Emira Review Index [V6 FE]

emiraspain · Jun 10, 2022

Nick in Sydney said:
I think you are seeing a bit more "conspiracy" than really existed. Evo got the GT4 for the "Mods vs Stockers" article that appears in this week's edition (where they compare stock cars including the GT4 versus modified versions). As he said in the video, we happened to have a GT4 so we brought it along. I suspect that's what happened.

You could be right, but out of respect to Lotus and not explaining what review you are going to do, ie road tyres were never appropriate and I am sure the GT4 didnt have them, they simply could have not done the comparison, whether the car was there or not is irrelevant, clearly they wanted to .... and they soon knew it wasnt fair, but they continued and published it, and I repeat, Never have I seen such a poor and negative review of a new car by these guys.......
You can prefer porsche, clearly he does, he owns one or more.... but you can also be respectful and encouraging in your words.... just watch the last 5 seconds of the review again and you will see what I mean.

emiraspain · Jun 10, 2022

TomE said:
I agree the GT4 happened to be there at Anglesey. It was the Emira that wasn't supposed to be there.

The Emira was due back at Hethel after an EVO road trip through France to Monaco (per the print magazine), but instead of going back to Hethel they took it to Anglesey. It's not exactly a stopover on the way back!

They also didn't tell Lotus beforehand they were going to take it there, or that they had taken it there when they returned the car to Lotus. I don't know what Lotus had told the press reviewers about what they could do or not do with the cars, but we do know they asked them not to do timed 0-60 assessments. I assume there were some other restrictions or requests. It just seems a bit cloak and dagger by EVO. At least they're now going to do another test on a car with the correct tyres.

well put, one way or another, it was unprofessional for my money and I am a porsche owner too, but talk about kicking the little guy!....

hagen111 · Jun 10, 2022

Leonard said:
The gear shift is the biggest concern for me.
We have all chosen a manual car and for the shift to be compromised is a massive no go for me. I've passed over many cars in my time because the gearbox has been poor.
I've never driven an Evora or Exige before and the reviews about the gearbox was something that put me off doing so. Lotus said they were addressing it and I had every faith they would as they have significantly more resource than they have ever had before. That doesn't appear to be the case though and hence why I really do need a test drive now before I commit.
I was ready to trade my Yaris after 2 months as the shift from 3rd to 2nd was really graunchy. Fortunately it has loosened up considerably. Its those little things that I really can't get past tho

I owned an Exige V6 and loved the manual shift…it was lovely…requires a smooth shift, but it is beautiful and matched the smooth flow of the car. It was blindingly fast on track!

NicolasB · Jun 10, 2022

TomE said:
I agree the GT4 happened to be there at Anglesey. It was the Emira that wasn't supposed to be there.

The Emira was due back at Hethel after an EVO road trip through France to Monaco (per the print magazine), but instead of going back to Hethel they took it to Anglesey. It's not exactly a stopover on the way back!

They also didn't tell Lotus beforehand they were going to take it there, or that they had taken it there when they returned the car to Lotus. I don't know what Lotus had told the press reviewers about what they could do or not do with the cars, but we do know they asked them not to do timed 0-60 assessments. I assume there were some other restrictions or requests. It just seems a bit cloak and dagger by EVO. At least they're now going to do another test on a car with the correct tyres.

Somewhere I missed the part about doing another test with the right tires (despite reading every post on here). What are the circumstances going to be?

emiraspain · Jun 10, 2022

xen said:
Mate, this is poor form.

You can’t make these assumptions, state them as fact and attack his credibility (as well as that of the publication) with no proof. He’s a journalist and owns a Porsche - how many don’t / haven’t? Keep in mind this same Porsche is the brand Lotus aspired to.

I dont recall stating anything as a fact, but its pretty clear I dont work at Lotus or Evo and hence on a forum, it will be more an opinion, sorry if you think otherwise, but if I say I know as a fact..then that would be more me indeed knowing as a fact. I can indeed make assumptions, they may be incorrect, but to me its bad form how ever they did that.
You have a different opinion, I respect that, but I would not do something like that to grab the headlines, which seems to me what they did. TomE has more insight than most here and has made it pretty clear the comparison test and indeed track test was not mentioned to Lotus and when a car company tells you do not have permission to do 0/60 times, its pretty clear they would not expect you to track it without you telling them either, one can read between the lines.
to me its like me going to a dealer and them giving me the keys for a test drive and me then heading to do a track day... which people have done, just ask Williams, a lotus and caterham dealer close to bristol. A poor way to behave in my opinion...

its all my opinion.

