Why did you choose I4 over V6?

[summerrally]

Reservation numbers for the I4 is in the minority compared to the V6. I'm curious to see what everyone's reason is to go with a new and untested (for Lotus) engine. I'll start.

I want to drive the Emira a lot. I currently average 5,000 miles a month. I'm expecting 2-3k miles a month on the Lotus. It's easier to drive a DCT around the city rather than a manual. I don't want to get to a point where if the Emira were a manual, I'd sigh to take it out. Also, the new I4 is not something that can be found in an older model. To satisfy that potential itch for a manual, my solution to this problem is to purchase a wrecked Evora. The bones of the Evora are nearly identical to the Emira. The major changes between the two are refined components to make the driving experience more comfortable. This would be a great way to learn about the Evora as I'm rebuilding it and not being stressed about upsetting the warranty clauses.

 

[Nova]

The torque from the I4 is immense. If you want an automatic, the I4 is the one to get. Even with the same HP output, the I4 has faster acceleration and will feel more explosive off the line and during normal day to day driving. It really gives you the feel of a torquey big displacement engine.

Also the I4 is lighter and has better weight distribution. It should handle better in the hands of an expert driver.

 

[MaybeNeedEmira]

The torque from the I4 is immense. If you want an automatic, the I4 is the one to get. Even with the same HP output, the I4 has faster acceleration and will feel more explosive off the line and during normal day to day driving. It really gives you the feel of a torquey big displacement engine.

Also the I4 is lighter and has better weight distribution. It should handle better in the hands of an expert driver.

All of the above, and it shouldn't stall on cold start.
Plus - and a few folks have already called this out as crazy - letting other people drive it is less stressful than a manual.

I know I push my PDK Cayman harder on the track than I would with a manual.

 

[Tokion]

The original design brief of the Emira was to have the lighter M139 engine from Mercedes AMG, which also would achieve a better weight distribution including lower point of gravity. This would accomplish creating a brand new Lotus model truly distinguished from Lotus models of the past. This is clear by looking at the naming convention; this is the only Lotus model named purely Emira (it does not have i4 in its official name, while the Toyota-motored version is ‘V6’, and it borrowed the motor and gearbox from the previous Evora.)

I was directly advised by a Japanese Elise/Exige racer and owner of the most respected Lotus tuning garage in Japan to select the Emira four-cylinder as the better car to go forward with Lotus attributes and abilities.

I personally have a long carrier of owning and driving several manual transmission cars, including three Mazda RX-7. Tokyo traffic is very heavy with considerable congestion. I am done with clutching and manually shifting endlessly, and I am exited about owning a car with proper dual clutch transmission (just like in the Nissan GT-R and most Ferraris and Lamborghinis) which provides racing-level shift times. (It is important for me that Lotus/AMG diminish the reported shift-delays that is untypical of DCT transmissions).

The final factor for me was that the Emira four-cylinder sound-wise is a more discrete solution. As an audiophile and audio professional I want an attractive sound that isn’t directly loud. I look forward to work on both the audio system inside the Emira (that seems to need some work-over), and also the exhaust sound; which I want to make sophisticated, but not noisy.

I am familiar with turbocharged cars and their sonics as well as their natural delivery of power with some “valleys and peaks” as a part of their “personality”. I expect to embrace the power delivery character of my Lotus Emira Four-cylinder.

 

[Medic518]

The torque from the I4 is immense. If you want an automatic, the I4 is the one to get. Even with the same HP output, the I4 has faster acceleration and will feel more explosive off the line and during normal day to day driving. It really gives you the feel of a torquey big displacement engine.

Also the I4 is lighter and has better weight distribution. It should handle better in the hands of an expert driver.

