How good will the Emira's gain in value be?

[netsinah]

I don't know about you, but when I see the thread entitled "How bad will the Emira depreciation be?" pop up from time to time on this Forum, I take this and some of the comments in the thread, as being too negative and focused on the short term. I know I know; it's a neutral title so I'm likely overly sensitive. However I really like my Emira, as do others who see and ride in it. I think it deserves more praise. Sure, it got off to a less than stellar launch, with production delays and some quality control issues. However those can be expected with a lower production-run vehicle and the issues seem to have been largely ironed out over time, resulting in some owners like me (driving the "second generation" V6) not experiencing any vehicle problems. No, even these newer builds aren't perfect, however unless you're talking about a Lexus/Toyota or Acura/Honda vehicle, most other vehicle manufacturers have their fair share of quality control issues. That said, read the reviews on the Lexus LS 500 for the past few years...

IMO the Emira:

1. LOOKS FANTASTIC and if nothing else, all reviewers seem to agree on that.
2. HANDLES "LIKE A LOTUS" so it maintains the Lotus reputation for cornering and that old-fashioned more raw-feeling true sport car drive.
3. Is a readily-usable "daily driver" with its enhanced interior, plentiful options (for Lotus) and wider stance.
4. May appreciate over time, with the purported advent of electric vehicles (now delayed, soon to be replaced with hybrids?) and due to #1 and #2 above. Moreso if the Emira has a limited shelf-life and Lotus/Geely stops production in the next couple years.
5. Provides (a.) a mid-engine design (which others have), (b.) the choice of a manual transmission (which few have), and (c.) double-wishbone suspension (which very few have), and (d.) it's not as heavy (lighter than many of its competitors), all of which contribute to #2 above. Those 4 attributes (a. to d.) may not be together anywhere else in one vehicle, other than the Emira?

While no one can predict the future with certainty, my money is on the Emira doing well in the long term. Let's be more optimistic, shall we?

 

[Vampyre]

UK prices are not the same as USA prices. Manual V6 is the one people will want in the future. Some posters seems keen on waiting years for the price they want to pay, that is fine, they have no guarantee of tomorrow.

in the meantime enjoy the car and driving experience.

 

[chirowolf]

After owning my Evora for 14 years, I believe I did pretty good on value. Paid $67K new and just traded for my Emira. received $50k.
Depreciated $17K in 14 years. not bad.
Very few cars appreciate. most would tell you do not buy a car to make money.
If you love the car, then you appreciate it.
Hopefully the Emira will give me even more satisfaction than the Evora.

 

[Suprluminal]

Short term all cars lose value. Long term I am sure Emiras will appreciate. Even if Lotus has ramped up production, numbers will still be smaller compared to 718s or C8s. Scarcity and desirability typically increases value.
That said, in my opinion cars are expenses, not investments.

 

[Tomwa]

I think it really just depends on a lot of factors we have little knowledge or control over.

Yes, for those interested in a manual gearbox and more analog form of car. The Emira might represent the last "perfect mingle" of tech features + analog driving experience. However, the looming threat is. What does that future look like when gas is 20 dollars a gallon? I think Porsche synthetic fuel is estimated at $45 a gallon. What then?

How many speculators in the car market holding onto JDM "future classics" or Porsche GT cars will afford to keep them on the road as oil and gas prices skyrocket. The market will get flooded with people ditching all kinds of "interesting cars" they don't think is worth the hassle and museums will pop up, and get crowded. Cars will get shipped for pennies to countries like S.A. who will still produce and refine gasoline.

 

[Beachbum]

The UK is significantly different to the US in terms of market and value
Manual cars are a dying breed, the young in the UK are learning to drive less and those that do, are learning on automatics. Electric cars are being pushed massively here and as a result it wont be long before new petrol/diesel vehicles get taxed out of existence.

The biggest issue in the UK as I see it is that less youngsters are learning to drive and those that do, go for Auto's, as thats where the market is heading. In 15yrs time, I doubt many will want a manual and us old farts, wont be able to drive a manual, as our knees, hips give out
Will be interesting to see how it is in 5yrs time, that will give an indication of how it will be later on
Oh and Norway as the outlier, has just announced they expect to be the first country to not sell a new petrol car in a calendar year, if not 2025, then almost certainly 2026(First nail in the coffin)

 

[Vampyre]

based on this in the USA, manuals always have a higher resale

Manual Lamborghinis, particularly older models like the Gallardo, are generally considered to be worth more than their automatic counterparts due to their rarity and appeal to collectors who value the driving experience of a manual transmission, often commanding a significant premium in the market; this is especially true for limited edition or last-year manual models of a specific Lamborghini line-up.

Manual Ferraris are generally worth more than automatic ones because they offer a more engaging driving experience for enthusiasts, providing a greater sense of connection to the car through manual gear changes, while the rarity of manual options on modern Ferraris further increases their value due to the "collector's item" effect; essentially, fewer manual Ferraris were produced, making them more desirable to collectors who value the unique driving experience and exclusivity.

