The great big "all the customer test drives" thread

[Lotustoronto]

Thanks for the well-considered and perceptive write up. You address a number of questions people have about the driveability compared to other cars with a usefully detailed explanation. It's difficult to get a full impression on a short test drive on mostly urban roads but this is really helpful.

I think your conclusion helps with the question many are seeking to clarify and need to get their heads around. It's not the fastest, most powerful or most luxurious sportscar. It is a great drivers car that you can connect with and enjoy driving and being in. It's presented in a complete package with many boxes ticked as good or very good. For some people it will score highly on the things that matter most to them, and for others it won't. Like many fun cars, this is essentially an emotional purchase and the Emira appears to put a very big tick in that important box.

Thanks Tom, it is a special car. It is a drivers car with buckets of emotion and feel. Automotive art.

 

[99Problems]

I also got to drive the Shadow Grey, Manual V6 with Sports set up on Goodyears yesterday. I think most have gone into plenty of detail, so I will try not to repeat what others have said. High level review, its a 9/10 for me. A couple things I'd note from my 15 mins with the car:

Can't see the pedals... At all. At first, I was concerned.. then as soon as my feet found the clutch and brake, I never thought about it again. I'm 6'0", 180 lbs, size 11.5 shoe (us sizing). Small footwell, yes, but not an issue, neither was the pedal spacing wearing Adidas Super Star shoes.

Seating position felt good, although I didn't get to spend a TON of time setting up the steering wheel position/seat, so I'm sure I will dial it in better. Still, took 1 min to fiddle and certainly didn't feel uncomfortable/odd. I was coming out of my Taycan 18 way adjustable seats from the drive over, and I'd say they were just as comfortable/supportive.

My frame of reference from the recent cars I've owned: Porsche 991.2 911 GTS RWD, 2014 Aston Martin Vantage S, E92 M3 coupe. All Manual cars, all rear wheel drive. The Emira feel like more of an occasion car than all 3 of those cars for reference.

The 911 felt a bit faster (Twin turbo with a lot more torque), but the Emira felt on par with the Aston (had an ECU tune, so not stock performance) and faster than the M3. The interior felt just as well put together as my Porsche, not as plush as the Aston, which is what I'd expect. I didn't have any wobbly buttons that I felt, and the alcantara interior stitching, etc. all looked perfect. The Emira also had less road noise than my 911 GTS, which was a bit surprising.

Clutch pedal took no time to adjust to at all, so I have to imagine it was very similar to my 911 GTS, since that is the last Manual I was driving a few months back. WAY less effort than I recall in the Evora 400 I test drove a few years ago. Also, I prefer the shifter in the Emira to either the 7 speed 911, or the 6 speed in the Aston or BMW. Just feels more special. More effort required for sure going 4th - 5th, but feels like more of an "occasion" during each shift, if that makes sense.

Unfortunately I didn't get to play with the Kef system, just no time. I have Kef speakers in one of my home set ups, so I'm familiar with the brand and what its capable of. It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me one way or another, but with some of the bad reviews, I do wonder if that car has an issue, or if its a function of no break in time or bad source material... Guess time will tell when I get mine next year.

 

[Mctaff]

I also got to drive the Shadow Grey, Manual V6 with Sports set up on Goodyears yesterday. I think most have gone into plenty of detail, so I will try not to repeat what others have said. High level review, its a 9/10 for me. A couple things I'd note from my 15 mins with the car:

Can't see the pedals... At all. At first, I was concerned.. then as soon as my feet found the clutch and brake, I never thought about it again. I'm 6'0", 180 lbs, size 11.5 shoe (us sizing). Small footwell, yes, but not an issue, neither was the pedal spacing wearing Adidas Super Star shoes.

Seating position felt good, although I didn't get to spend a TON of time setting up the steering wheel position/seat, so I'm sure I will dial it in better. Still, took 1 min to fiddle and certainly didn't feel uncomfortable/odd. I was coming out of my Taycan 18 way adjustable seats from the drive over, and I'd say they were just as comfortable/supportive.

My frame of reference from the recent cars I've owned: Porsche 991.2 911 GTS RWD, 2014 Aston Martin Vantage S, E92 M3 coupe. All Manual cars, all rear wheel drive. The Emira feel like more of an occasion car than all 3 of those cars for reference.

The 911 felt a bit faster (Twin turbo with a lot more torque), but the Emira felt on par with the Aston (had an ECU tune, so not stock performance) and faster than the M3. The interior felt just as well put together as my Porsche, not as plush as the Aston, which is what I'd expect. I didn't have any wobbly buttons that I felt, and the alcantara interior stitching, etc. all looked perfect. The Emira also had less road noise than my 911 GTS, which was a bit surprising.

Clutch pedal took no time to adjust to at all, so I have to imagine it was very similar to my 911 GTS, since that is the last Manual I was driving a few months back. WAY less effort than I recall in the Evora 400 I test drove a few years ago. Also, I prefer the shifter in the Emira to either the 7 speed 911, or the 6 speed in the Aston or BMW. Just feels more special. More effort required for sure going 4th - 5th, but feels like more of an "occasion" during each shift, if that makes sense.