I'll second the point on torque. I know this is an odd comparison, but I went from a V6 Pentastar Jeep Wrangler (JK) to an i4 Turbo Jeep Wrangler (JL) and the difference in acceleration is night and day. Mind you the changes from the JK to the JL model also dropped a lot of weight (~325lbs), but I added the Sky OneTouch which brought back about 200-250. Didn't matter the i4 JL "rolling brick" MOVES when I step on it..
Additionally, look at the fuel capacity of the Emira, and the milage capabilities of the i4, doing the math you could get upwards of 500 miles per tank on a touring trip. Though I may be the only one on here intrigued by that fact . Learning about the other information - weight distribution, use of cast aluminum rear, articles on m139 reliability, etc. just cemented my decision.
Although, the lack of dipstick is odd and a little unnerving. Given some of the electrical niggles the Emira has seen, relying on a digital readout on oil level does not inspire confidence, personally I'd rather have a tactile visual inspection method. The issues with shift lag on the DCT is concerning as well - but think that has seen enough noise for Lotus to address prior to my delivery.
So in the end the pros very much have out weighed any cons for me.

 

[lynchy73]

In my market there is a big premium for the V6, so that made the choice pretty easy for me. I have my I4 already and I’m very happy with it.

I prefer an Auto, that my wife also has the possibility to drive occasionally.

 

[Medic518]

In my market there is a big premium for the V6, so that made the choice pretty easy for me. I have my I4 already and I’m very happy with it.

I prefer an Auto, that my wife also has the possibility to drive occasionally.

Does yours have the ADAS pod on the front? I am hoping the delay will mean mine is delivered (was early 2024, now early 2025) with some of those systems available?

 

[wallstbear]

Other than the pricing element Lynchy73 touched upon, I've always been a Merc man over the years (owned C216 CL, W218 CLS, R230 SL and even a B class). I have also driven stick and auto over the years without much obsession with stick. Sound wise, V6 seems to win slightly but not enough to sway the decision. i4 just seems to be an overall lighter, more modern, more user friendly and, possibly, a faster (being 405hp/500nm over here) and more reliable car.

 

[lynchy73]

Does yours have the ADAS pod on the front? I am hoping the delay will mean mine is delivered (was early 2024, now early 2025) with some of those systems available?

Yes, it has the ADAS pod on the front. I expect all I4 will have it.

 

[denk0815]

I'll second the point on torque. I know this is an odd comparison, but I went from a V6 Pentastar Jeep Wrangler (JK) to an i4 Turbo Jeep Wrangler (JL) and the difference in acceleration is night and day. Mind you the changes from the JK to the JL model also dropped a lot of weight (~325lbs), but I added the Sky OneTouch which brought back about 200-250. Didn't matter the i4 JL "rolling brick" MOVES when I step on it..
Additionally, look at the fuel capacity of the Emira, and the milage capabilities of the i4, doing the math you could get upwards of 500 miles per tank on a touring trip. Though I may be the only one on here intrigued by that fact . Learning about the other information - weight distribution, use of cast aluminum rear, articles on m139 reliability, etc. just cemented my decision.
Although, the lack of dipstick is odd and a little unnerving. Given some of the electrical niggles the Emira has seen, relying on a digital readout on oil level does not inspire confidence, personally I'd rather have a tactile visual inspection method. The issues with shift lag on the DCT is concerning as well - but think that has seen enough noise for Lotus to address prior to my delivery.
So in the end the pros very much have out weighed any cons for me.

Could you please link to some of the articles regarding the reliability of the M139?
I find rather mixed statements about undersized pumps and that little can be said about longevity due to the short production time so far.

 

[CraigO]

For me, It was always about the I4. Don't get me wrong, I know the V6 is a great engine, and it does sound great. My thinking though from day one was that I wanted the I4, to the point where if it was a V6 or nothing, I wouldn't have placed a deposit. The I4 is the closest we will see again to the Esprit Turbo, a strong I4 in a stunning car is a Lotus USP for me. The M139 is an epic, very modern engine, and has lots of headroom for future development. The dual clutch gearbox fits with the "junior supercar" looks and vibe that the car certainly portrays. I guess my final point is that its great to have three variants, so as meet lots of peoples wishes, and I hope all are pleased with whatever they go for.

