Perspective on reviews

[Leonard]

I was in a team meeting yesterday and some of the guys asked me about the Emira and was i excited to get it soon(ish). I told them i had concerns the reviews weren't as glowing as hoped. Their view was you are comparing the Emira to all the best sports cars out there, Alpine Cayman etc etc and they are all good. I was told in no uncertain terms to buy it, ditch my thought of swapping to an I4 as speed isn't everything and the emotion of the V6 noise more than makes up for it.
I watched the positive reviews again on the train home and the Instagram post from a dealer who showed a small video of Nimbus grey (my colour) Emira and i'm excited again,

That is some great perspective Tony.
I have similar feedback from a few mates that know I have a deposit on an Emira. Two say the reviews look glowing and it looks great and sounds fun so just do it. One says it sounds a little compromised, so if you are unsure just buy the Spyder you initially wanted.
Ironically they all drive Porsches (992 GTS, 991 GT3 and 987 Boxster) so is interesting to get their perspective

 

[MCS]

I was in a team meeting yesterday and some of the guys asked me about the Emira and was i excited to get it soon(ish). I told them i had concerns the reviews weren't as glowing as hoped. Their view was you are comparing the Emira to all the best sports cars out there, Alpine Cayman etc etc and they are all good. I was told in no uncertain terms to buy it, ditch my thought of swapping to an I4 as speed isn't everything and the emotion of the V6 noise more than makes up for it.
I watched the positive reviews again on the train home and the Instagram post from a dealer who showed a small video of Nimbus grey (my colour) Emira and i'm excited again,

That sounds like a great team meeting

 

[Tonyshepp]

Intention was always to try before you buy and with a 2023 ETA thats easily done, I guess I wanted it to be a 5* car across the board, it obviously isnt in the current pre prod guise, maybe final tweaks will have been made since those press cars got built, but seems close to prod spec, so my thoughts...

Well at c£80k its really got to be perfect for me and leave me excited everytime I drive it, it wont go on track, Im going for Touring as a sort of non daily daily driver if that makes sense (2nd car). I've driven a Cayman GTS and its very good but a little clinical, I dont mind cars with some short falls as long as the character and qualities I look for are there, not driven the V6SC engine but there is a difference between a car being quick and 'feeling quick', depends on power delivery normally.
Cant wait to try it, hope it is what I want, keen to see the base V6 price and options/colours as if I can get the car and spec I really want for 60-70k then feels slightly less painful to the savings.

I think it will be exciting to drive, and definitely a car to look back at in the car park.

 

[Tonyshepp]

That is some great perspective Tony.
I have similar feedback from a few mates that know I have a deposit on an Emira. Two say the reviews look glowing and it looks great and sounds fun so just do it. One says it sounds a little compromised, so if you are unsure just buy the Spyder you initially wanted.
Ironically they all drive Porsches (992 GTS, 991 GT3 and 987 Boxster) so is interesting to get their perspective

@Leonard just keep looking at the Nimbus grey photos - things will be ok

Main thing for me now is that the air con works and the QEF system sounds sooper

 

[Leonard]

@Leonard just keep looking at the Nimbus grey photos - things will be ok

Main thing for me now is that the air con works and the QEF system sounds sooper

I keep forgetting about the 2.5k sound system. Why the heck aren't they talking about it!
Have you the link to the video you mentioned?

 

[virtualmacho]

I keep forgetting about the 2.5k sound system. Why the heck aren't they talking about it!

They're refraining from posting their reviews for fear it will show what they have in their playlists...

 

[digilotus]

They're refraining from posting their reviews for fear it will show what they have in their playlists...

Rumor has it that a particular Evo reviewer had this playing

 

[Tonyshepp]

I keep forgetting about the 2.5k sound system. Why the heck aren't they talking about it!
Have you the link to the video you mentioned?

What link, the only time I’ve heard the QEF system was for one second when Harry turned it on.

 

[Leonard]

What link, the only time I’ve heard the QEF system was for one second when Harry turned it on.

No the Nimbus link you referred to

 

[Tonyshepp]

No the Nimbus link you referred to

been posted here before but here you go -
looks so so good Nimbus Grey.

 

[Eagle7]

Intention was always to try before you buy and with a 2023 ETA thats easily done, I guess I wanted it to be a 5* car across the board, it obviously isnt in the current pre prod guise, maybe final tweaks will have been made since those press cars got built, but seems close to prod spec, so my thoughts...

Well at c£80k its really got to be perfect for me and leave me excited everytime I drive it, it wont go on track, Im going for Touring as a sort of non daily daily driver if that makes sense (2nd car). I've driven a Cayman GTS and its very good but a little clinical, I dont mind cars with some short falls as long as the character and qualities I look for are there, not driven the V6SC engine but there is a difference between a car being quick and 'feeling quick', depends on power delivery normally.
Cant wait to try it, hope it is what I want, keen to see the base V6 price and options/colours as if I can get the car and spec I really want for 60-70k then feels slightly less painful to the savings.

This is the thing though, what is it that makes certain cars feel clinical, and others have more character? People say they want perfection, but a perfect machine is just that; a machine. As odd as it may sound, the charm and character of British and Italian cars has long been that they aren't perfect, but what they do right is so endearing you are willing to put up with those parts/areas that aren't perfect.

