Lotus Emira - my thoughts (before driving)
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2022
- Thought I'd share my thoughts on the new Lotus Emira BEFORE I drive one. It will be interesting to see how they compare after I've driven it. Will the Lotus magic still be there? I suspect it will win me over behind the wheel like any good Lotus should.
Interested to read your thoughts in the comments. - Авто та транспорт
Thanks for your informative video appreciated
I fully agree with you, Pits. Lotus has built another midrange Cayman with better looks. But that is the worst selling car in the Porsche lineup.
I get neither the dated V6, nor the ever miserable manual gearbox.
Lotus would need to build a Porsche GT4RS matching Emira to catch my excitement.
Nice to hear from you back Doc, it’s been great 8 years since I’ve bought the s3 exige and I’ve been enjoying every moment out of it.
Much appreciate your support, you’re usually the first to comment 👍 that puts you on pole 🏁 No-one’s building anything like the Exige again - not even Lotus sadly their lightest and only car is near 1500kg.
Regards kerb weight, there is the consideration of global compliance. When the Evora first launched in 2009 it was meant to sell worldwide, unlike the 111 based models. But as regulations changed, over time the Evora didn't comply globally - selectively Lotus either withdrew the Evora from that market or asked for exceptions. An Evora that fully complied to the latest emissions, safety, communication systems - let alone a better quality / featured cabin, would not stay at 410 / 430 kerb weight.
Most supercharged Evora's were 1400+KG, they only dipped below that once Lotus applied 'Exige Cup' type spec, like carbon panels, lighter seats, deleted trim / equipment, forged wheels, switching items like AC or ICE to the option list. I'm sure when they are ready, Lotus could apply these ideas to the Emira and a similar 70-80 KG could be saved.
Yes Matt Windle claimed the Emira was lighter than the Evora ‘without all the added stuff’, trouble is I don’t want much of the added stuff but I appreciate many more do and the order book speaks for itself. The weight of those 12 way electric seats must be considerable they have a special crane at the factory just to lift them into the cars huge saving could be made by a manual adjust seat. Shame that’s not an option.
@@DrPittenstein Yes Dr.P, currently the Emira is pitched to the Cayman S / GTS ... as the racing Emira indicates, a Cayman GT4 type rival could be done. But with such a big back-log of orders & production running behind plan, it will have to wait. If AMG did let Lotus access that higher powered I4 engine used in the new C63... it could be a wild ride 🙂
I think you have to compare the Emira FE V6 with the Evora 400. Sport Auto weighed the Evora 400 with comparable spec to the Emira at 1445kg with a fully filled petrol tank. So roughly a 40kg weight gain over the Evora 400 when compared to that 1486kg. Now you can apply those weight saving measures and you know where you probably will end with an Emira "GT410" or something similar in the future.
@@seancain7305 The issue is not that AMG won’t provide Lotus the full spec 4 cylinder, it’s that as mentioned in a Lotus video, the car is incapable of providing the full spec engine sufficient cooling, so they had to reduce the HP. Shame, as it would be a mid 3’s beast with a superb dual clutch tranny.
@@BobSmith-en5tw Hi Bob, over time I’m sure Lotus will up the AMG power figures…. Already 🇨🇳 market cars are being delivered with 400 hp I4 drivetrains, not the 360 hp that other markets get. So that’s only 15 hp lower than the A45s … the engine bay on the Emira is larger than the Evora, with the bulkhead deeper into the cabin, as this wasn’t previously needed for the V6 power train, I assume this extra space was built in for I4 (cooling)
Nice to see video from you again !
Much appreciated thanks for watching
Agree totally. The Emira will offer a different package to the Evora. I’m sure it will be a better daily. However, I will be keeping my GT410 Sport for the reasons you stated. Horses for courses.
I'm sure the Emira will eventually surpass the Evora but I don't think they are there yet, not in terms of being a pure driver's car anyway. Let's hope they get there before they all go full EV! Nicer daily as you say and great longer distance GT car but for now I'd take a GT410 Sport. I think a lot of those new to Lotus will love the Evora if they ever try one. Like an Emira with everything turned up a notch!
As someone who drives a family sports sedan I thank you for your thoughts here. Always wanted an Exige 4xx but sadly budget and practicality shall prevent that
Understood. I hope you get to drive a chargecooled Exige one day, they are epic!