 

[MickOpalak]

Manual V6 is the one people will want in the future.

I'm not so sure about that. Among the younger generations there is very little market for manual cars. 20 years from now 99% of buyers won't even know how to drive a manual.

 

[Rupes]

I'm not so sure about that. Among the younger generations there is very little market for manual cars. 20 years from now 99% of buyers won't even know how to drive a manual.

No one can say for sure, but I imagine a person that is considering a First Edition Emira in 2045 will be interested in the nostalgia and analog driving experience - the manual transmission is a big part of this. I could see someone in the future learning to drive a manual just for the cool factor and uniqueness. It doesn’t take a lot of people with this desire to create a pretty competitive market on a limited production car.

 

[Porter]

I'm not so sure about that. Among the younger generations there is very little market for manual cars. 20 years from now 99% of buyers won't even know how to drive a manual.

One might as well opine that in 20 years we won't have "driving" at all, except for something that certain people do for work in heavy industrial settings. I don't see any of that being a reality for a very long time. And plenty of young people today are enthusiastic about driving manual.

 

[ADC]

What does that future look like when gas is 20 dollars a gallon?

So, just double what we're paying now (in the UK)? Big deal

us old farts, wont be able to drive a manual, as our knees, hips give out

Personally, I'm counting on robot replacement limbs and spine becoming a thing Any Time Now.


I'm not particularly fussed if driving becomes a hobby, approximately the equivalent of keeping/riding horses today, as long I'm still allowed to do it. I currently don't give a tinker's cuss about the future resale value of my Emira, because I can't see myself replacing it with anything for "leisure driving" purposes unless I come into a truly obscene amount of money (where I'd maybe consider jumping several rungs up the ladder into properly rarified machinery). The Emira just feels like a Goldilocks car in terms of experiential bang for buck, and I feel lucky that I was in the right place in my life to buy one just as manual ICE sports cars seem to be having their last hurrah.

 

[scc.131.fe]

It gets more valuable to me everyday. And that's verified.

 

[Jinba ittai]

One might as well opine that in 20 years we won't have "driving" at all, except for something that certain people do for work in heavy industrial settings. I don't see any of that being a reality for a very long time. And plenty of young people today are enthusiastic about driving manual.

Agreed. Several of the young people I know are so called hipsters. Into vinyl records and brewing their own beer. I think they will value a manual transmission and will be willing to learn it.

 

[sonor8s]

One might as well opine that in 20 years we won't have "driving" at all, except for something that certain people do for work in heavy industrial settings. I don't see any of that being a reality for a very long time. And plenty of young people today are enthusiastic about driving manual.

For what it is worth, I am a new 40-year-old manual driver. I trained in a GR86 for a few months before getting the Emira. In a car club I frequent, two other lifetime automatic-only members recently delved into manuals too. This is surely too small a sample size to draw any conclusions, but it provides hope for a resurgence in manual transmission interest.

 

[Vampyre]

My 20yr old son loves driving the manual Lotus we have.

 

[MattG]

The debate over which will hold its value better, manual or DCT, will be an interesting one to watch over the coming years. I opted for the DCT I4 for a few reasons...it's the lightest, fastest of the FE Emiras (plus, I'm at the point in my life where I wanted more of a GT car than my Elise), and I suspect that by the time I look at selling mine in 10-20 years, many fewer drivers will want, let alone know how to use, a manual transmission.

As for the gain/decrease in value...I bought my Elise new in 2004 and have been amazed at how well it's held its value. It did depreciate a ton the first few years, but over the long run, it's done fantastic. I suspect the Emira will be the same, it doesn't have much competition at this price point and that'll be reflected in resale in the future.

 

[Vampyre]

No doubt the manuals will be worth more, we see that with the Evora right now, the Auto always cheaper and always on the market longer.

Just looking at the UK car listing there are few V6 manuals for sale and many DCT I4 for sale.

 

[sonor8s]

I usually try to avoid discussions on appreciation/depreciation when it comes to cars as it is so challenging to predict. However, I tracked Lotus Evora, BMW M2, Nissan 370Z, Toyota GR86, and ToyoBMW Supra used prices before buying the Emira. Based on observations made over nearly two years, the manual-equipped version of these used sports cars tended to command 10-20% higher asking prices than their automatic counterparts (in the US market).

This seems unintuitive for a market where so few drive manual transmissions but, what I believe is happening is consumers who prefer manual transmissions tend to be second owners whereas first owners prefer automatics. I also believe the former type of owners hold on to cars longer than the latter. This ultimately results in an unbalanced supply of used sports cars with manual transmissions. This is just a theory, and I am interested in others' take on the subject.

 

[kitkat]

If you actually drive your car it doesn't matter how optimistic you want to be.

Bigger number on odometer means more depreciation.

 

[Jinba ittai]

I’m planning to run it until the wheels fall off, so I guess it doesn’t matter. I like following the housing market too even though I’m not selling my house.