Emira Review Index [V6 FE]

Leonard · Jun 17, 2022

TomE said:
Have you driven an Evora? The torque from low rpm and the linearity of power delivery from 2500rpm upwards is a characteristic of the Toyota + SC and the Lotus tune.

It doesn’t need to be kept in a narrow sweet spot to get the most from it, you could stay in 2nd and 3rd on most UK roads and have accessible power all the time, for example to go for an overtake.

No. But they have reduced the redline and increased the torque
That is what manufacturers do when they want to make the car more mass market.
I make that statement as that is what they seem to have done with the rest of the car say over and above an Evora (interior aside)
Not saying its true, but with Zero comms from Lotus on the matter that is my take.
Cant see why Matt would even be talking about 416bhp if emissions were an issue

Jonhklee · Jun 17, 2022

Leonard said:
No. But they have reduced the redline and increased the torque
That is what manufacturers do when they want to make the car more mass market

Spot on…. Exactly what they done from GT86 to GR86 with more accessible torque….. selling like hotcakes

EspritGuy · Jun 17, 2022

Leonard said:
Where does it stop ️ Activate the speed limit controller now and we can all drive around in 1st 2nd and 3rd and reduce the redline to 4500rpm...
I'm a 6th Dan black belt and can kill with my bare hands. Doesn't mean I will, or I should stop at a less lethal yellow belt.

I'm not really bit you get the point

Was that Hethel Yellow?

Speedluvver · Jun 18, 2022

Nice comments from Tim pollard on Instagram…

Johnson · Jun 18, 2022

Worth watching just to assuage our fears of bad Lotus reviews…

digilotus · Jun 18, 2022

Johnson said:
Worth watching just to assuage our fears of bad Lotus reviews…

Thanks @Johnson ,

I've been reading some horror stories on rennlist about new 992 GT3s. "Lightweight" windscreen and side glass spontaneously cracking, suspension issues, transmission or valve body replacements after 400miles, low engine oil warnings at 1200miles, engine failures, various build quality problems ... yikes!

Very happy to have a Toyota drivetrain in the Emira.

NicolasB · Jun 18, 2022

When I worked at the Porsche dealership, we would get new 997's with 800 miles that would come in 2 or even 3 quarts low. They burned a ton of oil while breaking in.

Johnson · Jun 18, 2022

digilotus said:
Very happy to have a Toyota drivetrain in the Emira.

Very glad it’s not a diesel Toyota. Have the particulate filters been causing as much trouble overseas as here in Australia? Lawsuit in the press today…

digilotus · Jun 18, 2022

Johnson said:
Very glad it’s not a diesel Toyota. Have the particulate filters been causing as much trouble overseas as here in Australia? Lawsuit in the press today…

Very happy there is no PPF/GPF too

R1272 · Jun 19, 2022

Those of you suggesting that the 200rpm lower redline is to make emissions standards, are also suggesting that there won't be a later model with more power, no? How is Lotus going to get the extra 15-30hp without raising the redline, thus raising emissions? What am I missing?

This feels like a totally bogus excuse to me. They lowered engine performance and added hundreds of pounds to the car. It's no wonder the 0-60 time is suffering a bit. I just hope it's really a 4.3 second car and not a 5 second car as some of those videos suggest.

emiraspain · Jun 19, 2022

Flash said:
Those of you suggesting that the 200rpm lower redline is to make emissions standards, are also suggesting that there won't be a later model with more power, no? How is Lotus going to get the extra 15-30hp without raising the redline, thus raising emissions? What am I missing?

This feels like a totally bogus excuse to me. They lowered engine performance and added hundreds of pounds to the car. It's no wonder the 0-60 time is suffering a bit. I just hope it's really a 4.3 second car and not a 5 second car as some of those videos suggest.

