listening" to the reviews and even took notes when we were downloading after the test drive. I am confident that our comments will get back to Hethel.

My summary comment; the Emira is in every way a better car than the Evora. Think of the Emira as an Evora that went to ballet school, finishing school, and wears just the right amount of make-up.

I cannot wait. My V6, 6sp, Nimbus/red car is due in March. Fingers crossed.

Great review and pleased you have compared it to the Evora400. Excellent thanks so much.

 

[vantage]

Drove the same yellow car.

Re the shifter, I think the difficulty for people is because the gates are narrow and the weighting is such that there isn't much slickness in it. I did not miss any shifts during my short drive and was even doing some rev-matching downshifts after 5 minutes. If you are used to Lotus, you know not to rush the shifts and let the spring action take you to the "middle" during cross shifts like 2nd to 3rd. Never missed shifts at the track with my Elise either. Suspect those used to BMWs would have the hardest time, since they are on the other end of the spectrum. To me, the Emira shifter wasn't pleasurable though. Just something you manage.

Also when the shifter is in 1st/3rd, the shifter is almost upright, neutral is slightly angled backwards towards the passengers, and then 2nd/4th is way down. But you get used to that in a few minutes.

All the transmission rattle was at very low speeds, like below 1500rpm or something like that. It will only affect you if you do a lot of stop and go driving, but feels out of character for the rest of the car. The Emira has so many new refinements (quiet interior, lots of leather, highly assisted brakes), yet then you have some of these old school Lotus remnants (tight pedal box, transmission noise, raw feeling shifter).

I personally would like to see a "GT" version of the Emira!

 

[Tim Hodgson]

Test Drive today in surrey with B&C.
3.5 with Touring set up.
Good points-
Much better looking in the flesh.
Exhaust note so much deeper.
Handling sublime.
Correct amount of power for a road car.
Touring set up still "sporty"
Gear change way better than those pre production reviews.
Felt very stable in wet leaf Nov UK weather!

Bad points-
I will not mention the delays or communication...
Seat height far too high. I am 6ft1 so not super tall and its so high it cold be a deal breaker.
I think the seats and interior although looks good new, I feel will wear badly.
Boot still too small and pretty hot! No cold beers to be taken to a BBQ...

I have a Cayman GTS 4.0 so relative competition. They do drive very differently.
Lots of thinking to do.....

 

[Grumpy]

Test Drive today in surrey with B&C.
3.5 with Touring set up.
Good points-
Much better looking in the flesh.
Exhaust note so much deeper.
Handling sublime.
Correct amount of power for a road car.
Touring set up still "sporty"
Gear change way better than those pre production reviews.
Felt very stable in wet leaf Nov UK weather!

Bad points-
I will not mention the delays or communication...
Seat height far too high. I am 6ft1 so not super tall and its so high it cold be a deal breaker.
I think the seats and interior although looks good new, I feel will wear badly.
Boot still too small and pretty hot! No cold beers to be taken to a BBQ...

I have a Cayman GTS 4.0 so relative competition. They do drive very differently.
Lots of thinking to do.....

Would love to hear your thoughts in comparison to the GTS. My Emira is due in three months but I have a Boxster GTS 4.0 reservation for later next year as a bit of insurance. Only have a two car garage and an elise 240 is in one half !

 

[KCMO68_510]

I meant to add I thought the clutch was a little heavy and short engagement range. I thought it could have been a little less effort.

You should feel the clutch in my Datsun. Emira feels like a feather comparatively

 

[Tim Hodgson]

Would love to hear your thoughts in comparison to the GTS. My Emira is due in three months but I have a Boxster GTS 4.0 reservation for later next year as a bit of insurance. Only have a two car garage and an elise 240 is in one half !

I am sitting on the fence but it all depends what you want it for!
As a daily the GTS all day long. As a weekend toy and occasional use the Emira.
The GTS is fantastic all round (apart from the long gearing) As its naturally aspirated you really need to be pushing on to get the great engine noise.
The Emira is more special at slower speeds.
Without a doubt typically the GTS is better built.
The Emira does have that certain something special about it.
I think a Boxster 4.0 is a fantastic proposition. The only negative is the age old "its not a 911"
I expect you have watched Harrys video on the Boxster- sums it up. Possibly the best car Porsche makes.
Will hold its money as well due to electric coming soon.
I have a 718 GT4 PDK coming in 5 weeks- I am hoping that bridges the "fun gap!"

Good luck!

 

[Magicman]

Test Drive today in surrey with B&C.
3.5 with Touring set up.
Good points-
Much better looking in the flesh.
Exhaust note so much deeper.
Handling sublime.
Correct amount of power for a road car.
Touring set up still "sporty"
Gear change way better than those pre production reviews.
Felt very stable in wet leaf Nov UK weather!

