The great big "all the customer test drives" thread

[Beady]

Had my test drive today at Silverstone. Magma Red, Touring Spec, goodyears.

My Emira is due for Jan build/ Feb delivery.

I arrived in an S1 Elise but my recent cars include a launch Evora, Evora S and most recently Evora 400 - so my real comparable is against an Evora 400.

Looks are very supercar and the ultimate accolade was getting a thumbs up from a guy in a 911 GT3 who went past me on the dual carriageway. This car will turn heads.

Quality good, no obvious problems, although behind the mesh around the exhaust tailpipes looked messy with some unsightly insulation visible (very Lotus).

Seats very comfortable - to be honest I found them slightly too soft / padded / comfortable for a Lotus. I would be happier with something a little firmer (but remember I arrived in an Elise)

I really didn't like the colour but that's a personal opinion.

Mainly quiet, fast(ish) country roads and a short dual carriageway. Car in Sport mode throughout and roads dry although a little greasy.

Very quiet and refined on the dual carriageway and I didn't notice any wind noise - perfect daily driver.

Exhaust noise (in sport mode) was too quiet (400 much better)

Power is ok, adequate at best but it did feel fast enough for the road, but no "wow" factor. As somebody else said, this is why its £80k not £100k+. However it does pull well in all gears throughout the rev range.

I hit the rev limiter twice in 3rd gear when I wasn't expecting it - there is no real noticeable top end 'crescendo' to the power / noise that instinctively tells you to change gear. I guess I was going faster than I realised - the car carries speed easily.

Brakes amazing

Gearbox / change - ok. Not amazing, not bad. A bit notchy but nothing of concern. Again no different to a 400. Gear ratios suit the car well.

Handling - great (as you would expect). I found the touring spec very compliant. However again it felt softer than a 400 and again a bit too soft for me. However I think

I have selected Sport in my spec and I am happy with the choice, although it would be helpful to test a Sport car in comparison.

In summary - its a great car but I was a little underwhelmed. It is very much an Evora 400 in a new dress and much nicer interior

If I still had my Evora 400 i would struggle to justify the uplift to change. The Evora 410's are currently around £60-65k on a 19/20 plate so a 15-20k uplift for a brand new Emira just about makes sense but if the 410s were closer to £55k then I think a 410 would be a much more attractive option.

Before this drive I was 50/50 on whether I would proceed with the purchase and that has not changed - if anything I am moving more towards pulling the plug and coming back in a couple of years. I have spent the last hour browsing Astons and Mclarens at just a little bit more money, which tells you everything.

In the short term i will stick with the deposit as i don't need a sports car in Winter and will review in Jan/Feb when I need to make a decision. If used prices start (continue) falling then will probably bail out and if I had to decide today I think I would probably pull out.

Following my test drive at Silverstone Last week i have been reflecting over the weekend and reconsidering my thoughts and write up.
In summary, as a stand alone car it is great. Looks stunning, good interior, handling is amazing and the power is good (when considering the price).

My slight negativity really stems from the issue that the power/handling does not move on in any way from an Evora 400.
The jump in performance from and Evora S to a 400 in 2016 was a big step, but the Emira, 6 years later, is a sideways step only.
So on balance i think my initial write up was about right. The vast majority of people will be super happy and the looks alone give it a 'wow factor' even though performance is 'adequate'
Still browsing McLarens and Astons though!

 

[Evotion]

In summary, as a stand alone car it is great.

Correct!

but the Emira, 6 years later, is a sideways step only.

Correct!

I was able to look at the Emira as a standalone car and thought it was amazing as a package.

I do concede, and have indeed conceded, that coming from other performance cars it is very hard to get passed the lack of perceived power. Time moves on where we think 400HP is not enough in a 1500Kg car.

I didn't want the Emira to kick its back out. The fact that is didn't under fast acceleration, in the damp on CUP2s, was not so much down to a lack of ultimate power but die to some amazing engineering.

 

[Lotustoronto]

I test drove it at Boardwalk Lotus today at 4 PM. Hethel yellow with black pack, sport suspension, Michelin Cup 2, and manual transmission. The pedals were close together but I didn’t have any problems. That was one of the easiest manual transmission I have driven. Did not miss shift or anything. The only time I stalled it was at one of the final lights where we stopped for a few minutes waiting for it to turn green. The clutch catches really early which I wasn’t used to and forgot about it.

