The great big "all the customer test drives" thread

[Exige2000]

Yesterday i was lucky enough to have my test Drive at Lotus Colchester in the new Emira , i have attached some pictures and short video.
I am not about to go into extreme details about the drive except , the car was in the touring spec and the roads dry, i was able to drive for about 35 mins or longer if i needed .
Just for context and all the experts out there my previous cars have included S1 Elise , Elan Sprint , Elan + 2, Exige s2 , versus F types, and many more !
The car drives just how i would like , just like the Lotus cars have previously experienced and with some refinement as thats just what i would like, and have been looking for.
Lotus have managed to build in the great feel through the steering and suspension that gives you the magic feeling of control and handling , but also managing to iron out defects in the road.


I have been told Dec Bulid with Jan delivery , i just hope this happens as i plan to use the car and enjoy !

 

[Grumpy]

I have had a test drive, mixed raining wet roads. Overall quality was very good by lotus standards. Its not Porsche but its fine. I examined two cars and paint was fine, not the very best but acceptable .Car looks great. Interior is a nice place to be, instruments sharp although didnt spend time delving into them. Gearbox was good, it has a nice heft but was precise and changes were clean. Steering is really very good, plenty of feedback. You could feel the cambers pulling, but it didnt tramline as some have. The car whilst no Elise, doesnt feel wide on the road. Strangely, the car feels light, I could say insubstantial - I’m still not sure whether I felt it was a good thing or not. It lacks that hewn from rock feel of a porsche but to me the chassis is easily right up there. Provided it is reliable does it need to feel hewn?

Ride quality (touring) was very good - so easy to live with and we hit some very rough roads, very good control. Cabin noise is fine. It is a sports car but the nice thing is its never drony like a Cayman can be. Stereo was OK, not stellar but useable. At 70 on the motorway it was relatively quiet. You do not get the rear arch road noise that is present in a 911. Water pooling on the tailgate is pretty minor and really overblown - its not an issue. The clutch is reasonably heavy with a direct bite - not sure I would want to daily it through central London. Exhaust/Engine noise is fine, I’m not that keen on Loud exhausts, fun for when you are really on it, but not great for touring. I had been concerned that the more muffled sound in comparison the Evora would mean more supercharger whine. Instead its a combination you hear and I quite liked it. The Evora does sound better but particulate filters have muted plenty of cars.

Performance - Lacks turbo punch low down but once in its stride its strong and completely linear. Next to the 4.0 GTS engine it feels more muscular in the mid range but doesnt have the manic power at the top end. That said the gearing is much better than the porsche so you can use the rev range more, but not so obvious where the limit is. Make no mistake this is a very rapid car as any glance at the speedo shows, it doesnt feel scary fast at all but it gains speed very quickly indeed. If you want a car that feels twitchy with peaky power this isnt your car, but I suspect this would be the faster car over a distance and less ‘moments’. Towards the end of the drive pushing a little harder the car becomes alive but you are going quickly by then - the longer I drove it the more I liked it. Part of the reason it may not be the most exciting lower speed car is because it has so much traction and is incredibly stable and tied down. Full throttle 2nd and 3rd gear in rain and no traction issues whatsoever it just goes until you check the speedo.

Negatives - Its not Porsche interior quality, there are a few rattles/creaks - its still hand built. At lower speeds its very easy to drive but not hyperactive like an Elise or Exige so you have to push on. If you are looking for the most excitement at a lower speed either one of the earlier cars or an A110 will give more of that. There have been a few early issues but they are taking constant feedback. All new cars have issues I have had multiple recalls on some cars and friends who have McLaren’s have got to know the service centres pretty well. With underlying Toyota power, engine and transmissions have proved very reliable. The issues are minor and easy fixes. If they can get on top of any cabin rattles and ensure panel gaps are consistent and paint inspection is good then its a very good car. Given the recent changes to deliveries these cars will stay rare on the UK roads for a couple of years so residuals will be very high particularly as some will want them just for the amazing looks alone.

 

[TomE]

Another one of my regular reminders. This thread is for customer test drive reviews. Not debates about what category the Emira is in or what it competes against. Each reviewer is welcome to make comparisons with other cars they have driven.

