Lotus Evora vs Emira $ per car

[Lucaboy]

Im seeing many 2019 Evoras being a similar price to a 2023 Emira. On owning an Emira this makes little sense to me but maybe I’ve got it wrong. It would be great to hear opinions on why buyers would consider an older Evora a more astute purchase.

 

[Tteape0]

That is a GT410 which has a lot of more expensive options on it to cut weight. It’s practically a track car out the gate. The MSRP on a new GT410 for reference was about 15-25k higher than a new Emira here in the US if specced out. A closer comparison to an Emira first edition would be an S trim.

 

[scc.131.fe]

Also, the potential Evora buyer may put a premium on knowing their panels won't get paint bubbles.

 

[cyanmauve]

I think there’s a sense of nostalgia for the Evora 400 and GT (2017+ Evora) here in the United States. There was appreciation for both cars when new in the automotive press, but it seems they are now being held out as “the last of the analog sportscars”.

I think in reality there’s not that much between them, and the production delay really skewed people’s perspective on the Emira. The Emira is newer, with more cohesive styling, and a significantly upgraded interior. And somehow, this makes it less special than the later Evora. Despite that the Evora was relatively more expensive and more “home built”, ahem, “bespoke” than the Emira.

I rented a 2020 Evora GT for a 5 days in 2021, and ultimately that experience is what made me fall in love with Lotus, and led me to get my Emira. I love them both. But parked side by side, the Emira looks leagues ahead of the Evora to my eye.

 

[Blackthought_]

I think there’s a sense of nostalgia for the Evora 400 and GT (2017+ Evora) here in the United States. There was appreciation for both cars when new in the automotive press, but it seems they are now being held out as “the last of the analog sportscars”.

I think in reality there’s not that much between them, and the production delay really skewed people’s perspective on the Emira. The Emira is newer, with more cohesive styling, and a significantly upgraded interior. And somehow, this makes it less special than the later Evora. Despite that the Evora was relatively more expensive and more “home built”, ahem, “bespoke” than the Emira.

I rented a 2020 Evora GT for a 5 days in 2021, and ultimately that experience is what made me fall in love with Lotus, and led me to get my Emira. I love them both. But parked side by side, the Emira looks leagues ahead of the Evora to my eye.

Yeah I agree. What lotus did really poorly is not make the HP/torque more than the Evora GT, even if it was slightly. That plus the slightly added weight and everyone thinks it’s a less engaging car. That plus the seats! In the GT and S1 Evora models they were comfortable yet supportive and the Emira seats are just… flat

 

[Eagle7]

I think it's also completely unfair to compare a final edition Evora after years of evolution and development, to a first edition Emira. I wish one of these YouTube journos would do a comparison with a first edition Evora and first edition Emira. Since it looks like the Emira is not going to be discontinued in 2028, that indicates there's going to be a second edition which will undoubtedly have more performance. Most likely some weight reduction with CF and so on. With the first edition Emira being so close in performance to the final edition Evora, I'm guessing the second edition Emira will take the lead all the way around.

The Emira is simply the most complete, and best all-round ICE sports car Lotus has ever produced, and it's only going to get better.

 

[cyanmauve]

Yeah I agree. What lotus did really poorly is not make the HP/torque more than the Evora GT, even if it was slightly. That plus the slightly added weight and everyone thinks it’s a less engaging car. That plus the seats! In the GT and S1 Evora models they were comfortable yet supportive and the Emira seats are just… flat

One of the "fixes" that they made in the Emira was throttle response. There's been a little discussion of that, but it hasn't been given the full attention it should have. The varying throttle response in the Evora is a big detractor in my opinion. Although I don't have personal experience with it in a Lotus, I did have a similar issue with my 2006 Mustang GT (S197 generation). That was the first generation of Mustangs to have a drive by wire/electronic throttle. A simple tune corrected the throttle "hang" issue, and made a huge improvement in how engaging the car was and is to drive.

Regarding the power, yes, I think that wasn't the best decision. I don't know if it was emissions compliance only, part of not trying to cannibalize i4-turbo sales, or both. It may have simply been necessary to comply with laws, rules and regulations.

Ideally, options for more aggressive seats and 50 more horsepower would have been greatly appreciated, but everyone would do well to remember that the Emira, adjusted for inflation, and even with the price increases, is relatively cheaper than the Evora GT was. Hopefully there will be a factory tune available in the future to bring the power up!

 

[cyanmauve]

I think it's also completely unfair to compare a final edition Evora after years of evolution and development, to a first edition Emira. I wish one of these YouTube journos would do a comparison with a first edition Evora and first edition Emira. Since it looks like the Emira is not going to be discontinued in 2028, that indicates there's going to be a second edition which will undoubtedly have more performance. Most likely some weight reduction with CF and so on. With the first edition Emira being so close in performance to the final edition Evora, I'm guessing the second edition Emira will take the lead all the way around.

The Emira is simply the most complete, and best all-round ICE sports car Lotus has ever produced, and it's only going to get better.

It's like making a more cohesive package for less money with maybe 5% compromise wasn't enough!

That said, I'd love to have an Evora GT parked next to my Emira in my garage.

 

[MickOpalak]

I think it's also completely unfair to compare a final edition Evora after years of evolution and development, to a first edition Emira.

But that's what an Emira is. An evolved Evora. Same chassis and drive train. Updated styling.

 

[Eagle7]

But that's what an Emira is. An evolved Evora. Same chassis and drive train. Updated styling.

