Race to the first i4

[EMIRADILEMMA]

My i4 has arrived in Sydney but I can't take delivery for at least a few more weeks

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it once you've taken delivery. I am hoping those issues highlighted in the reviews, particularly around the gearbox, have been ironed out.

 

[Tokion]

My i4 has arrived in Sydney but I can't take delivery for at least a few more weeks

I suppose you are not “Norm” then

Do you have any idea why Norm already has received his I4

This must mean that the Emira i4 already has been homologated and approved for the Australian market.

I assume that your wait is caused by other practical issues like PDI and local arrangements for delivery where you are (within Australia)

 

[TurboTambo]

A person called Norm Role in Australia seems to have taken delivery of his Lotus Emira i4. He has personally posted this on FaceBook Lotus Emira Group today Feb 22, 2024. At least this is the very first proof that Lotus has delivered an i4 to a customer outside China. So for those of us with i4 orders (many of us since summer 2021) this gives hope.

Obviously the major roadblock is homologation and national approvals that vary for each country/territory.

Exciting indeed

We’ve had feedback here from other Australian Emira Forum members regarding i4 for Australia shipping from the UK and arriving to Australian ports.

It would be very nice if someone can tell us more about those Australian customers who already have taken delivery of i4, or those who have been notified that i4 delivery is imminent

Here is my i4 in Perth. Hopefully I'll be able to collect next week.

 

[yohc88]

I suppose you are not “Norm” then

Do you have any idea why Norm already has received his I4

This must mean that the Emira i4 already has been homologated and approved for the Australian market.

I assume that your wait is caused by other practical issues like PDI and local arrangements for delivery where you are (within Australia)

From what I can see 'Norm' is in Perth, ships routes usually dock in Perth about a week before they dock in Sydney. The delay is from my side not Lotus's side

 

[normholly]

From what I can see 'Norm' is in Perth, ships routes usually dock in Perth about a week before they dock in Sydney. The delay is from my side not Lotus's side

I'm Norm from Perth and was lucky enough to receive delivery of my I4 today. Osmium silver, tan interior, lower black pack with touring suspension. Only did about 150ks today and a bit of that was in traffic. It certainly is a sexy looking car and gets a lot of attention. I have had a Porsche Cayman for the last 4 years and intend to keep it as well, at least for the time being anyway. I'm pleasantly surprised about the build quality everything lines up as it should, and all the stitching is nice and straight, very easy to get in and out of and the seats are very comfy.Wont bore you with all the general stuff you would already be aware of. Any questions just ask. The handling is very comfortable maybe a little softer than the cayman, and steering not as tight but definitely very good, the transmission will take a little getting used too. The double shift is a pain but I'm sure I'll get used to it, you just wouldn't want to be in a hurry doing a 3-point turn. The gear shift is very sensitive, so you won't want to be holding onto it like a manual. It goes through the gears nicely and I am using the paddles a lot more than I would in the Porsche ,I drove a A45 amg a long time ago and noticed a lot of popping sounds shifting down the gears, haven't noticed this once with the Emira, saying that I haven't taken it over 4000 revs yet so see what happens. I prefer the sound of the Porsche at the moment but its very early days and haven't driven it in sport yet, just sounds a little quite to me, my mate thought it sounded great ??. I'm sure in time the sound will be better especially in sport. Disappointing it doesn't have lane warning indicators as the blind spot is terrible you see nothing over your shoulder at all. Its only the first day and I'm sure I'll notice a lot more and get used to everything.a sexy car that ill enjoy driving.

 

[Andy H]

Congratulations Norm. Overall it sounds like a positive experience which is great news. I guess the thing that's been most debated is the DCT shift. Many reviews have commented on a significant lag between the paddle action and the actual shift (like even up to 1 second). It would be great to hear how you are finding that aspect, especially in relation to the Cayman PDK and the A45 AMG DCT you drove previously. Thanks!

 

[normholly]

Here are pics Osmium silver

 

[Tokion]

Here are pics Osmium silver

A big congrats, Norm

Osmium silver with tan interior looks extremely beautiful, and it would definetely have been an option for myself. However, in Japan where I live, the Lotus importer (LCI) insists that all orders remain like they were originally placed (I fixed my specs in April 2022, while initial order was summer 2021). My car will be Dark Verdant with Tan interior and yellow calipers and yellow stripe on Alcantara steering. Sports suspension with Goodyear F1.