TomE · Jun 10, 2022

NicolasB said:
Somewhere I missed the part about doing another test with the right tires (despite reading every post on here). What are the circumstances going to be?

Lotus are supplying EVO another car with Sports suspension and Cup2 tyres to use for a track test.

I don't know which track or whether Lotus will provide trackside support or if they'll try and influence what other cars they test against. It would make sense to go back to Anglesey. I'd hope Lotus would double check every aspect of the car setup.

Tonyshepp · Jun 10, 2022

TomE said:
Lotus are supplying EVO another car with Sports suspension and Cup2 tyres to use for a track test.

I don't know which track or whether Lotus will provide trackside support or if they'll try and influence what other cars they test against. It would make sense to go back to Anglesey. I'd hope Lotus would double check every aspect of the car setup.

Lotus should invite them to Hethel and around the track and provide them with complimentary pasties and teas

for an unbiased review.

TomE · Jun 10, 2022

Lotus have a few Porsches they've used for evaluation. Maybe they could "prepare" one for EVO to use around Hethel in a back to back test

More seriously, I hope they don't use Hethel so people don't say "but of course it's good round Hethel, it was designed that way". Either let EVO pick a circuit or go back to Anglesey.

freefall_junkie · Jun 10, 2022

Just been reading the print edition of Autocar and the Emira/Cayman review is so much better than the video version. The Emira has better steering, better body control, better roll on performance due to more low down torque, and more sheer raw driver appeal. The Cayman counters on interior quality, usability, better gear change and a crisper engine response. Matt Saunders marginally prefers the Cayman overall, but even leaving aside the looks, the Emira sounds like a far more appealing car to me.

Oh, and he mentions that you sit similarly low in the Emira to the Cayman, so maybe, just maybe they have finally sorted out the seat height.

jamesbxxx · Jun 10, 2022

I just re-watched the EVO review and have changed my take on it. Initially I wanted to hear only good things, but I now think he's spot-on with his observations, and not Cayman biased etc. He too wants it to be better like us.
Engine = okay, Gearbox = okay are both fair. Too heavy - I think so. Tyres and wheels too big - Probably. Tendency to understeer when pushed hard into a corner - Definitely. That's how it's been setup (easily changed).
My conclusion - I'm going to stand back and wait for the inevitable changes and buy the same looking, but slightly tweaked version. Better/lighter seats, less unnecessary tech. I've been bumped to 2023, so happy to take a base spec or other variant. (That's if CS actually communicate with me effectively!) History shows that FE models are rarely optimal...

emiraspain · Jun 10, 2022

i will get bored of the reviews soon and will just rewatch harry's over and over to actually see the car, but thought I would put this up there for two reasons and sure most of you have seen it.
1. I like this guy more than the rest and respect him more than all, apart from Harry. Im not a big catchpoledance fan as he is too "perfect" like a porsche haha. And in this review he says it, the best car he has even driven, BEST. Yes I know its not a GT4 and certainly not a GTS, I am NOT comparing here, just illustrating how good this car and this company can be, when they want to be and when the are ALLOWED to be. They could have made this car a long time ago, but they were not allowed to for various obvious reasons 911 being one of them.
Journalists love them and with good reason and we or Lotus are not going to change that.
2. If you honestly gave me the option of even this car, "the best car ever made" and a brand new Emira at this point, with the design of the Cayman having lost ALMOST all its appeal and the interior being something you just accept at this point, I would STILL go for the Emira, even though I KNOW its not as good, BUT it IS good enough for me.
thats my overall take and no matter what tweaks get done along the next 2 3 4 years of the Emira, be sure it will never get to this level, it cant, not unless they get the GT3 engine from porsche, but it doesnt matter, it has its positives too and I think I will love it.....

jmn444 · Jun 10, 2022

jamesbaly said:
I just re-watched the EVO review and have changed my take on it. Initially I wanted to hear only good things, but I now think he's spot-on with his observations, and not Cayman biased etc. He too wants it to be better like us.
Engine = okay, Gearbox = okay are both fair. Too heavy - I think so. Tyres and wheels too big - Probably. Tendency to understeer when pushed hard into a corner - Definitely. That's how it's been setup (easily changed).
My conclusion - I'm going to stand back and wait for the inevitable changes and buy the same looking, but slightly tweaked version. Better/lighter seats, less unnecessary tech. I've been bumped to 2023, so happy to take a base spec or other variant. (That's if CS actually communicate with me effectively!) History shows that FE models are rarely optimal...