For the price the negatives are minimal it’s made for British roads let’s enjoy it
I think your sentiments are shared by the majority of traditional Lotus owners and it has been a high risk strategy indeed for Lotus to alienate those loyal followers without any knowledge that the Emira will find a whole new customer base. Personally with a commercial head Lotus could not survive on building approx 1500 cars a year so something was forced to change. I hope that these first Emira will lead to many more sportier equaling lighter versions with carbon seats wheels etc,, to drive that mass down 80 plus kg. For many that still won’t be enough, but for me I am committed to this rare analogue / modern interior conveniences as I see nothing else like it on the market and if in future Lotus don’t survive then hopefully the last remaining manual with millions of Camry parts and Toyota transmissions will mean it will still be economic to get ongoing spare parts easily.
Lotus used to showcase pioneering lightweight engineering and innovation with each new model, they seem to have found tremendous success by abandoning those things! For me it's a real shame that it didn't feature some industry step forward like active suspension but the order book proves Lotus got it right. But I'll be keeping my Evora GT430 until Lotus can prove they have surpassed it as a performance car it in some way. If I was into interior tech I'd have walked straight past Lotus and bought an Audi years ago but very glad for Lotus that the Emira has been such a success.
Good to see a new video from you😊 I think you just expressed my thoughts on the Emira. Looking forward to a driving review. Btw, I stil go back and watch your V6 cup videos every now and then. They are really great.
Much appreciated. That V6 Cup was an exceptionally good car. Not one single fault in 5 years and it did a lot of track days. Seriously tough car, I’d still love another Exige nothing out there quite like them.
@@DrPittenstein It certainly took it's toll on the Cup Jonny - both rear uprights failed after not many more miles, not your standard wear and tear lol!
@@paulf4816 sorry to hear that hope the car and occupants survived that intact. If you still have it I hope it has behaved impeccably since.
Great to see another video! Hope you like it better after driving it…
In a previous video, you were looking at an Elise CUP250 to add to your garage, did you get one?
thanks all will be revealed soon my Emira budget went elsewhere with no electric seats, not much electric anything!
Great honest video and pleased to see you back in my feed. My thoughts exactly, there are a lot of pills to swallow with this car, though it’s good to see its styling and compromised approach has swooned other brand owners, and I hope they’ll produce something more focussed for original lotus enthusiasts. Me, i have a deposit down on the 4cyl, but every time I jump in my Exige I think it’ll be a tough ask to trade it in for something slower, heavier and less engaging. Though it is visually stunning and will be nice to live with. It’s almost like trading the Exige in for a Caterham… you need both!
Agreed! Having sold an Exige I can confirm that they never fully leave you alone as here’s nothing quite like them.
Totally agree. I have to say that I really like the way it looks though, and the AMG engine really excites me, too. Such a shame about the weight, the overall lack of anything game changing, and maybe the oddly high ride height. It really shows around the nose of the car. Still, I really like it overall. I’d get the AMG in dark green or silver.
I agree with your take on it. Even the promise of more power and less weight with the AMG engine doesn’t appeal since we will have to give up the joystick to get it.
By the way, how are you getting on with your Cup 250?
Final note: if you will be adding background music in future videos, I suggest reducing its level by at least 10 dB or so. In this one, it made it a bit difficult to focus on your voice.
Thanks I appreciate the feedback I did lower the music a lot and will try that in future. Hope to find the time for some Cup 250 videos soon.
Some (subjective) context: The Evora was an ECOTY winner and one of the best steering, best handling, best riding sports cars ever made. The Emira looks to resolve the only possible flaws I think anyone could argue against an Evora, which are by making improvements to the looks, build quality and apparently, a better interior.
Personally, I doubt I'd have one over an Evora Sport 410, let alone your 430Cup, but like you I'm an old school Lotus fan, not the new mainstream audience the company is seeking to keep it alive. Logically, the Evora is the perfect tide-over product until the new EV sports cars arrive.
I've sat in the prototype shown in this video and the gearshift is a bigger improvement than the much lauded difference between the older shifters and the more recent open gate ones. I'd love for my Exige to feel like that.
I think when many people see one of these growling down the road, thoughts of bland caymans and 911's will fade away.
Agreed. The pricing has been critical too I'm just not sure how long they can continue to offer it at the intended level due to rapidly increasing costs. I accept that many thought that the Evora was too expensive but I think the Emira will be back up where the Evora was in terms of price sooner than many realise.
