- Joined
- Jan 16, 2022
- Messages
- 290
- Reaction score
- 753
- Location
- Louisville KY ("the Ville")
- Emira Status
- Emira Owner
It's the last sunny day for a week here in the midwest so I took the Emira (V6, Manual with Touring Suspension) out for a nice long drive. It gave me time to reflect on what I like about this car. Its been over three years since the car launched and in that time, there have been hundreds of reviews, youtubers, auto journalists etc pontificating about the Emira experience. I think few, if any, of them have really captured the character and appeal of this car.
The early 2000's were the peak of internal combustion cars. BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini were all producing cars (with manual transmissions) that have since become so sought after their prices have, in many cases, exceed the cost of the cars when new. This time period offers the unique combination of good build quality, manual transmissions, minimal electronic trickery and amazing engines that don't rely on batteries to augment internal combustion goodness.
And this is the magic that the Lotus Emira has captured. I can sum it up by saying the Emira is the "Oldest, new car on sale today"...Which is a good thing! That said, the Emira takes a special kind of driver to appreciate. Someone who's an enthusiast and values a pure driving experience above all else to enjoy this car for what it is. In contrast, typical car buyers are conditioned to want automotive offerings with all the latest "bells and whistles". This includes fake noises pumped into the cabin, electric motors to "fill" turbo lag which provide unusable levels of power on the street, numb electronic power steering, and touch screens that will massage your butt after clicking through three levels of infotainment. The Emira has none of that. It has balance. It delivers the goodness of the mid 2000's by providing the driver with just enough power, a simple, usable infotainment, fixed dampers, hydraulic steering and unsurpassed feedback for a driver who appreciates driving purity. At the same time the updated fit, finish and interior build quality doesn't have to make excuses anymore and is on par with the best in the world. The Emira experience distills and embodies driving feel in an age where other sports cars pretend to be sporty but are really just oversized, overpriced, overpowered GT cars with numb road-feel, flashy styling and too many pointless technological gimmicks. Except for its stunning and timeless design, the Emira is the complete opposite of almost every other sports car on sale today.
All this to say that the Emira is not perfect. From the factory the third cat which is required for emissions should be removed immediately to unlock and amplify the sound of an amazingly tuned supercharged V6. The Goodyear tires that come with the touring suspension are awful. The Lotus dealer network is sparse so unless a buyer is lucky to have the dealer nearby, driving several hours or more for service is an unfortunate reality. Lastly and most importantly, the car's reliability has been maligned by people on the internet, many of whom are not actual owners. I think like most things on the internet, Emira reliability issues have been disproportionately exaggerated. The reality of the situation is every new car comes with its own set of issues and Lotus Emira is no different. That said, the service bulletin that addresses the AC resistor and updated ECU programming have fixed the vast majority of issues. Most cars, like mine have proven extremely reliable and have been fault free.
Having owned over a dozen different Porsche models and driven and instructed in all kinds of high end cars at the track, I have to say, the Emira is absolutely the most fun car I've ever driven. There is nothing out there at any price point that I would prefer over my Emira! Love this thing! It really is the oldest new car on sale today and it perfectly captures the magic of the 2000 era in a car that rewards its owner in a way that today's modern cars just can't.
The early 2000's were the peak of internal combustion cars. BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini were all producing cars (with manual transmissions) that have since become so sought after their prices have, in many cases, exceed the cost of the cars when new. This time period offers the unique combination of good build quality, manual transmissions, minimal electronic trickery and amazing engines that don't rely on batteries to augment internal combustion goodness.
And this is the magic that the Lotus Emira has captured. I can sum it up by saying the Emira is the "Oldest, new car on sale today"...Which is a good thing! That said, the Emira takes a special kind of driver to appreciate. Someone who's an enthusiast and values a pure driving experience above all else to enjoy this car for what it is. In contrast, typical car buyers are conditioned to want automotive offerings with all the latest "bells and whistles". This includes fake noises pumped into the cabin, electric motors to "fill" turbo lag which provide unusable levels of power on the street, numb electronic power steering, and touch screens that will massage your butt after clicking through three levels of infotainment. The Emira has none of that. It has balance. It delivers the goodness of the mid 2000's by providing the driver with just enough power, a simple, usable infotainment, fixed dampers, hydraulic steering and unsurpassed feedback for a driver who appreciates driving purity. At the same time the updated fit, finish and interior build quality doesn't have to make excuses anymore and is on par with the best in the world. The Emira experience distills and embodies driving feel in an age where other sports cars pretend to be sporty but are really just oversized, overpriced, overpowered GT cars with numb road-feel, flashy styling and too many pointless technological gimmicks. Except for its stunning and timeless design, the Emira is the complete opposite of almost every other sports car on sale today.
All this to say that the Emira is not perfect. From the factory the third cat which is required for emissions should be removed immediately to unlock and amplify the sound of an amazingly tuned supercharged V6. The Goodyear tires that come with the touring suspension are awful. The Lotus dealer network is sparse so unless a buyer is lucky to have the dealer nearby, driving several hours or more for service is an unfortunate reality. Lastly and most importantly, the car's reliability has been maligned by people on the internet, many of whom are not actual owners. I think like most things on the internet, Emira reliability issues have been disproportionately exaggerated. The reality of the situation is every new car comes with its own set of issues and Lotus Emira is no different. That said, the service bulletin that addresses the AC resistor and updated ECU programming have fixed the vast majority of issues. Most cars, like mine have proven extremely reliable and have been fault free.
Having owned over a dozen different Porsche models and driven and instructed in all kinds of high end cars at the track, I have to say, the Emira is absolutely the most fun car I've ever driven. There is nothing out there at any price point that I would prefer over my Emira! Love this thing! It really is the oldest new car on sale today and it perfectly captures the magic of the 2000 era in a car that rewards its owner in a way that today's modern cars just can't.
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