The great big "all the customer test drives" thread

[BeHappy]

Whoever thought it was a good idea to have a dealership there is ready for their next dose of strong medication. The brand has been shat on. Its either the fault of JCT just shoving them where they had a property with space or lotus not giving two shiny craps where they are situated. Grim really grim. I cant even be arsed to there to look/sit in it and I'm only 'a few' miles away.

It’s all very deflating really after the inconvenience of not having a car for 19months waiting for Emira but I said to myself after the demo fiasco was the last straw for me - I forced myself to drive 4 hrs round trip to drive in an area where the car couldn’t show itself to its true potential - but it is what it is - no extended drives available

 

[BeHappy]

Nice review, did you have cup2's or the Goodyear's?

Goodyears

 

[Tonyshepp]

Goodyears

You buying or not now?

 

[BeHappy]

You buying or not now?

From today I didn’t get £80k of excitement cars half that price have delivered a smile. I wouldn’t be comfortable moving forward without an extended drive on a decent route - and that’s not possible - but coupled with Lotus CS is a no for me currently- I’ll most probably get something else and see how things progress with peoples ownership and see how things are in a year and maybe there will be a dealer in the Newcastle by then.

 

[TomE]

Discussion on lap times moved here:

❓ QUESTION - Has there been any leak regarding the Emira V6 lap time round Hethel

Hi I am presuming that due to the better aerodynamics, the v6 Emira will get round Hethel quicker than any of the previous Evora's I am sure I read somewhere that Gavan Kershaw was quoted as saying it was quicker, but can't find where I read it, or maybe I just imagined it Chris

www.emiraforum.com

 

[duff]

Gear box was very bad, gone backwards not forward. More notchy than the last Evora and reverse was not great, took a few attempts to get in as stiff. After 12 years still having cable issues.

I hope you can get a drive in the Bristol car I drove. I forgot to mention the gearbox action in my post but I liked it. The positive action and short throw seemed very precise and dropped into which ever gear I selected without a fuss.
I’m intrigued to know if the different views are down to personal taste or if there are marked differences between the cars.

 

[Matt]

Had my test drive at Lotus of Glenview (Glenview, IL) today. Magma Red, 6MT, Sport chassis, Full black pack. It was 40*F out and dry (car was on Cup2).

Overall, I really liked the car. It was basically exactly what I expected. For reference, I currently own a modified 718 Spyder and have owned multiple 991.2 GT3/GT3RS.

Pros:
- Car rode extremely well, even on the sport suspension. Glad I went with this for my build.
- Steering was great
- Car looks amazing in the metal, lots of road presence.
- Fit and finish was beyond what I expected.
- Pedal placement and spacing worked well for me.
- Ingress/Egress much improved over previous Lotus models.

Cons:
- 6800 RPM redline really bothered me. Honestly felt as if the engine was "just waking up" beyond 5k RPM, only to hit a wall at 6800. I understand reasons of homologation/emissions/certification etc. for making the redline so low, but I found it quite frustrating.
- Shifter was fine, but not stellar. Perhaps spoiled by the shift action in 981/982/991.
- Brakes were incredibly "grabby" - was told by Lotus rep that this car was running Euro compound pads, and US cars should not behave this way
- Tall gearing (not as tall as 981/982, but still quite tall)

While I enjoyed my experience with the car and remain excited about its arrival (April, or so they say!), I have no doubts now that I will want to modify this car quite a bit upon its arrival. This is not to say others won't enjoy it in standard form...just that I would prefer a bit more "edge". I definitely want to "uncork" the engine a bit, as it certainly feels restrained in stock form.

Edit: added photo
View attachment 10812
View attachment 10813
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View attachment 10815

What do you mean by "grabby break" ? Do you mean it gives too much braking force ?

 

[TomE]

I hope you can get a drive in the Bristol car I drove. I forgot to mention the gearbox action in my post but I liked it. The positive action and short throw seemed very precise and dropped into which ever gear I selected without a fuss.
I’m intrigued to know if the different views are down to personal taste or if there are marked differences between the cars.

It’s possible there is variation in the feel of the shift action between cars.

Firstly they will bed in over the first few hundred miles. Some may need re-adjustment after that.

Secondly the shift mechanism relies on a long cable from shifter to engine bay. These can stretch during initial use and can be influenced by temperature variations. This was evident on the Evora and it was sometimes necessary to re-adjust the cables and shifter mechanism.

I did think Lotus had improved the cable assembly (it evolved across Evora variants) and the setup process - it was shown briefly in the recent Harry’s Garage factory tour video.

Once bedded in and possibly adjusted it shouldn’t be a problem.