The whole thing was 10-15 minutes. We took it around some turns and a quick freeway drive (1 exit). Car looked really good. Interior felt nice. Kef stereo was alright: clear and bright and hence lacked a bit of warmth. Car sounded good from the outside, inside wasn’t as loud as I thought. There was some wind noise. I brought up the window seal thing and the Lotus corporate guy that rode with me haven’t heard about it. I initially liked the sport suspension as it was a nice firm and compliant. Roads were nice. On the way back, however, I felt it being more skittish (same roads). I was told that unless you plan on tracking it a lot, the touring suspension is the way to go.

Talking to the Boardwalk Lotus folks, they’re expecting the base V6 people to order in January with deliveries in late Spring. The real demo cars will arrive in March. That poses a dilemma because most of us would have only driven the sport suspension car and not touring. You can get pushed further down the line if you want to wait to drive the demo with touring suspension first (I’ll most likely do that). Overall, it was a good looking car, easy to drive, nice fit and finish, and drove well. Seats also felt fine to me. There was not a whole lot of character in the car IMO. Acceleration was linear so no low end drama there when taking off. That was the first Lotus I’ve driven and I felt it was okay. It didn’t wow me. I would give it a 7 out of 10 (maybe 7.5). Did get a thumbs up from a guy in a Lexus IS. I wonder if they will make a more hardcore version. For comparison, I drove a 718 GTS few years ago at PEC LA and that thing felt like it was waltzing with me. We were very in sync. Steering felt telepathic. Granted, I was pushing it more on the track. I just remember it to be such a great experience vs the Emira where, while I pushed it a bit around corners and accelerated well on the freeway (not pass 4K RPM), it felt too refined. I suppose that was Lotus’s goal. The Emira lacks a bit of rawness is the best way I could describe it.

Curious, was the 718 GTS a 4.0 or the 2.5 turbo? - PDK or Manual?

 

[CarGuy07]

Curious, was the 718 GTS a 4.0 or the 2.5 turbo? - PDK or Manual?

This was in 2019 so before the 4.0 came out. It was the 2.5L engine with PDK. The car was incredibly balanced.

 

[Tonyshepp]

Correct!


Correct!

I was able to look at the Emira as a standalone car and thought it was amazing as a package.

I do concede, and have indeed conceded, that coming from other performance cars it is very hard to get passed the lack of perceived power. Time moves on where we think 400HP is not enough in a 1500Kg car.

I didn't want the Emira to kick its back out. The fact that is didn't under fast acceleration, in the damp on CUP2s, was not so much down to a lack of ultimate power but die to some amazing engineering.

Great point as the criticism levelled at rear wheel drive cars quite often is the lack of traction due to too much power. All "fast" road cars now have 4 wheel drive drivetrains. If we'd have 450hp and the rear wheels span due to low traction would be happy??

 

[Evotion]

Yeah, I think Lotus nailed it personally.

My other 3 cars have over 500HP and the C63 507 car is the worse, wheel spinning the dry. Great novelty but often works against me.

WE will all be able to drive the Emira at the limit on the road. Is that not an incredible achievement?

 

[Lotustoronto]

This was in 2019 so before the 4.0 came out. It was the 2.5L engine with PDK. The car was incredibly balanced.

Yes, the 2.5 Turbo GTS with a PDK will be a completely different animal to a manual V6 supercharged Emira. Those PDK transmissions are epic and unless you are determined to drive a manual, there is no logical reason to not take a dual clutch automatic. By every measurable metric it is far superior.

I would compare the i4 AMG DCT Emira to the drive you did in the GTS. I think you will be very very surprised, and possibly think the Emira is a much better car than the 718 - pure speculation of course.

 

[Lotustoronto]

Yeah... go test drive a manual GTS 4.0 six and I guarantee your POV will change. Ironically the Porsche community prefers the NA traits over the turbo 4 with more linear power. Thus the reason they dropped the turbo 4 in the GTS. It technically outperforms the 4.0, but people prefer the characteristics of 4.0 more.

I never got the chance to drive a 2.5 GTS so I can't compare, but I have been told the same. The turbo 4 GTS with PDK performed extremely well / better than the flat 6. I imagine the same discussion will be happening between i4 and v6 Emira.

