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[Tommyboy1986]

I wouldn’t have an Evora if it was given to me nor any other lotus , but I would love the handling of one . So making a modern face lift evora with the name of emira suits me a treat! The car is slick , stunning , fairy quick and just dam right cool.
I cannot wait to get one as and when that will be .
I am also excited for lotus , and what they have to come with the i4 .
I’m a Previous 2019 C63s driver so love the dct boxes on them and am excited to see what lotus and amg may do in the future . For now though I am going auto v6 emira , with a bad delayed bla bla gear box and going to enjoy every second of it! Roll on next year /start of 2023 (when ever it’s made ) ..
Plus it’s £80k with every option or £80064 to be precise what else can you buy brand new all warrantied up and looks like that for that money !
Happy days

 

[DJS]

Let's look at the positives.....

1) One of the best looking cars I've ever seen
2) Reliable proven V6 Engine
3) Lotus cars just don't drive badly
4) Double wishbone suspension all round (This is on the 992 GT3 everyone is raving about)
5) Good quality interior at last
6) Could this be the best £ for £ sports car on the market
7) Guaranteed excellent residual value. (As always with Lotus)
8) Wont cost the earth to maintain
9) Been told this car gets the better of a Cayman GT4 on track (Say no more)

Agreed its been a strange strategy from Lotus but I think they are cocky enough to know they have this wrapped up.

 

[Tommyboy1986]

Great reply … I’m happy for everyone to drop out , means Ile get mine earlier !
Sexy dam motor !!!

 

[Leonard]

Let's look at the positives.....

1) One of the best looking cars I've ever seen
2) Reliable proven V6 Engine
3) Lotus cars just don't drive badly
4) Double wishbone suspension all round (This is on the 992 GT3 everyone is raving about)
5) Good quality interior at last
6) Could this be the best £ for £ sports car on the market
7) Guaranteed excellent residual value. (As always with Lotus)
8) Wont cost the earth to maintain
9) Been told this car gets the better of a Cayman GT4 on track (Say no more)

Agreed its been a strange strategy from Lotus but I think they are cocky enough to know they have this wrapped up.

You missed out hydraulic steering, name one modern sports car of this type with that!

 

[DJS]

You missed out hydraulic steering, name one modern sports car of this type with that!

I new I was missing something….
10) Hydraulic steering for that great feed back.

 

[Magicman]

I work at a lotus dealership and here is what I have:
1. This is a new factory, you will have bugs, you will not get parts back in time
2. This car will weight more than the Cayman GTS and GT4
3. First Edition buyers are obviously test pilots, they removed the adaptive cruise and lumped everything together to get manufacturing processes down
4. This car IS an Evora with a better exterior imo. The new car is the I4, different engine, DCT.
5. The reason why this car is so much slower than the Evora GT comes down to weight of all the new tech.
6. The sound of the car on the videos will not be the sound of the production models.
7. There's no word whatsoever for parts availability except for existing evora internals

Notice how you're getting closer to making a firm deposit but no information on the Amg I4 0-100 is given right? No concrete info on the weight of the V6 fully loaded is given right? You're all being sold "it'll drive like a lotus". What does the I4 sound like? Ask what other manufacturer hides this much information after launch and after deposits have been taken.


I've seen this smoke and mirrors things too much. Toyota supra with all its hype, so many people made deposits. Then reviewers went to town. Next year they give it a 40+hp bump with new internals leaving first adopters with a nasty bag of depreciation. Nobody wants a supra launch edition.

Good luck to you all, heading back in to send a laundry list of refund emails to the finance department.

So all really positive there then....

I'd start looking for a new job if lotus becomes aware of you lol

 

[Leonard]

I think many of you posting are being way too critical.

BUT.... I think LOTUS should have just waited a bit longer to reveal the car, so that they would be able to show off finished production examples that are exact examples of what depositors are getting. SO far only two cars, the grey manual and blue car that does not drive. and neither is a finished example.

Trouble is to delay it too much would mean it isn't worth doing. Electric around the corner. . .

 

[mr_joshua]

Well… bye.

 

[Den]

I must admit, I had a bit of a wobble when I read some of these posts, then the positives came through
I thought this was a Lotus enthusiasts forum, but I guess you will always get those who want to justify to themselves and everyone else, why not to buy the car
At the end of the day, it's personal choice, but I'm a Lotus fan, and although the Emira is a step change from their current ethos, it's a damn good one IMO

 

[Jonhklee]

On the fence for the i4 still…. Wanting a later car anyway, so after reviews and first deliveries before I commit. If reviews and early ownership experience are good, I’m in a good place in the queue, if so so, then I can withdraw. Can’t imagine it not being excellent to drive though.

 

[CaptainSensible]

Just to throw in my 2p on the Supra comment.

The Emira V6 is a tried and tested lump already use in other Lotuses. I doubt they will launch and then suddenly re engineer the whole engine after 6 months, they surely already have squeezed out as much as they safely can in the Exige/Evora.

