How to measure performance for the Emira?

[andrew6382]

Ha ha love you said that. I ran this 700 pounder for 2 years. So much fun and cost me nothing
Edited to say it actually looks quite respectable on that photo

Are you staying up to see if the web site updates....

 

[Eagle7]

For those obsessed and concerned about power, it's about the car. For those who aren't as concerned, it's about the driver. What do I feel when I look at it. How do I feel when I'm sitting in it. What do I feel when I start the engine and hear it. What do I feel when I'm driving it on the road. How do I feel when I push it and need it to perform. Notice how the first 4 of those 5 have nothing to do with 0-60. I won't be doing the 0-60 thing very often, but I will be doing the first 4 of those 5 every time I approach the car to get in it and drive it.

All these things are accumulative, and add up to the driver experience. When Lotus says "For the Drivers", they understand what that means, and that's what the Emira is being designed and built to deliver. If the way the car makes you feel from 0-60 is the single most important thing for you, either you're buying the wrong car, or you're about to be surprised at how engaging all the other "For the Driver" elements are going to be. If you don't care about that, buy something else. (Lifts hand) These droids are not the ones you're looking for.

 

[NicolasB]

I got my first car in 1997 and it had a 164 hp V6. I thought to myself "how could a car be faster than this?" My last fun car was a 2015 RS7 that I did an upgrade tune in and it was 670hp and 700 ft lbs torque. Some days I thought the RS7 had room to be even faster!

It's all about perspective. I had a manual transmission $300 car I delivered pizza in 20 years ago. It had 75hp and I smiled rowing through the gears and getting to interact with the car. The Audi was just put your foot down and 3 seconds later you were breaking the speed limit. For these reasons, I am leaning more toward keeping the Emira deposit vs the amazing sounding/performing 2023 Z06 with DCT. Sure, my wife's Tesla will be competitive with my 100k+ sports car, but it will be fun and get lots of attention going down the road.

 

[Leonard]

Are you staying up to see if the web site updates....

I do have the day off tomorrow...

 

[TXEMIRA]

I got a motorcycle a while back. It was my 3rd one. My buddy was all like “dude that bike isn’t even close to this other bike, blah, blah.”

Unless one is going to use the machine to the highest degree it’s been engineered, and yeah some may, it really doesn’t matter what the 0-60 speed is or even the horsepower or 60-100 or whatever really.

I got that bike because I liked the way it looked and sounded and it was still an incredible machine.

So yeah. My $0.02: Everyone has their own definition of “performance”.

 

[Eagle7]

I got my first car in 1997 and it had a 164 hp V6. I thought to myself "how could a car be faster than this?" My last fun car was a 2015 RS7 that I did an upgrade tune in and it was 670hp and 700 ft lbs torque. Some days I thought the RS7 had room to be even faster!

It's all about perspective. I had a manual transmission $300 car I delivered pizza in 20 years ago. It had 75hp and I smiled rowing through the gears and getting to interact with the car. The Audi was just put your foot down and 3 seconds later you were breaking the speed limit. For these reasons, I am leaning more toward keeping the Emira deposit vs the amazing sounding/performing 2023 Z06 with DCT. Sure, my wife's Tesla will be competitive with my 100k+ sports car, but it will be fun and get lots of attention going down the road.

Yes, but who gives a second look at a Tesla? YOU will be the rockstar driving down the road.

 

[Maverick1]

Next to my Ariel Atom the Elise has been the second most raw, exciting car I've driven that put the most smiles on my face per mile driven.
Like I said, if Gavin Kershaw can inject some Elise and Exige magic into the exotic looking, larger Emira, I'll be a very happy boy.

 

[Skymira]

I haven't posted on here in a while, but I feel I MAY be able to contribute to this discussion (as others have) based on a previous car. I had (still wish I did) a car considered lightweight, but by many also underpowered. 2001 Honda S-2000. I (and the wife when she drove it) got challenged to drag races on a daily bases by EVERYTHING. At times it became VERY annoying. So in some respects I can see the side of those who wish for more straight line power. I've been there. But because of its lightweight, excellent balance, and excellent 6-speed manual, I NEVER had a day I didn't absolutely love driving that car. I currently have a Jag F-Type R. 550hp. I've driven it on several tracks. Is it fun? Sure! Goes like stink in a straight line, but VERY heavy for what it is and really isn't what I would consider a great handling car. Planning on keeping it even after getting the Emira, because I believe the driving experience will be dramatically different between them. What excites me about the Emira is I'm hoping it's a combination of the best attributes of both of those cars. Lightweight and excellent handling (unlike the Jag-in my opinion only of course), and certainly more power than the Honda (240hp), also having the gorgeous looks and availability of the manual transmission. As some others have said, and basically I've thrown a lot of words out to reiterate, a LOT depends on what other cars you've driven, what your driving skills are, what your expectations are, and what are you really looking for in your next "toy".