Well you need to, which I dont entirely pretend to, understand that the emissions are not for one particular car necessarily, but over the board, over the manufacturer. Have you not seen in the news different companies buying "credit" from Telsa so they can effectively share their zero emissions? This should not be allowed IMO but there you go.
So, I understand your point, BUT, the later GTS/GT3 *they did have an Esprit GT3 I believe, will not be made in LARGE numbers compared to the FE and base model, and hence the AVERAGE emissions will not be greatly effected and hence they can increase the redline and emissions.
THis is my understanding and this is why PORSCHE can have there contaminating cars.
There is so much distrust in Lotus out there, its a wonder that they got any orders at all..... and again, 200 difference on a red line, if it means that much to people, I would say get a 6cyl porsche, end of, a gt3 goes to 9000!!!

emiraspain · Jun 19, 2022

Johnson said:
Worth watching just to assuage our fears of bad Lotus reviews…

Im not protecting or defending Ferrari by any means and I am not attacking Lotus either, but I think some perspective is needed here. His car is not a car thats new or even 1-2 years old by any means and its car that is not used much and this in itself is a problem. If you don't use an iPhone for a year, don't necessarily expect it to work in the same way, the battery will never be the same for example and other components too will give issues, often underusing a product is more damaging than over using it.
I agree with what he says that you should expect more, very true, but at the same time, he must have known and we as potential lotus customer know perfectly well the issues that have existed and the cost and difficulty in fixing them given these are both brands with dealers few and far between and not that much industry wide knowledge of the cars and their issues as they never sold in high numbers.
The difference now is that Lotus should be over this with the quantities they are producing and the facilities they have, although any hand assembled elements of the car would still worry me to be honest, as they would for any company. The seats someone said are hand assembled in some way at the factory, so we will see how they turn out after several months of driving and there will be more things besides that may come to light after 15-20,ooo miles, we just don't know, but we hope!
For all those who think the Toyota motor saves us from issues, and those who have had Evora's and Elise's without problems, well its not about current or previous lotus customers on here, its about the cars in general and I know more people who have had issues than have not and LOTUS dont have a bad reputation for no reason. I have sat in a brand new Elise at a dealer and the windows have not worked, 2 years ago, not 20 years ago. My own Elise was given to me brand new without me being able to get it constantly into 2nd gear from 3rd, without the Boot being able to close and the alarm going off. So lets not get too elated about Lotus quality just yet

.
He is also right that we make excuses for these cars, for the reasons he gives and in the case of Lotus as it is a small company and British built, but those days are gone also. If the quality is not as good as a mainstream company now, then there will be big trouble for them, I for one wont make too many excuses any more. However, I trust Geely more than Lotus and the work they will have done behind the scenes with the experience they have in manufacturing which is far superior to Lotus, after all Lotus have had 40 - 50 years to get quality control to a reasonable level and they have never done it IMO, just as Jaguar didnt and BL and just about every British built car didnt, apart from perhaps RR where the cars cost 10 times the price of the others. The issues here are several and that would be a whole thread on its own, but its also cultural and how much pride you take in your work..... I will say no more.
I have accepted "small issues" which have lead to break downs and hours of issues with british hand made cars, but with this Lotus, I dont believe I would now and I DONT think I will need to. I expect build quality not be 100%, but 99% and I do expect it to be better than Tesla for example and that would be a huge leap. I will take the FE car next month or when ever it eventually arrives, but those who are further down the line will perhaps have the advantage..... but I am many others like me, will take the chance and have the dessert before the meat and veg....

roundincircles · Jun 19, 2022

Flash said:
Those of you suggesting that the 200rpm lower redline is to make emissions standards, are also suggesting that there won't be a later model with more power, no? How is Lotus going to get the extra 15-30hp without raising the redline, thus raising emissions? What am I missing?

This feels like a totally bogus excuse to me. They lowered engine performance and added hundreds of pounds to the car. It's no wonder the 0-60 time is suffering a bit. I just hope it's really a 4.3 second car and not a 5 second car as some of those videos suggest.

Emissions is a function of combustion. Complete combustion yields minimum emissions. Combustion cannot be computer modelled as it's empirical. However, it is understood that the mixing of air and fuel, dwell time in the combustion chamber and temperature management, valve overlap and other issues contribute to combustion efficiency and thus emissions. So if dropping the revs 200rpm yields optimum emissions then work on the cylinder head, valve train, air intake etc will yield, maybe, more power, revs, torque and acceptable emissions.

Porsche flat 6 in the GT4 and GTRS has a very different induction arrangement with more power.

Hedge · Jun 19, 2022

Dabjbr said:
You bring up a good point… 8500 was important to you when driving a car that had power starting at 5000rpm. So basically, you were using a 3500rpm band.

The Emira will still have a very reasonable 3-3500rpm power band. It‘ll just be lower like 3500-6800rpm. I truly doubt that will negatively affect anyone’s experience.

Whilst I agree to a point. It’s also about the way the engine performs.