Yeah, i've been consistently surprised by how negatively his review was taken. I'm not sure what he really expected to change with a carryover drivetrain, but the comments weren't "wrong".

I hope they run timed laps against the gt4 when both are on cup2's. I have zero experiences with the 718, but I really felt the evora gt was very close to a 982 when both were on cup2's so hard to imagine the gap is big enough to be a deal breaker on the Emira. In fairness, my "data" for these opinions is far from scientific, so very well could be wrong!

I just read an article where EVO pitted the gt430 against a gt3 lol... just the fact they are pitting these cars against each other (IMO) shows the capability isn't THAT far apart.

hagen111 · Jun 10, 2022

jamesbaly said:
I just re-watched the EVO review and have changed my take on it. Initially I wanted to hear only good things, but I now think he's spot-on with his observations, and not Cayman biased etc. He too wants it to be better like us.
Engine = okay, Gearbox = okay are both fair. Too heavy - I think so. Tyres and wheels too big - Probably. Tendency to understeer when pushed hard into a corner - Definitely. That's how it's been setup (easily changed).
My conclusion - I'm going to stand back and wait for the inevitable changes and buy the same looking, but slightly tweaked version. Better/lighter seats, less unnecessary tech. I've been bumped to 2023, so happy to take a base spec or other variant. (That's if CS actually communicate with me effectively!) History shows that FE models are rarely optimal...

Jethro rates sports suspension too soft for the road…Harry rates sports too harsh for the road…so who is way off with his observations? I have to admit Harry is spot on with how I experienced my Exige…loved the engine and gearbox, so can’t relate at all to Jethro’s comments. I love the lineair power delivery from low revs…and he is only talking about a 6500 rpm redline for a SUPERCHARGED engine. Makes no sense. Especially compared with Harry’s comments…which is spot on. So I am not in your camp on Evo’s review. And… sports suspension with conti tour tires….who opts for that combo!?

I am biased…having owned Exige V6…and have Emira on order, with sports suspension and cup2 tires.

Rollie · Jun 10, 2022

digilotus said:
For those looking for the latest Emira reviews scheduled to be released today, I've self-volunteered to maintain a quick reference index here.
Please let me know of any missing articles and I'll update accordingly.

Reviewer Type Direct Link
Edmunds Article

New Lotus Emira Is Worth the Wait | Edmunds

The 2022 Lotus Emira, powered by a supercharged 3.5-liter V6, is both the end and the beginning of an era as the automaker transitions to a world of fully electrified supercars and crossovers.

www.edmunds.com

Harry's Garage (Harry Metcalfe) Video Review

Harry drives the Sports and Tour suspension back to back on the same road and shares his thoughts.
Schmee150 (Tim Burton) Video Review <youtube> None yet released.
Carwow (Mat Watson) Video Review

Lotus Emira review - and my BANNED test!

Looking to sell your car? Then you've come to the right place. carwow is the free, easy way to change your car online. Check it out here: https://bit.ly/Buy-...

www.youtube.com

TopGear Article

The big sportscar test: Lotus Emira vs Porsche Cayman vs Alpine A110

www.topgear.com

AutoTrader (Rory Reid) Video Review

NEW Lotus Emira: The Last REAL Lotus? | 4K

Rory reviews the new Lotus Emira, Lotus' last ever petrol sports car. Soon the company will transition to electric cars, but for this last hurrah the Emira p...

www.youtube.com

Evo Article and Video Review

2023 Lotus Emira review – strong showing for Porsche Cayman GTS rival | Evo

The first new Lotus for a generation, and the last to be petrol powered, shows great promise but needs some polish

www.evo.co.uk

CAR Article and Video Review

Lotus Emira (2023) review: new 2.0-litre engine driven

The brand new Lotus Emira, tested on road and track by CAR magazine.

www.carmagazine.co.uk

Lotus Emira vs Cayman 718 GTS vs Alpine 110s

Autocar Article and Video Review

Lotus Emira V6 First Edition 2022 UK first drive | Autocar

Most important Lotus in decades heralds a new era and sees out an old one, being the firm's last petrol sports car

www.autocar.co.uk

Pistonheads Article

2022 Lotus Emira | PH Review

The Emira is one step closer to production-ready. And the good news (mostly) keeps coming

www.pistonheads.com

KHTV Video Review
The Drive Article

2023 Lotus Emira First Drive Review: Lotus Grows Up, and Just in Time

The Lotus Emira is the last of its kind, the final gas-powered car from the legendary company. And what a thrilling sendoff it is.

