A couple of weeks ago my shiny new Shadow Grey Emira arrived down under. I’ve refrained from posting until I’ve had an opportunity to drive it in different conditions and properly collect my thoughts. Here’s my impressions so far:
Looks:
The Emira has a huge presence on the road that make it a snaparazzi magnet. From afar everyone mistakes it for a Ferrari until they read the badge. I’ve had school kids, mums and dads and even grandparents take photos and videos of it and near it. If you don’t feel comfortable becoming an instant celebrity and answering lots of questions about the car from random people then best to consider something else. Personally, I wasn’t expecting (or wanting) so much attention so it’s something I’ll just need to get used to! This aspect does make me nervous leaving it alone in a public car park, that’s for sure.
Engine/exhaust note: It’s become a habit to change the drive mode to sports on every start up. The burbles on overrun are so addictive and sound great from both inside and outside. As my car is still in its run-in period, I’m keeping revs under 4K rpm, but even then find that the supercharger whine just adds to the experience. No complaints on the sound front and its loud enough for me.
Engine/performance: As I'm still running it in I've yet to experience its full potential so will provide a future update on this front. Around town and below 4k RPM, its no slouch, but neither is it a weapon. It feels plenty fast to have fun in without being ludicrously fast that makes it scary or unusable on the road. The power is very accessible and linear with decent pull from down low.
Transmission: The gear shift is quite stiff from new, but is slowly loosening up. No issues with it at all. Not sure I’d call it “rifle bolt” like, but it’s definitely mechanical and gear changes are very satisfying. As for the gearing ratios, they're spot on perfect for the road. Even at suburban speeds I can use the first four gears to cruise around which makes it really engaging. There's no crazy tall gearing to dampen the fun factor here.
Colour: This is the first time I’ve seen Shadow Grey in the flesh and I’m super happy with it (I think it looks amazing!) If you’re getting anything but a red leather interior with Shadow Grey then you’re missing out. The colour combination of Shadow Grey with red leather is a classic look that really works. There’s a reason why the new GT4RS spyder launch spec has a red interior with Vanadium grey metallic… Grey, silver, black and red just all work together. Always have, always will.
Shadow Grey is the most underrated colour and I’m so glad about that as most of you are missing out!
It has a slate blue pop with cyan and blue flecks that appear in the sunlight. Its a mature and smart colour in the flesh that will age really well. Even with all the new colours released in the configurator I’d still order it, so that’s saying something!
Brakes: Absolutely no complaints with the brakes. They were a bit grabby when new, but are wearing in nicely against the discs and the brake feel is progressive and powerful. They inspire confidence.
Headlights: I can’t stress how important good headlights are, especially when driving through back country roads at night. The Emira does not disappoint. I thought that the headlights were amazing when I first used them at night until I turned on the high beams. Wow! Just fabulous! Long range, daylight-white bright light with even spread and wide dispersion. Just leave the lights in “Auto” mode and the car does the rest for you. It makes those "spot the wombat" night adventures much less stressful!
Suspension: I’ve got the sports setup with Cup2s. I’ve now driven on twisty mountain roads, freeways, country roads and on back streets with potholes and I wouldn’t want anything else. It’s firm yet forgiving and never crashy or harsh. I don’t know how Lotus can make a car so comfortable and compliant whilst being planted and on rails around the Twisties. 10/10 Whichever reviewer called the Emira Sports + Cup2s “darty” must have driven a different car. I haven’t experienced any dartyness or nervousness. It’s got a quick turn in with a great steering feel that is nicely damped. It wasn’t hard work on the freeway or at speed.
KEF Audio: What is everyone complaining about?! There is a super low noise floor with crystal clear mids and highs with a great sound balance. Bass is also clear, has a decent amount of “punch” and is well time/phase integrated. I’ve left my sound settings on the default “flat” setting. Highest quality mode on Spotify via Android Auto sounds fantastic to me! For a car audio setup its pretty darn good. Rubbish in, rubbish out applies here so the recording and streaming quality matters.
If you’re a bass-head and want to play at near maximum volume to be heard (and felt) from a suburb away, then this is not what the KEF is all about. However, I do respect that sound quality is a personal (and subjective) thing.