I may be in the minority of one here, but it is an engine that needs working to get to 3.5/4K. Then it really flies round to the rev limiter quickly. So those last 2.8k really go quickly - seemingly much quicker than the previous 2.8k, and, bang, you’re at the cut out.

Hypothetical example: if the car is geared to do just over 60mph in second, when hustling along a B road you’ll be in the zone of do I change up (a slight delay) or can I hold the speed/increase in second without the extra shift. As before those last few rpm move pretty quickly. You’ll be looking at the dash and not the road to try and work it out, which is not what we should be doing!! And there is a similar but opposite question on the way down the from third to second gears…

Those extra 250-450rpm do make a real world difference to me.

Of course, the above is hypothetical as I’ve never gone above the speed limit. But similar may happen on track

Daily driving and 99.9% of all driving, of course, no issue at all. It will just be those times on those lovely B roads, on a sunny Sunday morning, that I’ll be thinking about it.

duff · Jun 19, 2022

I test drove an Exige 410 yesterday which was my first experience of this drive train. I appreciate the Exige is a much lighter car but it seemed absolutely ballistic from pretty much zero revs all the way to the red line. It was also accompanied at all times with an explosive sound track which was very addictive.
I also tried a GTS 4.0 and that doesn't half shift when on song but really does need to be kept towards the top end of the rev range. The difference in pickup at lower revs was very noticeable when compared back to back with the Exige. If you do keep it up there it delights with a great soundtrack but is almost silent at lower revs.

Hedge · Jun 19, 2022

Hedge said:
Whilst I agree to a point. It’s also about the way the engine performs.

I may be in the minority of one here, but it is an engine that needs working to get to 3.5/4K. Then it really flies round to the rev limiter quickly. So those last 2.8k really go quickly - seemingly much quicker than the previous 2.8k, and, bang, you’re at the cut out.

Hypothetical example: if the car is geared to do just over 60mph in second, when hustling along a B road you’ll be in the zone of do I change up (a slight delay) or can I hold the speed/increase in second without the extra shift. As before those last few rpm move pretty quickly. You’ll be looking at the dash and not the road to try and work it out, which is not what we should be doing!! And there is a similar but opposite question on the way down the from third to second gears…

Those extra 250-450rpm do make a real world difference to me.

Of course, the above is hypothetical as I’ve never gone above the speed limit. But similar may happen on track

Daily driving and 99.9% of all driving, of course, no issue at all. It will just be those times on those lovely B roads, on a sunny Sunday morning, that I’ll be thinking about it.

I’ll add: my data point about second gear being good for just over 60 is from forums only, so it may be rubbish.

Which leads me to…So, if Lotus had actually built production level cars by now, they would have figured them and we would be able to put all this speculation to bed.

Then, the jounalists could also have a play in production cars and give a unqualified review. Then they could ship a handful cars to the LDA to fill those customers needs.

Given that none of these have been done can only lead me thinking that there is more than just supply chain issues. Else we (or someone) would know all these things and be confident it’s just supply of parts to produce lots of cars.

But, at least we have Top gear review tonight which may put all these questions to rest. Although, what Chris Harris, in Top Gear Wally mode, driving a pre prod car on a track, like no one would drive on the road, in the p1551ng rain is going to tell us?

Mr Grumpy.

Hedge · Jun 19, 2022

duff said:
I test drove an Exige 410 yesterday which was my first experience of this drive train. I appreciate the Exige is a much lighter car but it seemed absolutely ballistic from pretty much zero revs all the way to the red line. It was also accompanied at all times with an explosive sound track which was very addictive.
I also tried a GTS 4.0 and that doesn't half shift when on song but really does need to be kept towards the top end of the power band. The difference in pickup at lower revs was very noticeable when compared back to back with the Exige. If you do keep it up there it delights with a great soundtrack but is almost silent at lower revs.

Good comparison. Thanks.

I’m definitely not saying the car - especially the Exige 410 (350kg or 4 to 5 average people lighter than the V6 Emira) - isn’t blisteringly quick. I was referring to the characteristics of the engine. Very specifically how fast those last 3k revs fly round and a hypothetical gearing for second to be good for just over 60.

TomE · Jun 19, 2022

It’s a very similar setup in the Evora V6 as in the Exige V6 and Emira. Second gear is good for just over 60mph.

In practice, on UK A- and B- roads you soon get used to picking whether to stay in 3rd for an overtake or drop to 2nd. Most of the time 3rd is fine for a 30-60 overtake and you don’t need to worry about changing 2nd to 3rd mid-overtake.

