Emira event in Melbourne

[TomE]

Sneaky little switch when you open the glovebox

I noticed on some photos shared over the past few months that there's a little button or switch of some kind when you open the glovebox which intrigued me. I thought at first it might be a bonnet opener but wasn't sure.

It is well hidden and I haven't seen anyone take any photos of it as yet - so here goes for all you folks to see.

It looks like there's an option to disable the passenger front and side (seat) airbags if you install a child safety seat (which actually makes sense). Though who would ever install a child seat in an Emira is beyond me...! Must be a regulatory thing.

View attachment 5481

Very useful and will help some people sell the Emira as family transport!

Plus you need to start them young so they grow up with a love of cars (and coffee and bacon rolls)...

 

[TomE]

These are so good looking, I want to find a high-quality clear film I can put over them so they don't get pitted from bits of sand while driving behind traffic.

PPF works fine on headlights. I have it on my Evora and it's also saved them from the UV degradation and flaking of the top protective layer that's affected some cars.

 

[eclat2emira]

Did anyone else spot the black plastic water reservoir cap?! The blue one in previous versions was bugging me!

⁹

The Lotus approach to suspension means the wishbones, springs and dampers take up a lot more inboard space than the suspension on a Cayman, so you don't get room for a frunk. I know people coming across from Porsche and other marques may see that as a downside.

It's also true of the Elise, Exige and Evora that you can't see the nose of the car from the drivers seat, just the "Becker points" over the wheels. It does give you a very engaging driving position, as you have a sense of the road being right there in front of you rather than at the end of an expanse of bonnet. To me this is a plus point rather than a drawback and part of what makes a Lotus "for the drivers".

Excellent points Tom, and they both signal very clearly where Lotus's priorities are, which seems to differ from some other sporting marques...

 

[NicolasB]

My only concern from this and the other pictures is the black seal used for the bonnet shutline. On some of the pictures from the dealer conference at Hethel, this seemed to accentuate the gap between bumper and bonnet. Your close-up picture shows it very clearly. I'd have thought a concealed seal and narrower shutline would have worked better, or a coloured seal.

View attachment 5487

There's something that won't show on the dark verdant cars!

 

[eclat2emira]

There's something that won't show on the dark verdant cars!

You read my mind!

 

[digilotus]

Thanks for the great detail shots and write up! My guess is they still haven’t got the finalized seat in this preproduction car you have? Can you confirm?
On other note that’s really what the keys look like then. I was hoping for another proposal to be chosen, as shown here: https://www.emiraforum.com/threads/how-have-we-missed-this-when-its-hidden-in-plain-sight-（keys）.1068/

Yes these were definitely not production seats. They didn’t have the seat back rest 3 embossed areas that some folks on here recently going to Hethel confirmed are now part of the seat design (like the configurator).

I’m glad the key doesn’t look like a cigarette lighter with buttons on the edge like the Lynk & Co 01 key I posted in the other thread.

The Lotus key is nicely tapered to fit in your pocket and hands, with rounded edges which I like. Plus the design of the metal parts match the design language of the bonnet shape.

After all the Lotus talk of porosity, I was kind of expecting the key would have holes in it too after wind tunnel testing but not this time.

 

[Porter]

My only concern from this and the other pictures is the black seal used for the bonnet shutline. On some of the pictures from the dealer conference at Hethel, this seemed to accentuate the gap between bumper and bonnet. Your close-up picture shows it very clearly. I'd have thought a concealed seal and narrower shutline would have worked better, or a coloured seal.

View attachment 5487

Since the seal does seem to sit below the panel in both cases, I suspect it may be possible to fine-tune the hood alignment to minimize this gap. Possibly even to a level that they would avoid in factory, because it is technically a hinged hood and contact clearance is a concern.

 

[digilotus]

Since the seal does seem to sit below the panel in both cases, I suspect it may be possible to fine-tune the hood alignment to minimize this gap. Possibly even to a level that they would avoid in factory, because it is technically a hinged hood and contact clearance is a concern.

I’m not really sure why that seal is there but didn’t think it looked bad.

On the Seneca it is visible and will be most pronounced on light colours like white and yellow, but it’s not as visually jarring or thick as you might think. From a couple of meters away it just looks like a small panel gap. On darker colours you won’t even notice it.

