Emira Styling: We all know it's gorgeous, but why...?

[TomE]

The design cues and lines of the Emira are a masterpiece. Wonder whether Emira (and Evija), will win any awards, such as the Car Design Award. Are there any others of note?

It must be in with a good chance of winning for the design. Evija won Product Design of the Year at the International Design Awards last year. It's an amazing achievement, as it's open to all areas of design, not just automotive. Evija was also the overall winner in the Automotive Transportation category at the MUSE Global Design Awards last year.

 

[wallstbear]

To highlight a few things:

1. The 488 (essentially the 458 design) is about 15 years old now... So the Emira has a 13-14 year advantage over the 488. Remember the Aventador is about 15 years on the Diablo, which is in turn 20 years on the one and only Countach. The EMIRA is able to take advantage of some of the design ideas from the 488, while the Ferrari can't do vice versa. Also the design tools and 3D simulators and aerodynamic tools are way way ahead of those from 15 years ago.

2. The Emira is a bit shorter and the lines tend to be a bit tighter, and slightly more muscular if you look at the detailed quality of the curves. Imagine 400m Olympic runners vs 100m runners.

3. I do agree the Emira has a few things nicer than the 488 but to me, it's like compare a 22 year old girl against a 36 year old girl.

 

[roundincircles]

Its interesting how the Emira deck height around the C pillar (rear window line) is driven by the Supercharger being mounted on the engine top (as opposed to turbos in the V or on the side). This depth , or lardyness, has been well hidden by the stylists.

 

[eclat2emira]

It must be in with a good chance of winning for the design. Evija won Product Design of the Year at the International Design Awards last year. It's an amazing achievement, as it's open to all areas of design, not just automotive. Evija was also the overall winner in the Automotive Transportation category at the MUSE Global Design Awards last year.

Too true Tom - I am struggling to think what may beat the Emira when it comes to automotive design awards. Other product and industrial design awards may prove a happy hunting ground too.

 

[DrNio13]

After seeing the car in real life I don't see why people compare it with Ferraris or other supercars. It has some design elements from supercars but it's overall design and size makes it look like a good looking sports car. From specific angles I could also tell it looks like a Lotus.

What I didn't like so much is that towards the rear end is a bit too bulky and the front end a bit too small. But then again it's not a supercar to have wider body or bigger size.

I hope Lotus will keep some of the key design characteristics of the Emira/Evija for the new electric sports car. Maybe that could look like a supercar?

 

[eclat2emira]

After seeing the car in real life I don't see why people compare it with Ferraris or other supercars. It has some design elements from supercars but it's overall design and size makes it look like a good looking sports car. From specific angles I could also tell it looks like a Lotus.

What I didn't like so much is that towards the rear end is a bit too bulky and the front end a bit too small. But then again it's not a supercar to have wider body or bigger size.

I hope Lotus will keep some of the key design characteristics of the Emira/Evija for the new electric sports car. Maybe that could look like a supercar?

There is plenty of room for subjectivity in whether it looks like a Supercar to each of us or not, and I understand your points except for the width - it is a pretty wide car, especially in relation to its other dimensions.

I'm not sure I agree that cars have to be larger to be classed as Supercars - look at the Miura the McLaren F1 and the new T.50 and T.33 - in fact a lot of Supercars are large but needlessly due to poor design and packaging in a lot of cases, even after taking into account accommodating a V12.

There is certainly a Lotus family look there which is very important and the overall balance of all the different things they have tried to achieve stylistically is the biggest achievement for me.

If anyone simply calls my Emira a great looking sports car that's good enough for me.

 

[eclat2emira]

To highlight a few things:

1. The 488 (essentially the 458 design) is about 15 years old now... So the Emira has a 13-14 year advantage over the 488. Remember the Aventador is about 15 years on the Diablo, which is in turn 20 years on the one and only Countach. The EMIRA is able to take advantage of some of the design ideas from the 488, while the Ferrari can't do vice versa. Also the design tools and 3D simulators and aerodynamic tools are way way ahead of those from 15 years ago.

2. The Emira is a bit shorter and the lines tend to be a bit tighter, and slightly more muscular if you look at the detailed quality of the curves. Imagine 400m Olympic runners vs 100m runners.

3. I do agree the Emira has a few things nicer than the 488 but to me, it's like compare a 22 year old girl against a 36 year old girl.

Those are all interesting points - I certainly don't dislike the 458/488 design and the side profile I picked for these purposes is not its best view - slightly overhead rear 3/4 is fantastic.

I don't see that anything has been "borrowed" from it in the Emira design - any aspects that may be similar are much more widely used than just on the 488 and Emira and the entire design language is radically different.

Having been a sprinter myself I like and understand the 100m vs 400m analogy, although the irony is that while the Emira looks like a more squat, powerful 100m sprinter the 488 has more power!

For me the biggest factor that differentiates these 2 cars is the era each was styled in, the 458/488 being when angular & aggressive were in vogue - I think Lamborghini possibly led the charge in that direction. I see shades of this in the Corvette C8 which makes it feel already dated and it's only just out....I don't think it will age well because if that

As for 22 year-old vs 36 year-old girls - I'm not going to go there or I will talk myself into a whole bunch of trouble! I will, however, say that both have their merits and leave it at that!

 

[eclat2emira]

Its interesting how the Emira deck height around the C pillar (rear window line) is driven by the Supercharger being mounted on the engine top (as opposed to turbos in the V or on the side). This depth , or lardyness, has been well hidden by the stylists.

I hadn't noticed that - will now have a look with interest...