 

[Cutting42]

Yes, but who gives a second look at a Tesla? YOU will be the rockstar driving down the road.

I had a little boy around 5 I guess get very excited when I pulled out of a parking bay today in my Tesla jumping about pointing and pulling his dad's sleeve. So some people still excited about them even if they are only 5 years old.

 

[virtualmacho]

For me, performance is measured by the number of heads turned at the grocery store parking lot.

 

[CarGuy07]

For me, performance is measured by the number of heads turned at the grocery store parking lot.

Right. It’s like dating a supermodel. You know she isn’t going to compete in the 100-yard dash in the Olympics, but do you really care? Everywhere else, she’ll be turning heads.

 

[3MIRA]

Austin A35 van was James Hunt favorite road vehicle

 

[darkling]

Very funny how you guys hit all the points on the head for me .I have a 19 rf miata omg what a world of a car different is the 19 vs my old 2017 with just 23 hp. just sold my 2017 corvette with 460 hp . where i drive the vette was to big hard to get the nose pointed in the mountain roads. Thats why i'm going emira i'm going to stay with that actual fun of driving and doubling my hp with the handing of my miata's and the class of the supercar crowd. If your so worried about do what i do buy a tuned v4 ducati it never fails to scare me

 

[DaaS]

I learned to track on BMWs and it was fun and expensive. The cars had higher limit than my driving capabilities and the amount of risk I was willing to take. I then purchased a Toyota 86 to properly learn how to go fast in a slow car. Had more fun and did more silly things in that car while saving money.

How do you measure performance? Smiles per hour (isn’t there an app for that?) For comparison, driving the Evora GT with windows down and exhaust valve open is such an experience even on public roads at legal limits. It feels like a race car that is suitable for streets. I could care less about spreadsheet numbers. I have another car to do 0-60 thrills and zippy shifts, but that sort of fun only lasts a few seconds. Proof is in the pudding… I prefer driving the slower car (Evora) more often.

 

[Eagle7]

I had a little boy around 5 I guess get very excited when I pulled out of a parking bay today in my Tesla jumping about pointing and pulling his dad's sleeve. So some people still excited about them even if they are only 5 years old.

Wait till you see the reactions when you're in the Emira.

 

[CanadianEmira]

Totally agree.
I honestly think 300 bhp is more than enough in a reasonably light car (sub 1400)
400 or 416 in the Emira will be plenty
Drag races etc are completely moot nowadays when a hot hatch can easily be running 450bhp and 4wd.

I've always said 125hp/1000lbs is the perfect amount of power for the road. This obsession with hp and raw 0-60 needs to end. It might have mattered in the past when new models actually took a couple seconds off 0-60 times--a meaningful improvement when it took 10 seconds to get there--but now, everything is more than quick enough. You know we've reached the end of the metaphorical road when road cars as just as fast to 60 as F1 cars. The new Tesla's are meeting the boundaries of physics. We are fast approaching the point where driving dynamics will be the only differentiating factor between sports cars. In this regard, Lotus has a huge head start.

Still, I do think there is that sweet spot. Luckily, that's right where the Emira falls.

 

[xen]

Reading some of the comments you’d think being quick and being a great drivers car are mutually exclusive…they’re not.

The Emira could be quicker, we know Lotus will be working on a performance version later in the product cycle so they agree it could be quicker (and better) too.

They’re playing it safe with the first run. New car, new production facility, new owners who’ve invested a ton of money. The halo car is the Evija. This is the model to keep the company ticking and they can’t take many risks.

 

[EspritGuy]

I propose Grins Per Minute as the key metric to measure the Emira by

Perhaps ' smiles per hour' as well.

 

[FlyNavy01]

Surprised and honestly a little disappointed by how many people here are interested in the car for the "head turner" factor. I personally could care less about impressing strangers with status symbols. If anything the potential attention is a negative for me.

Is it pretty to look at? Absolutely. But that comes with a price I suppose. I'm buying the car for the visceral driving experience and memories it will make.

 

[Lots_Of_Trouble]

Totally agree.
I honestly think 300 bhp is more than enough in a reasonably light car (sub 1400)
400 or 416 in the Emira will be plenty
Drag races etc are completely moot nowadays when a hot hatch can easily be running 450bhp and 4wd.

As Jenson said,"you don't need 7/800hp in this,you wouldn't want it neither"...or thereabouts