Dr that the video I was waiting for from you for so long😁 about the Emira. I understand that you will keep your amazing Evora Cup 430😊. Again yesterday I was wondering If buying an Emira would be a better deal than the Evora 410 Sport. I understand that for you the Evora 410 is still a better car.I have to go ahead for an Evora 410 so...
In France the cost for an Emira First Edition is 140 000€ new🤦♂️ with eco taxes. A very few of them will be sold...
Yes France is expensive, I lived there for a while but you have amazing roads and much less traffic! I won't say I prefer the Evora 410 until I've driven the Emira, I was just hoping for a step forward in performance, they chose a step back in price instead which has proven to be very popular and the right decision if not right for me. I think all cars will be getting more expensive next year and Lotus won't be able to keep the prices low either but that will help the depreciation for owners of early cars. Hard to say what will happen to Evora 410 prices but if all new cars are going up in price then that should help too. Both great cars I'm sure you would enjoy either one. Thanks for watching and the comment.
Totally agree with your evaluation. I put down a deposit in the US on an Emira before I really looked into it. When I found out I wouldn't be able to get one until 2024, and I wanted a car, I found a wonderful red Evora 400. I also got to drive the Emira before the Evora arrived. I was very disappointed. After driving the Evora, I realized I had found the car that was right for me. I asked for my deposit back, but the dealer in Jacksonville, Fl refused. Any ideas how I can get the 5K back? PS: I'm doing a couple of aftermarket changes from GRP that will give my car near GT performance.
I'm sure you will get your 5K back the emiraforum.com discuss this a lot plus lots of US owners on there, if you haven't already been there. I remain on Team Evora until Lotus can prove to me they have made a better drivers car.
@@DrPittenstein Thank you! Love the Emira forum, but it doesn't tell me how to get my deposit back that I can find. Someone used the initials CS in regard to a refund, but I have no idea what that means.
@@Docinaplane customer services? You can contact Lotus direct in the UK not sure about the US. I’m sure they can help you at emiraforum
@@DrPittenstein Thank you! I will contact US CS Tuesday. Another interesting thing I found out is that the clause that the dealership used was "TERMS AND CONDITIONS: If the buyer, for any reason does not accept the within described vehicle, the amount deposited shall be deemed compensation to the undersigned seller for the breach of this option and for damages sustained by the seller." I talked to a lawyer; this clause s called a liquidated damage provision. It is unenforceable in the state of Florida!
While I theoretically was in the market for an Emira, I concur that the final product just isn’t good enough. So in stead I bought a Cayman R. I’m still a Lotus man at heart but up close the Emira was just too flawed while also being less of a drivers car than the Evora it replaced.
It has done well to appeal to more people but it's still not for everyone. Enjoy the Cayman R only ever heard good things. It will be interesting to see where the Emira goes from here.
@@DrPittenstein I agree and sure’s very positive. Early excitement is great. And it’ll probably last as they introduce lighter, more focused versions. Biggest problem for me was that the Emira didn’t feel like a properly new car to me. Just a heavily updated Evora. As the Cayman is lighter, more practical and still plenty fast, the justification for the Emira just wasn’t there. I’ll be curious to see what the 4 cylinder brings to the table.
In the USA the 2004 Lotus Esprit V8 had a curb weight of 3,043 lbs. with 350hp, 20 years later the 2024 Emira will meet all the much stricter Government Safety and emission standards with 400hp and 3,263 lbs. - The 2021 Evora GT arrived at 3,175 lbs. - I think your focus on weight is somewhat misplaced when you consider the Emira is offering drivers so much more features and comfort, 2023/24 safety standards, and still keeping it light in its class and only 88 lbs. more than the Evora GT. An achievement in itself by Lotus.
Not when I prefer a sports car without most of these features. Tech like Lane Departure Assist, emergency brake assist and electric seats are all things that I would rather not have if they were options. I have them on my family SUV and they are terrible features the first thing I do is turn them off. If I wanted this stuff (who does though really?) then sure the weight gain isn't too bad compared to BMW and others. But the others haven't been preaching the benefits of lightweight engineering for 7 decades. Lotus have. But not any more clearly. Sales show that you and Lotus are right not to care much about weight. It's still a shame for me though because I believe it's still true. I love that my Evora is well under 3000lbs, I enjoy the way it steers, responds, accelerates and stops as a result every time I drive it. My Elise is under 2000lbs and no tech in the world can replicate how that drives. If the Emira drives better than my Evora I will be very impressed. Hope to find out soon.