Bad points-
I will not mention the delays or communication...
Seat height far too high. I am 6ft1 so not super tall and its so high it cold be a deal breaker.
I think the seats and interior although looks good new, I feel will wear badly.
Boot still too small and pretty hot! No cold beers to be taken to a BBQ...

I have a Cayman GTS 4.0 so relative competition. They do drive very differently.
Lots of thinking to do.....

Quite strange, I come from a gt4 with buckets, thought the emira seats offered less support but didn't notice that I sat higher in the car at all and thought the general feel and drive very similar to my gt4.

Just shows we can read all the reviews we like but in the end only one person's matters

 

[Watstone]

I'd like to thank Mike Leddy, David Simkin, and the rest of the Lotus staff for their hospitality and support during my Emira test drive. They were great.

To sum it up, The car did not disappoint.

I have listed a few comments/notes below. I hope you guys enjoy my comments. Much of what I say has already been mentioned I am sure, but maybe there is something new here.

Cheers,

Glenn


My driving background.
Two time graduate, Bob Bondurant driving school. I have also taught road racing at various schools.
20 years SCCA racing experience. Hundreds of races. (Spec Miata, Vintage Shelby Mustang, Formula Fords)
I have driven many student's Exotic cars on the track with them sitting beside me. Some of these cars are pretty scary, some are magic.
The Evora 400 was one of the best handling street cars I have ever driven. Period. I owned one for 3 years. It reminds me of a first generation NSX with a Comptech supercharger. I recently sold my Evora to make room for my Emira. My daily driver is a 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera S with a 100hp APR tune. 500hp with a PDK auto. I drove it (250 miles RT) to the Emira test drive. The 911 is a great daily/touring driver that is pretty quick, and handles very well. When driven in "sport or sport +" mode, acceleration from a 30mph roll is brutal. It will walk away from the Emira. The traction control fights against wheel spin up to 70mph. It also will carve sweeping exit ramps with precision. It is a great car. My wife drives a new Boxster S. While I have always had a "P" car in the garage, I have owned a variety of other fun cars and I still keep going back to a Lotus.

I have another fire breathing weekend car with over 550 hp. This can break the rear tires loose at 100mph on a 3/4 upshift. (google "tale of two Cobras, Reincarnation magazine" for a chuckle)

Emira notes. This car was the Hethel car with alcantara, black pack, Sport suspension, Cup tires, V6, 6sp. It was a demo car and not a production car. I was told that various changes will be made to these demo cars before production. Dealership was Marin Lotus also known as Cars Dawydiak. Very cool, little, enthusiasts dealer.

-Overall driving experience was terrific.

-Drives even better than an Evora 400. It is quieter, yet firmer.

-Steering
Steering is much better in the Emira than either the 911 or Evora. It has a direct connection to the tire patch. No fighting, no fuss, and it has a very linear connection. Much more "intimate" that the Porsche. The P car is a little subdued. Power steering is more direct than the Evora and feedback is wonderful. This car is very easy to drive fast. The one word that kept coming to my mind was "telepathic". You just think, and it goes there. There is no delay or confusion. A track prepped Emira with 500 hp would be a force to be reckoned with. I would put it up against a Porsche GT3.

-Car is pretty quick but I did not explore above 5500 rpm. It is just as fast as an Evora and I loved that power. I did not want to make the Lotus rep too nervous. Marin Lotus had a great driving loop up and down the 101 freeway with a few sweeping exits. Just like an Evora, this car pulls in nearly every gear. I do hope they can raise the rev limiter. My Evora pulled like a train right up to the very abrupt cut off. I know this is for reliability, but 500 more rpm and a soft limit would awesome! Triple digit speeds are easy to see if you are not careful. Don't ask. 3rd gear is the magic zone in sweeping turns. If you like a 400, you will love the Emira. My FE deposit is staying. I cannot wait.

-Emira is quieter than a 400 with respect to road noise, even with Cup tires on the Emira. The exhaust I think it is a bit muted as compared to an Evora. (Greg, 3rd cat delete kit?) It also is much quieter than the 911. That surprised me.

-Emira sport suspension is slightly stiffer than the 400. It is not bad at all, I could live with it. The Porsche when set to "sport" is MUCH stiffer than the Emira sport. I am glad I ordered touring suspension. (I have track only race cars)

-Pedal placement is good, clutch pedal "could" stand to be moved 1/2"-1" to the left. There is plenty of room. Super wide shoes are not the best idea. Clutch and brake could be a little bit farther apart. It is easier to manage the brake/clutch in the Emira than in an Evora. I drove with narrow driving shoes so, there was no problem. I kept a pair in the back seat of my Evora.