Posts that do not directly relate to a driving review have been and will be deleted. Feel free to add to existing threads or create new ones about any topics prompted by these reviews.

 

[Dingo]

I was at Bell & Colvill on Saturday afternoon and test drove the touring suspension/Goodyears Emira.

I have been avidly reading all of the test drive reviews and must admit to wavering on whether a Lotus was going to be the right decision for me as a first time sports car purchaser. Thankfully those fears were quickly laid to rest once in and driving the car. The seats were supportive (definitely not racing buckets) but I believe sufficient for spirited road driving. Plenty of power through the gears - not Tesla quick but plenty for the road and very linear as described by others with nice gear ratios. I think the clutch will take a bit of getting used too - felt a bit heavy and spongy with a low biting point. Brakes felt good but I didn’t really test them hard on test route. Stereo sounded strong and clear when connected to CarPlay but I’m no audiophile so can’t really comment. In summary, I am probably the Lotus target audience being a middle aged bloke, never owned a sports car and originally looking at Porsche until the Emira was launched. I think it’s a great overall package for the price point and I’m now very much looking forward to delivery early next year (well February production so who knows?)

 

[Magicman]

I was at Bell & Colvill on Saturday afternoon and test drove the touring suspension/Goodyears Emira.

I have been avidly reading all of the test drive reviews and must admit to wavering on whether a Lotus was going to be the right decision for me as a first time sports car purchaser. Thankfully those fears were quickly laid to rest once in and driving the car. The seats were supportive (definitely not racing buckets) but I believe sufficient for spirited road driving. Plenty of power through the gears - not Tesla quick but plenty for the road and very linear as described by others with nice gear ratios. I think the clutch will take a bit of getting used too - felt a bit heavy and spongy with a low biting point. Brakes felt good but I didn’t really test them hard on test route. Stereo sounded strong and clear when connected to CarPlay but I’m no audiophile so can’t really comment. In summary, I am probably the Lotus target audience being a middle aged bloke, never owned a sports car and originally looking at Porsche until the Emira was launched. I think it’s a great overall package for the price point and I’m now very much looking forward to delivery early next year (well February production so who knows?)

I read this the other day and that just reminded me, made me grin

"Comparing acceleration of electric and ICE cars is like Comparing a microwave to a grill and who wants a microwaved cheese sandwich" 😄

 

[frazzer]

Drove the Touring spec on GYs today, my impressions...

Firstly really appreciate B&C picking some nice roads and providing 45mins+ of driving time. Weather was clear, but roads damp, a lot of standing water in some places.

My background in sports cars is hardly the stuff of envy, driven a few, owned a tuned 335i (N55) and currently own a Mx-5 ND2. Been on track a few times, but not one of those guys that can tell you what the rear diff is doing mid corner, playing the drift angle with his right foot whilst on a work call. That's not me. As such I'm not sure what my views are adding, perhaps someone will find something here helpful.

I find cars are of 2 types, the first feel right from the get go and very quickly you can tap into what they're about. Whilst others take time to explore and get to know. I found the Emira to be the latter - a driving experience with some depth that for me at least will be rewarding over time. After 15 mins or so I got more in tune with it, but still not enough time to really get to know it.

The gearbox. I'm puzzled as to what all the fuss is about. Found it easy and satisfying to use, never missed a gear and can't imagine missing one. First and Second don't go that far out from the driver, it's a narrow gate I guess. That closeness makes for a closed arm position, but really I think this is just muscle memory stuff that'd disappear over a few drives.

The pedals, a bit close but not a problem. I H&T instinctively, but was a bit tricky here due to the strong servo assist on the brakes. But could also tell that after an hour or so driving this wouldn't be a problem, just a mental calibration. Easy enough to rev match on the way down, ie. without braking.

Driving position, this was hard to get right. I stopped to adjust it, but never felt right. I'm 5ft 6" and a hair with a positive ape index. As many have said, feels like it should be lower. The visibility out the front is great and was able to confidently place the car on the road, some of them quite narrow.