Unfortunately I didn't get to play with the Kef system, just no time. I have Kef speakers in one of my home set ups, so I'm familiar with the brand and what its capable of. It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me one way or another, but with some of the bad reviews, I do wonder if that car has an issue, or if its a function of no break in time or bad source material... Guess time will tell when I get mine next year.

Great to see your positive review and comparison against the vantage and E92 both of which used to be on my drive.

Really hoping us uk depositors get the test drive booking email tomorrow!!

 

[Cachaco131]

It is a car you need to drive for a bit to unlock its capabilities. Out of all the reviews from journalists, I think Chris Harris' was the most accurate. Jethro's was overly harsh, but he was not wrong, on track the GT4 is the better choice. I would take the Emira over a 718 GTS 4.0 easily IMO. The Porsche lacks the theatre and emotion of the Lotus and for driving on the road it just felt that bit better. What an engaging sports car! Amazing feat, @Leonard really needs to get behind the wheel of the Emira! My perfect two car garage would be the Emira and 718 Spyder, right now I can not choose one over the other and that is saying something!

Hell will freeze over before @Leonard positivity comes out!

 

[Leonard]

Hell will freeze over before @Leonard positivity comes out!

I got as far as stepping up a notch or two to slightly above indifference. That was viewing the demo on Friday 😅😘

 

[benjh1028]

Had my Emira test drive today (touring on Goodyears). I also test drove a 718 GTS and 718 GT4 today, as I wanted to drive all 3 cars back to back.

My current cars for point of reference: 2005 Honda S2000 and 2011 Lotus Elise SC.

Emira:
-I had the hardest time finding the right driving position. I was either too far from the pedals or too close, and then too close to the steering wheel or too far. The entire drive I never had it dialed in just right. That said, I'm sure spending 10-20 more min with the car I could get it right, but honestly it shouldn't be that difficult. I never felt comfortable or "one" with the car.
-The actual test drive route was lame. Actual drive time was about 5-7 minutes and it was about 97% just straight driving. So, couldn't really test handling, braking, steering, etc.
-What I could test was power. Speed was fine for me, I didn't feel like it was slow. But, like others have stated, I felt the engine was a bit boring or lacked drama.
-I had no issues with the offset pedals...then again, I'm used to it from my Elise.
-No issues with the shape of the steering wheel, but it is a bit thick which was a little distracting. However, I'm sure I'd get used to it.
-Shifter felt fine. Shorter throws than the Elise, but longer than the S2000. No issues finding gears.
-No issues rev matching. I've never driven an Evora, but I've heard the throttle response isn't consistent - didn't seem to be the case with the Emira.
-I drove in Sport mode the whole time. The burbles when you lift off throttle are pretty annoying and sound "gimmicky". Personal taste, though.
-Clutch is not very progressive and has a pretty immediate grab point near the top. This is unlike the S2000 and Elise and took a minute to get used to.
-Don't give a hoot about the interior. Not why I'm buying a car like this. That said, it was fine.

GTS/GT4:
-Amazing engine! The induction sound and exhaust are fantastic. Revs freely and throttle response is lightning quick. Very addictive.
-I've never driven a Porsche before today, yet I immediately felt comfortable in both cars, like I had driven them for 5 years. Was able to easily dial in a good driving position.
-Shifter is nice, short throws. I think the S2000 is slightly better, though.
-Clutch is progressive. No learning curve.
-Like the Emira test drive, the route was mostly straight lines and about 5 minutes. So, couldn't really test handling or steering feel.
-Both cars felt sharp and "on edge", especially the GT4. On the one small curve during my drive the back end of the GT4 wanted to kick out slightly. Very tossable and playful. I can see how you will really need to have your wits about you when driving the GT4 at 7+/10ths.
-Don't give a hoot about the interior. Not why I'm buying a car like this. That said, it was fine.

In summary:
I feel like I can't judge the Emira fairly until I'm able to dial in the driving position and also drive it on real roads for more than 5 minutes. That said, my initial impressions were "meh." I didn't feel like I was driving anything that was special. Although, it's very probable the Emira shines on mountain roads, and that's what I'm really hoping for. On one hand, I feel like I can't judge it based on the lame test drive I had, but on the other hand, my initial impressions should be an indicator, and they were just "meh."

All that said, the GTS and GT4 were a different experience. I was immediately WOWED driving those cars. The engine felt special in the first 45 seconds. It took 1 minute to feel like I was one with the car. All the inputs were intuitive. I've spent the last 3 hours watching Cayman videos because all I can think about is the GT4.

I'm not backing out of my Emira deposit just yet, but the biggest thing I learned from today is that I'm DEFINTELY getting a GTS/GT4.

Super cool that you found a Porsche dealer that let you drive the GT4 as most are spoken for. Thanks for taking the time to provide an honest write-up.

 

[Elisesquared]

Super cool that you found a Porsche dealer that let you drive the GT4 as most are spoken for. Thanks for taking the time to provide an honest write-up.

Yeah, it was actually a dealer that only sells pre-owned exotics/sports cars; so, not a Porsche dealer. But they were very easy to work with and actually allowed me to drive both the GTS and GT4 by myself, which I was surprised about.

I feel very fortunate I was able to drive all 3 cars in the same day, and it will certainly help with deciding what to do. Hopefully, the write-up provides at least a little insight or perspective for others.

