Baby supercar vibes

[Go Kart]

Same car, different perspective. Maybe ugly to some, but it sort of looks like.....hmmm
dare I say an Emira?
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There are way too many aero bits on this car for my taste. Looks like the screw on body kits from the early 2000s. Lambos are too angular and harsh with their body lines… I would pass on any Lambo in favor for a Ferrari. They’ve always has had models I like.

Everyone has their own tastes though. Some think the C8 looks like a cool fighter jet. I think that car is one of the ugliest designed cars in recent memory. It looks like a 13 year old sketched it and wished it to life.

 

[KAR120C]

If I ever refer to any of my Lotus as a “baby supercar”, or “baby” anything for that matter, I agree to forfeit my membership in the Lotus owners club.

YMMV

 

[luciddaydream]

There are way too many aero bits on this car for my taste. Looks like the screw on body kits from the early 2000s. Lambos are too angular and harsh with their body lines… I would pass on any Lambo in favor for a Ferrari. They’ve always has had models I like.

Everyone has their own tastes though. Some think the C8 looks like a cool fighter jet. I think that car is one of the ugliest designed cars in recent memory. It looks like a 13 year old sketched it and wished it to life.

Hehe. I agree with all this 100%.

 

[ADC]

No doubt the Emira is a "shared features" car with many others, and that doesn't bother me. My personal taste for a road car is to lean more towards beauty and less towards pure function.

That Mclaren looks "pure function - function is beauty" which I think is appropriate for a track car that is road-legal. But it's also part of why I haven't bought a Mclaren. If I ever get more in to track driving then maybe it would fit the bill.

But when I look at the rear end of a 964 Turbo, Gen1 NSX, V8 Vantage (1st gen Gaydon), 550/575 Maranello, Jag F-type, etc, it's so apparent that someone with an artistic eye designed the rear end with pride and joy. It seems like Mclaren said "just let the engineers finish the back end."

When I first saw the Emira online I thought the rear bumper looked a bit like someone streched laffy taffy across the rear subrame and glued a diffuser to it. But it grew on me (especially seeing how it's the more every-day version of Evija styling) and I love the fact that no one confuses the back end of the Emira for anything else. I suppose the same can be said for Mclaren, and for that I give them credit. I always know one when I see one!

Made me think of this... "some things never go out of style, like tail fins!"

 

[308tr6]

Homers car looks better than the Tesla Cybertruck

 

[seriously]

The back end of the emira really grew on me. At first I really thought it should have round lights like the evora, but the more I look at the squiggles it makes sense. From the top down there is a lot of sculpting and 3dness to the rear elements. The rear lights themselves kind of float and are not flush with the bodywork. The rear diffuser sticks out way more than you expect when you look at it from different angles. And the rear bumper itself kind of buldges out in the middle and is tightly connected to the corners. So it is plain but has some details at the same time. . I used to think the rear was the weak point of the design but now I like it quite a bit. And as someone mentioned it ends up having a unique look. It’s not copying anything else really.

 

[Nova]

I love this photo comparison.

 

[seriously]

Proportions on this thing are fantastic. To my eye it looks like a modern Dino.

This video gives a designer's perspective and is very interesting:

I appreciate a lot of his comments. However I disagree with his recommended tweaks. Another car designer had his own suggestions. In both cases I preferred the original design. Pretty surprising as usually I think a few improvements could be made to any design. I just think the team did a great job with their evora layout constraints.

 

[luciddaydream]

Yeah what did he

I appreciate a lot of his comments. However I disagree with his recommended tweaks. Another car designer had his own suggestions. In both cases I preferred the original design. Pretty surprising as usually I think a few improvements could be made to any design. I just think the team did a great job with their evora layout constraints.

Yeah I am not digging that taillight look he did.

 

[seriously]

No that was weird. Along with the 4 tail pipes.

I typically like ferrari rear ends but I like what lotus did.

 

[eEmira]

After owning the Emira for only a few days I’m so impressed by how the car looks in person. My son asked is this a sportscar or a supercar? It certainly doesn’t have the specs or price tag of a supercar but I do think the design is legitimately baby supercar.

There are so many design elements that you never see in a car within this price range. Many have been stated already but are impressive in person.

1. Exposed gear linkage with LED lighting- spyker, pagani?
2. Visible engine with vented engine bay- Ferrari, R8?
3. Vented hood- 992 GT3 RS
4. Super wide body construction with vertical headlights- 488, Evija?
5. Vented rear bumper- evija, ford GT?
6. Aggressive exposed rear diffuser- more cars have this now- 4c, etc.

As I stared at the car more I realized something that really impacts the overall car’s proportion and design language is the extreme cab forward design. Looked at from the side and above you see the windshield starts at the middle of the center of the front tire creating a really short front hood and aggressive rake in the profile. This is more proportioned like a ferrari or a Lamborghini as a result vs something like a cayman where the front windshield starts behind the front tire resulting in a more upright canopy. This design choice I think forces everything else in place and makes the car look more like a supercar than a typical sports car. It also affects the way the car feels when driving it. The windshield is so far in front of you and wide. The front hood is short. It feels different than a typical car. Given this design choice it’s a shame that the engine is not in front of the rear wheel and instead on top of it since there is room to pull it forward. I assume this would cost too much money to accommodate and instead provides the benefit of a more spacious cabin.

I’m a fan of design in all forms and think Lotus really nailed it with the Emira. While it does look like a baby Ferrari, it REALLY benefited from lifting the design language of the Evija and marrying it with the evora layout and drivetrain. This is not even getting into the lines of the car that intersect in many different ways from side profile, front, rear, etc. so cohesive.

I looked up some side by sides where this cab forward design becomes really obvious.

Excellent aesthetic review Seriously. As a retired industrial designer and graphic designer, I share your passionate interest. / The car is flat out beautiful. It’s aggressive and elegant at once. I’ve only got 300 miles on mine and am still in discovery mode. And just like the Evora, it’s great in photos but in the flesh, it’s another order of magnitude. Enjoy!