Emira Test Drive by Forum Member

[JXJ]

I had the chance to attend the Lotus Academy event this morning and drove the sport and tour variants around the Lotus test track. I’ll cut to the chase the car is fantastic. The handling of both the sport and tour were excellent. For track the sport setup felt tighter and better resolved, and very flat through turns, the car hides it weight well, direction changes reminiscent of my V6 Exige. The engine felt strong and the gear change for me was excellent. The Tour variant had more body role and less front end grip (under steer) when pushing through the tighter corners. I also noticed the tour felt less stable under hard braking, but this is probably more tyre related. For both variants I used the tour and sport settings didn’t have the opportunity to use race. As said above the car is fantastic I don’t think anyone will be disappointed, can’t wait for mine to arrive.
A side note I have ordered Dark Verdant, today was the first time I have seen the colour in person on an actual car, it is dark, darker than I expected, I still love it some pictures below.

 

[dgrace]

This is the single most informative post in weeks. Thanks for sharing the info and photos!

 

[Mctaff]

Jealous jealous jealous!!!!

 

[_w_]

Fantastic to drive, and great instruction, really hard to photograph, had a blast this morning! Concentrating on the DV pics as they’re scarce…

 

[klho001]

Cue the "I'm so glad I chose the sport suspension" comments

 

[duff]

Thanks for all the pics and information. DV does seem very dark.

Were you prevented from using race mode?

Are these production spec or still pre prod cars?

 

[ChrisJ]

Thanks for posting. Did the DV look green at all even though the pics all look pretty much black?

 

[_w_]

Thanks for all the pics and information. DV does seem very dark.

Were you prevented from using race mode?

Are these production spec or still pre prod cars?

Everyone who didn’t know it was green thought it was black...
Not prevented from changing mode, just didn’t ask (not sure if anyone else did).
The description was ‘production with some parts missing so we didn’t have to cancel today’, driving wise it’s production, only thing I noticed missing was an engine cover but I wasn’t scouring

 

[Markc]

I had the chance to attend the Lotus Academy event this morning and drove the sport and tour variants around the Lotus test track. I’ll cut to the chase the car is fantastic. The handling of both the sport and tour were excellent. For track the sport setup felt tighter and better resolved, and very flat through turns, the car hides it weight well, direction changes reminiscent of my V6 Exige. The engine felt strong and the gear change for me was excellent. The Tour variant had more body role and less front end grip (under steer) when pushing through the tighter corners. I also noticed the tour felt less stable under hard braking, but this is probably more tyre related. For both variants I used the tour and sport settings didn’t have the opportunity to use race. As said above the car is fantastic I don’t think anyone will be disappointed, can’t wait for mine to arrive.
A side note I have ordered Dark Verdant, today was the first time I have seen the colour in person on an actual car, it is dark, darker than I expected, I still love it some pictures below.

Just seen this on FB forum. Did you meet Neil Shaw?
Went to Classic Team Lotus today a great tour with most of the F1 cars Lotus produced took the chance to look through the main gates at the factory and sneak a photo of two Emiras. Then towards the end of the tour a guy joined from having been driving an Emira on the half day track experience - did not get a chance to talk the detail but he loved the car and how it drove. He had driven both touring and sport set ups. Did not ask but assume only the V6. I am going next Friday on the full day experience - can’t wait.

 

[VL3X]

I had the chance to attend the Lotus Academy event this morning and drove the sport and tour variants around the Lotus test track. I’ll cut to the chase the car is fantastic. The handling of both the sport and tour were excellent. For track the sport setup felt tighter and better resolved, and very flat through turns, the car hides it weight well, direction changes reminiscent of my V6 Exige. The engine felt strong and the gear change for me was excellent. The Tour variant had more body role and less front end grip (under steer) when pushing through the tighter corners. I also noticed the tour felt less stable under hard braking, but this is probably more tyre related. For both variants I used the tour and sport settings didn’t have the opportunity to use race. As said above the car is fantastic I don’t think anyone will be disappointed, can’t wait for mine to arrive.
A side note I have ordered Dark Verdant, today was the first time I have seen the colour in person on an actual car, it is dark, darker than I expected, I still love it some pictures below.

I really like the silver calipers there! Looks amazing with the black wheels and DV. Thank for for the feedback and I'm extremely glad to hear the shifts felt excellent.

Can't wait for my chance to finally drive one!

 

[TomE]

Thanks for the updates and pictures, great to read. We all hoped (some of us believed!) it would be a great drive but it’s reassuring to have feedback from people other than journalists.

Important question: what did you think of the seats?

And to pre-empt the upcoming Sports vs Touring debate, it’s no great surprise the Sports + Cup2s setup works better on track at Hethel, as that’s exactly the use case it’s designed for. Remember Harry ordered Sports for his Emira after a passenger ride round Hethel, then switched to Touring after driving both variants on his typical UK B-roads. But don’t let that stop us from continuing the debate!