 

[Lotustoronto]

I also got to drive the Shadow Grey, Manual V6 with Sports set up on Goodyears yesterday. I think most have gone into plenty of detail, so I will try not to repeat what others have said. High level review, its a 9/10 for me. A couple things I'd note from my 15 mins with the car:

Can't see the pedals... At all. At first, I was concerned.. then as soon as my feet found the clutch and brake, I never thought about it again. I'm 6'0", 180 lbs, size 11.5 shoe (us sizing). Small footwell, yes, but not an issue, neither was the pedal spacing wearing Adidas Super Star shoes.

Seating position felt good, although I didn't get to spend a TON of time setting up the steering wheel position/seat, so I'm sure I will dial it in better. Still, took 1 min to fiddle and certainly didn't feel uncomfortable/odd. I was coming out of my Taycan 18 way adjustable seats from the drive over, and I'd say they were just as comfortable/supportive.

My frame of reference from the recent cars I've owned: Porsche 991.2 911 GTS RWD, 2014 Aston Martin Vantage S, E92 M3 coupe. All Manual cars, all rear wheel drive. The Emira feel like more of an occasion car than all 3 of those cars for reference.

The 911 felt a bit faster (Twin turbo with a lot more torque), but the Emira felt on par with the Aston (had an ECU tune, so not stock performance) and faster than the M3. The interior felt just as well put together as my Porsche, not as plush as the Aston, which is what I'd expect. I didn't have any wobbly buttons that I felt, and the alcantara interior stitching, etc. all looked perfect. The Emira also had less road noise than my 911 GTS, which was a bit surprising.

Clutch pedal took no time to adjust to at all, so I have to imagine it was very similar to my 911 GTS, since that is the last Manual I was driving a few months back. WAY less effort than I recall in the Evora 400 I test drove a few years ago. Also, I prefer the shifter in the Emira to either the 7 speed 911, or the 6 speed in the Aston or BMW. Just feels more special. More effort required for sure going 4th - 5th, but feels like more of an "occasion" during each shift, if that makes sense.

Unfortunately I didn't get to play with the Kef system, just no time. I have Kef speakers in one of my home set ups, so I'm familiar with the brand and what its capable of. It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me one way or another, but with some of the bad reviews, I do wonder if that car has an issue, or if its a function of no break in time or bad source material... Guess time will tell when I get mine next year.

Nice review, glad to hear you enjoyed it! - Just wanted to note, I do believe that the KEF issue was to that specific car, at least I hope so and that is what I am telling myself!

I copied a post from emiraspain that shows a clip of the wobble I mentioned. All I was pointing out is that you don't have something of that quality in a Porsche product. Many may not even notice it. Everything else I touched was premium material - so it just felt a bit out of place.

Lotus Emira Track Experience

So good morning... sorry I did not post yesterday after the event, but I went straight to a friends house for dinner, a Pilot who used to have an Excel, 25 years ago, now sadly has lost I would say 90% interest in cars *drives a SMART, and is now more into light lite aricraft....... father...

www.emiraforum.com

 

[RENDERMAN]

Finally!! After a much anticipated wait I got behind the wheel of the Lotus Emira.

For reference I am 6'1 and 220 lbs. Not a small guy. Size 11.5 shoe (US Sizing)

Background of previous cars - 2020 C8 Corvette, 2020 718 Spyder, 2021 992 911 S Manual, 2019 VW Golf R DSG, 2018 Mini Cooper S manual, 2014 Jaguar XK, 2005 BMW 330i Manual, few other Trucks and SUV's etc.

For the price - IMO only the 718 4.0 manual cars compete with the current Emira V6 manual. So I am direct comparing between the two.

First impressions from the exterior, much like everyone else I thought it was as stunner. A bit smaller than I expected, but certainly beautiful. In its price range it is by far the best looking / most striking vehicle, not a bad angle. 10/10 on looks for the price. (there are better looking cars, but double or triple the cost)

Interior - Leather is of high quality, right up there with Porsche. Seats were comfortable and looked good. (better than the 718's sports seats) Fit me well, but I am also not a small guy. Stitching was flawless and over all interior trim of the Emira was very good in my opinion. The Alcantara was very nice and how I would spec my own. Steering wheel felt good / not too thick and didn't feel cheap IMO, no issue. I didn't play too much with the buttons on the wheel, but if there was a negative, perhaps that would be it. The air con controls was a negative for me. Felt cheap, I think Lotus could have done something better. The chrome plastic controlling temp and fan speed still wobbled a bit @emiraspain and looked like something that belonged in a 25K car. The screens in the car I thought were good not great, no visual problems. No lag in the infotainment system and very clean programming. I personally liked the minimalist design in the infotainment. Manual shifter was a high point for me. Looks smaller than in pictures, but felt great in the hand and had a very solid feel. Pedal placement for me was a non-issue. Yes, it is off centre, but I adjusted quickly and was well placed for heel and toe. Pedal box itself is tighter than a 718's, mostly due to the larger sills. Egress/ Ingress was no problem, perhaps a bit easier than the 718's if not the same. The cabin itself felt smaller/tighter than the C8 corvette and the 911, but not by much. Again very close to the 718. Over all impression of the interior is that it feels special, more so than the 718's and a higher quality feel to the C8. With all the leather, stitching, Alcantara, aluminium and that beautiful manual shifter, it was a good place to spend time. I did not feel cramped nor did it feel spacious.(The Emira is not an M2 competitor IMO) It felt like a proper purpose built sports car. Pedal box spacing could be a little better. KEF speakers were not good, FYI. I almost wonder if there was something wrong with this specific car audio. That's how unimpressive they were. Over all interior 8/10 against the competition. It has a premium feel with an added sense of occasion to it that the Porsche lacks. However, the Porsche gets the nod in over all quality... nothing wobbles in the Porsche (and Burmeister is better), BUT the Emira's interior looks better.

