First Drive in a UK Full Production Car | Have Lotus now got it right?

[Evotion]

Great vid, thanks! May I ask how tall you are and where you had the seat set within its range of height adjustment as it looks like you are sitting quite high in the car?

5'10" with a 30" inside leg.

As it happens. I only moved the seat back and forward with the electric controls and then played with the lumbar.
I didn't even think to lower or raise the car! I wish I had now. After my italian stallian it did feel that it could have been a bit lower. The Exige, for example, seems a lot lower.

Once moving and enjoying the car it will be another non-issue.

 

[mrmoogee]

Ah, cool, Is that road and track?

test track only I understand, but at least it allows for uninterrupted attention on feel and drive and not "rules of the road" etc.

 

[Leonard]

This is sooooooo frustrating that all this great content is launched on a Monday morning!

Look fwd to catching up in 10 hours... Nice work Ade

 

[Forlorn]

Great vid, thanks! May I ask how tall you are and where you had the seat set within its range of height adjustment as it looks like you are sitting quite high in the car?

Love your presentation and indeed enthusiasm, your comments on the sports suspension is very encouraging, I look forward to a test shortly. Well done and excellent presentation skills, you brought out your opinions brilliantly.

 

[TomE]

This is sooooooo frustrating that all this great content is launched on a Monday morning!

Look fwd to catching up in 10 hours... Nice work Ade

Some people are never satisfied! Complain when it's not published and complain when it is published

Hope you enjoy it ... "soon"

 

[donskibeat]

@Evotion - fantastic video!!!

 

[Evotion]

Thanks, appreciate it.

Starting to think I now wish I had opted for CUP2s and black calipers.

 

[Mctaff]

Great vid, thanks

Itchy feet for my test drive now!!

 

[ADC]

Thanks, appreciate it.

Starting to think I now wish I had opted for CUP2s and black calipers.

Don't forget that it is unseasonably warm here right now... I would expect them to feel like greased weasels on wet roundabouts once we see some lower temperatures!

Great video... your enthusiasm is definitely infectious. To the point that I'm questioning my choice to hold out for the i4. Argh!

 

[Mctaff]

Don't forget that it is unseasonably warm here right now... I would expect them to feel like greased weasels on wet roundabouts once we see some lower temperatures!

Great video... your enthusiasm is definitely infectious. To the point that I'm questioning my choice to hold out for the i4. Argh!

I've never had the pleasure of riding a greased weasel around a wet roundabout.... I'll have to add that to my bucket list!!

 

[ADC]

I've never had the pleasure of riding a greased weasel around a wet roundabout.... I'll have to add that to my bucket list!!

Mate, don't even get me started on how tricky buttered ferrets are!

 

[Mctaff]

Mate, don't even get me started on how tricky buttered ferrets are!

I think you’re after the gerbilling forum!!

 

[CheshireCat]

Great review. Typifies the schoolboy excitement in most of us here. Appreciate the critical analysis of other test drives, but in the end you have to love cars to even consider the Emira and that is what comes across.

I'm with you on the Nimbus with red leather combo which is my specification, guessing March delivery based on July 12th AM order. Anticipation through the roof now. One of many cars ordered with no driving experience and enjoyed every one.

 

[EspritGuy]

I think you’re after the gerbilling forum!!

Back on the Ride Height discussion, are we?

 

[FederGigant]

I did a piece on the KEF and thought it just wasn;t worthy given the microphone on GoPro cameras.

However, I still have it and wish to share it so bear with me. I will get it out and post it today hopefully.

Bottom line... It was 'fine' for the job but lacked big power. I thought the volume button only went half way

Great videos, thank you for the insights! I and many others would love to get to see the KEF part as well

 

[kratedisease]

I did a piece on the KEF

Bottom line... It was 'fine' for the job but lacked big power. I thought the volume button only went half way

seems to me more and more that this EMIRA is half baked, ......low on engine power are many comments from test drivers ,,..... and now this above.........

When a true fanboy like Ade states this, I know its time to move on to something else at this price point.

This EMIRA unfortunately reminds me more and more of the BMW i8. Looks so cool but thats where a lot of it ends.

These lukewarm comments are not helpful. The new car enthusiasm with the ENIRA will only last the first 6-12 months of ownership before reality sets in and one realizes that the car going forward is lukewarm and not HOT as once thought.

So sad and disappointing,

 

[emiraspain]

seems to me more and more that this EMIRA is half baked, ......low on engine power are many comments from test drivers ,,..... and now this above.........

When a true fanboy like Ade states this, I know its time to move on to something else at this price point.

This EMIRA unfortunately reminds me more and more of the BMW i8. Looks so cool but thats where a lot of it ends.

These lukewarm comments are not helpful. The new car enthusiasm with the ENIRA will only last the first 6-12 months of ownership before reality sets in and one realizes that the car going forward is lukewarm and not HOT as once thought.