I have been told that my car (in first batch to Japan) was to have been manufactured in November 2023, but this moved to January 2024, and when I asked my salesman in mid February (2024) he just said that he thought the build has started, while paperwork regarding emissions has commenced in Japan. So I am back to thinking the whole thing is full of uncertainty

To see Australian market I4 on the street/road makes me a little optimistic again

 

[Zayex]

Soy Norm de Perth y tuve la suerte de recibir mi I4 hoy. Osmio plateado, interior tostado, paquete inferior negro con suspensión touring. Solo hice unos 150 kilómetros hoy y un poco de eso fue en el tráfico. Sin duda es un coche de aspecto sexy y llama mucho la atención. He tenido un Porsche Cayman durante los últimos 4 años y tengo la intención de conservarlo también, al menos por el momento. Estoy gratamente sorprendido por la calidad de construcción, todo se alinea como debería, y todas las costuras son bonitas y rectas, es muy fácil entrar y salir y los asientos son muy cómodos. No te aburriré con todas las cosas generales que harías. ya ser consciente de. Cualquier duda solo pregunta. El manejo es muy cómodo, tal vez un poco más suave que el Cayman, y la dirección no es tan firme, pero definitivamente es muy buena; la transmisión también tomará un poco de tiempo para acostumbrarse. El doble turno es una molestia pero estoy seguro de que me acostumbraré, simplemente no querrás tener prisa haciendo un giro de 3 puntos. El cambio de marcha es muy sensible, por lo que no querrás sujetarlo como si fuera manual. Pasa muy bien por las marchas y estoy usando las levas mucho más que en el Porsche. Conduje un A45 amg hace mucho tiempo y noté muchos chasquidos al bajar las marchas, no lo había notado ni una vez con el Emira, diciendo que aún no lo he llevado a más de 4000 revoluciones, así que mira qué pasa. Prefiero el sonido del Porsche en este momento, pero es muy temprano y aún no lo he conducido en deportes, simplemente me suena un poco, mi compañero pensó que sonaba genial. Estoy seguro de que con el tiempo el sonido mejorará, especialmente en el deporte. Es decepcionante que no tenga indicadores de advertencia de carril, ya que el punto ciego es terrible, no se ve nada por encima del hombro. Es sólo el primer día y estoy seguro de que notaré mucho más y me acostumbraré a todo. Un auto sexy que disfrutaré conduciend

Just curiosity, when did yo do the reservation?

 

[Tokion]

The gear shift is very sensitive, so you won't want to be holding onto it like a manual.

With DCT it seems that it is very important not to let the car creep forward in heavy traffic (like often is done with a torque converter auto-gearbox). With a DCT it should be strictly stop or go (nothing in between). Otherwise the clutches will wear quickly, and they are damned expensive to replace (whole gearbox must come out; and since it sticks to the engine…..who knows how much needs to be disassembled).

 

[Zayex]

With DCT it seems that it is very important not to let the car creep forward in heavy traffic (like often is done with a torque converter auto-gearbox). With a DCT it should be strictly stop or go (nothing in between). Otherwise the clutches will wear quickly, and they are damned expensive to replace (whole gearbox must come out; and since it sticks to the engine…..who knows how much needs to be disassembled).

When you speak about stop or go, you mean to use neutral or just brake completely. Sorry I am (was) a manual guy

 

[khiro]

A big congrats, Norm

Osmium silver with tan interior looks extremely beautiful, and it would definetely have been an option for myself. However, in Japan where I live, the Lotus importer (LCI) insists that all orders remain like they were originally placed (I fixed my specs in April 2022, while initial order was summer 2021). My car will be Dark Verdant with Tan interior and yellow calipers and yellow stripe on Alcantara steering. Sports suspension with Goodyear F1.

I have been told that my car (in first batch to Japan) was to have been manufactured in November 2023, but this moved to January 2024, and when I asked my salesman in mid February (2024) he just said that he thought the build has started, while paperwork regarding emissions has commenced in Japan. So I am back to thinking the whole thing is full of uncertainty

To see Australian market I4 on the street/road makes me a little optimistic again

Is there a possibility that the ship will come to Japan via Sydney?　Is it possible that the reason the ship prioritized shipping to Australia was because it could no longer pass through the Suez Canal?　Maybe I'm thinking too much...

 

[Stewart]

Is there a possibility that the ship will come to Japan via Sydney?　Is it possible that the reason the ship prioritized shipping to Australia was because it could no longer pass through the Suez Canal?　Maybe I'm thinking too much...