Driving Impressions - The most important part. I'll start with sport suspension. I drove on a mix of highway and some bendy roads, only 10 minutes so not a lot. Took the corners with some speed (definitely broke the speed limits everywhere) and let me say, WOW. The Emira stayed glued and felt inspiring. I did not think the sport suspension was too stiff. Comparable to a 718 GT4/Spyder suspension, but a little more supple. (on the less firm setting of the dampers) I will be going with sports suspension. Glad I got to drive it. 9/10. If you are daily driving the Emira, or have really bad roads to commute on all the time, go with touring. View out was good, no complaints with visibility, similar to any mid engine sports car. Engine sound/exhaust - muted a bit in touring, sounded good in sports mode. 7.5/10 for sound in its class. Steering felt very good and better than Porsche. Felt very connected and excellent turn in. Overall the Emira feels very nimble and was a pleasure to take high speed corners in. Engine - I can say it felt quick. Not extremly fast, but built up speed quickly and made the Lotus feel controllable at all times. Would I have wanted the extra 30 BHP and extra rev's to 7,200. Yes, and I think would make a difference as well. The Emira does not feel slow against the 718 4.0's. The bottom end of the rev range on the Emira V6 is more urgent than the Porsche, felt more alive. However it loses breath at the top, this is where the Porsche shines and sings a bit better than the Emira. The 718 4.0's between 5,500 - 7,800 rpm is something special, and the Emira's V6 can't match that. On track, the GT4 will win, the 718's 4.0's are superior in the top end. The problem after owning the Spyder, is the gearing and trying to keep the Spyder in that high REV range is difficult on the street.(manual version not PDK) Dare I say it - I prefer the power delivery and gearing of the Emira to the Porsche. This was a big deal for me and I spent most of the test drive on feeling for this. The Emira's V6 is more exploitable than the Porsche's outside of the track and in the real world. Now onto the manual box - very mechanical feeling and notchy. Clicked into gear in a satisfying way. I would not consider it slick and did not have slack to it. It needs to be deliberate, with a small amount more force than the Porsche GT box. The gates are spaced a bit tighter. I really did like the shift action, had an overall feeling of quality about it and substantial, Not something flimsy or cheap. (unlike the HVAC controls ) The more I got used to it, the more I liked it. Is it better than the Porsche GT4/Spyder manual for feel, probably not better. But it felt very good and the gearing being better means you get to use it more. Overall rating in its class 9/10 for driving dynamics. This was the hardest for me to rank, as previously the 718 Spyder was the best drivers car I have owned. I still can't say for certain if it is more engaging from a driving dynamics perspective until I own the Emira for at least 1,500 KM of seat time. However, on my short drive, which included some good speed corners, highways and bendy back roads, I was all smiles. The power delivery on the low end felt more urgent than the N/A Porsche's and the gear shift IMO felt very good, mechanical and notchy.

So in conclusion - The Lotus Emira is a special car. I appreciate the beauty of the lines and of the design. The driving dynamics are excellent for its class and gives a feeling of being connected to car and road. It did not feel like a GT car like the C8 /911 does, or a super car like a Mclaren, Ferrari or Lambo. It does not have the lavishness of a Aston Martin or the austerity of the Porsche's. It is not a track star like a GT3/GT4 or a Z06.

It is simply an absolute beautiful pure sports car that stirs emotion. I can not ask for anything more.

Overall 9/10 in its class.

Best balanced review so far!

 

[centerpunch]

A friend and I both drove the red car at Gator last week. We both really liked it.

The fit and finish is unlike any Lotus I've ever seen- it's like- a real car.

I'm about 6 foot, with short legs and tall torso, and initially had trouble getting comfortable in the car, until the Lotus rep reminded me that the steering column adjusts. Pushed the wheel in a couple inches and it was perfect.

I felt like I had been driving the car for years, it just felt natural. I love how quiet the car is in the normal mode. The rep put it in the louder mode briefly, I'm sure if I were younger I'd like that, but now I don't need noise to enjoy a car.

I'm an old guy (67), have owned tons of very cool cars over my 50 years of driving, including S4's, M3's, 10 Porsches, Ford GT, Renault R5 Turbo, etc. (And three Lotus.) I used to do track events, but don't do that now. Coolest car currently is a minty 17k mile 2005 NSX, which the Emira will replace.

The Emira seemed plenty fast, and the sport suspension didn't seem rough- that's what I will order. I didn't turn on the audio system because it's not important to me if it's great or if it's not. I wish the dash had the option of displaying a round speedo and tach, but I guess I'll have to get over it and get used to the Atari-style instruments.

The trunk is smaller than I was expecting, and the room behind the seats also smaller than I was expecting. But neither a big deal for me.