So sad and disappointing,

Not picking on you ... as you are not the only one who is surely going to be disappointed, but I think for several months your mind has been more or less made up, hasn't it? Some on here are in between, Leonard for example, who wants to want the car, but I dont think will enjoy it as much as he hopes he will. You, from what I remember, do enjoy your track days and seem to know a lot more re suspension set ups than I do about implants and I worked at a strip club for well over a year (is that true?).
In reality, its relatively easy to see who this car suits in here and who it doesn't and the point has been made several times that this version really isn't going to be the "best" one for those wanting to get the very most out of it dynamically IMO. This version is the, I want a cool car to show my friends, to turn up in, to go to lunch in, the main stream base version. This version is the Sunday drive without a big risk of coming into physical contact with a hedge version, without spinning the wheels in 3rd, not the oooops, that roundabout / island ...was slippy, nearly lost it there. It's the version for those who know they were settled for by their partners.... sorry....off topic.... haha.
But seriously, as Eagle keeps saying, it is supposedly a 60k car, and thats base cayman with a decent spec stereo and a bit of leather thrown around. Porsche's Bose is not great at all IMO, but yes "we" had high hopes for Kef, but it would seem as if they are unjustified in a big way... No one has said, wow.... top top top... general consensus is average and as a probable 2k extra, thats not good enough!
Many people on here should get something else or wait and spend more on the hot version Emira, but know that even the hot version will not be even close to a 9/10 in many aspects. The stereo is a given, the side bolstering on the seats not the best and needs bucket type seats for serious track work, the knobs and info entertainment are not going to improve during the life of the car, never mind on the hot version.... they are Alpine type quality at best and not German. It is what it is...... For Evotion to say it has Bentley interior quality..... that in many ways sums up his enthusiasm, which is great and has to be otherwise he has no youtube channel success, but like CS...maybe a touch of salt is needed . If he was as dry and, glass almost certainly empty like me, he'd not have xxxxx thousand subscribers .
in the US you have many other options.... for the price...why waste more time on the "base" version...

 

[Leonard]

Not picking on you ... as you are not the only one who is surely going to be disappointed, but I think for several months your mind has been more or less made up, hasn't it? Some on here are in between, Leonard for example, who wants to want the car, but I dont think will enjoy it as much as he hopes he will. You, from what I remember, do enjoy your track days and seem to know a lot more re suspension set ups than I do about implants and I worked at a strip club for well over a year (is that true?).
In reality, its relatively easy to see who this car suits in here and who it doesn't and the point has been made several times that this version really isn't going to be the "best" one for those wanting to get the very most out of it dynamically IMO. This version is the, I want a cool car to show my friends, to turn up in, to go to lunch in, the main stream base version. This version is the Sunday drive without a big risk of coming into physical contact with a hedge version, without spinning the wheels in 3rd, not the oooops, that roundabout / island ...was slippy, nearly lost it there. It's the version for those who know they were settled for by their partners.... sorry....off topic.... haha.
But seriously, as Eagle keeps saying, it is supposedly a 60k car, and thats base cayman with a decent spec stereo and a bit of leather thrown around. Porsche's Bose is not great at all IMO, but yes "we" had high hopes for Kef, but it would seem as if they are unjustified in a big way... No one has said, wow.... top top top... general consensus is average and as a probable 2k extra, thats not good enough!
Many people on here should get something else or wait and spend more on the hot version Emira, but know that even the hot version will not be even close to a 9/10 in many aspects. The stereo is a given, the side bolstering on the seats not the best and needs bucket type seats for serious track work, the knobs and info entertainment are not going to improve during the life of the car, never mind on the hot version.... they are Alpine type quality at best and not German. It is what it is...... For Evotion to say it has Bentley interior quality..... that in many ways sums up his enthusiasm, which is great and has to be otherwise he has no youtube channel success, but like CS...maybe a touch of salt is needed . If he was as dry and, glass almost certainly empty like me, he'd not have xxxxx thousand subscribers .
in the US you have many other options.... for the price...why waste more time on the "base" version...

Can you please stop talking sense it's unnerving.
Glitch on the matrix maybe

 

[CDM1855]

I found myself in the fortunate position of being invited to Hethel to spend a full day being the first person, outside of Lotus staff, to drive a fully finished production car in the UK.

The focus was on the car itself, not issues. I wanted to focus on how the car made me feel. Did it deliver the experience that I was seeking?
Was it indeed the car I believe it was to tick my boxes as a brand new, fit for a purpose, sports car I can drive all day, every day.

Well, the video is below. I make no apologies for me being my usual loud and over-enthusiastic, severe ADHD suffering, passionately mad car enthusiast.

Feel free to ask any specific questions.. We have all seen the car in minute detail so I concentrated on the drive itself but I did fiddle with everything, played with the KEF stereo for 5 minutes and went completely over the car - the car that we will all be getting in the UK.


I will will also post up my other video made on the same day which, amazingly, is the very first time all 6 colours are together and it is VERY interesting and illuminating.

Enjoy! Please support my channel with a sub, a like and, most importantly, comment and let everyone else know what you think about the Emira.
Cheers
Ade

Great review

 

[emiraspain]

Can you please stop talking sense it's unnerving.
Glitch on the matrix maybe

Its a good job, and its also the obvious reason why they dont, reveal the HOT version yet as a fair % would wait for it...
In a video...someone.... maybe head designer or under study, stated their next car...is ready..and working on the following one...
If they have the whole next car ready, its 99% sure they have the tweaked Emira ready, which is NOT a big change...What they dont have, clearly, is approval... but the rest, specs, dynamics, testing... all done.. Im sure!
Thats probably not the car for me as I am anti spoiler, so unless their porosity serves a purpose, apart from saving on materials, then I cant see myself as getting one or wanting one. Also I am not a track animal.....