Rear view mirrors are perfect. The Evora 400 blind spots have been nicely addressed. Bravo.

Leg room.
There is plenty of room for tall drivers. I am 6'2" and could not easily depress the clutch with the seat all the way back. Same as Evora. I had to slide it up at least of couple of inches. Seems to be enough headroom for a helmet too. There is more room in the Emira than in an Evora.

-Shifter is magic. Anybody who misses a gear on this car needs to relearn how to drive a stick. (Go drive a Formula Ford with a Hewland transmission) I do not understand the complaints I have read about this. Maybe a variation in the demo cars? Stick throw is even shorter and more direct than the 400. They must have done a bunch of work to improve the fabulous existing Evora box and stick. (Think a more sophisticated Miata transmission) The exposed shift linkage is beautiful, a real work of art. If you did not like the shifter, you owe yourself some more time in the car. Give it another chance. I had absolutely no problems with shifting or the clutch engagement. If someone comes from a PDK Cayman or BMW or a Audi, this Emira will definitely feel a bit "raw" and notchy. I heard no objectionable transmission noise or rattle either. Remember, this is a LOTUS, not a Honda.

-Seats are good. I could spend a long day in them. Great adjustability. Alcantara was nice and really held you in place. It "could" have some down the road wear issues. I opted for red leather though.

-Fit and finish looked very good although I did not inspect panel fit that closely. The interior was well sorted, the only obvious issue was the rubber welting between the door sill and the carpet. The Evora had the same problem. They must use the same vendor. The rubber seal "puckers" where it bends in a curve. It did make me feel "at home" at least. Not a big deal. Paint was good, I'd do a mild paint correction to bring out the full luster. NO car comes from the factory with perfect paint. They all can be improved.

-Infotainment system. At first, it seems a bit complex. (And, I am an audio engineer) I did not spend much time with it and only listened for about a few minutes. I brought along a well recorded high resolution SACD on a memory stick. so, that is not the problem. My first listening impression was that it was good. Maybe a little bright. Nice Left, Center, Right staging, but I was not blown away like I was told I would be. Vocals did image up front and across the dash. One vocal did seem to come from the hood, that was good. Bass seemed to be a little weak, but I have no idea how the EQ and or controls were previously set. I will give it a full test in the near future. And, I was told that this is a pre-production car, so the audio "upgrades" (bigger amp and possible DSP adjustments) were probably not present. They are "listening" to the reviews and even took notes when we were downloading after the test drive. I am confident that our comments will get back to Hethel.

My summary comment; the Emira is in every way a better car than the Evora. Think of the Emira as an Evora that went to ballet school, finishing school, and wears just the right amount of make-up.

I cannot wait. My V6, 6sp, Nimbus/red car is due in March. Fingers crossed.

What a noteworthy review, especially so, with your Varied car ownership, Racing pedigree and Teaching background.
Thank you so much 🙂

 

[Lolub]

What a noteworthy review, especially so, with your Varied car ownership, Racing pedigree and Teaching background.
Thank you so much 🙂

Thank you very very much for your review!! You have restored my confidence in my deposit on my order!! 👍🙋‍♂️🤠

I was beginning to get nervous reading all the reviews but your points will taken that it depends which car you came from!!😁

My reference is my AP1 S2000. Built in packably but man does it hurt with the super tight suspension! 😵

 

[KCMO68_510]

Thank you very very much for your review!! You have restored my confidence in my deposit on my order!! 👍🙋‍♂️🤠

I was beginning to get nervous reading all the reviews but your points will taken that it depends which car you came from!!😁

My reference is my AP1 S2000. Built in packably but man does it hurt with the super tight suspension! 😵

If you came from an AP1, and can appreciate why that car is great, I think the Emira will be utterly fantastic.

 

[Cachaco131]

I'd like to thank Mike Leddy, David Simkin, and the rest of the Lotus staff for their hospitality and support during my Emira test drive. They were great.

To sum it up, The car did not disappoint.

I have listed a few comments/notes below. I hope you guys enjoy my comments. Much of what I say has already been mentioned I am sure, but maybe there is something new here.