The car seemed very high quality (both inside and out) and very special, just as I had hoped. Very excited, just wish I had got in line sooner- I didn't make the FE cut.

Here are a couple VERY short videos.

 

[Magma]

A friend and I both drove the red car at Gator last week. We both really liked it.

The fit and finish is unlike any Lotus I've ever seen- it's like- a real car.

I'm about 6 foot, with short legs and tall torso, and initially had trouble getting comfortable in the car, until the Lotus rep reminded me that the steering column adjusts. Pushed the wheel in a couple inches and it was perfect.

I felt like I had been driving the car for years, it just felt natural. I love how quiet the car is in the normal mode. The rep put it in the louder mode briefly, I'm sure if I were younger I'd like that, but now I don't need noise to enjoy a car.

I'm an old guy (67), have owned tons of very cool cars over my 50 years of driving, including S4's, M3's, 10 Porsches, Ford GT, Renault R5 Turbo, etc. (And three Lotus.) I used to do track events, but don't do that now. Coolest car currently is a minty 17k mile 2005 NSX, which the Emira will replace.

The Emira seemed plenty fast, and the sport suspension didn't seem rough- that's what I will order. I didn't turn on the audio system because it's not important to me if it's great or if it's not. I wish the dash had the option of displaying a round speedo and tach, but I guess I'll have to get over it and get used to the Atari-style instruments.

The trunk is smaller than I was expecting, and the room behind the seats also smaller than I was expecting. But neither a big deal for me.

The car seemed very high quality (both inside and out) and very special, just as I had hoped. Very excited, just wish I had got in line sooner- I didn't make the FE cut.

Here are a couple VERY short videos.

Wow! Magma is just beautiful!

 

[Kentviking]

Ok, here's my test drive report.

Seneca blue V6 manual on tour suspension. Conditions nothing short of biblical (ie...non-stop rain, puddles everywhere...hell there were lakes on the dual carriageway)

Suffice to say I cannot report back about at the limit driving or top end performance. But let's just say this is a car you can very comfortably live with on a day to day perspective. So in no particular order, but trying to pick up on a few things I have seen little comment on up to now...

Windscreen wipers 10/10
Demisters 11/10 (Yes, I think the first "11" score...couldn't see out the back, turned it on and within 5 seconds it was completely clear)
Heating / fans - plenty powerful enough 10/10
Sure footedness in literally "fording" conditions 10/10 (managed unmentionable speeds on dual carriageway in horrid conditions, but wasn't really testing the acceleration)
Sound in a tunnel (amateur video link below) 😍 (yes, that's my score)
Driving - not scoring as only limited tests here, but what you need to know is that 2 minutes in I am deep in conversation with the dealer and just relaxed and comfortable driving a car that should be all new to me in sodden conditions...intuitive doesn't begin to describe it...everyday usable it most certainly is. Loved the steering - direct and incisive. Go-karty in a grown up way. Gears very mechanical but enjoyed the box (and no low end noises that I could pick up). Nice and short throw. Pedal positions fine for me...no issues at all. And loved the auto release hand brake (not experienced that before...but means my wife doesn't need to worry about hill starts). Touring suspension the ideal mix of firm but compliant. Car couldn't have felt more well planted for a reasonably light weight vehicle in stupidly wet conditions...didn't aquaplane or feel at all nervy, when I did on a couple of occasions on my way to the test drive in a rather heavier BMW 6 series.
sound system 9/10 - played with it a lot on DAB, think it actually sounds really quite good (better than some have said)...my only gripe is that you can only position the sound left to right...there are no speakers behind for a forward to back positioning
Sat Nav - looked good with limited (stationary) tinkering...easy enough to set up with place name or postcode and map looked nice enough
Screen - generally very responsive and quality feel. Slightly more glare than I might have liked
Seats - Cosseting and comfortable for my relatively lithe 5'11 frame...could see myself enjoying the 18 hours x 2 days drive down to Bulgaria from the UK. Perfect lumbar and lateral support, helped I think by the alcantara. Didn't seem to be able to sit as "low" in the car as I thought you might...but plenty of headroom. Not quite as much space behind as I remember from the pre-production cars...but very usable and will get several decent sized soft bags behind my wife in whichever position she chooses.
View out - 11/10 - it is a cockpit...love the fact that the side glazing goes down towards the front so you can see a "lot" of the road. Hell even the rear view is eminently usable. And the shape of the wing mirrors is exotic.
Interior quality - 9/10 ...up there with BMW and Range Rover...I even quite liked the FE badge on the interior (smaller and less intrusive than expected)
DAS - the only driver assist that seems to be enabled is the collission warning (proximity in low speed manoeuvring)

Some (welcome) changes I have noticed...the steering wheel is definitely thinner and I think smaller than the pre-production version...it is lovely
Rear light cluster - I remember this looking like the centre light was meant to be a same level / continuation of the corner clusters...there is a much more defined difference now that works better...happy!
factory ppf - a joke!...two small pieces (see photos)...dealer options (photo) look expensive and I think I would like a combination not included in this choice list
privacy - yep, I made the wrong choice...looks really good without and makes for a better view of the engine.

Summary: In short, this is very much the modern day Noble M12 I hoped it would be. It is not perfect, but it is a sportscar and not a supercar, and a very everyday usable one at that. That is what I was looking for and I am ok waiting another few months for delivery (but please no more delays, Lotus!)