@@DrPittenstein Great reply, thanks. The current Emira FE's don't quite yet have the extra safety tech like Lane Departure assist, E-Brake Assist, or blind spot warning, that will come in the AMG I4 equipped version with electronic steering. If the Emira drive's "as good as" an Evora GT, I will be pleased. The Elise power windows weighed in less than the manual cranks, so it's possible the new 4-way power seat may actually be similar or less weight than the manual seat (speculating) - Performance through lightness is a goal but keeping the base price point less than the base Cayman GTS, and still coming in very close to the Cayman's weight of 3,200lbs it really is a challenge considering Porsche's use of titanium in their chassis. Lighter is better, but the days of the 1,900 lbs. Elise/Exige are long gone with current crash safety requirements and the future EV's with heavy batteries will make the current cars seem like ultra-lights.
Correction!11 it’s not getting a C63 engine! It’s the A45 AND
It’s not even the A45S engine at launch but the hope is that one day Merc might allow Lotus to use the higher output versions of the same engine.
RIP Lotus. Chapman's ethos is dead at Lotus. Lotus is now just a brand name of a Chinese EV manufacturer.
Agreed but I believe he would be proud the name continues and he did like luxury cars and was planning to build a luxury saloon if he had lived. There was uproar at Lotus when he put AC in the Turbo Esprit but the whole car was more focused on luxury than ultimate lightweight. It was still very light by modern standards (similar to the Exige weight today) but around 200kg heavier than the Esprit S1 as it had full leather, roof stereo, AC, huge tyres all as standard with the Essex launch edition. He was still right about adding lightness and always will be. Just a shame not enough people agree!
@@DrPittenstein You make some great points. I still believe Chapman would be 100% against transforming Lotus into an EV manufacturer. Everything about EVs goes against Chapman's ethos. I don't think Chapman would have even approved of the Evija.
@@zarbon700 Chapman would approve of anything if it meant he could still go racing, that was his focus.
@@anthonywebb4068 You definitely don't know much about Chapman. The Evija is a product that completely goes against everything Chapman believed a sports/race car should be.
@@zarbon700 Chapman would build an electric boat, if it meant sales generated money for his racing team, he saw value in building road cars that were light but luxurious as he always wanted to take Lotus upmarket, if he had lived, the cars would have become luxury vehicles including building a 4 seater, the weight would have naturally increased, he was focused on generating money for his lifestyle and his F1 team, that was the priority, otherwise he would not have got involved with Deloren. To me its pretty obvious that was the case, everyone likes to harp on about the Chapman ethos but he wasn't stupid and would have gone with building what was needed to make money. Today Lotus are doing the same, clearly the Emira is meant to appeal to the mass market and Cayman type owners who wouldn't have gone near a Lotus before, only a small minority want to live with a compromised which doesnt make money for the manufacturer. Common sense.
It’s a great Sunday driver…..not for the track….Porsche crowd sure to envy the looks but not the power!
Interested to drive one obvs but on paper it’s a step down from a GT410 never mind 430.
Found this Italian review which includes a timed lap comparison to other sports cars. Won't please the Emira fanboys but interesting watch for everyone else. ua-cam.com/video/23mnRpUubWo/v-deo.html
Give it Cup 2s and it might have beaten a hot hatch or 2 more. But, pretty disappointing.
@@mikehedges5954 might also mean it’s a pretty nice if not outrageously fast road car. Really don’t think the engineers were briefed to make it faster (than the Evora). No1 priority was to increase volume. Cheaper four cyl car was supposed to come on stream just as production was ramped up to max. Delays have scuppered plans and i4 will be due an update when it finally comes out and probably will be significantly more expensive than planned due to increased parts and energy cost.
I'll take an Evora GT with an upgraded infotainment system for the win.
I took mine without the infotainment system!
Re: Weight not sure comparing it to an Evora 410 or 430 is fair given its a 1st edition as well as on price.
Plenty of Evora S' been weighed at 1440kg roughly by their owners on cornerweight scales. Judged against that it's not bad given an extra 14 years of tech.
In terms of game changing - only the Elise S1 was imo - the S2/Exige/Evora had nothing game changing about them, just built on what was introduced by the S1. As we approach the end of the ICE car I'm not sure there's anything gamechanging left to innovate unless your working with Koenigsegg budgets.
