German Car Guy

[NWFL]

Hey all, I've owned 7 Hypo German cars this millennium with my current 2 being a 2018 Porsche 718 Cayman and a 2021 BMW X3M. After accidently seeing the Emira Launch (while watching a 718 video) on YouTube the day after it happened and then doing a bit of casual research over the next 10 days, I've had my order in for a Emira since 7/17/21...At the time I was #7 at my Florida Lotus Dealership and initially I thought I'd be getting an FE V6 but received an email from my Dealer Jan/Feb this year informing me that I had missed out by 1 (hmmm) but I would be able to tentatively build a V6 Base during the month of July for a tentative delivery Jan/Feb 2023. Once it became apparent that the serious delays were beginning, I opted out of the V6 Base and moved into #4 position at my Dealer on a Emira i4 FE. As of this juncture I really feel for the position that Lotus is currently in and if 1 word could sum things up for me right now it would be PATIENCE.
Best Regards,
Don

 

[NWFL]

Sorry, I meant for this to show up on the intro thread.

 

[Tonyshepp]

Sorry, I meant for this to show up on the intro thread.

Welcome... Buckle up it's a long ride..

 

[NWFL]

Welcome... Buckle up it's a long ride..

Yeah, I know having been in since the beginning last July...But, I also feel fortunate as well.

 

[Eagle7]

Hey all, I've owned 7 Hypo German cars this millennium with my current 2 being a 2018 Porsche 718 Cayman and a 2021 BMW X3M. After accidently seeing the Emira Launch (while watching a 718 video) on YouTube the day after it happened and then doing a bit of casual research over the next 10 days, I've had my order in for a Emira since 7/17/21...At the time I was #7 at my Florida Lotus Dealership and initially I thought I'd be getting an FE V6 but received an email from my Dealer Jan/Feb this year informing me that I had missed out by 1 (hmmm) but I would be able to tentatively build a V6 Base during the month of July for a tentative delivery Jan/Feb 2023. Once it became apparent that the serious delays were beginning, I opted out of the V6 Base and moved into #4 position at my Dealer on a Emira i4 FE. As of this juncture I really feel for the position that Lotus is currently in and if 1 word could sum things up for me right now it would be PATIENCE.
Best Regards,
Don

Welcome to the forum!

 

[NWFL]

Welcome to the forum!

Yeah Thanks, I've read a lot of your stuff...Excellent!... Not to mention the pictures, even more Excellent! Thanks for all you've done so far!

 

[Eagle7]

Yeah Thanks, I've read a lot of your stuff...Excellent!... Not to mention the pictures, even more Excellent! Thanks for all you've done so far!

Oh well... then double welcome lol!

 

[VL3X]

Hey all, I've owned 7 Hypo German cars this millennium with my current 2 being a 2018 Porsche 718 Cayman and a 2021 BMW X3M. After accidently seeing the Emira Launch (while watching a 718 video) on YouTube the day after it happened and then doing a bit of casual research over the next 10 days, I've had my order in for a Emira since 7/17/21...At the time I was #7 at my Florida Lotus Dealership and initially I thought I'd be getting an FE V6 but received an email from my Dealer Jan/Feb this year informing me that I had missed out by 1 (hmmm) but I would be able to tentatively build a V6 Base during the month of July for a tentative delivery Jan/Feb 2023. Once it became apparent that the serious delays were beginning, I opted out of the V6 Base and moved into #4 position at my Dealer on a Emira i4 FE. As of this juncture I really feel for the position that Lotus is currently in and if 1 word could sum things up for me right now it would be PATIENCE.
Best Regards,
Don

Hi Don, welcome to the forum! I've got an early V6 manual FE order in and the wait, delays, and lack of comms has been killer. This is a great forum though.. a good bit of repetition mostly due to the lack of news right now, but we're almost to the finish line! "Soon" we'll be able to talk about our own Emiras and experiences owning them.

How do you like the 718 Cayman? What's the spec?

 

[DaaS]

Welcome. I also randomly saw the Emira unveiling video on YouTube and placed the deposit in July. I did receive an allocation for a V6 FE and had to submit my specs few months ago. Which dealership are you working with? I am also a Floridian.

 

[NWFL]

Hi Don, welcome to the forum! I've got an early V6 manual FE order in and the wait, delays, and lack of comms has been killer. This is a great forum though.. a good bit of repetition mostly due to the lack of news right now, but we're almost to the finish line! "Soon" we'll be able to talk about our own Emiras and experiences owning them.

How do you like the 718 Cayman? What's the spec?

Yeah Thanks, when I missed out on the V6 FE I was a little bummed for about 5 minutes. Then I figured getting a V6 Base might be a good thing whereas Lotus would potentially have some of the bugs worked out by then and also being able to spec it out the way I wanted to would be fun too. But, when the delays began I moved my order over to the i4, which also has its merits. Then when the youtube reviews started coming out on the V6 (especially the 6 speed transmision) I'm pretty happy with my decision so far. Gonna be a longer wait, but in the meantime I still have the 718, which to answer your question is a Base 6 speed with over 16k in options (none of which add additional weight except maybe the extended range fuel tank) weighing in at just over 2900 lbs. and its lightest format...It is an outstanding car in its own right, but in the end I think/hope I will like the Emira i4 even more.