www.thedrive.com

AutoExpress Article

New Lotus Emira V6 First Edition review | Auto Express

We hit road and track in the new Lotus Emira - the model that redefines the brand as a sports car maker

www.autoexpress.co.uk

Pictures:

New Lotus Emira 2022 review - pictures | Auto Express

Pictures of the new Lotus Emira

www.autoexpress.co.uk

WhichCar Article

2022 Lotus Emira review: V6 First Edition, international launch

Lotus wants to compete with daily-driver premium sportscars like the Cayman and its new Emira V6 First Edition is a big step in the right direction

www.whichcar.com.au

CarBuyer Article

Lotus Emira coupe review | Carbuyer

“The Emira marks a big step on in terms of design and quality for Lotus, and it’s great to drive”

www.carbuyer.co.uk

Hagerty Article

Lotus Emira first drive review: Will the fab four become the famous five? | Hagerty UK

Is the Emira good enough to turn the fab four – Elite, Elan, Esprit, Elise – into the famous five? Read Andrew Frankel's review to find out.

www.hagerty.co.uk

Road and Track Article

The 2023 Emira Is an All-Time High For Lotus

The Emira comes from a bygone era.

www.roadandtrack.com

Goodwood Article

First Drive: Lotus Emira 2022 Review | GRR

The Emira is the final combustion-engined Lotus, and it might finally be a match for the Porsche Cayman...

www.goodwood.com

The Intercooler Podcast Reasonably good post-embargo Emira discussion on The Intercooler.

Apple Podcasts Web Embed

embed.podcasts.apple.com

Motortrend Article

2023 Lotus Emira First Drive Review: The Porsche Substitute

Don’t want a Porsche Cayman? Try this.

www.motortrend.com

Drive Article

2022 Lotus Emira review: International first drive

With a reborn and reinvigorated Lotus looking to a new and very different future, is the Emira the first excuse-free Lotus?

www.drive.com.au

AFR Article

Lotus takes on Porsche with its $185,000 Emira

This is a street car for buyers who appreciate luxury and great looks – although with a claimed top speed of 290km/h, it’s no slouch on the racetrack.

www.afr.com

Parkers Article

Lotus Emira Review (2024)

Lotus Emira (2024) in-depth review. Read our experts' views on the engine, practicality, running costs, overall performance and more.

www.parkers.co.uk

Episode 3

Top Gear Series 32
Episode 3 of 5
Freddie, Chris and Paddy attempt to qualify as lorry drivers before embarking on a stormy HGV road trip across Britain - and a spot of truck racing. Out on track, Chris runs the rule over the beautiful new Lotus Emira.

Release date:19 June 2022 BBC1

digilotus · Jun 10, 2022

jmn444 said:
Yeah, i've been consistently surprised by how negatively his review was taken. I'm not sure what he really expected to change with a carryover drivetrain, but the comments weren't "wrong".

I hope they run timed laps against the gt4 when both are on cup2's. I have zero experiences with the 718, but I really felt the evora gt was very close to a 982 when both were on cup2's so hard to imagine the gap is big enough to be a deal breaker on the Emira. In fairness, my "data" for these opinions is far from scientific, so very well could be wrong!

I just read an article where EVO pitted the gt430 against a gt3 lol... just the fact they are pitting these cars against each other (IMO) shows the capability isn't THAT far apart.

From my perspective, the issue with the EVO Jethro review was not WHAT was said, but HOW it was delivered. His mannerisms and body language had a very (perceivable) flat and negative undertone to them that I feel people who watched the review readily picked up on.

Reading the text transcript of what he said, I think he was communicating what he honestly felt at the time, but the delivery was awful and cringe-worthy. All up the review wasn't very professional in how it was done/staged nor how it was delivered.

Pav · Jun 10, 2022

If Sport is comparable to GR Yaris (Harry) and comparable with GT410 Sport (I test drove to help make decision between Sports and Touring), then I can't see how Sport can be described as too soft for the road. I drove my Yaris to the test drive and it is a touch harsh/busy on bad roads at slower speeds. The Lotus was pretty much identical. I'd originally ordered Sports but after the test drive switched to Touring. I am getting old though (50 this year) and definitely not patient enough to wait. Plus I don't think the fundamentals need to or will change until the XXXbhp AMG version, if that happens..