 

[eclat2emira]

Just to throw in my 2p on the Supra comment.

The Emira V6 is a tried and tested lump already use in other Lotuses. I doubt they will launch and then suddenly re engineer the whole engine after 6 months, they surely already have squeezed out as much as they safely can in the Exige/Evora.

Absolutely right, and I'm sure someone with more knowledgeable than me has already said on this forum that the manual 6-speed 'box that goes with the V6 is a limiting factor for power to the wheels as well.

 

[TomE]

They've still got scope to do an Emira GT430 with a pre-proven V6 setup

The GT4 race car will only be 400hp. But they'll remove about 150kg of weight. I'm sure there will be a road-going equivalent of that at some point.

 

[eclat2emira]

They've still got scope to do an Emira GT430 with a pre-proven V6 setup

The GT4 race car will only be 400hp. But they'll remove about 150kg of weight. I'm sure there will be a road-going equivalent of that at some point.

Really nice to hear about Lotus taking weight out Tom, the dear departed Colin Chapman can stop spinning in his grave.

 

[Pav]

Just a personal perspective and totally get how the OP feels, I think the people who will stay the course through deposits and the highs (it looks stunning!) and the lows (no stitch on manual steering wheel!) over the next 6-12 months are likely a bit like me. I’ve always wanted a Lotus but I did not want a track car on the road. I ride bikes on the track, it’s like mainlining adrenalin.

My brother had an S1 Elise when I had a year 1 BMW Mini Cooper S. We did a track day together and the difference was stark, my run flat tyres really were rubbish and the Elise was in its element. But the Supercharged Mini was a hoot on the road even with the first gen engine and gearbox (was fine during my ownership.) I won’t get into the weeks of indecision about black roof or not. Curious coincidence though it is.

At that time, early 2000s I test drove an early British racing green Esprit Turbo at UK Sports Cars (checking their website to see what your £75k can buy is great respite from the configurator.) The test drive was very much a case of never meet your heroes; my dream car felt old (it was), the sunroof like it had been borrrowed from a Norfolk greenhouse and the door handles really did have the allure of an Allegro.

But it was a Lotus and I came VERY close to chopping in the Mini because it had something very special even with all the faults. Being taken to the Spy Who Lived Me aged 5 may have had something to do with it.

Anyway, fast forward twenty years and having seriously looked at every modern Lotus since, the Emira for me has all the visual impact of the Esprit blended with the capabilities and driving experience of the later cars. Hopefully given modern manufacturing tolerances and the eyes of not just the petrolhead world upon them, it will deliver on ‘the most accomplished Lotus ever’ dream. And fortunately I quite like Volvo switch gear and instruments.

 

[Leonard]

Just a personal perspective and totally get how the OP feels, I think the people who will stay the course through deposits and the highs (it looks stunning!) and the lows (no stitch on manual steering wheel!) over the next 6-12 months are likely a bit like me. I’ve always wanted a Lotus but I did not want a track car on the road. I ride bikes on the track, it’s like mainlining adrenalin.

My brother had an S1 Elise when I had a year 1 BMW Mini Cooper S. We did a track day together and the difference was stark, my run flat tyres really were rubbish and the Elise was in its element. But the Supercharged Mini was a hoot on the road even with the first gen engine and gearbox (was fine during my ownership.) I won’t get into the weeks of indecision about black roof or not. Curious coincidence though it is.

At that time, early 2000s I test drove an early British racing green Esprit Turbo at UK Sports Cars (checking their website to see what your £75k can buy is great respite from the configurator.) The test drive was very much a case of never meet your heroes; my dream car felt old (it was), the sunroof like it had been borrrowed from a Norfolk greenhouse and the door handles really did have the allure of an Allegro.

But it was a Lotus and I came VERY close to chopping in the Mini because it had something very special even with all the faults. Being taken to the Spy Who Lived Me aged 5 may have had something to do with it.

Anyway, fast forward twenty years and having seriously looked at every modern Lotus since, the Emira for me has all the visual impact of the Esprit blended with the capabilities and driving experience of the later cars. Hopefully given modern manufacturing tolerances and the eyes of not just the petrolhead world upon them, it will deliver on ‘the most accomplished Lotus ever’ dream. And fortunately I quite like Volvo switch gear and instruments.

Agree with all of that

I've always wanted a Lotus but never had the need for one, as you say they were always just a little too compromised for me 'growing up.' Ironically I am at the stage in my life where an Exige as a second car would be a wondrous thing, but the new Emira appeals even more and treads that fine line between comfort and ultimate sports car really nicely for me.
I have loved my Porsches (and M cars and Golf R's!) for that very same reason, but the Porsches have got too polished now and lost some of what made them special for me. I'd rather have a properly sorted 997.2 by RPM or similar than a new 992. That's what I'm hoping the Emira will be like +++

 

[eclat2emira]

Just a personal perspective and totally get how the OP feels, I think the people who will stay the course through deposits and the highs (it looks stunning!) and the lows (no stitch on manual steering wheel!) over the next 6-12 months are likely a bit like me. I’ve always wanted a Lotus but I did not want a track car on the road. I ride bikes on the track, it’s like mainlining adrenalin.