That wheel, weird shape, non-issue. Nice feedback without being too much. Lotus have thinned it down from the earlier demo cars upon feedback so I was told. The haptic controls were not a problem, never hit them accidentally.

The ride, nicely damped whilst still sporty enough for the road. I did feel the weight, but then I'm stepping out of an Mx5 with forged wheels that weighs little more than a cup of tea. The car is very well planted, and the heavier steering at lower speeds may also contribute to the heavier overall 'feel'. As for understeer, well I'm not of enough of a hero (or fool on damp roads) to pick that up on a road test drive.

The powertrain it's enough for how I drive on the road. Actually it's enjoyably exploitable, I didn't hit the limiter, I was shifting too early. But no cheap thrills here, they'll be earn't on the corners.

The sound It's there but I'm sure is sounding way better outside than in the cabin which is mostly supercharger sound. Would be better with windows down which I didn't try. Honestly my Mx-5 with a custom exhaust (inc. electronic valve) sounds surprisingly better from the cabin, but the exhaust on the Emira was pretty fresh and will improve no doubt.

The displays and all that, fine.

Interior feels good, well put together, not to German standards, but more than good enough. Some strange design choices, but nothing I can't live with.

The drive. Here's the thing. To comment on this I would have had to driven 10s of cars for short tests and then gone on to own them. Only then can my brain learn the relationship between a short drive and a matured driving experience over time. Well I haven't done this, so all I have is instinct which is telling me this will be a very enjoyable car to own and drive.

Deposit is still in, looking forward to Feb '23

 

[ADC]

So, as a preface to my review, I'm an i4 FE deposit holder, and in fairness to people taking delivery much (much!) sooner than me, I had stood back during the test drive sign-up frenzy... but I saw that some slots looked like they were still going begging last week at a dealer near-ish to me (Southampton), furtively glanced around to see if I was being watched, and booked one. :guilty-face:

The main thing I wanted to get out of a test drive was to calibrate my expectations of what the sport / tour suspension difference was going to be like on UK roads. The example I drove was on the sports suspension, with the Goodyear tyres. The weather was sunny and clear, the roads were only a little damp, temperature was around 10C (I think).

I will not embarrass myself by listing the cars I've owned (they are pretty unremarkable, made tolerable through modification), but I have turned my hand to various types of motorsport and loved it - a bit of rallying, a bit of circuit driving (not competitive, as I enjoy nailing lines and beating my own times more than I enjoy swapping paint) - just not in cars I own

I think I identify as what is possibly a key target demographic for the Emira, same as Dingo described above - early 40's, never owned a proper sports car, was idly considering options, and fell in love when the Emira was announced / unveiled. This car is intended to serve as both something fun and a replacement for my daily driver.

So, to my impressions (which is going to repeat a lot of what others have said before I think):

Ride quality: Initially, I was a passenger until we got a few miles down the road where we switched seats. This was actually invaluable in understanding whether my missus would tolerate being driven in it... in short, even though any harshness was nicely rounded off, it was probably Too Jiggly ™️ over typical UK road surfaces for a passenger who is not also a car enthusiast. Once I was in the driver's seat, I thought it felt great, and was mostly busy marvelling at how great the handling was. I could probably easily live with sport, but in the quieter moments (i.e. plodding along in traffic), the jiggle was more obvious, and would probably become tiresome over distance (especially for passengers). I'm now very interested to feel whether the tour setup gives up much in the handling department.

Handling and braking: To the surprise of nobody here, this car feels amazing in hand 😁 Steering feel is fantastic, and the amount of grip and predictable weight transition through corners is just... :chefs-kiss:
Brakes were good and strong... they only take a light touch, but I'm not sure I'd call them over-servoed. I got on fine with them.

Seats / seating position: Seating height was totally fine for me (5' 11"). I like to sit up fairly close to the wheel, and found that my legs would have liked a bit more support under my thighs, but I couldn't find a way to tilt / raise the front of the seat to provide this. Forward visibility was great, but at least a couple of times I went to glance over my shoulder (sports car noob alert!), had half a second of panic as I realised I could not see jack, and then glanced back to the passenger-side mirror, which actually offers very good visibility TBH. Vision straight out the back is not too bad, and the reversing camera was nice and clear too.