A few very amateur photos to highlight a few things...

And a link to a very short video of blipping the throttle in the tunnel...

 

[Lotustoronto]

Good to read a UK review with some high praise. It's a fantastic sports car! Good read

 

[TomE]

Ok, here's my test drive report.

Seneca blue V6 auto on tour suspension. Conditions nothing short of biblical (ie...non-stop rain, puddles everywhere...hell there were lakes on the dual carriageway)

Suffice to say I cannot report back about at the limit driving or top end performance. But let's just say this is a car you can very comfortably live with on a day to day perspective. So in no particular order, but trying to pick up on a few things I have seen little comment on up to now...

Windscreen wipers 10/10
Demisters 11/10 (Yes, I think the first "11" score...couldn't see out the back, turned it on and within 5 seconds it was completely clear)
Heating / fans - plenty powerful enough 10/10
Sure footedness in literally "fording" conditions 10/10 (managed unmentionable speeds on dual carriageway in horrid conditions, but wasn't really testing the acceleration)
Sound in a tunnel (amateur video link below) 😍 (yes, that's my score)
Driving - not scoring as only limited tests here, but what you need to know is that 2 minutes in I am deep in conversation with the dealer and just relaxed and comfortable driving a car that should be all new to me in sodden conditions...intuitive doesn't begin to describe it...everyday usable it most certainly is. Loved the steering - direct and incisive. Go-karty in a grown up way. Gears very mechanical but enjoyed the box (and no low end noises that I could pick up). Nice and short throw. Pedal positions fine for me...no issues at all. And loved the auto release hand brake (not experienced that before...but means my wife doesn't need to worry about hill starts). Touring suspension the ideal mix of firm but compliant. Car couldn't have felt more well planted for a reasonably light weight vehicle in stupidly wet conditions...didn't aquaplane or feel at all nervy, when I did on a couple of occasions on my way to the test drive in a rather heavier BMW 6 series.
sound system 9/10 - played with it a lot on DAB, think it actually sounds really quite good (better than some have said)...my only gripe is that you can only position the sound left to right...there are no speakers behind for a forward to back positioning
Sat Nav - looked good with limited (stationary) tinkering...easy enough to set up with place name or postcode and map looked nice enough
Screen - generally very responsive and quality feel. Slightly more glare than I might have liked
Seats - Cosseting and comfortable for my relatively lithe 5'11 frame...could see myself enjoying the 18 hours x 2 days drive down to Bulgaria from the UK. Perfect lumbar and lateral support, helped I think by the alcantara. Didn't seem to be able to sit as "low" in the car as I thought you might...but plenty of headroom. Not quite as much space behind as I remember from the pre-production cars...but very usable and will get several decent sized soft bags behind my wife in whichever position she chooses.
View out - 11/10 - it is a cockpit...love the fact that the side glazing goes down towards the front so you can see a "lot" of the road. Hell even the rear view is eminently usable. And the shape of the wing mirrors is exotic.
Interior quality - 9/10 ...up there with BMW and Range Rover...I even quite liked the FE badge on the interior (smaller and less intrusive than expected)
DAS - the only driver assist that seems to be enabled is the collission warning (proximity in low speed manoeuvring)

Some (welcome) changes I have noticed...the steering wheel is definitely thinner and I think smaller than the pre-production version...it is lovely
Rear light cluster - I remember this looking like the centre light was meant to be a same level / continuation of the corner clusters...there is a much more defined difference now that works better...happy!
factory ppf - a joke!...two small pieces (see photos)...dealer options (photo) look expensive and I think I would like a combination not included in this choice list
privacy - yep, I made the wrong choice...looks really good without and makes for a better view of the engine.

Summary: In short, this is very much the modern day Noble M12 I hoped it would be. It is not perfect, but it is a sportscar and not a supercar, and a very everyday usable one at that. That is what I was looking for and I am ok waiting another few months for delivery (but please no more delays, Lotus!)

A few very amateur photos to highlight a few things...

And a link to a very short video of blipping the throttle in the tunnel...

Great review. How did you get a test drive booked and done so quickly?! Cuilfail Tunnel, so I assume Lotus Sussex?

 

[eriegz]

Ok, here's my test drive report.

Seneca blue V6 auto on tour suspension. Conditions nothing short of biblical (ie...non-stop rain, puddles everywhere...hell there were lakes on the dual carriageway)

Suffice to say I cannot report back about at the limit driving or top end performance. But let's just say this is a car you can very comfortably live with on a day to day perspective. So in no particular order, but trying to pick up on a few things I have seen little comment on up to now...