Prior to joing I had seen several of your comments here and I think a read how you spec'd your Emira, but of course can't remember so I'm wondering which chasis and tires you went for?

 

[NWFL]

Welcome. I also randomly saw the Emira unveiling video on YouTube and placed the deposit in July. I did receive an allocation for a V6 FE and had to submit my specs few months ago. Which dealership are you working with? I am also a Floridian.

Hey Thanks! Yeah, that YT sidebar really knows what to hit you with doesn't it...Last thing I expected to see when watching a 718 video was a new Lotus (especially one that looked like a baby 488), which turned out to be a really nice surprise. I guess there are quite a few Floridians around here too...My dealer is the one in Jacksonville and being that I am over on the Panhandle they were they closest by default. How about you, which one? Good to see you got your order in and I am wondering which chassis and tires you choose? And of course, will look forward to your eventual thoughts on the car.

 

[Mctaff]

Welcome!

I also randomly heard about the unveiling… dithered for 12 hours then put my deposit down the morning of goodwood.

My emira arrived on time as promised in late June, and I’ve been hooning around the Cotswolds ever since

 

[TomE]

Welcome to the forum and the watch party - it gets a bit rowdy sometimes as discussions flare up about the smallest details or frustrations about the delays and lack of comms. Hopefully we're not too far away now from having actual cars to drive, look at and talk about.

It sounds like the YouTube algorithms worked in Lotus' favour on reveal day!

You've got a while until you'll need to spec your car but have you reached any conclusions yet on what you'll choose?

 

[VL3X]

Yeah Thanks, when I missed out on the V6 FE I was a little bummed for about 5 minutes. Then I figured getting a V6 Base might be a good thing whereas Lotus would potentially have some of the bugs worked out by then and also being able to spec it out the way I wanted to would be fun too. But, when the delays began I moved my order over to the i4, which also has its merits. Then when the youtube reviews started coming out on the V6 (especially the 6 speed transmision) I'm pretty happy with my decision so far. Gonna be a longer wait, but in the meantime I still have the 718, which to answer your question is a Base 6 speed with over 16k in options (none of which add additional weight except maybe the extended range fuel tank) weighing in at just over 2900 lbs. and its lightest format...It is an outstanding car in its own right, but in the end I think/hope I will like the Emira i4 even more.

Prior to joing I had seen several of your comments here and I think a read how you spec'd your Emira, but of course can't remember so I'm wondering which chasis and tires you went for?

Nice! I was saving for a 981 GT4 for a couple years, before the pandemic used-car market went crazy. Then the Emira was revealed.... I still love the Caymans and 911s. In fact I helped a couple friends purchase a white 981 GT4 manual and a really nice black 3.8 GTS PDK a few months ago that I've been living vicariously through.

I specced sport chassis with the Goodyear Super Sports for my Emira. Despite the recent on-track YouTube reviews, I feel fairly confident it was a good choice for my needs. I prefer stiffer rides with less body roll and typically upgrade the suspension on all my past sportscars. But I also wanted to be able to drive the car as much as possible year around, take the occasional road trip, and will only be on track with it once or twice a year (I'd rather throw my MK7 GTI around the track since maintenance is much less expensive).

 

[NWFL]

Welcome!

I also randomly heard about the unveiling… dithered for 12 hours then put my deposit down the morning of goodwood.

My emira arrived on time as promised in late June, and I’ve been hooning around the Cotswolds ever since

 

[NWFL]

Right!

 

[NWFL]

Welcome to the forum and the watch party - it gets a bit rowdy sometimes as discussions flare up about the smallest details or frustrations about the delays and lack of comms. Hopefully we're not too far away now from having actual cars to drive, look at and talk about.

It sounds like the YouTube algorithms worked in Lotus' favour on reveal day!

You've got a while until you'll need to spec your car but have you reached any conclusions yet on what you'll choose?

Thanks Tom, it's a pretty crazy world nowadays and the delays are happening all over the industry as I'm sure you know. I'm used to it and have a couple nice vehicles with low miles to keep me going so I'll just enjoy the wait on the FE i4.

Yeah, YT was all over it during the reveal...I was watching a video comparing the 718 Cayman to the new Supra and the BMW M2 and on the sidebar there was a short version of the reveal from the day before. At first, I don't know which stuck out more the Emira or Helen Stanleys green sneakers, lol...All kidding aside I then watched the video, and the rest is history for now.