Cheers,

Glenn


My driving background.
Two time graduate, Bob Bondurant driving school. I have also taught road racing at various schools.
20 years SCCA racing experience. Hundreds of races. (Spec Miata, Vintage Shelby Mustang, Formula Fords)
I have driven many student's Exotic cars on the track with them sitting beside me. Some of these cars are pretty scary, some are magic.
The Evora 400 was one of the best handling street cars I have ever driven. Period. I owned one for 3 years. It reminds me of a first generation NSX with a Comptech supercharger. I recently sold my Evora to make room for my Emira. My daily driver is a 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera S with a 100hp APR tune. 500hp with a PDK auto. I drove it (250 miles RT) to the Emira test drive. The 911 is a great daily/touring driver that is pretty quick, and handles very well. When driven in "sport or sport +" mode, acceleration from a 30mph roll is brutal. It will walk away from the Emira. The traction control fights against wheel spin up to 70mph. It also will carve sweeping exit ramps with precision. It is a great car. My wife drives a new Boxster S. While I have always had a "P" car in the garage, I have owned a variety of other fun cars and I still keep going back to a Lotus.

I have another fire breathing weekend car with over 550 hp. This can break the rear tires loose at 100mph on a 3/4 upshift. (google "tale of two Cobras, Reincarnation magazine" for a chuckle)

Emira notes. This car was the Hethel car with alcantara, black pack, Sport suspension, Cup tires, V6, 6sp. It was a demo car and not a production car. I was told that various changes will be made to these demo cars before production. Dealership was Marin Lotus also known as Cars Dawydiak. Very cool, little, enthusiasts dealer.

-Overall driving experience was terrific.

-Drives even better than an Evora 400. It is quieter, yet firmer.

-Steering
Steering is much better in the Emira than either the 911 or Evora. It has a direct connection to the tire patch. No fighting, no fuss, and it has a very linear connection. Much more "intimate" that the Porsche. The P car is a little subdued. Power steering is more direct than the Evora and feedback is wonderful. This car is very easy to drive fast. The one word that kept coming to my mind was "telepathic". You just think, and it goes there. There is no delay or confusion. A track prepped Emira with 500 hp would be a force to be reckoned with. I would put it up against a Porsche GT3.

-Car is pretty quick but I did not explore above 5500 rpm. It is just as fast as an Evora and I loved that power. I did not want to make the Lotus rep too nervous. Marin Lotus had a great driving loop up and down the 101 freeway with a few sweeping exits. Just like an Evora, this car pulls in nearly every gear. I do hope they can raise the rev limiter. My Evora pulled like a train right up to the very abrupt cut off. I know this is for reliability, but 500 more rpm and a soft limit would awesome! Triple digit speeds are easy to see if you are not careful. Don't ask. 3rd gear is the magic zone in sweeping turns. If you like a 400, you will love the Emira. My FE deposit is staying. I cannot wait.

-Emira is quieter than a 400 with respect to road noise, even with Cup tires on the Emira. The exhaust I think it is a bit muted as compared to an Evora. (Greg, 3rd cat delete kit?) It also is much quieter than the 911. That surprised me.

-Emira sport suspension is slightly stiffer than the 400. It is not bad at all, I could live with it. The Porsche when set to "sport" is MUCH stiffer than the Emira sport. I am glad I ordered touring suspension. (I have track only race cars)

-Pedal placement is good, clutch pedal "could" stand to be moved 1/2"-1" to the left. There is plenty of room. Super wide shoes are not the best idea. Clutch and brake could be a little bit farther apart. It is easier to manage the brake/clutch in the Emira than in an Evora. I drove with narrow driving shoes so, there was no problem. I kept a pair in the back seat of my Evora.

Rear view mirrors are perfect. The Evora 400 blind spots have been nicely addressed. Bravo.

Leg room.
There is plenty of room for tall drivers. I am 6'2" and could not easily depress the clutch with the seat all the way back. Same as Evora. I had to slide it up at least of couple of inches. Seems to be enough headroom for a helmet too. There is more room in the Emira than in an Evora.

-Shifter is magic. Anybody who misses a gear on this car needs to relearn how to drive a stick. (Go drive a Formula Ford with a Hewland transmission) I do not understand the complaints I have read about this. Maybe a variation in the demo cars? Stick throw is even shorter and more direct than the 400. They must have done a bunch of work to improve the fabulous existing Evora box and stick. (Think a more sophisticated Miata transmission) The exposed shift linkage is beautiful, a real work of art. If you did not like the shifter, you owe yourself some more time in the car. Give it another chance. I had absolutely no problems with shifting or the clutch engagement. If someone comes from a PDK Cayman or BMW or a Audi, this Emira will definitely feel a bit "raw" and notchy. I heard no objectionable transmission noise or rattle either. Remember, this is a LOTUS, not a Honda.

-Seats are good. I could spend a long day in them. Great adjustability. Alcantara was nice and really held you in place. It "could" have some down the road wear issues. I opted for red leather though.

