Now that reviews are out is anyone having 2nd thoughts about Emira ?

[Pegasi]

However, I then ask myself: what would I rather have? You know... in the real world, where there's no perfection and you can't just take the Emira body, build it out of CF like the Alfa 4C, reduce weight to a Miata, put McLaren doors on it, slap in the Z06 engine, put the Ferrari badge on it and price it like a Yaris.

This should be the official car enthusiast song, too funny. @Eagle7 can you please render this spec!

 

[Ian C]

No regrets.
Why buy a Porsche that are two a penny on the road so no one gives them a second look, most people with an untrained eye can't tell the difference between a £50k version and a £250k . The Emira will be my fourth Lotus and truth be known, my driving skills have never been able to match the limits of the cars so minor nuances in terms of ride, suspension , top speed etc have less bearing.
I am looking for the fantastic handling I am used to , the lotus 'feel' when driving , being part of the Lotus community but having a bit more comfort than I am used to and hopefully not having to mop the seats when its raining !
The car looks fantastic , it will turn heads everywhere it goes and if in the end it does not live up to expectation you can always sell it and bank the profit but my gut feel is that anyone who has bought one will love it

 

[Cachaco131]

Yes this!! Some of these guys missed their morning coffee. I was falling asleep watching a couple of the review vids earlier.

The Autocar...appreciate that Brits are the opposite of Schmee but oh man, that gentleman needed a Red Bull plus Coffee cocktail.

 

[vision]

It's sounding like so much might be riding on the Chris Harris review (plus test drives).
But wasn't Lotus built for Rollercoaster situations?

#for the Driver. / #not for all Drivers

This about sums it up, give up your slots and move on and let others have what will be a classic going forward. Fed up listening to constant winging w*******

It is basically a rebodied Evora with a few extra lbs.

yep, but when I pull up at my local and a GT4 is in the car park, what's going to get more attention, a porka or something unique. Bear in mind most of you lot are 1. rich, 2. old, 3. will never track it, 4. will only drive it when the weather is fine, and in all honesty when its parked next to a beautiful full on Evora will look more gazelle like. Hoping Il, get moved up to July from August as nobs drop out

 

[vision]

This about sums it up, give up your slots and move on and let others have what will be a classic going forward. Fed up listening to constant winging w*******

yep, but when I pull up at my local and a GT4 is in the car park, what's going to get more attention, a porka or something unique. Bear in mind most of you lot are 1. rich, 2. old, 3. will never track it, 4. will only drive it when the weather is fine, and in all honesty when its parked next to a beautiful full on Evora will look more gazelle like. Hoping Il, get moved up to July from August as nobs drop out

God save the Queen and Hethal

 

[Leonard]

The Autocar...appreciate that Brits are the opposite of Schmee but oh man, that gentleman needed a Red Bull plus Coffee cocktail.

This is what concerns me. I've followed these car journalists all of my life. They DO get excited. 'Today' they didn't and that is a worry.
Will await a test drive, but i do value the opinion of those doing the reviews

 

[Davebeats]

No second thoughts, It's always awesome to see the car you drive (or potentially drive) receiving loads of positive feedback from car enthusiasts, which for the most part the Emira has.

 

[Zardoz]

No regrets.
Why buy a Porsche that are two a penny on the road so no one gives them a second look, most people with an untrained eye can't tell the difference between a £50k version and a £250k . The Emira will be my fourth Lotus and truth be known, my driving skills have never been able to match the limits of the cars so minor nuances in terms of ride, suspension , top speed etc have less bearing.
I am looking for the fantastic handling I am used to , the lotus 'feel' when driving , being part of the Lotus community but having a bit more comfort than I am used to and hopefully not having to mop the seats when its raining !
The car looks fantastic , it will turn heads everywhere it goes and if in the end it does not live up to expectation you can always sell it and bank the profit but my gut feel is that anyone who has bought one will love it

This exactly, I am locked in, 2nd deposit down. What car has no shortcomings? If I find that is so underwhelming, I will flip it for a profit. No worries.

 

[GetawayDriving]

I’ve read everything. I’m on a flight, so I’ve had the chance.

The written reviews are mostly stellar.

“And what you get in exchange for the minor compromises in build quality and usability – that gearchange really won’t work for everyone – is a machine that doesn’t so much seem like a competitor in the regular mid-engined sports car category as a supercar that’s slumming it.

If you need an everyday accessory, take the Cayman; if you value lightness of being above all else, try the Alpine. But if you want weekend wheels with wow factor and an intricate, immersive, involving experience, then our initial encounters strongly suggest you should take a very close look at the Emira.” (Car Mag)

This to me is what I expected. I want the most involved car, the most special feeling thing, not necessarily the most competent in every category. That’s exactly what the Emira appears to be.

“On the track, with all the electronic nannies turned off, the Emira V6 First Edition is as pure and playful a mid-engine sports car as has ever been built.” (Motor tend)

Sounds good to me.

“The Porsche has a steely competence. Porsche makes the best power steering of any mass manufacturer's but its trouble here is it's up against Lotus and Alpine. Compared with them its wheel's gearing and weight are more like a normal car's, albeit precise and biddable. The feel flowing back from the front tyres only happens at really big loading. Mostly the Porsche just copes.
It barely ever gets bothered by anything, unless you're taking a bend at racetrack speed or it's wet. The way it seldom seems to be making an effort is both its triumph and its downfall. It doesn't engage you in the process in the way older, smaller-tyred Caymans did.” (Top Gear)

This combined with the long gearing is exactly why the Porsche doesn’t excite me.