Thanks for comment. Elan M100 improved front wheel drive across the whole industry. Exige V6 unique had industry best TC system in Race mode. Evora was world’s only mid engined 2+2 on sale. Packaging remains ingenious and suspension and steering were industry benchmarks, even Ferrari had an Evora to benchmark when developing the 458. I would love to have seen what Lotus could do with adaptive dampers, real shame they didn’t have more ambition to showcase Lotus engineering but keeping cost down was a priority and proved critical to its success.
Yes Emira has more tech but that includes a load of stuff that I personally wouldn’t want on a sports car.
@@DrPittenstein as a starting point it's pretty good though - the original 276bhp Evora changed so much over its life in power and (reduced) weight I don't think we can make conclusive judgements on the Emira yet.
I think the AMG version might well be a game changer with a bit of aftermarket involvement - 500bhp with a tune in a mid engined relatively lightweight platform for sub £70k...
@@HondaExige1 agreed, final judgement reserved until I drive it. But I was hoping for more of a step forward as a performance car. The focus was instead on ease of use, interior tech and (hopefully) build quality. All crucial to deliver on and proved to be the right decision in terms of sales over a more radical £100k+ super Evora with longitudinal engine Lotus adaptive (or even active!) suspension and 500bhp out of the box with finally the budget to sort out the gearbox but that's what I was hoping for. Fully accept that wouldn't have sold even half the numbers but would have been a more fitting finale for the IC Lotus.
The biggest thing for me, is that the 2.0 AMG inline 4 turbo Emira, will be the last ever combustion engine Lotus road car, and the current 3.5 supercharged V6 First Edition will be the last ever manual combustion engine Lotus road car. That's a huge deal imo, the last proper Lotus cars before they all go 100% electric. So for those reasons, I hope Lotus sell lots of them.
The other thing however, is Jethro Bovingdon's review. I respect Jethro's opinion because I have never felt that his opinions have been bought or influenced. But his review of the Emira was quite damning and somewhat negative. The concern for most Lotus purists, will be how heavy the Emira is compared to the Evora.
Where does has this idea that the Emira is loads heavier than an Evora come from? It's barely heavier than an Evora 400 and it's actually 3kg lighter than the Evora GT. Remember this car has to be world wide. So it's actually 3kg lighter than it's predecessor. And it's obviously only ever going to get lighter
I think for most buyers it only has to drive as well as the Evora to be fantastic to drive. Lotus rightly focused on other areas to begin with they just didn't top the Evora GT430, mind you, not much does! Given the Emiras are the last IC Lotus I feel it's a shame they didn't go further and yes that would have put the price up but with strong order books I'm sure they are planning more powerful, more expensive versions as we speak.
@@TheHesK9 Did you watch this video? The new Emira with the 3.5 supercharged V6 is 1485kgs. That's a lot heavier than the 2021 Evora 410.
@@johnmitchell2269 it's actually 1405kg with the manual. And you've missed my point. Yes, unsurprisingly the non USA car, which is the lightweight version of the Evora is lighter than a base Emira which can be sold in the US. Compare it to the Evora GT
@@TheHesK9 The manual Emira got weighed at 1485kgs. Never trust what the manufacturers say, because they either tell you dry weight figures, or they just outright lie (like Lamborghini).
I did have an order for the 4pot Emira as I am a firm believer that a Lotus should have a 4 pot engine, never liked any V6 Lotus from when the Exige and Evora came it, in fact for me the Evora has always been pig ugly and never figured as a car I desire. for IMO the last lightweight proper drivers car was the S2 Exige. I did however want a daily sports car with all the creature comforts and thought when the Emira came out, I had found what I wanted to go with my Exige, however with all the delays, I cannot be bothered to wait any further and I went for a 992 Carrera 4S, which although more money, I cant fault it, superb car. Just a final thought on the Lotus/lightness debate, Colin Chapman built cars to sell to fund his racing, simple, he also wanted to take the road cars upmarket where he felt sales prices could be high and margins would follow, Im sure he understood that given extra luxuries a car would have, then weight would increase and personally I dont think he would have had a problem with weight increases if cars were selling and his racing continued.
Che tristezza la Lotus cinese.
Russell Car non ha fatto un gran lavoro.
我还欠妳这辆车，我要的是钱。
我ARMONI不对！全部洪顺堂三个字就是解决了，还不讲出去？一个马来西亚21两个字！！！
Sorry translation is not good but thanks for watching 🙏