Windscreen wipers 10/10
Demisters 11/10 (Yes, I think the first "11" score...couldn't see out the back, turned it on and within 5 seconds it was completely clear)
Heating / fans - plenty powerful enough 10/10
Sure footedness in literally "fording" conditions 10/10 (managed unmentionable speeds on dual carriageway in horrid conditions, but wasn't really testing the acceleration)
Sound in a tunnel (amateur video link below) 😍 (yes, that's my score)
Driving - not scoring as only limited tests here, but what you need to know is that 2 minutes in I am deep in conversation with the dealer and just relaxed and comfortable driving a car that should be all new to me in sodden conditions...intuitive doesn't begin to describe it...everyday usable it most certainly is. Loved the steering - direct and incisive. Go-karty in a grown up way. Gears very mechanical but enjoyed the box (and no low end noises that I could pick up). Nice and short throw. Pedal positions fine for me...no issues at all. And loved the auto release hand brake (not experienced that before...but means my wife doesn't need to worry about hill starts). Touring suspension the ideal mix of firm but compliant. Car couldn't have felt more well planted for a reasonably light weight vehicle in stupidly wet conditions...didn't aquaplane or feel at all nervy, when I did on a couple of occasions on my way to the test drive in a rather heavier BMW 6 series.
sound system 9/10 - played with it a lot on DAB, think it actually sounds really quite good (better than some have said)...my only gripe is that you can only position the sound left to right...there are no speakers behind for a forward to back positioning
Sat Nav - looked good with limited (stationary) tinkering...easy enough to set up with place name or postcode and map looked nice enough
Screen - generally very responsive and quality feel. Slightly more glare than I might have liked
Seats - Cosseting and comfortable for my relatively lithe 5'11 frame...could see myself enjoying the 18 hours x 2 days drive down to Bulgaria from the UK. Perfect lumbar and lateral support, helped I think by the alcantara. Didn't seem to be able to sit as "low" in the car as I thought you might...but plenty of headroom. Not quite as much space behind as I remember from the pre-production cars...but very usable and will get several decent sized soft bags behind my wife in whichever position she chooses.
View out - 11/10 - it is a cockpit...love the fact that the side glazing goes down towards the front so you can see a "lot" of the road. Hell even the rear view is eminently usable. And the shape of the wing mirrors is exotic.
Interior quality - 9/10 ...up there with BMW and Range Rover...I even quite liked the FE badge on the interior (smaller and less intrusive than expected)
DAS - the only driver assist that seems to be enabled is the collission warning (proximity in low speed manoeuvring)

Some (welcome) changes I have noticed...the steering wheel is definitely thinner and I think smaller than the pre-production version...it is lovely
Rear light cluster - I remember this looking like the centre light was meant to be a same level / continuation of the corner clusters...there is a much more defined difference now that works better...happy!
factory ppf - a joke!...two small pieces (see photos)...dealer options (photo) look expensive and I think I would like a combination not included in this choice list
privacy - yep, I made the wrong choice...looks really good without and makes for a better view of the engine.

Summary: In short, this is very much the modern day Noble M12 I hoped it would be. It is not perfect, but it is a sportscar and not a supercar, and a very everyday usable one at that. That is what I was looking for and I am ok waiting another few months for delivery (but please no more delays, Lotus!)

A few very amateur photos to highlight a few things...

And a link to a very short video of blipping the throttle in the tunnel...

That sound!! 😍🤤

 

[Lovora]

For info, the two USB ports (1x Type A and 1x Type C) inside the Emira central armrest storage are connected directly to the infotainment system and can be used for either a USB stick or an external device. So yes, it is possible to use a lossless source. My plan is to use a stick permanently plugged in as a jukebox, as I don't use streaming audio services on my phone.

Tom,
And, the owner's manual for just the infotainment system is "52" (Fifty Two!) pages long. My audio industry friends say this is a very good audio system. I am betting on bad audio program material and/or bad audio adjustments as a possible cause of a bad audio review. Maybe someone messed up the settings. I have a test drive scheduled on Nov 19. I will be bringing some good lossless demo tracks on a USB stick for listening. Hopefully, we will be able to set up the audio system quickly and I'll leave my USB stick for the next test drive. I owned an Evora 400 for a few years and I was able to tweak the original Evora audio system to sound pretty good without replacing any components. For the past 30 years, I have been a high-end component loudspeaker engineer. Stay tuned.

 

[Cachaco131]

Ok, here's my test drive report.

Seneca blue V6 manual on tour suspension. Conditions nothing short of biblical (ie...non-stop rain, puddles everywhere...hell there were lakes on the dual carriageway)

Suffice to say I cannot report back about at the limit driving or top end performance. But let's just say this is a car you can very comfortably live with on a day to day perspective. So in no particular order, but trying to pick up on a few things I have seen little comment on up to now...