Steering wheel: Shape wasn't a big deal, visibility to the cluster was fine for me, never accidentally bushed the touch controls, but something that did irk me a bit was the seam on the front (where your palms go). I noticed myself shifting my hands around to try and get comfortable, but something about the profile of the wheel was bugging me. I'm unsure if it would be something you just used to as you spend more time holding the thing 🤷‍♂️

Manual gearshift: Shifts felt pretty nice TBH... I'd agree with not knowing what the fuss is about here. I haven't owned a manual for over 10+ years now, but this was super easy to just climb into, pump the clutch a couple of times to feel the weight, slot it into first, and pull away smoothly. Clutch bite point never caught me out, and shifts on the go were easy to hit (I wasn't really hurrying them though). Ratios were good for giving it the beans through first / second / third without worrying you were going to lose your license.

Engine and power delivery: I've not driven a supercharged car in donkey's years, mostly turbo fare with a big hump of torque and an underwhelming top end... even kinda remembering what to expect, it actually still caught me off guard with the way it just kept pulling and pulling and pulling as the revs built. Completely linear and predictable, as others have said, but now I have reminded myself what that actually feels like. If the i4 is tuned to be like this, that could be fun... though I'd still enjoy some midrange surge with a remap later on.

Sound: Exhaust sounded pretty nice when accelerating, with some popping and burbling on over-run. I personally wouldn't be in a hurry to make it louder immediately (and my neighbours would probably thank me for that). We managed to go through and tunnel with the windows down, and I was instructed when to floor it for best effect... nice

Interior / Stereo: I still really liked the minimalism of the interior, I liked the sporty feel of the alcantara, and quality felt plenty good enough to me. Gave the stereo a very quick whirl, and it sounded fine (there's that word again 😅 ) with a CarPlay source connected.

Other stuff: This car had a duff TPMS sensor, but I would not expect that to be common fault. The car was pretty grubby, and still looked amazing. The wheel gap was a good three fingers, but honestly I stopped caring pretty much instantly as I just stood there ogling

Overall, I am clearly an unwashed heathen when it comes to having an opinion about the relative quality of this car to other sports cars, but I came away from the experience re-energised about the prospect of owning one. I'm fairly certain I had a silly grin on my face the entire time, and I found it really easy to forget a lot of the negatives that I've heard here... this is going to plenty of car for lil ol' me.

The only problem I have now is trying not to cave in and switch to the V6

 

[JohnHoward]

It was my turn for a test drive today and a big thanks to Simon and Andrew at Lotus Prestbury for making us feel so welcome.
As I have ordered an auto, having not driven a manual for years, Simon kindly offered me a passenger ride rather than me drive. As some of you may know, I have recently purchased an Alpine A110 and my comparison will be broadly to that. I also owned an Evora 410 Sport auto previously and I will reference that.

The spec of the car is Sports suspension and the colour is dark verdant. As we walked towards the car showroom, my wife thought that the car was black rather than dark green, but it was about 3pm on a very grey day. The green is certainly dark, but it would look different in better weather/time of year.

The roads around the dealership are quite pot holed and there is a pretty severe speedramp to slow traffic in the village. The sports suspension handled all this very well and I thought the ride was very good as a passenger.

The engine/supercharger noise sounds good in the cabin, but it is more muted than the Evora was (perhaps to meet new regulations?). In comparison to the Alpine, the Emira engine is louder in the cabin in normal driving, but when you push the Alpine, you hear more noise. I am not trying to say that one is better than the other as the comparison ia 1.8L vs 3.5L and turbo vs supercharger. The Emira sounds the most dramatic of the two (in the cabin).

The giving it the beans test - I have experienced this in the Alpine with my son driving and thanks to Simon today the Emira. So based on a not very scientific test, the Alpine acceleration feels very immediate whereas with the Emira you could really feel the car pull as the revs built up. Perhaps something to do with weight? The Emira performance to me was very impressive and I can't imagine ever thinking that I wish it had more power.