Hedge · Jun 19, 2022

TomE said:
It’s a very similar setup in the Evora V6 as in the Exige V6 and Emira. Second gear is good for just over 60mph.

In practice, on UK A- and B- roads you soon get used to picking whether to stay in 3rd for an overtake or drop to 2nd. Most of the time 3rd is fine for a 30-60 overtake and you don’t need to worry about changing 2nd to 3rd mid-overtake.

Thanks Tom. I’m sure I’ll adapt. I did in my Elise Cup. My Exige 350 Sport had that but more flexibility upto just over 7k. I know I’m quibbling over a small compromise.

Flashback · Jun 19, 2022

Flash said:
Those of you suggesting that the 200rpm lower redline is to make emissions standards, are also suggesting that there won't be a later model with more power, no? How is Lotus going to get the extra 15-30hp without raising the redline, thus raising emissions? What am I missing?

What are you missing?

That it's supercharged?

They could knock another 500rpm off and still add more bhp, if they were so inclined.

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	Published 21st June Bought the Right Car?! LOTUS EMIRA V6 FIRST DRIVE The countdown is on! The folks at Lotus have delivered an Emira V6 First Edition to @TheShmuseum in a near-identical spec to my inbound car, to take for a fi... www.youtube.com
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	Articles and Video	Published 3rd July Chris Harris talks about the Lotus Emira Chris Harris On… The All-New Lotus Emira \| Top Gear Series 32 “I’d feel a bit scared if I were a McLaren or an Aston Martin at the moment” Chris Harris chats to Top Gear Magazine’s Jack Rix about the all-new Lotus Emira... youtu.be Published 20th June Lotus Emira Review 2023 \| Top Gear The last ever petrol-powered Lotus looks fantastic and drives with precision, but not quite as much emotion as we might’ve hoped www.topgear.com 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	Published 22nd July Lotus Emira vs Porsche Cayman GTS vs Alpine A110 group test review CAR magazine UK compares the Lotus Emira sports car with the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 and Alpine A110 S www.carmagazine.co.uk 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	Published 1st September Lotus Emira Road and Track Drive The Lotus Emira Is One of the Greats Lotus's final combustion-engined sports car starts a new era for the English automaker, and a prime example of what a well-funded Lotus can build. www.roadandtrack.com 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
CarExpert	Article	2023 Lotus Emira review: First drive We drive the last Lotus without electrification around Mount Panorama to see if it's a worthy contender to the Porsche 718 Cayman. www.carexpert.com.au
Caffeine & Machine	Article	Caffeine & Machine Hitting the Alps in the summer, chasing the #cultofmachine in the brand spanking new Lotus Emira. Soul food at its best, delivered in spades across the myriad of special alpine roads littering the... www.facebook.com Photos on Instagram: Caffeine&Machine on Instagram: "Hitting the Alps in the summer, chasing the #cultofmachine in the brand spanking new Lotus Emira. Soul food at its best, delivered in spades across the myriad of special alpine roads littering the region. It would be 1,055 likes, 8 comments - caffeineandmachine on June 13, 2022: "Hitting the Alps in the summer, chasing the #cultofmachine in the brand spanking new Lotus Emira. Soul food at its best, delivered in spades across the myriad of special alpine roads littering the region. It would be so easy to... www.instagram.com
The Sunday Times Driving	Article	Lotus Emira V6 2022 on-track review: Lotus's last petrol car is more than significant ... it's good This isn't going to be one of our usual reviews, because our test drive of the new Lotus Emira wasn't usual, either, having experienced just three and a half laps behind the wheel around Goodwood Motor Circuit,. www.driving.co.uk
Car and Driver	Article	2023 Emira Is a Grown-Up Lotus The last gas-powered Lotus also may be the first you don't have to make excuses for. www.caranddriver.com
The Sun	Article	I've driven the Lotus Emira - you can use it every day and it's saving BRITAIN THERE’S only one type of person who wouldn’t fall in love with the Lotus Emira. Those Twitter-dwelling keyboard warriors who think they know more about cars than everyone else. I’ve seen a few comm… www.thesun.co.uk
AutoCar UK	Article	Published 2nd July Lotus Emira vs Porsche 718 Cayman \| Autocar Lotus’s new sports car is a great car in its own right - but can it hold its own against the class leader? www.autocar.co.uk

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