 

[Chadder]

Just had a test drive at Lotus Lewes ,
Its a 10 from
Me

 

[BeHappy]

Hi anyone that has done the demo route at Glasgow ? - is it decent to get good run in car as feedback from people that have done Bradford was not ideal to open car up with traffic, roadworks etc TIA

 

[trackday14]

I just finished my demo drive…Overall, it is an 8 out of 10. One troubling potential deal-breaker: The f-ing parking break goes on automatically when you turn the car off (in any mode, including Track)! I do a lot of track time, and the last thing I need is for the calipers and rotors to seize together because the parking break applied automatically to hot rotors.

Other than that, a few miscellaneous ramblings:
• the steering was great, very well weighted
• the gear shift had very short throws
• the engagement point for the clutch felt a bit high, but it’s a non-issue and something you get used to in your own car
• excellent acceleration, the supercharger takes car of business above 3500 RPM
• Sport chassis was great…soaks up bumps as well as any Evora (and better than my BMW 1M and Cayman)
• no heated seats, but the seats were quite good
• the center air vents are really low…if you like fresh air on your face when the windows are closed, you are out of luck…
• fit and finish was excellent

I have size 11 (US) shoes (45 EU) and the space in the footwell was adequate. Average height, so no problem with the seats.

Of the cars I have now or had over the last ten years, it isn’t as good as my 2016 Cayman GT4 - but it is better than the Shelby GT350 (except for exhaust sound) I sold a few years ago. It kills the Alfa 4C and Elise, and has a lot more “theater” than a run-of-mill 911.

 

[VL3X]

I just finished my demo drive…Overall, it is an 8 out of 10. One troubling potential deal-breaker: The f-ing parking break goes on automatically when you turn the car off (in any mode, including Track)! I do a lot of track time, and the last thing I need is for the calipers and rotors to seize together because the parking break applied automatically to hot rotors.

Other than that, a few miscellaneous ramblings:
• the steering was great, very well weighted
• the gear shift had very short throws
• the engagement point for the clutch felt a bit high, but it’s a non-issue and something you get used to in your own car
• excellent acceleration, the supercharger takes car of business above 3500 RPM
• Sport chassis was great…soaks up bumps as well as any Evora (and better than my BMW 1M and Cayman)
• no heated seats, but the seats were quite good
• the center air vents are really low…if you like fresh air on your face when the windows are closed, you are out of luck…
• fit and finish was excellent

I have size 11 (US) shoes (45 EU) and the space in the footwell was adequate. Average height, so no problem with the seats.

Of the cars I have now or had over the last ten years, it isn’t as good as my 2016 Cayman GT4 - but it is better than the Shelby GT350 (except for exhaust sound) I sold a few years ago. It kills the Alfa 4C and Elise, and has a lot more “theater” than a run-of-mill 911.

Interesting point about the auto parking brake. I suppose we're expected to do a cool down lap?

Also, the heated seat control is hidden in the tablet screen menu. There are no actual buttons for them. I'm just thankful most other controls have actual knobs and buttons.

 

[Evotion]

Just had a test drive at Lotus Lewes ,
Its a 10 from
Me

Blimey, I was beginning to worry I was the only one who found the car exceptional!

 

[Evotion]

I just finished my demo drive…Overall, it is an 8 out of 10. One troubling potential deal-breaker: The f-ing parking break goes on automatically when you turn the car off (in any mode, including Track)! I do a lot of track time, and the last thing I need is for the calipers and rotors to seize together because the parking break applied automatically to hot rotors.

Other than that, a few miscellaneous ramblings:
• the steering was great, very well weighted
• the gear shift had very short throws
• the engagement point for the clutch felt a bit high, but it’s a non-issue and something you get used to in your own car
• excellent acceleration, the supercharger takes car of business above 3500 RPM
• Sport chassis was great…soaks up bumps as well as any Evora (and better than my BMW 1M and Cayman)
• no heated seats, but the seats were quite good
• the center air vents are really low…if you like fresh air on your face when the windows are closed, you are out of luck…
• fit and finish was excellent

I have size 11 (US) shoes (45 EU) and the space in the footwell was adequate. Average height, so no problem with the seats.