A few other call outs:
Side mirrors:
Apart from being a visual work of art, they provide fantastic visibility over the rear haunches and sides. Their design somehow dramatically reduces the car’s blind spot. I also love how they darken in bright light to avoid driver glare.
Steering wheel:
I was a bit worried about the irregular shaped and “thick” wheel from early reviews, but I just love it. It’s unique, not thick to me and adds to the fun factor. The only call out I would make is that I’ve accidentally “swiped” on the touch sensitive buttons by accident a couple of times, so a future option to turn that feature off via a software update would be great. I can easily see the digital tachometer and the wheel doesn't inhibit any screen visibility for me.
Door hand rests:
The door hand rests are designed at the perfect angle to rest your whole arm (not just your elbow) whilst driving down the freeway. I didn't expect them to be so comfortable on long drives and they look great at the same time.
Scorpion Tracker:
It works great down under, no issues at all. I’ve configured push notifications and the mobile app (on Android) is stable. Various reports are available via the web interface too which also works quite well. I also find the battery voltage tracking to be really handy. I’d order it again.
Navigation:
Emiras delivered to Australia have their built-in Satnav disabled (that was disappointing!), so you can only get directions via CarPlay or Android Auto. That said, Android Auto works great and is cleanly integrated to the HUD and central wide screen.
Privacy glass:
I love it. It makes the back window look bigger as it integrates nicely with the rear engine vents. Without it you see a clear glass “port hole” that makes the rear look weird in my opinion. I can clearly see the engine in the daylight too and it just looks so classy without adding tint film to the rear. I have tinted my side windows to better match the triangular privacy glass and it looks great.
Overall I'm amazingly happy with it. No issues, warning lights or niggles to report. The only thing I'm not fond of is the practicality of the key. The buttons are too easy to press in a pocket and its lanyard attachment (oddly placed, not even on a corner) is plain stupid (and thats me being kind).
Other than that, its so much fun to drive, looks fantastic and has been worth the wait! Hang in there folks, you'll love it!
Some handy tips:
Looks:
The Emira has a huge presence on the road that make it a snaparazzi magnet. From afar everyone mistakes it for a Ferrari until they read the badge. I’ve had school kids, mums and dads and even grandparents take photos and videos of it and near it. If you don’t feel comfortable becoming an instant celebrity and answering lots of questions about the car from random people then best to consider something else. Personally, I wasn’t expecting (or wanting) so much attention so it’s something I’ll just need to get used to! This aspect does make me nervous leaving it alone in a public car park, that’s for sure.
Engine/exhaust note: It’s become a habit to change the drive mode to sports on every start up. The burbles on overrun are so addictive and sound great from both inside and outside. As my car is still in its run-in period, I’m keeping revs under 4K rpm, but even then find that the supercharger whine just adds to the experience. No complaints on the sound front and its loud enough for me.
Engine/performance: As I'm still running it in I've yet to experience its full potential so will provide a future update on this front. Around town and below 4k RPM, its no slouch, but neither is it a weapon. It feels plenty fast to have fun in without being ludicrously fast that makes it scary or unusable on the road. The power is very accessible and linear with decent pull from down low.
Transmission: The gear shift is quite stiff from new, but is slowly loosening up. No issues with it at all. Not sure I’d call it “rifle bolt” like, but it’s definitely mechanical and gear changes are very satisfying. As for the gearing ratios, they're spot on perfect for the road. Even at suburban speeds I can use the first four gears to cruise around which makes it really engaging. There's no crazy tall gearing to dampen the fun factor here.
Colour: This is the first time I’ve seen Shadow Grey in the flesh and I’m super happy with it (I think it looks amazing!) If you’re getting anything but a red leather interior with Shadow Grey then you’re missing out. The colour combination of Shadow Grey with red leather is a classic look that really works. There’s a reason why the new GT4RS spyder launch spec has a red interior with Vanadium grey metallic… Grey, silver, black and red just all work together. Always have, always will.
Shadow Grey is the most underrated colour and I’m so glad about that as most of you are missing out!
It has a slate blue pop with cyan and blue flecks that appear in the sunlight. Its a mature and smart colour in the flesh that will age really well. Even with all the new colours released in the configurator I’d still order it, so that’s saying something!Brakes: Absolutely no complaints with the brakes. They were a bit grabby when new, but are wearing in nicely against the discs and the brake feel is progressive and powerful. They inspire confidence.