 

[BSC]

Just noticed how much aero-flow gaps, and the spacing between the front bonnet and the windscreen

 

[christophermalex]

Seeing all these makes me so much more comfortable going with Seneca even though it seems to not be as popular in general across the forum. I think that has a lot to do with Seneca fatigue since launch and also the fact that most of us with deposits seem to be looking for that unique personalized car to stand out. Many probably have a hard time picking the “launch spec” but will be curious to see what the real build numbers look like on decisions once we have full lineups of production cars in all the colors.

 

[kbhoz]

Seeing all these makes me so much more comfortable going with Seneca even though it seems to not be as popular in general across the forum. I think that has a lot to do with Seneca fatigue since launch and also the fact that most of us with deposits seem to be looking for that unique personalized car to stand out. Many probably have a hard time picking the “launch spec” but will be curious to see what the real build numbers look like on decisions once we have full lineups of production cars in all the colors.

The Lotus guys said Seneca is the most popular colour ordered. It looks stunning.

 

[Eagle7]

This car is definitely an FE spec. I looked through all the photos that were posted, and I couldn't tell if it had the sport pedals or not. Did anybody by any chance happen to notice?

 

[kbhoz]

It was late last night by the time I posted the photos. This morning I wanted to recap and share my thoughts.
a) It is not final production spec but is later than some we have seen previously, better centre screen contrast, the engine/trunk presentation seemed very neat enhanced by a black coolant filler cap.

b) The door handle worked well from the outside once you know where to push it. The wife will need to ensure the nails are not “still drying” or we will end up with paint transfer “nail to car”!

c) I was previously worried about the front hood gap. I am no longer concerned as the actual gap is quite small but obviously you can see the seal. IMHO, it works well and doesn’t shout to the world “I AM A GAP” – it seems somehow discrete but will absorb the energy of the hood when braking. The front “hood” hinges from the front. That’s sensible but appears to be held in by screws. Not too sure if you can jump start the car or trickle charge. Perhaps this needs to be done from the rear trunk? I should have looked if the boot release was electronic.

d) The trunk/boot is quite spacious, I drive a V6 Exige so it’s a huge improvement. We will be able to pack a few good size soft cases in there. Behind the seat is also spacious – I heard one chap say “plenty of space for the dog”!

e) The vents that exit from the front are huge. They need to be with a large radiator and I presume two fans for those days where it 40C and you stuck in traffic. The clever design keeps the front very low.

f) I sat in the drivers seat (Alcantara) and adjusted the steering wheel and powered seat – excellent driving position for me. I’m only 173cm – which according to Wikipedia is the average Brazilian male height. UK and US are 2cm more. No, I am not Brazilian

g) Paint was not final spec – production will be an improvement. It was acceptable.

h) Panel alignment was OK. I pointed out the misalignment where the tail gate meets the rear clam. This can be seen in these photos but also many others I have seen online. This is exactly why they have pre-production off-tool samples to test these types of things. I was assured this will be sorted before final spec is released. In fact, I have seen many recent photos where the alignment is perfect. So I am comfortable it wont be an issue.

i) The gap around the wheel arch is perhaps larger than the some would prefer – but the ride height looks perfect for the rubbish roads we have here in Melbourne Australia. Pot hols galore, speed bumps etc and I have a steep driveway entrance. Perhaps 21” and 22” wheels are planned in the future. I am not troubled by it. It wont be long before after market kits will be available for those who wish to modify the car.

j) The exhaust note was nice and deep at idle. I was told production was “better”!

Overall this is a very special car and I for one think the Lotus team have knocked it out of the park. Of course over the years Lotus will introduce different variants as they always do, but for an FE – I am more than pleased to be taking delivery in about 4 months.

This is what a an average Brazilian chap at 173cm would look like standing next to an Emira.