Of the cars I have now or had over the last ten years, it isn’t as good as my 2016 Cayman GT4 - but it is better than the Shelby GT350 (except for exhaust sound) I sold a few years ago. It kills the Alfa 4C and Elise, and has a lot more “theater” than a run-of-mill 911.

Great positive review in all the departments that MATTER.

 

[trackday14]

I didn’t waste my limited driving time with looking for things through the touch menus…Glad to know it has heated seats. Now it’s up to an 8.5 out of 10! …If the ability exists to override the automatic parking brake, it’s a 9.

 

[trackday14]

A few things I forgot to include in my original post…

• when you put the car in reverse, the passenger mirror drops to see the curb
• the brakes have a lot of initial bite

 

[Dommo]

Had my test drive today at Lotus Bristol (Rybrook)

The car was Nimbus grey with black pack and touring spec. My car is Seneca with sport suspension.

For reference, my most recent sports cars have been an AMG GTR and 981 GT4 prior to that. I also currently own a GR Yaris and a Megane track car. I drove my van to the test drive, so I wasn't spoilt by anything dynamic prior to the drive!

The test route was shorter than I'd imagined and was mostly dominated by motorway driving and duel carriageways with a bit of twisty stuff early on. For those that asked about the route, I was taken from Cribbs Causeway (as a passenger) to The Fox pub in Easter Compton where I swapped to the driving seat. The drive through Easter Compton is hampered by speed bumps until towards the end when I had a few bends to get a feel for the car. The rest of the route was duel carriageway that takes you to the M48, then M5 and back to Cribbs causeway.

The weather was dry with some mild dew on the roads. I wasn't restricted to any RPM limits and I was free to enjoy the car's potential within the parameters of the test route and speed limits.

I've never owed a Lotus or driven one before so I don't know how it compares to other models but compared to other sports cars I've owed and driven, the Emira is unbelievably comfortable in tour spec, almost too comfortable (if that's possible!) , but I'm glad I've gone for sport suspension as this will not be a daily driver. I doubt anyone planning to daily the car in Tour spec could find fault with it's comfort. I personally hope that the sport suspension adds a bit more 'track feel' to the car as I'd happily sacrifice comfort for enhanced handing.

The road presence and look of the car was superb and I think Nimbus with black pack was a winning combo. I'd probably pick it over Seneca now but that might be because (in my head) I've had a Seneca blue car on my drive for 18 months and I'm ready for a change

Dynamically the car felt planted and well put together and the gear change was better than I'd expected. The seats were comfortable, which was a relief, although if a sportier seat was on offer I'd have specced them. I found the pedals perfect for heel and toe and not overly cramped, albeit fairly tight.

The sound was great. In Tour mode there was lots of (nice) supercharger whine and in Sport and Track there was more of the V6 sound track. Again, it could be louder but as a daily driver it's the best of all things. I'll probably look to delete a cat for a bit of enhancement.

It's not a fast car, in the same way my Yaris is not a fast car. But I smile every time I drive the Yaris because it's fun to drive, not because it's fast and I hope the Emira will be the same.

The brakes were good but I never really needed to use them hard enough to tell much more about them.

The steering was direct with good feel but not quite as pointy as my GT4, as you'd probably expect.

The KEF doesn't bother me and I wouldn't have optioned it, if it was a choice, but as a sound system it was fine. The clarity was good to my ears and loud enough but if you're buying the car for a great sound system then you might be disappointed.

General fit and finish was good and I found the paint to be as good, if not better than competitors regarding orange peel.

The infotainment had plenty of info and wasn't laggy and was plenty bright enough.

If you want the ultimate driver's car then this probably is not the car for you. If you want a stunning daily driver or weekend toy that won't rattle your organs out of your body, at the same price as a low spec M3, then the Emira should fit the bill.

Ultimately, for me at least, the Emira is a great sports car. Nothing more and nothing less. If you take it for what it is then you're unlikely to be disappointed. I'd be all over a road legal GT4 version if one came to market, for the ultimate 'affordable' sports car.

