Evora 5* Evo car review to Emira 4*

[Magicman]

Whilst other than the obvious I think in general Emira reviews have been solid, but....
This month's evo has a review on the original Evora where it gives it 5 stars (Emira 4*) and reminds us it beat a gt3 to car of the year on launch.
I think this is the reception we expected for the emira but didn't get.

 

[JimH]

Whilst agreeing with the content I read that "retrospective" review as just another (suspiciously-timed) dig at the Emira......

 

[Leonard]

Whilst agreeing with the content read that "retrospective" review as just another (suspiciously-timed) dig at the Emira......

They obviously feel the need to do it though which is a concern...

 

[Leonard]

Not sure if this is allowed...
Go buy the magazine as well its the best car magazine out there

 

[frazzer]

The early Evora has really held it's value

 

[Lotustoronto]

Not sure if this is allowed...
Go buy the magazine as well its the best car magazine out there

Was this Jethro?

 

[Leonard]

Was this Jethro?

No John Barker
Basically concludes that this 2014 car is as pure as it gets and finds it surprising the Emira hasn't moved the game on (words to that affect)

 

[TomE]

I'm surprised and a little concerned. Everything they've written about the Evora reflects my experience of owning one. So if they say the Evora is better in crucial areas of steering, ride and dynamics, that isn't what we expected for the Emira. We knew there would be some compromises in order to make it more liveable as a daily car, but not to the extent of blunting these attributes.

 

[vantage]

On one hand, they are also saying the original base Evora is superior to the GT430, so part of it is that time moves on and priorities change (i.e. grip and performance becomes the priority). It also reflects a subjective component on what makes a good car.

On the other hand, I do feel like Lotus had tried to make the Emira all things to all people. Looking forward to driving one, but seeing less and less reason to sell my GT4 for one until the more special variants are released. But driving will be the test.

 

[ADC]

Argh!! Just let us drive one already, so we can make up our own minds how awesome / blasphemous the damn thing is!!!

 

[kratedisease]

Not sure if this is allowed...
Go buy the magazine as well its the best car magazine out there

Thank you, that Rag-azine is not sold in USA

 

[ksegg]

It is an actual FAIR, unbiased review, or is it yet another review spouting "HEY BUY A PORSCHE!" nonsense?

 

[Leonard]

It is an actual FAIR, unbiased review, or is it yet another review spouting "HEY BUY A PORSCHE!" nonsense?

Don't see how it's Porsche biased when they voted it the better car over the equivalent 911 of the time lol

 

[ksegg]

Don't see how it's Porsche biased when they voted it the better car over the equivalent 911 of the time lol

lol lies all lies.

 

[Rudolph]

No John Barker
Basically concludes that this 2014 car is as pure as it gets and finds it surprising the Emira hasn't moved the game on (words to that affect)

* * * * *
@ Leonard
Many thanks for the magazine attachments.......!!!
Regards, Ruud

 

[emiraspain]

I'm surprised and a little concerned. Everything they've written about the Evora reflects my experience of owning one. So if they say the Evora is better in crucial areas of steering, ride and dynamics, that isn't what we expected for the Emira. We knew there would be some compromises in order to make it more liveable as a daily car, but not to the extent of blunting these attributes.

I really hope you get to test drive the car soon, for your own sake.....
I've not had the evora experience you and many others have had, but it will be the same kind of question as 981 owners asked themselves when the 718 gt4/spyders came out... Would I change? Granted the emira should be a much bigger step in terms of looks and quality than the 718, where looks didnt change much at all and quality, same recipe as ever. However, in terms of everything else, even the seats possible, the Evora may well be the better car...... So would you divorce your xx year old for a better looking, healthier younger model.....
Will be interesting.... I personally do not think you will enjoy it as much, close, but not quite, and as they say, not a step forward at all in these aspects.

 

[hagen111]

LOVE this review…and it makes me miss my lovely Exige V6 which I sold to get an Emira when reading it. Such a sharp car, lovely to drive. But they were failures when looking at numbers sold. So Emira needed to be milder, more attractive to larger crowds. So that’s what we get. They have not tried to copy Evora and/or Exige…as that didn’t make sense.

However…most components are still there and I am confident new Emira can be made sharper and made into a modern Evora with modern looks and matching interior.

 

[Lotustoronto]

I really hope you get to test drive the car soon, for your own sake.....
I've not had the evora experience you and many others have had, but it will be the same kind of question as 981 owners asked themselves when the 718 gt4/spyders came out... Would I change? Granted the emira should be a much bigger step in terms of looks and quality than the 718, where looks didnt change much at all and quality, same recipe as ever. However, in terms of everything else, even the seats possible, the Evora may well be the better car...... So would you divorce your xx year old for a better looking, healthier younger model.....
Will be interesting.... I personally do not think you will enjoy it as much, close, but not quite, and as they say, not a step forward at all in these aspects.

I think the build quality, looks, fit and finish, materials are all way above the Evora. Driving dynamics just due to the weight gain compared the last outgoing Models will be tough to get spot on. I do think it will be just damn close enough tho. The difference between the Evora GT/400 and Emira can't be that different. It shares many similarities. I will have to agree with Harry and Chris Harris on this one, same Lotus formula wearing a designer scarf. If you drive them back to back, I am sure the 140 KG extra weight would be noticeable, but worth the penalty. I will be trying to get the lightest spec to combat this as much as possible, but even then I expect it to weigh more than the light weight evora's spec's.

This chassis I am sure was developed for the i4 to pull closer to 450 BHP, with that in mind that version will be out soon enough. With no manual it's not what I want. However, as for feel, speed, track and modern power deliver that will certainly be the 5 star Evo review we all expect. Realistically, they can't give the 400 BHP V6 manual a 5 star review when they know the bigger HP version is around the corner.

 

[Porter]

I'm surprised and a little concerned. Everything they've written about the Evora reflects my experience of owning one. So if they say the Evora is better in crucial areas of steering, ride and dynamics, that isn't what we expected for the Emira. We knew there would be some compromises in order to make it more liveable as a daily car, but not to the extent of blunting these attributes.

I'm with you Tom. Honestly it feels like some simple demo car program mis-management to me. There's just too much inconsistency in the reporting on different press cars in terms of feel, performance, dynamics, etc. It's absolutely all over the map, and I can't chalk that up to preconceived notions. I honestly think that some of those cars were simply not operating properly.

That's reinforced within some of the reviews themselves where they talk about different individual cars having totally different suspension, steering, and braking feel, including repeated reports of a "dead spot" at the top of the brake pedal. That stuff just doesn't happen repeatedly on tightly managed press fleets, they should be doing maintenance and adjustments to ensure consistent operation and performance after every loan-out.

Hell, the early "sneak peek" drive reports from Hethel were more positive about the dynamics than later reports using newly-appeared cars that should have been further along in development and refinement, and yet the opposite seems to have been true. That surely can't be objectively the case, unless they just didn't have fully-built cars to provide at all, and to meet their date-definite press obligations they had to fudge the whole thing with ~80%-to-target press mules that they knew were not at all dynamically production-equivalent? That seems like it would be self-sabotage, but it's the only thing that I can think of that explains the experience gaps and inconsistencies.

 

[Jonhklee]

To be honest, I don’t care. 2014 lens looking at a 2014 car = 5*.
2022 lens looking at 2014 based car plus update = 4*. That’s fair. It’s not like the Emira is a ground up new car. Still where is the bloody AMG version!!!