Hello and seeking advice

[Lostcomm]

Hello!
I'm in Florida and looking hard at an Emira. I've never purchased this type of vehicle - is it similar to any other car or is it "here's the price, take it or leave?"
What are lead times running these days? Anyone want to discourage daily driving?
Thanks!
Lostcomm

 

[netsinah]

Welcome to the Forum!

You may find better answers by searching other posts on this Forum about pricing, however there was a post not too long ago mentioning a US dealer offering $2,500 off MSRP for a new Emira, which it was selling off its lot. People's reaction seemed to be they'd prefer to get one with their individual specs, rather than save money on something that's less than their ideal. I don't know if that's unique for certain States and I'd suggest like always, you "shop around" since you can easily transport a car to Florida from elsewhere, if you're looking to get one w/o waiting for it and prepared to pay the ship cost for that privilege. That said, in general it seems like the initial "buyer frenzy" lustre has started to wear off. I was expecting a healthy demand to keep up, since there aren't many mid-engine standard transmission sport cars, with the Emira "looks", in its price range. I suspect the softening economy has had an impact, likely also impacted by the time of year, although you may not have the same seasonal interest in sport cars in Florida, compared to other States.

You haven't specified which Emira you're looking for. My comments above pertain to the V6 supercharged version, rather than the V4 turbos which were released long afterwards, so there may still be more demand for the turbo. Some prefer the V6 whereas others like the turbo.

All this depends upon what's happening in your area and I'd suggest you look at local dealers, then expand your research to ones closest...then continue going further away if you choose to go that far. And it never hurts to "make an offer" if you're looking to order one at less than MSRP.

Lead times have shortened but I'll let someone from your area weigh in on that.

I daily drive my Emira (except in cold/snowy Winter in my area), as with all my sport cars. Whether you do or not, is a matter of personal preference. I think the Emira lends itself well to being a daily driver, especially for a Lotus, with the Emira being far more "everyday-driver-friendly" with all its options and nicer interior finish, which is different for Lotus compared to its previous models. Daily driving also depends upon the suspension you choose, with some that drive in areas with potholes or poor roads, more prone to go insane with the stiffer sport suspension. But again, it's what you'd prefer: others may be fine with that stiffer suspension and the more track-oriented Cup2 tires because "it's a sport car". I wouldn't be happy risking the Cup2 tires, when daily driving and encountering rain, but that's just me. Whether you daily drive, may also depend upon how comfortable you find the Emira seats, your age and if you've got (for example) back problems. I find the OEM seats really nice, but others are posting their preference for after-market seats like the ones made by Tillett (sold by GRP...being Greg's Race Parts...or sold by others) although those seats get rid of the OEM electrical adjustments and OEM heated seats. Once again, it's what works best for you.

Finally, there's a lot of posts on this Forum giving you different perspectives on the sport vs touring choice, which you may want to read before making that basic choice. Good luck!

 

[djprov431]

You have what most others don't -- dealers.

 

[Beachbum]

I holiday in Florida a lot and always wondered why I saw more Lotus there than in the UK, you have 5 deallers !!! I believe you might be getting a 6th in Sarasota soon too
You have a better dealer density than a lot of the UK

 

[Nova]

Hello!
I'm in Florida and looking hard at an Emira. I've never purchased this type of vehicle - is it similar to any other car or is it "here's the price, take it or leave?"
What are lead times running these days? Anyone want to discourage daily driving?
Thanks!
Lostcomm

Most dealers will be "take it or leave it" at MSRP, although I would *NOT* pay anything over MSRP. If you can get a discount on one, jump on it - typically it will be an "odd" specification, such as unpopular color combinations.

I believe brand new orders are getting quoted delivery in late 2025 and early 2026. You'd have to check with a dealer on this. It will also depend on the configuration you want (V6 Manual, V6 Auto, I4).

It can be daily driven, but you just have to be certain that's what you want. It's not a relaxing car to drive.

 

[djprov431]

I would strongly disagree with "not a relaxing car to drive" -- this car is a dream to drive, perfectly planted and power on demand...engage cruise control at 85 mph in 6th gear on the hwy and it's silky smooth. My ONLY legit complaint to date is driver / passenger window noise above 100mph - not impressed with that whatsoever.