-Fit and finish looked very good although I did not inspect panel fit that closely. The interior was well sorted, the only obvious issue was the rubber welting between the door sill and the carpet. The Evora had the same problem. They must use the same vendor. The rubber seal "puckers" where it bends in a curve. It did make me feel "at home" at least. Not a big deal. Paint was good, I'd do a mild paint correction to bring out the full luster. NO car comes from the factory with perfect paint. They all can be improved.

-Infotainment system. At first, it seems a bit complex. (And, I am an audio engineer) I did not spend much time with it and only listened for about a few minutes. I brought along a well recorded high resolution SACD on a memory stick. so, that is not the problem. My first listening impression was that it was good. Maybe a little bright. Nice Left, Center, Right staging, but I was not blown away like I was told I would be. Vocals did image up front and across the dash. One vocal did seem to come from the hood, that was good. Bass seemed to be a little weak, but I have no idea how the EQ and or controls were previously set. I will give it a full test in the near future. And, I was told that this is a pre-production car, so the audio "upgrades" (bigger amp and possible DSP adjustments) were probably not present. They are "listening" to the reviews and even took notes when we were downloading after the test drive. I am confident that our comments will get back to Hethel.

My summary comment; the Emira is in every way a better car than the Evora. Think of the Emira as an Evora that went to ballet school, finishing school, and wears just the right amount of make-up.

I cannot wait. My V6, 6sp, Nimbus/red car is due in March. Fingers crossed.

Proper review from an experienced driver. Thanks for the insight.

 

[Lolub]

If you came from an AP1, and can appreciate why that car is great, I think the Emira will be utterly fantastic.

Awesome to hear!! I certainly do and can't wait!! 🕺🕺🕺

 

[hagen111]

Testdrove V6 Manual Final Edition this weekend. Touring suspension, goodyear tires.

I owned a 350V6 Exige until beginning of this year...modified with forged wheels, nitron dampers, lots of carbon, sabelt belts, etc. Absolutely loved that car...superfast on track with beautiful balance and flow. Just a bit too rough for more often 'daily' use. Sold in beginning of this year, as Emira was ordered and on the way and was very exited to welcome an improved Exige in the shape of the Emira.

Other cars in ownership include(d); Yaris GR, Donkervoort JD70, 458 Spider (Sold), F12 (Sold), 991.2 GT Manual, Caterham 485 CSR...so a I am a fan of real 'driver cars'.

This is the car I 'tested':

My notes/observations:

- within 200 meters your realize...this is a Lotus! Its different and maintains some of the Exige/Evora feel, which I was hoping for...but will it be enough?
- car was on Touring suspension and Goodyears...its actually quite firm, surprisingly. However I did not like the setup...its firm but the sharpness to bring the car alive is filtered out in touring suspension. It didn't feel any special, felt boring and made the car feel more 'normal' and heavy than it should be.
- I was also surprised how far off to the left the steering wheel is and the clutch pedal is in the opposite direction....I know you won't notice when driving, but initial thought is...this is weird. I never noticed this in my Exige.
- Power delivery is super smooth and linear. It is similar to my old Exige and therefore very easy to live with. Powertrain is far from perfect, but shift, engine, power delivery actually are good. When the road and driving gets complex...so corners, braking, accelerating actually the smooth power delivery makes this a very very fast car in these conditions. Like on a tight mountain road its star will rise. Also clutch is smooth, you can drive the car in very low revs, which makes it very easy to drive and live with.
- Steering feel ...love it. As well as brakes. The combo allows you to brake late and far into corners. Lots of steering feel and this is where the Emira is at its best...left right tight S, than long swervy corner under full acceleration before hard braking and braking far into a hairpin....this car is really really good and feels fast!
- Interior: Steering wheel itself...bummer, will/would swap it for a round more pure thinner steering wheel immediately. This is a lumpy square piece and I didn't like it a single bit. Same for dash! Please give me round dials. Big screen in the middle...slow and poor design. And I really missed the 'engineering' in general inside the cabin...the Exige had a beautiful aluminum cupholder and lots of aluminum engineering details...the Emira is all plastic and alcantara. Then the seats...I am 1.90cms and the seats are just horrible! Too thick, too high, no support, too small...definately a no go. Compared to the bucket seats in a GT3...oh man!

Conclusion: actually I felt disappointment afterwards, not what I hoped for. Its too mainstream, not the pure sportscar I expected or was hoping for. Not sure what I will do now. Definitely will not take the car without major modifications possible. Only if I can sharpen the suspension, replace the steering wheel, change the seats and spice up the interior I think I will take delivery and keep the car. Mine is planned for beginning 2023.