I had originally spec'd a V6 with sport chassis and Goodyears thinking that it would be the sweet spot for street use. I never got to put the order in so at the time was still up in the air on everything else and kind of still am, although pretty sure on the DV with BA and YS and yellow steering wheel marker (nice you can get this with i4 FE) or Magma with BA, RS and red marker. DC wheels but not sure about the calipers yet. My dealer has a V6 Demo on order that is Hethel Yellow, BA, YS and DC wheels with the yellow calipers so seeing it live will help out a lot with my final decisions especially if I go the DV route...If I don't like the Alcantara I can switch to the leather.

I've read several of your posts here and in one saw you are getting the touring suspension with the Goodyears for your driving purposes with the Emira...I'm looking forward to your eventual review of the way the car handles with the setup you have chosen and of course wondering what else you have chosen as your spec.

 

[DaaS]

Hey Thanks! Yeah, that YT sidebar really knows what to hit you with doesn't it...Last thing I expected to see when watching a 718 video was a new Lotus (especially one that looked like a baby 488), which turned out to be a really nice surprise. I guess there are quite a few Floridians around here too...My dealer is the one in Jacksonville and being that I am over on the Panhandle they were they closest by default. How about you, which one? Good to see you got your order in and I am wondering which chassis and tires you choose? And of course, will look forward to your eventual thoughts on the car.

Lotus of Jacksonville is my local dealership, but I ordered at Lotus of Orlando. No regrets. Back in July 2021, Lotus of Jacksonville was guaranteeing me a FE slot if I put down a non-refundable deposit of $5K, while other Lotus dealerships couldn’t guarantee it. Ultimately I just didn’t feel comfortable with them. I own a 2021 Evora GT so I still go to Lotus of Jacksonville for service.

I ordered a V6 FE, manual, sports suspension, cup 2, secena blue, black pack, black wheels, yellow calipers. Inside is alcantara with yellow stitch.

 

[NWFL]

Nice! I was saving for a 981 GT4 for a couple years, before the pandemic used-car market went crazy. Then the Emira was revealed.... I still love the Caymans and 911s. In fact I helped a couple friends purchase a white 981 GT4 manual and a really nice black 3.8 GTS PDK a few months ago that I've been living vicariously through.

I specced sport chassis with the Goodyear Super Sports for my Emira. Despite the recent on-track YouTube reviews, I feel fairly confident it was a good choice for my needs. I prefer stiffer rides with less body roll and typically upgrade the suspension on all my past sportscars. But I also wanted to be able to drive the car as much as possible year around, take the occasional road trip, and will only be on track with it once or twice a year (I'd rather throw my MK7 GTI around the track since maintenance is much less expensive).

Yeah, my 718 is nice for what it is although a little underpowered compared to its fellow 718's and my past 2004 E46 M3 but adding octane booster and fuel injector cleaner with every gas dosage helps with that quite a bit. Really makes the Sport Exhaust come to life too. Easy to drive and a lot of fun would be my overall impression of it.

I spoke with my local Porsche dealer last weekend after they had contacted me in regard to trading it in on a new car, so I asked the salesperson how long it would take to get a new ordered 718 GTS 6 speed nowadays but have not heard back yet so I'm gonna call another Porsche dealer that I've done business with and ask the same question this coming week. I was also informed local dealer that Porsche had to move a wire harness manufacturing facility from Ukraine to Poland and that had slowed things down considerably. They also had 10 cars on the cargo ship that sank off Portugal on 3/1/22 and have not received replacements as of yet with no estimated delivery date either. And they have 10 or 11 911's on backorder as well. So, IMO waiting on an Emira i4 FE isn't such a bad thing.

I had spec'd my V6 chassis the same way you have and as I mentioned to Tom E earlier, I think it is the sweet spot for street use...From what I've seen the Goodyears aren't recommended for track use and probably will wear out rather quickly if used for such. I'll be very interested to see your take on the chassis and 6 speed and of course the entire car. Looking like sometime next year for you and over a year for me to even choose my i4 FE options. I bet that GTI is a lot of fun too! I just put up a pic of my 718 for you to see as well.

 

[VL3X]

From what I've seen the Goodyears aren't recommended for track use and probably will wear out rather quickly

I've seen Cup2s wear out extremely quickly as well! Depends how much you are sliding around I guess.

The GTI is a blast at the track! I actually took it to a Skip Barber HPDE day bone stock (including the terrible OEM Hankook tires) and she did alright (or course I wasn't pushing it too hard). Eventually I upgraded some parts and went back to the track a few times with Firestone Indy500 tires and it made a huge difference. Still managed to sling some rubber into my spokes, but traction was much improved and my bigger issues was brake fade by the last session.

The 718 base features the 2.5L flat 4 turbo engine, correct? I know the purists insist on the flat 6 NA for that signature Porsche exhaust note, but I had a blast driving the turbo 4 one day. Dare I say more so than the 981 GT4. Especially around town and on the back roads.. the turbo engine just has so much torque down low and I found the GT4 doesn't necessarily shine until it's revved up and performing at it's limits on track. For a daily or weekend toy, I'd take the 2.5T all day! I'm also a little biased because I love my forced induction toys and their tunability is unmatched.