The interior finish in the Emira was very good and fully met my expectations. The seats are very comfortable and I am sure a long journey in them would be fine.

The radio works and stays tuned in, not like the Evora that used to drive me nuts! The sound for me was fine as I only have the radio on in the background (Boom radio usually, a UK station aimed at the elderley - in training).

The overall look of the car - I think this has been very well covered already and there is little doubt as to the presence the car has.

Depending on what happens with auto test drives, I will arrange one if they are available in time and not too far away, but I have seen enough today to know that I will go ahead anyway with my auto purchase next Spring (my V6 auto is due for March 2023 build).

 

[spice]

I had a drive today ,sport set up, without going into all the detail that many others have already covered , I will add one observation not widely mentioned , when lifting off from full throttle the front end pitches in a very twitchy way , unnerving in a straight line more so in a narrow fast corner , front seems rather light not planted , maybe a Lotus trait and probably a characteristic that will take getting used to ……???

 

[Grumpy]

It was my turn for a test drive today and a big thanks to Simon and Andrew at Lotus Prestbury for making us feel so welcome.
As I have ordered an auto, having not driven a manual for years, Simon kindly offered me a passenger ride rather than me drive. As some of you may know, I have recently purchased an Alpine A110 and my comparison will be broadly to that. I also owned an Evora 410 Sport auto previously and I will reference that.

The spec of the car is Sports suspension and the colour is dark verdant. As we walked towards the car showroom, my wife thought that the car was black rather than dark green, but it was about 3pm on a very grey day. The green is certainly dark, but it would look different in better weather/time of year.

The roads around the dealership are quite pot holed and there is a pretty severe speedramp to slow traffic in the village. The sports suspension handled all this very well and I thought the ride was very good as a passenger.

The engine/supercharger noise sounds good in the cabin, but it is more muted than the Evora was (perhaps to meet new regulations?). In comparison to the Alpine, the Emira engine is louder in the cabin in normal driving, but when you push the Alpine, you hear more noise. I am not trying to say that one is better than the other as the comparison ia 1.8L vs 3.5L and turbo vs supercharger. The Emira sounds the most dramatic of the two (in the cabin).

The giving it the beans test - I have experienced this in the Alpine with my son driving and thanks to Simon today the Emira. So based on a not very scientific test, the Alpine acceleration feels very immediate whereas with the Emira you could really feel the car pull as the revs built up. Perhaps something to do with weight? The Emira performance to me was very impressive and I can't imagine ever thinking that I wish it had more power.

The interior finish in the Emira was very good and fully met my expectations. The seats are very comfortable and I am sure a long journey in them would be fine.

The radio works and stays tuned in, not like the Evora that used to drive me nuts! The sound for me was fine as I only have the radio on in the background (Boom radio usually, a UK station aimed at the elderley - in training).

The overall look of the car - I think this has been very well covered already and there is little doubt as to the presence the car has.

Depending on what happens with auto test drives, I will arrange one if they are available in time and not too far away, but I have seen enough today to know that I will go ahead anyway with my auto purchase next Spring (my V6 auto is due for March 2023 build).

Interesting from an A110 owner. I would have said the stock a110 is a bit quieter and would agree it feels more lively lower down in the speed range. Do you have the sports exhaust on the A110?

 

[NeilS]

I’ve been lucky enough to drive a sport and touring suspension Emira. They were both on Goodyears which is the only sensible choice for demonstrators being abused during the British winter.

On arrival the shape really does impress, although I find the wheels comically big for the size of car. The paint finish on both cars was pretty good.

I drove the sport first and the conditions weren’t the best after hours of prolonged rainfall. Even when sport was selected the traction control kept constantly cutting engine power under acceleration as the tyres struggled to stay in contact with the typically poor British road surface. When driving more sensibly I was surprised by the smoothness and grip available in the conditions on most roads. More worrying at the time was the fact we couldn’t get the demist to work which made the drive a bit challenging. I live in the country so I was keen to find a typical lane where I spend most of my time and when we did car the jiggled so badly it was difficult to talk.