One of the traditional areas of 'non-perfection' for British and Italian cars have been build quality, but it looks like Lotus has addressed that nicely with the Emira. A good, solid, well-built sports car with the handling character of a Lotus, is going to be something that should be very fun and easy to live with.

 

[Leonard]

been posted here before but here you go -
looks so so good Nimbus Grey.

Ah yes the good stuff

 

[TomE]

That is some great perspective Tony.
I have similar feedback from a few mates that know I have a deposit on an Emira. Two say the reviews look glowing and it looks great and sounds fun so just do it. One says it sounds a little compromised, so if you are unsure just buy the Spyder you initially wanted.
Ironically they all drive Porsches (992 GTS, 991 GT3 and 987 Boxster) so is interesting to get their perspective

Your friends all drive Porsches?
You must make amends
... and buy an AMG-engined Emira

(with thanks to Janis Joplin )

 

[EspritGuy]

This is the thing though, what is it that makes certain cars feel clinical, and others have more character? People say they want perfection, but a perfect machine is just that; a machine. As odd as it may sound, the charm and character of British and Italian cars has long been that they aren't perfect, but what they do right is so endearing you are willing to put up with those parts/areas that aren't perfect.

One of the traditional areas of 'non-perfection' for British and Italian cars have been build quality, but it looks like Lotus has addressed that nicely with the Emira. A good, solid, well-built sports car with the handling character of a Lotus, is going to be something that should be very fun and easy to live with.

Maybe the word you're thinking of is Personality, versus cold and clinical.

 

[mjw930]

This is the thing though, what is it that makes certain cars feel clinical, and others have more character? People say they want perfection, but a perfect machine is just that; a machine. As odd as it may sound, the charm and character of British and Italian cars has long been that they aren't perfect, but what they do right is so endearing you are willing to put up with those parts/areas that aren't perfect.

One of the traditional areas of 'non-perfection' for British and Italian cars have been build quality, but it looks like Lotus has addressed that nicely with the Emira. A good, solid, well-built sports car with the handling character of a Lotus, is going to be something that should be very fun and easy to live with.

I can relate 100%. I’ve been a Porsche fanatic for 40 years but over the years they have gotten more and more clinical. So much so that my latest, the 718 Spyder, is borderline sterile when it comes to character. It’s as close to “perfect” as I can possibly imagine and you know what, perfect can be boring. But I was content, I’d achieved a goal of owning a bespoke Porsche GT product and life was good.

Then 2 things happened, the first driving reviews of the VP07 Emira and the realization that the world had gone crazy and I was seeing other 718 Spyders commanding 130% - 140% of MSRP on the used market. I placed a reservation deposit on an Emira in March but was on the fence on what to do, I really wasn’t ready to part ways with the Spyder.

Well we’ve finally made a decision, the enhanced equity on the Spyder is just too much to pass up. I’m going to turn that into a Taycan Sport Turismo 4S, sell the Model 3 and reserve a space next to it for the Emira next year. My sports cars need to have a personality. I need to be able to feel the road and be able to dance on the edge without having to travel at warp speed or do track days. I’m pretty sure V6 manual Emira will deliver that.

We had a Taycan 4S for a month last year when the Spyder was on a QC hold at the port and loved it. It was parked next to the Model 3 and the Model 3 collected dust for a month. The Taycan, in this config, is one of the best grand touring cars I’ve ever driven and I can still scratch the Porsche itch.

It wasn’t an easy decision but we’ve come the peace with it. Hopefully the current market issues don’t kill the market. The Spyder goes on consignment in a week or two and the Taycan is at least 6 months out.

 

[SJR202]

The thing that 'worries' me, is that a few other reviews also highlight all the shortcomings of the EVO review. They just aren't as high profile and were a little kinder let's say than Jethros obvious disappointment.
If you are a British motoring journalist reviewing the last hurrah ICE Lotus that is a turning point for an historic British brand I can imagine that you may not be quite as bullish as you would with another brand.
A lot dont say that they are openly disappointed, but you can hear it in what they are not saying...
The Emira is a turning point but what I'm hearing is that the true driving enthusiasts are missing that Lotus purity of old.
It doesn't make it a bad car, but for some it will mean a readjustment in expectation

Know what you mean, Im taking the EVO track review with a pinch of salt, mainly as with the wrong tyres and I wont ever take mine on track its not a relevant review for me specifically.
What was interesting is Henry's review in the magazine after a roadtrip to south of France seemed very muted, there wasnt excitement or much praise, felt almost like he was looking for the best but maybe gave it some benefit of doubt being a pre prod?

Harry's review is still my go to, he loved the drive by the looks of it and for a road car using Touring it could be spot on for many real world use.
A test drive will answer all questions + the car of the years coming up later in the year will bench mark it, I cant imagine it wont be in all magazine COTYs.

 

[Leonard]

A test drive will answer all questions + the car of the years coming up later in the year will bench mark it, I cant imagine it wont be in all magazine COTYs.

Yup and probably up against the GT4 RS
Hopefully they take both cars on some decent roads and by decent I mean terribly surfaced