“the Lotus has very little self-centring either side of straight ahead, so it sort of flutters in your hands, like an Elise's did, with every little change in camber and surface.” (Top Gear)

Yes please. Reviewers won’t always love this sort of thing, but to me this is very Lotus.

 

[VL3X]

What were the initial Evora 400/GT reviews like? I remember seeing a couple review vids over the years, but I wasn't this obsessed and counting down the days until a press embargo lifts.

 

[Pegasi]

This is what concerns me. I've followed these car journalists all of my life. They DO get excited. 'Today' they didn't and that is a worry.
Will await a test drive, but i do value the opinion of those doing the reviews

I have been reading posts and watching reviews for 2 hours straight now. I like when people make valid arguments whether positive or negative such as yours.

Perhaps the journalists aren't that excited because this isn't the best "seat of the pants feeling" Lotus. I do hear respect and admiration for Lotus for making a car with a two year waiting list. The worst thing that can happen is to make a car that doesn't move you forward as a company. In other words, a car that doesn't sell in the volumes needed to keep moving forward. Porsche, BMW they have cars (M2 CS, GT4) that just keep getting more raw. They are built along with an army of Cayenne and 340i. Lotus went a different direction that isn't as exciting, they made money. I think most of the journalists believe that the car will be a huge success. This means aftermarket support and more raw variants in the future hopefully.

 

[BeHappy]

This about sums it up, give up your slots and move on and let others have what will be a classic going forward. Fed up listening to constant winging w*******

yep, but when I pull up at my local and a GT4 is in the car park, what's going to get more attention, a porka or something unique. Bear in mind most of you lot are 1. rich, 2. old, 3. will never track it, 4. will only drive it when the weather is fine, and in all honesty when its parked next to a beautiful full on Evora will look more gazelle like. Hoping Il, get moved up to July from August as nobs drop out

VISION You’ve always got to lower the tone with your aggressive tone and language calling people “winging wankers “and “knobs “ is not called for, your maybe more suited to another type of forum. It’s called debate and everyone is entitled to their opinion, if it winds you up that much that that your always on the attack mode simple don’t read everyone’s opinions

 

[LotusB]

Ok, so I just went to PorscheUSA website, as a mental exercise and started configuring a Porsche 718 GTS 4.0. Honestly feeling uninspired. I'm sure it drives beautifully and is well refined... but dammit... I'm sticking with the Emira. It gets me excited just looking at it and that's all I want in a small less-than-practical sports car.

Porsche would make a great wife, it's a sensible choice.... Emira is the mistress. The other.

 

[kratedisease]

I have to say that the AMERICAN (USA) legacy magazines have nothing but praise.

 

[Tommyboy1986]

I think reality has hit for a lot of people thinking the emira would fill the super car void ..
I’m 100000%% committed it’s still the same sexy , fun affordable car and I cannot wait to get it

I watched the reviews on my C63s when that come out and they was really disappointing , when I picked it up the reviews couldn’t be further than the truth the car was a beast and stunning in every way ! Sorely missed to this day !
I’m sure the emera will
Be very fun and live up to the lotus name

 

[kratedisease]

I think its just the British with their bad weather and bad teeth that are casting some shadows on the EMIRA. Nothing bad like that to read related to the EMIRA reviews here in sunny USA.


P.S. is orthodontia and cosmetic dentistry that outrageously expensive in the UK ?

 

[Leonard]

I have been reading posts and watching reviews for 2 hours straight now. I like when people make valid arguments whether positive or negative such as yours.

Perhaps the journalists aren't that excited because this isn't the best "seat of the pants feeling" Lotus. I do hear respect and admiration for Lotus for making a car with a two year waiting list. The worst thing that can happen is to make a car that doesn't move you forward as a company. In other words, a car that doesn't sell in the volumes needed to keep moving forward. Porsche, BMW they have cars (M2 CS, GT4) that just keep getting more raw. They are built along with an army of Cayenne and 340i. Lotus went a different direction that isn't as exciting, they made money. I think most of the journalists believe that the car will be a huge success. This means aftermarket support and more raw variants in the future hopefully.

It just feels like they were expecting more. Jethro looked like he was going to cry! I don't believe there was any malice in his review or Porsche bias.
Harry's review is great and gives me hope that it will be flawed but wonderful in equal measure. I REALLY want it to be good. I have a nagging doubt that it's all emperors new clothes though and that does partly stem from the woeful Lotus communication/cx we have recieved and I have whinged about so much.
Even now with the release of the press reviews things are still unclear about basic fundamentals of the car and that is because of how Lotus has gone about releasing cars for review.
80k is almost twice what I've ever spent on a car. I'm lucky enough I'm in a position now where I can afford it, but as much as I would like to support Lotus, I won't be spending it if I think I will get bigger smiles per mile elsewhere.

 

[Leonard]

I think reality has hit for a lot of people thinking the emira would fill the super car void ..
I’m 100000%% committed it’s still the same sexy , fun affordable car and I cannot wait to get it

I watched the reviews on my C63s when that come out and they was really disappointing , when I picked it up the reviews couldn’t be further than the truth the car was a beast and stunning in every way ! Sorely missed to this day !
I’m sure the emera will
Be very fun and live up to the lotus name

With that engine I can imagine anything can be forgiven

 

[Leonard]

I think its just the British with their bad weather and bad teeth that are casting some shadows on the EMIRA. Nothing bad like that to read related to the EMIRA reviews here in sunny USA.

Again that's a worry as I am 100% sure ALL the British journos want the Emira to be a massive success

 

[Tommyboy1986]

With that engine I can imagine anything can be forgiven

100% beauty ! The sound was just theatrical