The weather was much improved on the day I drove the touring suspension Emira and again I was keen to drive on a poor surface. In this guise the car feels much more complete and Lotus like with a good compromise between handing and traction. I would say it’s much easier and safer to drive the touring setup faster on British roads than the sport and it’s less likely to fall apart.

Some other personal points, I think the clutch bite is too low compared to the high and over servo assisted brake pedal, the flap thing on the start button is awful, the steering wheel is awkward to use when manoeuvring and the dash display isn’t the best. However, the engine and gearing were well suited and the linear power delivery makes you grateful for the rev limiter!

Disappointingly one of the cars also had the plastic trim missing from the seat belt upper mount which left the bolt exposed. This painted bolt looked as if it had been fitted with an adjustable spanner by a not very competent person, which is a worry on a new car.

And the demist, well it turns out if you turn off demist on the touch screen it works. The button lower down puts the demist light on but turns it off – I assume it’s a software problem on these demonstrators….

Strangely I’ve come away a little underwhelmed by the experience. The Emira looks great both in and out but it’s not the event I was expecting. I like to delicately sit in an Elan, fall into an S1 Elise or clamber over the sill into an Evora but with the Emira you just open the door and sit in and drive. If you look at it as a comfortable easy to drive everyday sports car then I think it’s met its brief and will appeal to a larger audience.

Rybrook has been brilliant, can't say the same about Lotus communications. Still can’t wait for it to arrive!

 

[JohnHoward]

Interesting from an A110 owner. I would have said the stock a110 is a bit quieter and would agree it feels more lively lower down in the speed range. Do you have the sports exhaust on the A110?

Yes, I've got the sports exhaust and my comparison was in sports mode on both cars.

 

[Grumpy]

Ah, understood. I like the sports exhaust on the A11o but it's definitely louder than the stock one even if not in sport. I find the Emira's dominant noise is a mixture of transmission and supercharger whine. I realise things have to change for emissions reasons but the dominant noise in the ever was exhaust which was much better imho. The Emira is almost overchassied in some ways. It's almost like they built it for 600hp then dropped the 400 in. Its not that the 400 isn't fast enough, it is, its just that it can't unsettle the chassis at all so at normal speeds (legal) the Emira is just bolted down whereas the A110 is dancing i.e more fun. Only my opinion.

 

[TomE]

I’ve been lucky enough to drive a sport and touring suspension Emira. They were both on Goodyears which is the only sensible choice for demonstrators being abused during the British winter.

On arrival the shape really does impress, although I find the wheels comically big for the size of car. The paint finish on both cars was pretty good.

I drove the sport first and the conditions weren’t the best after hours of prolonged rainfall. Even when sport was selected the traction control kept constantly cutting engine power under acceleration as the tyres struggled to stay in contact with the typically poor British road surface. When driving more sensibly I was surprised by the smoothness and grip available in the conditions on most roads. More worrying at the time was the fact we couldn’t get the demist to work which made the drive a bit challenging. I live in the country so I was keen to find a typical lane where I spend most of my time and when we did car the jiggled so badly it was difficult to talk.

The weather was much improved on the day I drove the touring suspension Emira and again I was keen to drive on a poor surface. In this guise the car feels much more complete and Lotus like with a good compromise between handing and traction. I would say it’s much easier and safer to drive the touring setup faster on British roads than the sport and it’s less likely to fall apart.

Some other personal points, I think the clutch bite is too low compared to the high and over servo assisted brake pedal, the flap thing on the start button is awful, the steering wheel is awkward to use when manoeuvring and the dash display isn’t the best. However, the engine and gearing were well suited and the linear power delivery makes you grateful for the rev limiter!

Disappointingly one of the cars also had the plastic trim missing from the seat belt upper mount which left the bolt exposed. This painted bolt looked as if it had been fitted with an adjustable spanner by a not very competent person, which is a worry on a new car.

And the demist, well it turns out if you turn off demist on the touch screen it works. The button lower down puts the demist light on but turns it off – I assume it’s a software problem on these demonstrators….