 

[crestima]

I would strongly disagree with "not a relaxing car to drive" -- this car is a dream to drive, perfectly planted and power on demand...engage cruise control at 85 mph in 6th gear on the hwy and it's silky smooth. My ONLY legit complaint to date is driver / passenger window noise above 100mph - not impressed with that whatsoever.

I'd agree that for a sports car, it's no less relaxing than any other I've driven and, IMO, its two main virtues, among others, that make it a relaxing ride, are the interior's airy greenhouse effect with great forward visibility and the side mirrors which provide such good lateral viewing to the extent that I don't even miss the blind spot detection system I have on my other cars.
I haven't really experienced that passenger side wind noise, but then again, my right foot is much lighter than yours and presumably, unlike you, I don't have a state trooper in the family.

 

[Pegasi]

I would strongly disagree with "not a relaxing car to drive" -- this car is a dream to drive, perfectly planted and power on demand...engage cruise control at 85 mph in 6th gear on the hwy and it's silky smooth. My ONLY legit complaint to date is driver / passenger window noise above 100mph - not impressed with that whatsoever.

Well there will be constant attention for a DD. It just depends on what kind of person you are but that wouldn't be "relaxing to me."

 

[djprov431]

I'd agree that for a sports car, it's no less relaxing than any other I've driven and, IMO, its two main virtues, among others, that make it a relaxing ride, are the interior's airy greenhouse effect with great forward visibility and the side mirrors which provide such good lateral viewing to the extent that I don't even miss the blind spot detection system I have on my other cars.
I haven't really experienced that passenger side wind noise, but then again, my right foot is much lighter than yours and presumably, unlike you, I don't have a state trooper in the family.

Ha! How can you not do the occasional bursts of speed in this car? I don't have a trooper in the family, but I do love my Uniden R7 -- money well spent! You know Lotus didn't put that USB socket in the mirror for a dash cam! LOL

 

[Blackthought_]

Ha! How can you not do the occasional bursts of speed in this car? I don't have a trooper in the family, but I do love my Uniden R7 -- money well spent! You know Lotus didn't put that USB socket in the mirror for a dash cam! LOL
View attachment 55811

How does this work? You just plug the radar detector into the USB port? Does it turn on/off automatically?

 

[djprov431]

How does this work? You just plug the radar detector into the USB port? Does it turn on/off automatically?

I'm not sure if you're joking or not -- but yes, the USB is ignition powered, so when the ignition is on, the radar is on. Depending on the radar you have, you may need an adapter cable, like I did. adapter cable

 

[crestima]

I holiday in Florida a lot and always wondered why I saw more Lotus there than in the UK, you have 5 deallers !!! I believe you might be getting a 6th in Sarasota soon too
You have a better dealer density than a lot of the UK

To be fair, many (probably most) of the dealers here are multi-brand dealers and their Lotus sales volumes are much less significant than their leading brands. That's certainly the case with my local dealer, Prestige Imports of North Miami, which includes Lotus Miami, but it's kept in good company with sales of Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Bugatti, Koenigsegg, Maserati, McLaren, Pagani, Bentley, and Rolls Royce. Not sure if that's the same scenario in the UK, or if the dealers there are exclusively Lotus.

 

[crestima]

Ha! How can you not do the occasional bursts of speed in this car? I don't have a trooper in the family, but I do love my Uniden R7 -- money well spent! You know Lotus didn't put that USB socket in the mirror for a dash cam! LOL
View attachment 55811

I've had detectors in the past, and now once again I've been seriously contemplating getting another. Believe it or not, this past weekend, I got my first speeding ticket in 5 yrs. doing 58mph on a 35 zone on our way to Key West. I asked the trooper if 58mph was also considered speeding on a bicycle, but he had no sense of humor.
What pissed me off wasn't necessarily that I got caught, but that it was with my wife's Lexus SUV. It would've been much more ego-rewarding had I been driving the Emira or 911, both of which were sitting idle in the garage. Ironic.