Not really, it's much more than that. There's a new level of electronics in the Emira that Lotus has never had before. A similar style chassis, but not exactly the same. Drive train for the V6 is the same, but the turbo i4 is new. It's much more than a simple body restyle, and the interior is a new and huge step forward. I know Evora owners seem to be loathe to acknowledge it, but the Emira is not simply an evolved Evora. That's not a diss on the Evora, which is/was the last of its kind; essentially the last of the 20th century style of design and thinking. Though the Emira is certainly (and rightly so) the inheritor of Lotus past, the Emira is nonetheless a new thing.

Now that EV's aren't panning out the way the powers-at-be thought they would, maybe we'll see an extended future for ICE sports cars from Lotus. I certainly hope so!

 

[CHEESE]

Aren't there more Emiras in existence/production/ordered than the total number of all previous Lotus models combined (or something like that)? In other words, the supply of Emiras is way higher.

 

[Pegasi]

Honestly from when the Emira's were announced I thought that maybe Evora's would rise in value. Once more people become aware of Lotus I thought the more driver focused Evora would become more sought after. Haven't driven a lot of cars but the Evora is hands down the best driving experience I have ever had. Car is just sooo fun, especially on track. However given the choice I would take an Emira over an Evora. It's just more of a modern car and that's what I wanted and it kept most of the Evora/Lotus feel IMO.

 

[MickOpalak]

Not really, it's much more than that. There's a new level of electronics in the Emira that Lotus has never had before. A similar style chassis, but not exactly the same. Drive train for the V6 is the same, but the turbo i4 is new. It's much more than a simple body restyle, and the interior is a new and huge step forward. I know Evora owners seem to be loathe to acknowledge it, but the Emira is not simply an evolved Evora. That's not a diss on the Evora, which is/was the last of its kind; essentially the last of the 20th century style of design and thinking. Though the Emira is certainly (and rightly so) the inheritor of Lotus past, the Emira is nonetheless a new thing.

Now that EV's aren't panning out the way the powers-at-be thought they would, maybe we'll see an extended future for ICE sports cars from Lotus. I certainly hope so!

I know Emira owners seem to be loathe to acknowledge it, but the Emira is simply an evolved Evora.

New interior and exterior styling, and tweaks everywhere, but still just an evolved Evora. Which isn't a bad thing at all.

 

[Eagle7]

I know Emira owners seem to be loathe to acknowledge it, but the Emira is simply an evolved Evora.

New interior and exterior styling, and tweaks everywhere, but still just an evolved Evora. Which isn't a bad thing at all.

LOL nice try, didn't work.

 

[Time2Fly]

The real question I have is why they didn't just roll out the 410 equivalent of the Emira out of the gate?
My only hope going forward is that the OEM components that make the Emira S etc and reasonably and readily available for us FE owners.

 

[Tteape0]

The real question I have is why they didn't just roll out the 410 equivalent of the Emira out of the gate?
My only hope going forward is that the OEM components that make the Emira S etc and reasonably and readily available for us FE owners.

I feel it was due to emission standards and they needed their electric vehicles on the market to help their averages etc. but now that we’re seeing a reversal on EVs from manufacturers and governments, they may get some slack sooner.

 

[NorCalEmira]

I feel it was due to emission standards and they needed their electric vehicles on the market to help their averages etc. but now that we’re seeing a reversal on EVs from manufacturers and governments, they may get some slack sooner.

There's very little difference in weight between the Evora and the Emira but there are signifiant updates to chassis refinement, comfort and styling both inside and out.

It would have been nice if the Emira came out of the box with 430 horsepower and a 7200 rpm redline like the uber limited edition Evora GT430 but the reality is that it can significantly exceed that level of performance with a JUBU ECU alone and you can add your choice of bolt-on upgrade to further optimize performance.

The base Emira is excellent and you can choose how much you want to alter the balance from agile GT to track day special. Add Tillet seats, JUBU ECU, Ohlins suspension, titanium exhaust, lightweight battery or any combination thereof depending upon your willingness to spend, service and sacrifice day to day usability. My advice is to start with the Emira and choose your own upgrade path.

 

[cyanmauve]

The real question I have is why they didn't just roll out the 410 equivalent of the Emira out of the gate?
My only hope going forward is that the OEM components that make the Emira S etc and reasonably and readily available for us FE owners.

If they did that, they wouldn’t have a new edition to sell once the enthusiasm for the first cars wore off.

 

[Time2Fly]

@cyanmauve which they may only have since deciding to not cancel it in '27 maybe. Again, as long as I can buy the OEM upgrades and have factory support for them I don't mind. I'm keeping this car.

 

[Eagle7]

The real question I have is why they didn't just roll out the 410 equivalent of the Emira out of the gate?
My only hope going forward is that the OEM components that make the Emira S etc and reasonably and readily available for us FE owners.

Remember when they designed and budgeted for the Emira, the price target was an MSRP of £59,999 which was almost half what the Evora's price was. They thought it was going to be their one-and-only last ICE sports car, as everything was going to be switched over to EV. It wasn't meant to be their highest performance Lotus (that's what the EV's were going to be), it was meant to be the most complete Lotus and really just a fond farewell to the ICE era.

Also, the Evora never had to meet the tougher regulations that they had to meet with the Emira. Now that the EV bloom has fallen off the rose, it looks like there may be a future for the Emira after all. I fully expect some improvement in performance, just as they did with the Evora after its first edition.