My brother had an S1 Elise when I had a year 1 BMW Mini Cooper S. We did a track day together and the difference was stark, my run flat tyres really were rubbish and the Elise was in its element. But the Supercharged Mini was a hoot on the road even with the first gen engine and gearbox (was fine during my ownership.) I won’t get into the weeks of indecision about black roof or not. Curious coincidence though it is.

At that time, early 2000s I test drove an early British racing green Esprit Turbo at UK Sports Cars (checking their website to see what your £75k can buy is great respite from the configurator.) The test drive was very much a case of never meet your heroes; my dream car felt old (it was), the sunroof like it had been borrrowed from a Norfolk greenhouse and the door handles really did have the allure of an Allegro.

But it was a Lotus and I came VERY close to chopping in the Mini because it had something very special even with all the faults. Being taken to the Spy Who Lived Me aged 5 may have had something to do with it.

Anyway, fast forward twenty years and having seriously looked at every modern Lotus since, the Emira for me has all the visual impact of the Esprit blended with the capabilities and driving experience of the later cars. Hopefully given modern manufacturing tolerances and the eyes of not just the petrolhead world upon them, it will deliver on ‘the most accomplished Lotus ever’ dream. And fortunately I quite like Volvo switch gear and instruments.

Great post Pav and your feelings about the Esprit, and how the Emira is the modern day successor are spot on (The Esprit cabin styling clearly influenced the Emira - ask me and I'll say where, although you will probably have spotted it already!)

Two of my brother's mates had Esprits - one was a white turbo (red stripes and badging of course), the other a JPS World Champions Ltd edition - both dream cars to 19-year old me! I ended up with an Eclat (hence my handle here) as I couldn't stretch to an Esprit which was great car - with all the usual caveats.

The bronze Bond turbo with the ski-rack and the essex turbo are other favourites - both true esprit icons.

It sounds like with the Emira we'll both be fulfilling our mid-engined Lotus dream, as will many others.

 

[Justcallmemac]

Must admit that I wavered for a moment recently and considered asking for my £5k back then took stock and applied my "you only live once" and "you work damn hard for it" mantras.

Like many, this will be my first Lotus. I've come incredibly close to Elise and Exige ownership over the years but always bailed at the last minute for one reason or t'other. Instead I scratch my track itch with a Caterham and a nicely sorted Clio Cup, cover the weekends off in a 981 GT4 and spend daily duties in an AMG A45S, unless it's utterly filthy out at which point, and as I live in the sticks, a Skoda Yeti, shod with all season Goodyears, joins the party and I love that car to bits.

So when the Emira was announced it immediately blew me away and took me back to a fanciful alternative reality where I was once again a wide-eyed adolescent with posters on the wall of dream cars and dream girls. Without a moment's hesitation I let my heart rule my head and was suckered in to an impulse buy. Good job Lotus!

Yep, I'm sure there will be issues and misteps and frustrations and annoyances and there will always be something better and faster out there albeit likely at far greater cost. But in these still challenging times and considering the last 18 months we've had, and with EV arriving at an ever increasing pace, I'm gonna have 'one last hurrah' while I can and finally tick that Lotus box and in supercar guise, (junior or not), and enjoy the emotional and engaging side of ownership, 'warts and all.'

 

[DJW]

At that time, early 2000s I test drove an early British racing green Esprit Turbo at UK Sports Cars (checking their website to see what your £75k can buy is great respite from the configurator.) The test drive was very much a case of never meet your heroes; my dream car felt old (it was), the sunroof like it had been borrrowed from a Norfolk greenhouse and the door handles really did have the allure of an Allegro.

But it was a Lotus and I came VERY close to chopping in the Mini because it had something very special even with all the faults. Being taken to the Spy Who Lived Me aged 5 may have had something to do with it.

Anyway, fast forward twenty years and having seriously looked at every modern Lotus since, the Emira for me has all the visual impact of the Esprit blended with the capabilities and driving experience of the later cars. Hopefully given modern manufacturing tolerances and the eyes of not just the petrolhead world upon them, it will deliver on ‘the most accomplished Lotus ever’ dream. And fortunately I quite like Volvo switch gear and instruments.

Also had to scratch the Esprit itch about 5 years ago. Was amazed how well the car rode and handled for such an old car. They still look stunning today vs modern machinery. Anyway photo of said car ….did look good in red.

 

[eclat2emira]

Also had to scratch the Esprit itch about 5 years ago. Was amazed how well the car rode and handled for such an old car. They still look stunning today vs modern machinery. Anyway photo of said car ….did look good in red.

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Handsome beast!