 

[JXJ]

Thanks for the updates and pictures, great to read. We all hoped (some of us believed!) it would be a great drive but it’s reassuring to have feedback from people other than journalists.

Important question: what did you think of the seats?

And to pre-empt the upcoming Sports vs Touring debate, it’s no great surprise the Sports + Cup2s setup works better on track at Hethel, as that’s exactly the use case it’s designed for. Remember Harry ordered Sports for his Emira after a passenger ride round Hethel, then switched to Touring after driving both variants on his typical UK B-roads. But don’t let that stop us from continuing the debate!

Tom the seats were good and held me place, I didn’t get a chance to test leather seats, my rides all alcantara. I forgot to mention driving position for me was great I am 5’9”, a lot of adjustability I am sure most sizes can get comfortable. The car wrapped around you it felt very good.

 

[_w_]

I said they thought it was black not green, I should have said presumed. It’s very light dependent, definitively green at times, lots of reflections too making the photography more complicated. My choice was Seneca before and still is, the DV is like incognito green

I thought the seats were great, very supportive, but I should say I haven’t owned a car like this before for finer comparisons. I’m 6’, long body short legs, fit fine without a helmet, had to lay the seat quite far back with.

The track’s a lovely surface so sport felt great, I’d still go tour for the real world and it was still confidence inspiring (to me ).

 

[EspritGuy]

This is the single most informative post in weeks. Thanks for sharing the info and photos!

Ditto..
And not one comment so far on wheel gap.
Thank goodness.

 

[Guest142]

I had the chance to attend the Lotus Academy event this morning and drove the sport and tour variants around the Lotus test track. I’ll cut to the chase the car is fantastic. The handling of both the sport and tour were excellent. For track the sport setup felt tighter and better resolved, and very flat through turns, the car hides it weight well, direction changes reminiscent of my V6 Exige. The engine felt strong and the gear change for me was excellent. The Tour variant had more body role and less front end grip (under steer) when pushing through the tighter corners. I also noticed the tour felt less stable under hard braking, but this is probably more tyre related. For both variants I used the tour and sport settings didn’t have the opportunity to use race. As said above the car is fantastic I don’t think anyone will be disappointed, can’t wait for mine to arrive.
A side note I have ordered Dark Verdant, today was the first time I have seen the colour in person on an actual car, it is dark, darker than I expected, I still love it some pictures below.

Thank you for posting your impressions. Question for you, did the touring version have too much body role in your opinion?

 

[Lotustoronto]

I had the chance to attend the Lotus Academy event this morning and drove the sport and tour variants around the Lotus test track. I’ll cut to the chase the car is fantastic. The handling of both the sport and tour were excellent. For track the sport setup felt tighter and better resolved, and very flat through turns, the car hides it weight well, direction changes reminiscent of my V6 Exige. The engine felt strong and the gear change for me was excellent. The Tour variant had more body role and less front end grip (under steer) when pushing through the tighter corners. I also noticed the tour felt less stable under hard braking, but this is probably more tyre related. For both variants I used the tour and sport settings didn’t have the opportunity to use race. As said above the car is fantastic I don’t think anyone will be disappointed, can’t wait for mine to arrive.
A side note I have ordered Dark Verdant, today was the first time I have seen the colour in person on an actual car, it is dark, darker than I expected, I still love it some pictures below.

Great post. Between Harry switching from sport to tour, Schmee switching from sport to tour and then back to sport lol... and now this is a bit more praise on sport again.... Jethro says no need for the tour, sport is compliant enough, and Chris Harris saying the sport was fantastic for UK roads.... Decisions , decisions.

 

[mjw930]

Excellent write up and pictures. That pretty much looks like the samples I saw during the tour in May, it’s only green from some angles and looks more like a metallic black from many angles. I was really settled on DV but I’ve moved back the the grays which is my typical color palette. Really leaning toward Numbus as the contrast to the black packs gives the car pop. The comparison between sport and tour is exactly what I had always figured it would be and since almost all the roads I would be using it on in the SE US makes UK B roads look like cart paths I’m thinking sport and Cup2’s are my cup of tea.

 

[BeHappy]

no customer cars delivered at all - Lotus managed to do 5 cars to production spec for driving academy hum soz yes it’s awesome to be able to drive Emira round track and get feedback and more photos from prospective owners but wouldn’t it of been totally awesome for Lotus to prioritise customers and get 5 cars delivered. Don’t shout me down it’s just the way my little thinks

 

[JXJ]

Thank you for posting your impressions. Question for you, did the touring version have too much body role in your opinion?

Not to much just wasn’t as flat and stable when compared to the sport, rem

 

[TomE]

Great post. Between Harry switching from sport to tour, Schmee switching from sport to tour and then back to sport lol... and now this is a bit more praise on sport again.... Jethro says no need for the tour, sport is compliant enough, and Chris Harris saying the sport was fantastic for UK roads.... Decisions , decisions.

Chris Harris drove a Touring spec car on the road.