Windscreen wipers 10/10
Demisters 11/10 (Yes, I think the first "11" score...couldn't see out the back, turned it on and within 5 seconds it was completely clear)
Heating / fans - plenty powerful enough 10/10
Sure footedness in literally "fording" conditions 10/10 (managed unmentionable speeds on dual carriageway in horrid conditions, but wasn't really testing the acceleration)
Sound in a tunnel (amateur video link below) 😍 (yes, that's my score)
Driving - not scoring as only limited tests here, but what you need to know is that 2 minutes in I am deep in conversation with the dealer and just relaxed and comfortable driving a car that should be all new to me in sodden conditions...intuitive doesn't begin to describe it...everyday usable it most certainly is. Loved the steering - direct and incisive. Go-karty in a grown up way. Gears very mechanical but enjoyed the box (and no low end noises that I could pick up). Nice and short throw. Pedal positions fine for me...no issues at all. And loved the auto release hand brake (not experienced that before...but means my wife doesn't need to worry about hill starts). Touring suspension the ideal mix of firm but compliant. Car couldn't have felt more well planted for a reasonably light weight vehicle in stupidly wet conditions...didn't aquaplane or feel at all nervy, when I did on a couple of occasions on my way to the test drive in a rather heavier BMW 6 series.
sound system 9/10 - played with it a lot on DAB, think it actually sounds really quite good (better than some have said)...my only gripe is that you can only position the sound left to right...there are no speakers behind for a forward to back positioning
Sat Nav - looked good with limited (stationary) tinkering...easy enough to set up with place name or postcode and map looked nice enough
Screen - generally very responsive and quality feel. Slightly more glare than I might have liked
Seats - Cosseting and comfortable for my relatively lithe 5'11 frame...could see myself enjoying the 18 hours x 2 days drive down to Bulgaria from the UK. Perfect lumbar and lateral support, helped I think by the alcantara. Didn't seem to be able to sit as "low" in the car as I thought you might...but plenty of headroom. Not quite as much space behind as I remember from the pre-production cars...but very usable and will get several decent sized soft bags behind my wife in whichever position she chooses.
View out - 11/10 - it is a cockpit...love the fact that the side glazing goes down towards the front so you can see a "lot" of the road. Hell even the rear view is eminently usable. And the shape of the wing mirrors is exotic.
Interior quality - 9/10 ...up there with BMW and Range Rover...I even quite liked the FE badge on the interior (smaller and less intrusive than expected)
DAS - the only driver assist that seems to be enabled is the collission warning (proximity in low speed manoeuvring)

Some (welcome) changes I have noticed...the steering wheel is definitely thinner and I think smaller than the pre-production version...it is lovely
Rear light cluster - I remember this looking like the centre light was meant to be a same level / continuation of the corner clusters...there is a much more defined difference now that works better...happy!
factory ppf - a joke!...two small pieces (see photos)...dealer options (photo) look expensive and I think I would like a combination not included in this choice list
privacy - yep, I made the wrong choice...looks really good without and makes for a better view of the engine.

Summary: In short, this is very much the modern day Noble M12 I hoped it would be. It is not perfect, but it is a sportscar and not a supercar, and a very everyday usable one at that. That is what I was looking for and I am ok waiting another few months for delivery (but please no more delays, Lotus!)

A few very amateur photos to highlight a few things...

And a link to a very short video of blipping the throttle in the tunnel...

This is a proper daily driver test!

 

[New to Lotus]

Test drive today
8 out 10 for me
Gear change good after a few miles didn't miss a gear positive engagement rifle bolt feel.
Clutch lighter than I expected although lots of stop start town driving could get tiring.
Plenty of power for a road car feels like lotus tuned the motor to perform strong in 2nd 3rd and 4th
Brakes really strong
Looks fantastic
Steering heavy at slow speed but great feel
Kef stereo clear in sound but not very powerful
I'm 6.2 and 17.5 stone felt tight to me would like the seat to go lower
Some of the switchgear is not the best but its ok
Some of the panel gaps not great
Screens dark and sat nav wasn't working
Couldn't get Android auto on.
Worry about aftercare from the dealer, lotus parts supply and dealer network.

Edited to add:
I couple extra bits I forgot
Gearbox noise in 1st and 2nd only at low loads but not that intrusive went away as soon as you got the revs up.
SUSPENSION. The car was sports and on rubbish roads you could feel it, a bit harsh and twitchy as soon as I got on smooth tarmac, a good b road and motorway it was great.
Not much help I know but I guess we're back to the start if you live near and will drive on rubbish roads a lot its tour, if your lucky enough to live near good roads and you will do lots of track work sport.
The car was jct600
Hethel yellow
6mt black pack
Sports
Alcantara yellow stich

The car also wanted to stall all the time at clutch engagement point in 1st gear, the dealer said everybody at the dealership that's drove it kept stalling it, he told me to give it some revs at pull of cos it likes it. Personally I think it needs a tune years ago with cards you would have said it had a flat spott now it's an ecu tune more fuel at certain throttle input?

I didn't stall it though!!!

 

[VL3X]

Screens dark and sat nav wasn't working
Couldn't get Android auto on.
Worry about aftercare from the dealer, lotus parts supply and dealer network.

FWIW, I tested wireless Android Auto (Bluetooth) and it synced flawlessly right away. I did not try the built in sat nav though.

Your concerns about parts supply and dealer network is extremely valid! Especially in North America. I was relieved when I learned a new Lotus dealer was opening just 30 minutes away vs the 2 hrs away my dealer who I ordered from is.

 

[Yachtie]

Did a test drive this morning at Lotus Essex (Colchester) Touring suspension. 45 minutes on country lanes, open roads and dual carraigeway. It was FAB, will be worth waiting for. I've read many comments on here about all aspects of the car, good and bad. All I can say from my side is it ticked all my boxes. I'll be using it for long road trips around coasts and mountains, the touring suspension was perfect, feel and handling perfect. Clutch was very light which pleases the wife!, brakes firm effective and balanced, seats very comfortable, leather steering wheel did not feel thick. Couldn't really fault it.
Yes it has been frustrating with all the delays, but once driven these can be forgiven!
Roll on February............... or whenever!

Moderator edit: the Colchester car has an Ice Grey leather interior, which is relevant to the comment about seat comfort versus an alcantara car