First impression of my i4 from a current V6 manual owner

[Wiz33]

My i4 arrived a week ago but because it's been constant rain and my sale guy was on vacation. I have not picked it up yet. I did get to drive it for a bit as I was travelling pass my dealer yesterday so I left a bit early and stopped by for a drive. It wasn't as long as I hope since it took them a while to get it from their storage facility and they have to put some gas in. There was a yellow warning triangle probably from sitting around on the delivery trailer and then a 2+ hours software update last week. First impression and one that I was most concerned about was the reports of paddle shift delay reported by some of the reviews from a year ago. I'm happy to say that is no longer a concern. The paddle shift response is quick, maybe not PDK quick but fast enough. The Electric Hydraulic steering feels a bit lighter but still have the same road feel and while I'm not an exhaust person, it does sound pretty good to me when the valve was open in sport mode. Still a lot of rain in the forecast but I'll get all the paperwork done later this week and will take it to PPF when we have a dry day. The Magma Red in some of the pics is my current V6 manual.

 

[gdotp]

I like the red seats….well done. I played it safe and went with black with yellow stitching but I think I prefer yours

 

[Aero]

So you're planning to keep both of them?

 

[Rayjoedef]

My dealer told me they are getting V6 trades for the I4.....

 

[Six Speed Stephen]

My dealer told me they are getting V6 trades for the I4.....

Did they say why? Were they manuals?

 

[Rayjoedef]

My sales guy is over the moon with the i4....I'm awaiting delivery so I can't comment. The hp/tq numbers are compelling I guess

 

[Wiz33]

So you're planning to keep both of them?

I had always intended to get both as they're the last ICE from Lotus. I missed the FE V6 allocation so I ordered an i4 in Sept 2023 with intention to order a final production run V6 MT in a few years. Then I chanced upon an Orphaned V6 MT with the exact spec I wanted last April and I grabbed it. The i4 is actually a better daily in Silicon Valley weekday traffic which also keeps the miles down on the V6 as I think the V6 MT will have some collector's value in the long run.

 

[Wiz33]

I like the red seats….well done. I played it safe and went with black with yellow stitching but I think I prefer yours

Silver with Red interior has been a classic combo in a lot of European cars. It reminded me of a Renault that my family had when I was a kid long long time ago