This is the ship that just dropped off mine in Brisbane (it also stopped in Perth, Melb and Sydney). Says it is going to Japan, but probably best to check with your dealer as I don’t want to offer false hope. Mine is expected to clear customs and be with the dealer next week for collection the following week. Sods law I am going to be away then……

 

[Tokion]

When you speak about stop or go, you mean to use neutral or just brake completely. Sorry I am (was) a manual guy

When you speak about stop or go, you mean to use neutral or just brake completely. Sorry I am (was) a manual guy

I owned so many manual transmission cars, and I also (still) have several torque converter automatic cars. The Emira i4 will be my first with a DCT, and I’m looking forward to it. (Just hoping Lotus/AMG has resolved the time-delay problem much talked about).

By stop and go I mean that when you drive in slow traffic (jam), you should move as far as you can go, then lift off your right foot from the gas pedal and push down the brake pedal. When traffic moves, you again move your foot to gas pedal and make the car positively move forward.

This is different from when you drive a torque converter automatic and keep your right foot on the accelerator most of the time and let the car “creep forward” in very slow motion along with the movement of the traffic jam. The torque converter is designed to handle this, and do not wear so quickly.

If you do this with a DCT, the two clutches (or at least one of them) will be partially engaged and will be “shaved” a little at the time causing excessive wear.

The clutches in a DCT are actually nearly identical to those in a manual gearbox. So, with a manual transmission; if you have a habit of pushing the clutch halfway down and let your car “creep forward” in jammed traffic; then this will have the same effect to “shave” your clutch so it wears out faster.

But DCT clutches are very much “embedded” into the DCT mechanism, so the task of replacing them is far more involved (and expensive) than swapping a manual transmission clutch.

Hope this helps

 

[khiro]

This is the ship that just dropped off mine in Brisbane (it also stopped in Perth, Melb and Sydney). Says it is going to Japan, but probably best to check with your dealer as I don’t want to offer false hope. Mine is expected to clear customs and be with the dealer next week for collection the following week. Sods law I am going to be away then……

Congratulations! You'll get your Emira soon, won't you. And thank you for the interesting information.

 

[lynchy73]

Congratulations Norm. Overall it sounds like a positive experience which is great news. I guess the thing that's been most debated is the DCT shift. Many reviews have commented on a significant lag between the lever action and the actual shift (like even up to 1 second). It would be great to hear how you are finding that aspect, especially in relation to the Cayman and the A45 AMG you drove previously. Thanks!

I’ve had my I4 for about 2 months. Still running in, but almost there. It’s a Weekend, fine weather toy for me.

The DCT isn’t bad IMO. It could be quicker but it’s not a disaster. I’m tending to use the manual operation more recently, as the gear selection is slightly hit and miss, holding a lower gear longer than I want sometimes, or not dropping down when i might want it. I’m very curious to hear new I4 owners thoughts on the DCT as my experience is nowhere near as extensive as others on here.

The I4 has good torque from circa 2000revs, and is not slow even keeping below circa 4k and part throttle. I like the sound on boost and it makes lots of whooshing, flutters and whistles the whole time, even at moderate revs/ throttle. The V6 has a nicer sound on song, but the I4 is also characterful, if a little flat when not making turbo sounds.

My car is on Sport Suspension with the Goodyear, it’s pretty hard/firm, but at the same time it’s not crashy. It corners like it’s on rails, has great brakes and feels stable when braking hard, even on bad surfaces. Looking forward to getting it on track

 

[Andy H]

The DCT isn’t bad IMO

Many thanks for the update. It sounds like the DCT response is proving bearable which is encouraging. I was sploilt by the lightning fast shifts in my E90 M3. Even the newer Audi RS3 I drive now feels slower than that. Hopefully, this will be no worse. I've not tried the Porsche PDK but from what I've read, this represents the best in class currently.

Having owned an Impreza for years, I'm also a fan of turbo sound effects

 

[CraigO]

I heard the other day that the UK I4 certification has now been passed. I do so hope this is the case, and things start to move at last. Fingers crossed.

 

[PsymonR]

I heard the other day that the UK I4 certification has now been passed. I do so hope this is the case, and things start to move at last. Fingers crossed.

Out of interest where did you hear that from? Would definitely be good if true, but I'm not going to get my hopes up yet...

 

[ital-corse]

Aus Interesse, woher hast du das gehört? Wäre auf jeden Fall gut, wenn es wahr wäre, aber ich werde mir noch keine großen Hoffnungen machen ...

Bei uns in Deutschland sollen die ersten Emira I4 ab 10.03.2024 bei dem Händler sein. Es werden auch schon die ersten zum Kauf angeboten.