 

[DerTheDer]

It was late last night by the time I posted the photos. This morning I wanted to recap and share my thoughts.
a) It is not final production spec but is later than some we have seen previously, better centre screen contrast, the engine/trunk presentation seemed very neat enhanced by a black coolant filler cap.

b) The door handle worked well from the outside once you know where to push it. The wife will need to ensure the nails are not “still drying” or we will end up with paint transfer “nail to car”!

c) I was previously worried about the front hood gap. I am no longer concerned as the actual gap is quite small but obviously you can see the seal. IMHO, it works well and doesn’t shout to the world “I AM A GAP” – it seems somehow discrete but will absorb the energy of the hood when braking. The front “hood” hinges from the front. That’s sensible but appears to be held in by screws. Not too sure if you can jump start the car or trickle charge. Perhaps this needs to be done from the rear trunk? I should have looked if the boot release was electronic.

d) The trunk/boot is quite spacious, I drive a V6 Exige so it’s a huge improvement. We will be able to pack a few good size soft cases in there. Behind the seat is also spacious – I heard one chap say “plenty of space for the dog”!

e) The vents that exit from the front are huge. They need to be with a large radiator and I presume two fans for those days where it 40C and you stuck in traffic. The clever design keeps the front very low.

f) I sat in the drivers seat (Alcantara) and adjusted the steering wheel and powered seat – excellent driving position for me. I’m only 173cm – which according to Wikipedia is the average Brazilian male height. UK and US are 2cm more. No, I am not Brazilian

g) Paint was not final spec – production will be an improvement. It was acceptable.

h) Panel alignment was OK. I pointed out the misalignment where the tail gate meets the rear clam. This can be seen in these photos but also many others I have seen online. This is exactly why they have pre-production off-tool samples to test these types of things. I was assured this will be sorted before final spec is released. In fact, I have seen many recent photos where the alignment is perfect. So I am comfortable it wont be an issue.

i) The gap around the wheel arch is perhaps larger than the some would prefer – but the ride height looks perfect for the rubbish roads we have here in Melbourne Australia. Pot hols galore, speed bumps etc and I have a steep driveway entrance. Perhaps 21” and 22” wheels are planned in the future. I am not troubled by it. It wont be long before after market kits will be available for those who wish to modify the car.

j) The exhaust note was nice and deep at idle. I was told production was “better”!

Overall this is a very special car and I for one think the Lotus team have knocked it out of the park. Of course over the years Lotus will introduce different variants as they always do, but for an FE – I am more than pleased to be taking delivery in about 4 months.

This is what a an average Brazilian chap at 173cm would look like standing next to an Emira.
View attachment 5503

In reference to comment C, does that mean the battery is in the front? Also thank you for taking the time to write this.

 

[kbhoz]

This car is definitely an FE spec. I looked through all the photos that were posted, and I couldn't tell if it had the sport pedals or not. Did anybody by any chance happen to notice?

I have overexposed one of the interior shots but unfortunately you can only see a small part of the accelerator pedal. The car is off to NSW now so perhaps someone will take a good pic in a few days.

 

[TXEMIRA]

@kbhoz & @digilotus - thank you!

I’ve never purchased a Porsche but I’d imagine those “future variants” will be easier for current Emira owners to grab similar to the Porsche stories…

You two crushed this day. Friday the 13th was always a lucky one for me!

#ForTheSuperstitious

 

[kbhoz]

In reference to comment C, does that mean the battery is in the front? Also thank you for taking the time to write this.

Sorry I should have been clearer, the Exige battery is also in the rear but has +ve and -ve terminal points in the front so you can jump the car from the rear or front. I am not too sure if the Emira has this function. On the Exige you can pop the hood off the outside ie no screws.

 

[DerTheDer]

Sorry I should been clearer, the Exige battery is also in the rear but has +ve and -ve terminal points in the front so you can jump the car from the rear or front. I am not too sure if the Emira has this function. On the Exige you can pop the hood off the outside ie no screws.

Interesting....I have an Elise and never thought about front charging. I have the charging ports on my battery and just leave it on a tender from that point. I am guessing your Exige is a later model.

 

[DerTheDer]

I would also like to say that Lotus needs to pay you all for Marketing, you all have done more in one day than Lotus has done in over a year.

 

[kbhoz]

Interesting....I have an Elise and never thought about front charging. I have the charging ports on my battery and just leave it on a tender from that point. I am guessing your Exige is a later model.

2015 V6 350S

Interesting....I have an Elise and never thought about front charging. I have the charging ports on my battery and just leave it on a tender from that point. I am guessing your Exige is a later model.