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!
It does get the job done though. At least you drove one -- I bought mine sight unseen, firsrt day I drove it was delivery at cars and coffee. needless to say, 1200 miles in now and love it more every day.