Short version: we are Lotus buyers not Porsche buyers. Is it not as simple as that. Positivity breeds content!

emiraspain · Jun 10, 2022

emiraspain said:
i will get bored of the reviews soon and will just rewatch harry's over and over to actually see the car, but thought I would put this up there for two reasons and sure most of you have seen it.
1. I like this guy more than the rest and respect him more than all, apart from Harry. Im not a big catchpoledance fan as he is too "perfect" like a porsche haha. And in this review he says it, the best car he has even driven, BEST. Yes I know its not a GT4 and certainly not a GTS, I am NOT comparing here, just illustrating how good this car and this company can be, when they want to be and when the are ALLOWED to be. They could have made this car a long time ago, but they were not allowed to for various obvious reasons 911 being one of them.
Journalists love them and with good reason and we or Lotus are not going to change that.
2. If you honestly gave me the option of even this car, "the best car ever made" and a brand new Emira at this point, with the design of the Cayman having lost ALMOST all its appeal and the interior being something you just accept at this point, I would STILL go for the Emira, even though I KNOW its not as good, BUT it IS good enough for me.
thats my overall take and no matter what tweaks get done along the next 2 3 4 years of the Emira, be sure it will never get to this level, it cant, not unless they get the GT3 engine from porsche, but it doesnt matter, it has its positives too and I think I will love it.....

Sorry final comment... well maybe, but this is the comparison between the gt4 and the M4 and it is how to do a review, professionally.....imo
the M4 beats the GT4 around the track by 0.2 on a short track and he spoke highly of it, not really a negative in the whole review about either car. HOWEVER, the cayman was still the car he would take home, slower but he preferred it.... thats how much all these guys love the gt4..and again, fine, I get it, BUT there is no need to be so down on the competitor. If it was up against an Alpine, I am sure it would be quicker, but he would not slate the alpine and end with such disappointment when talking about it. This is my only issue with Jethro.... nothing else, its all in the tone.... not the words.

okay, im done

kitkat · Jun 10, 2022

hagen111 said:
Jethro rates sports suspension too soft for the road…Harry rates sports too harsh for the road…so who is way off with his observations?

It can be both too soft for track and too harsh for road at the same time depending on who you are. The sports suspension is a 5 Nm/mm increase over touring front and rear, that’s F:+10% and R:+5% stiffer. That likely means it has similar body roll to the touring on the track, but on rough street like Harry experiences, the more aggressively tuned damper decreases road comfort.

My take is:

- Touring if you want to track once every year or so and mostly street miles over potentially rough roads — think UK b-roads
- Sports if you want to track a handful of times a year and it’s your weekend car and have decent roads — think California canyons.
- Custom coil overs if you find yourself at the track once a month or every other weekend and either trailer or have a short drive to the track.

Dabjbr · Jun 10, 2022

hagen111 said:
Jethro rates sports suspension too soft for the road…Harry rates sports too harsh for the road…so who is way off with his observations? I have to admit Harry is spot on with how I experienced my Exige…loved the engine and gearbox, so can’t relate at all to Jethro’s comments. I love the lineair power delivery from low revs…and he is only talking about a 6500 rpm redline for a SUPERCHARGED engine. Makes no sense. Especially compared with Harry’s comments…which is spot on. So I am not in your camp on Evo’s review. And common, sports suspension with conti tour tires….who opts for that combo!?

I am biased…having owned Exige V6…and have Emira on order, with sports suspension and cup2 tires.

For what its worth, I can see someone opting for a setup like that

Imagine you want the feel of sports suspension but need a A/S tire for bad weather. Or perhaps you don’t need as capable (while more expensive and faster wearing) Cup 2 tire because you won’t track it. And finally, an argument could be made that you want a less sticky tire so the car is more playful around the corners.

That last point is what I’m considering. Although I love fast lap times, the Emira is more about enjoyment to me. I’d exchange a little bit of traction for compliance, longer wear and most importantly FUN.

PS, a slight suspension adjustment in camber and toe could make all the difference in striking the perfect track/road car balance for me. I’m hoping early adopters test this out and report back!

Eagle7 · Jun 10, 2022

I've seen a few references that the car Jethro drove was the one Catchpole drove, and it was on Dunlops? Is that true?

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