Strangely I’ve come away a little underwhelmed by the experience. The Emira looks great both in and out but it’s not the event I was expecting. I like to delicately sit in an Elan, fall into an S1 Elise or clamber over the sill into an Evora but with the Emira you just open the door and sit in and drive. If you look at it as a comfortable easy to drive everyday sports car then I think it’s met its brief and will appeal to a larger audience.

Rybrook has been brilliant, can't say the same about Lotus communications. Still can’t wait for it to arrive!

Very useful info and reinforces previous comments about Sports versus Touring on poor road surfaces.

I assume driving both suspension setups meant two different dealers and hence not over the same test route? I've managed to book two demos on the same day at different dealers to drive both. Hoping the route and road conditions will be similar.

 

[Grumpy]

Test drive number 2.....
With test drives booked up I was lucky to get one and wouldn't have taken another apart from it appeared at my very local dealer just this morning. I didnt want to take away a drive from someone else but as it became available 1 hour before the drive an I am only 30 minutes away I thought it would be unused. Interestingly they had suddenly had a handful of cancellations yesterday - whether that's anything to do with the emails stating large extensions to UK production dates or or not they didnt know.

Different car, sports rather than touring suspension. I did it because I am still unsure. My prior write up above is unchanged so I wont repeat.
Additional points:-
Sports suspension - very good, pleased I was tour as bit jiggly at low speed and the roads around me are rubbish, but sport was better than I thought it might be.
Dash rattles were not there in this one - maybe because interior was alcantara not leather? However when driving there was a resonance from behind the seats so same comments apply. Switches, gear change all very good.
Conclusion - if you want to be seen in an achingly pretty car that is fast enough and comfortable inside with a chassis that is just glued down, can accept the odd rattle, then it's great - buy one. My negative thoughts at the moment are that it's not that exciting at normal speeds possibly because the chassis is almost too good, the drama comes from the looks and the interior not the drive. The sound is OK, but dominated by transmission and supercharger whine with the exhaust a distant third even in sport mode. Its OK, but the more I drive the more I suspect it might become a bit wearing over time.

 

[Cachaco131]

Very useful info and reinforces previous comments about Sports versus Touring on poor road surfaces.

I assume driving both suspension setups meant two different dealers and hence not over the same test route? I've managed to book two demos on the same day at different dealers to drive both. Hoping the route and road conditions will be similar.

Are UK roads so bad? Some of the comments suggest those roads are disastrous. I lived in London for a few years but didn't drive enough to remember well. Can someone compare with California? We don't have smooth roads here but maybe not as bad?

 

[1stczechemira]

it's not that exciting at normal speeds possibly because the chassis is almost too good, the drama comes from the looks and the interior not the drive

Just my thoughts: I own three cars with a power of 400 hp or more - Emira, 2016 Mustang GT and 2006 RS4... The Emira and the RS4 are not so exciting because of their perfect chassis, the Mustang is very (even more than one can wish) exciting because of the crazy chassis and traction. But the Emira and the RS4 are both the better cars IMO.

 

[NeilS]

Very useful info and reinforces previous comments about Sports versus Touring on poor road surfaces.

I assume driving both suspension setups meant two different dealers and hence not over the same test route? I've managed to book two demos on the same day at different dealers to drive both. Hoping the route and road conditions will be similar.

Yes, two different locations unfortunately. I was pleased to have driven it in heavy rain simply to know it's fine. They had a mix of road types but the big town locations meant endless low speed limits, pedestrians and generally built up areas making it difficult to push. It's not really the natural habitat for a Lotus and it's more appropriate for the 'look at me' cars the dealers are also offering.

 

[NeilS]

Are UK roads so bad? Some of the comments suggest those roads are disastrous. I lived in London for a few years but didn't drive enough to remember well. Can someone compare with California? We don't have smooth roads here but maybe not as bad?

It does depend where you live. England tends to be much worse than Wales where they maintain the roads to a higher standard.

 

[frazzer]

It does depend where you live. England tends to be much worse than Wales where they maintain the roads to a higher standard.

Just back from a road trip in Wales, the roads are so much better than in England. Many roads in England, specially B-roads are in bad shape, pot holes and very bumpy much of the time.