Bullet Points

Looks 9/10
Sound 7.5/10
Speed 7/10
Gearbox 8/10
Seats 7.5/10
Steering 7/10

 

[Lotustoronto]

Of the cars I have now or had over the last ten years, it isn’t as good as my 2016 Cayman GT4 - but it is better than the Shelby GT350 (except for exhaust sound) I sold a few years ago. It kills the Alfa 4C and Elise, and has a lot more “theater” than a run-of-mill 911.

I agree with this ^ - good review! I also couldn't recommend it over a GT4 from a driving dynamics perspective - However in the looks department and rarity it walks all over the Porsche.

 

[Lotustoronto]

Had my test drive today at Lotus Bristol (Rybrook)

The car was Nimbus grey with black pack and touring spec. My car is Seneca with sport suspension.

For reference, my most recent sports cars have been an AMG GTR and 981 GT4 prior to that. I also currently own a GR Yaris and a Megane track car. I drove my van to the test drive, so I wasn't spoilt by anything dynamic prior to the drive!

The test route was shorter than I'd imagined and was mostly dominated by motorway driving and duel carriageways with a bit of twisty stuff early on. For those that asked about the route, I was taken from Cribbs Causeway (as a passenger) to The Fox pub in Easter Compton where I swapped to the driving seat. The drive through Easter Compton is hampered by speed bumps until towards the end when I had a few bends to get a feel for the car. The rest of the route was duel carriageway that takes you to the M48, then M5 and back to Cribbs causeway.

The weather was dry with some mild dew on the roads. I wasn't restricted to any RPM limits and I was free to enjoy the car's potential within the parameters of the test route and speed limits.

I've never owed a Lotus or driven one before so I don't know how it compares to other models but compared to other sports cars I've owed and driven, the Emira is unbelievably comfortable in tour spec, almost too comfortable (if that's possible!) , but I'm glad I've gone for sport suspension as this will not be a daily driver. I doubt anyone planning to daily the car in Tour spec could find fault with it's comfort. I personally hope that the sport suspension adds a bit more 'track feel' to the car as I'd happily sacrifice comfort for enhanced handing.

The road presence and look of the car was superb and I think Nimbus with black pack was a winning combo. I'd probably pick it over Seneca now but that might be because (in my head) I've had a Seneca blue car on my drive for 18 months and I'm ready for a change

Dynamically the car felt planted and well put together and the gear change was better than I'd expected. The seats were comfortable, which was a relief, although if a sportier seat was on offer I'd have specced them. I found the pedals perfect for heel and toe and not overly cramped, albeit fairly tight.

The sound was great. In Tour mode there was lots of (nice) supercharger whine and in Sport and Track there was more of the V6 sound track. Again, it could be louder but as a daily driver it's the best of all things. I'll probably look to delete a cat for a bit of enhancement.

It's not a fast car, in the same way my Yaris is not a fast car. But I smile every time I drive the Yaris because it's fun to drive, not because it's fast and I hope the Emira will be the same.

The brakes were good but I never really needed to use them hard enough to tell much more about them.

The steering was direct with good feel but not quite as pointy as my GT4, as you'd probably expect.

The KEF doesn't bother me and I wouldn't have optioned it, if it was a choice, but as a sound system it was fine. The clarity was good to my ears and loud enough but if you're buying the car for a great sound system then you might be disappointed.

General fit and finish was good and I found the paint to be as good, if not better than competitors regarding orange peel.

The infotainment had plenty of info and wasn't laggy and was plenty bright enough.

If you want the ultimate driver's car then this probably is not the car for you. If you want a stunning daily driver or weekend toy that won't rattle your organs out of your body, at the same price as a low spec M3, then the Emira should fit the bill.

Ultimately, for me at least, the Emira is a great sports car. Nothing more and nothing less. If you take if for what it is then you're unlikely to be disappointed. I'd be all over a road legal GT4 version if one came to market, for the ultimate 'affordable' sports car.

Bullet Points

Looks 9/10
Sound 7.5/10
Speed 7/10
Gearbox 8/10
Seats 7.5/10
Steering 7/10

I think you will find the dynamics a touch better with the sport suspension - great review and accurate to my experience, I am happy to see some consistency in the reviews with people that have owned Porsche GT4 product.

 

[TomE]

Folks, I'm sounding my warning buzzer again about off-topic posts. Discussions about test drive booking process and upgrades can be posted in other existing threads. I'll be back later to do some cleaning up.

Edit: cleaning done for today.