Headlights: I can’t stress how important good headlights are, especially when driving through back country roads at night. The Emira does not disappoint. I thought that the headlights were amazing when I first used them at night until I turned on the high beams. Wow! Just fabulous! Long range, daylight-white bright light with even spread and wide dispersion. Just leave the lights in “Auto” mode and the car does the rest for you. It makes those "spot the wombat" night adventures much less stressful!
Suspension: I’ve got the sports setup with Cup2s. I’ve now driven on twisty mountain roads, freeways, country roads and on back streets with potholes and I wouldn’t want anything else. It’s firm yet forgiving and never crashy or harsh. I don’t know how Lotus can make a car so comfortable and compliant whilst being planted and on rails around the Twisties. 10/10 Whichever reviewer called the Emira Sports + Cup2s “darty” must have driven a different car. I haven’t experienced any dartyness or nervousness. It’s got a quick turn in with a great steering feel that is nicely damped. It wasn’t hard work on the freeway or at speed.
KEF Audio: What is everyone complaining about?! There is a super low noise floor with crystal clear mids and highs with a great sound balance. Bass is also clear, has a decent amount of “punch” and is well time/phase integrated. I’ve left my sound settings on the default “flat” setting. Highest quality mode on Spotify via Android Auto sounds fantastic to me! For a car audio setup its pretty darn good. Rubbish in, rubbish out applies here so the recording and streaming quality matters.
If you’re a bass-head and want to play at near maximum volume to be heard (and felt) from a suburb away, then this is not what the KEF is all about. However, I do respect that sound quality is a personal (and subjective) thing.
A few other call outs:
Side mirrors:
Apart from being a visual work of art, they provide fantastic visibility over the rear haunches and sides. Their design somehow dramatically reduces the car’s blind spot. I also love how they darken in bright light to avoid driver glare.
Steering wheel:
I was a bit worried about the irregular shaped and “thick” wheel from early reviews, but I just love it. It’s unique, not thick to me and adds to the fun factor. The only call out I would make is that I’ve accidentally “swiped” on the touch sensitive buttons by accident a couple of times, so a future option to turn that feature off via a software update would be great. I can easily see the digital tachometer and the wheel doesn't inhibit any screen visibility for me.
Door hand rests:
The door hand rests are designed at the perfect angle to rest your whole arm (not just your elbow) whilst driving down the freeway. I didn't expect them to be so comfortable on long drives and they look great at the same time.
Scorpion Tracker:
It works great down under, no issues at all. I’ve configured push notifications and the mobile app (on Android) is stable. Various reports are available via the web interface too which also works quite well. I also find the battery voltage tracking to be really handy. I’d order it again.
Navigation:
Emiras delivered to Australia have their built-in Satnav disabled (that was disappointing!), so you can only get directions via CarPlay or Android Auto. That said, Android Auto works great and is cleanly integrated to the HUD and central wide screen.
Privacy glass:
I love it. It makes the back window look bigger as it integrates nicely with the rear engine vents. Without it you see a clear glass “port hole” that makes the rear look weird in my opinion. I can clearly see the engine in the daylight too and it just looks so classy without adding tint film to the rear. I have tinted my side windows to better match the triangular privacy glass and it looks great.
Overall I'm amazingly happy with it. No issues, warning lights or niggles to report. The only thing I'm not fond of is the practicality of the key. The buttons are too easy to press in a pocket and its lanyard attachment (oddly placed, not even on a corner) is plain stupid (and thats me being kind).
Other than that, its so much fun to drive, looks fantastic and has been worth the wait! Hang in there folks, you'll love it!
Some handy tips:
- Jointly press the left and right side mirror buttons to fold (or unfold) the mirrors. Not obvious but it works.
- Program Memory Seat position "1" to your preferred driving position and Memory Seat "2" all the way back. It makes it easy to get in and out of the car in tight spaces by pressing "2" before getting out.
- Install a quality battery tender and use it. A strong battery means no low voltage error codes. The Scorpion tracker also shows battery voltage that can help you track battery health. If it goes under about 12.5v when the car is turned off then it's too low and the battery needs a good charge.
Congrats, 