 

[PsymonR]

For me it was a couple of things, firstly I don't share the opinion of others that a drivers car has be a manual, for me it is more about the handling and I don't miss having a manual in other cars I drive, especially when in traffic. Also I really enjoyed driving the A35 my wife used to own so that gives me confidence that I'll like the Merc engine/DCT combination. Different model of engine/gearbox in the Emira than the A35 of course but enough to give an idea. The A35 never had super fast shifting when using the paddles but was fast enough for me and seemed to be comparable with POV Emira videos I've seen so I've not had any particular concerns after the first reviews came out. The better economy of the more modern M139 engine is a bonus as well.
At the end of the day, for my use case and wants I decided the i4 was the right car for me, others have a different opinion and that's fine too. It'd be boring if we all had the same ideal spec car with no variety!

 

[yohc88]

Yes, it has the ADAS pod on the front. I expect all I4 will have it.

It has been confirmed there are no ADAS features on the Australian delivered i4's

 

[Adam Brouillard]

Working a clutch is not a fun part of driving for me. Both engines have manual transmissions, one just also has a manual clutch, and one can go into auto mode. I got to try the v6 auto and it was actually surprisingly good for torque converter style, but the AMG engine is just an overall much more modern design. Hopefully they can get any shifting delay issues sorted.

 

[Andy H]

Slow traffic is an unfortunate reality for many of us nowadays which dents the appeal of the manual. I also found the manual gearbox quite idiosyncratic and the clutch on the heavy side. All in all, I think where are better cars to choose if you want the manual experience. I had an original Ford Puma back in the day and that was really engaging. IMHO the DCT is the best of both worlds, you get to pootle along in 8th with decent economy and then shift into manual mode when you want to feel more engaged. Plus you get the benefit of features like adaptive cruise control which is a bonus.

 

[Medic518]

It has been confirmed there are no ADAS features on the Australian delivered i4's

I saw that, but then some of the pictures of China delivered i4s have the pod on the front lip - so I am wondering why some are delivered with and some without? Thinking future software updates to support if delivered with the pod.

 

[Medic518]

Could you please link to some of the articles regarding the reliability of the M139?
I find rather mixed statements about undersized pumps and that little can be said about longevity due to the short production time so far.

Should have phrased that differently. there are a ton of articles on tuning the M139, but AMG has stated that the engine was built to withstand at least 155k miles without any sort of rebuild (with diligent regular maintenance). I also ran across this article a while ago, which talks about how well the engine layout was thought out - and even the precision tools used in the hand building.

Nerd's Eye View: Mercedes AMG M139 Engine - MotoIQ

Photos from Mercedes A few months ago, the automotive media went nuts over the M139 engine from Mercedes. It’s the highest horsepower 2.0L engine ever to go into production making…

motoiq.com

 

[PsymonR]

I saw that, but then some of the pictures of China delivered i4s have the pod on the front lip - so I am wondering why some are delivered with and some without?

There doesn't appear to be the pod on the UK cars either (link) which would mean we're not getting the full suite of ADAS. They may have decided when finalising non-China specs that there was no point adding the pod if it wasn't going to have the associated functionality - the Chinese cars have the pod but no adaptive cruise as far as I'm aware.

At this point I wouldn't be surprised if the FE cars only have any of the ADAS features if legislated to do so, adding them will add cost to the car which I expect Lotus is not going to want to do unless they have to.

 

[Joshbr32]

Canadian here, I was told v6 would be 2+ years wait and I would have gotten my i4 last month...

with the production delay I would have gotten my v6 the same time I would be getting my i4, which should be next year

Edit:
I would if I could switch the the V6 auto, as I plan to drive my Emira into the ground. I'm planning on being the sole owner unless it lasts long enough (and ice cars don't get completely banned) for my future kid. I feel the V6 would be more reliable than the amg

 

[lynchy73]

There doesn't appear to be the pod on the UK cars either (link) which would mean we're not getting the full suite of ADAS. They may have decided when finalising non-China specs that there was no point adding the pod if it wasn't going to have the associated functionality - the Chinese cars have the pod but no adaptive cruise as far as I'm aware.

At this point I wouldn't be surprised if the FE cars only have any of the ADAS features if legislated to do so, adding them will add cost to the car which I expect Lotus is not going to want to do unless they have to.

Correct, no adaptive cruise for the Chinese I4. We do get blind spot warning, lane warning and collision avoidance. No apple carplay here, which is a bit crap.