 

[Forlorn]

Managed to get test ride overall I give it a 7/10
My last 3 cars: G82 M4 competition, Audi R8 V10 610bhp, BMW I8 also loved my Evo8 back in the day and both Type R’s back when I though 200bhp was a lot lol, Audi TT, Astra GTE, MR2 etc etc
I did really like it and I agree with a lot of peoples reviews. I can see if this is your only car and your daily it lots of boxes, but for me this is purely just a w/e car for driving excitement so not buying it just on its sexy looks. Two areas fall short for me which were exhaust notes - to me the sound didn’t seem to increase much vs acceleration and it’s a not fast car you don’t get that umph kicking you back in your seat. Test drove an Evora the other week and that had better exhaust sound and felt faster. Also the JCW 4WD 306 bhp felt more umph when you put your foot down.
Test route was terrible at Bradford so couldn’t see the cars full potential as most of ride was in 30 & 40 mph moving slow thro traffic. If test route was better where the car could of excelled in its areas of strengths I may well of come away with a better view / connection/ excitement.
Driving conditions not great for demo rain ️ rain ️ but car did perform very well in the wet it gave lots of confidence in not ideal conditions.
Thought the KEF was fine ( Apple Music didn’t try radio )
Gears no problem even though haven’t driven a manual for years.
Sports very bumpy - I can see why Harry changed and I’m used to hard, or has Bradford got the most terrible roads in the whole of the Uk ( but I did have it in sport for 80% of drive. )
Sorry I’m not technical being from Venus but something I did notice which didn’t really like like the tyre is stuck in a rut and lots of movement coming back thro the steering wheel - is this cos I’ve had 4 wheel drive for donkies - can someone explain what this is ??
Steering wheel shape just something to get used to- I like the look of flat bottom wheels.
Thought interior just bit bland really nothing too special and some of the knobs didn’t look premium, rubber ill fitting on both sides at the curve - how can QC pass this ?
Thought brake was positioned in a strange place.
I did enjoy the handling of the car - would be interested to see how the I4 rides.
With the whole package considered I am more off the fence then on - to get me back on I would need a more extended drive in the dry and twisties but Lotus are saying this is not possible - come on most brands offer this even if your spending £30k ….
The whole package I mean direct buying model a massive turn off as dealers have no power or say in anything everything Lotus is so many rules do and don’ts . Customer service experience I have experienced is a for when u do have the car. Also with not being near a dealer also big concern hearing some of the issues the cars are having - this is one area to watch closely with the early cars. I suppose I no longer seeing Lotus as a premium brand
So for £80k probably not maybe base is way for people to go or come back at a much later date when all the fuss has died down and reliability is proven.

After all your anticipations throughout this journey I think you are reflecting my feelings on this saga.

The test drive is an anticlimax at JCT600. Their location isn’t ideal after having moved recently from Rawden near Guisely that had better access to a test route to the moors and dales. Interestingly, I tested an Esprit V8 in the 90’s from a building opposite their present location, but I tested it off the M62 in the Pennines, gave it the beans and in the day was impressive.

Back to your test, you picked up many of the issues I felt about the Emira. You did mention the brake was in an unusual position, maybe that was the issue with my braking performance when I thought it was overservoid?

I too feel underwhelmed, I think the initial anticipation was real. But as time as gone on the reality and let down on delivery dates, unclear test availability and then poor application have strangled the desire for this car. Particularly, when it’s not as dynamic of the outgoing Evora on a performance basis.

Some people will love this car for many reasons, exclusivity, looks and indeed its performance. But, for many it will not hit the spot. I think the drive to own this car has waned.

What a disappointment for so many. It’s been a wasted journey and I wish seriously, I had never let my Evora400 go last year. I have wasted a full driving year waiting for its replacement, and it’s not on par with that car. I am not prepared to wait another year in 2023 for something I have fallen out of love with.

Yes for a £80k car you should be able to take it away for a few days, I got that with Fiat to test for my wife and indeed even Volvo said here’s the keys see you later. This prescriptive test shenanigans is absolutely controlling, they now have data of your test drive and logged you for their records. What the hell for if it isn’t some form of control! Jeez talk about big brother.

So good luck with your decision but looking at your cars, I don’t think you could find explosive car like the Audi R8 V10 in any form - truly mega. I know as this car left me for dead in weardale near Alston. Now those roads are bumpy, but it’s suspension control was sublime and I was fighting the surface to keep on the black top.

I think you last comment about base after initial hype has died down is very apt. But I fear prices will rise - but the sweet spot might be lower down in the range and indeed when the Sport, Cup and GT cars come out, as they will to raise the price point as they did for Elise, Exige and Evora.

 

[New to Lotus]

I felt exactly the same about the car and test drive at jct600, I've now asked for money back. Apparently it will be with me SOON!!!

 

[scoates]

Took the car out this morning, 3-4ºC and damp. Still driving very gently but the Cup 2s handled fine 50-60mph on A and B roads. Don't know how I'd feel on a dual carriageway but I'm quite surprised I wasn't sliding all over the place in these conditions. I think if you tried to push it you'd end up in a hedge pretty fast, but gentle driving in non-ideal conditions seems possible.

With regards to the dealer test drives I think a lot of the issues people are complaining about the test drive itself are due to the fact the car is so new and so in demand. There have been so many people wanting a test drive ASAP to help make their decision prior to checkout that they have to limit time and the route to allow as many people at least some kind of drive. I think once things settle down in a year or so there will be a lot more freedom of route choice and the potential to take the car for a whole day etc.

So far for me I'm happy to have not had a test drive. Taking the car out on my own local roads I've been able to have a good comparison to other cars and even very gentle driving get a good feel for what the car is all about, and I couldn't be happier. Minor build quality issues (will post in another thread eventually) and while driving the KEF is drowned out a little more than when stationary, but for the actual driving experience, the feel through the chassis, suspension, steering and the engagement it offers, the mechanical gear shift etc. It is exactly what I was looking for, compared to the other cars I've owned (Supra, GT86, GR Yaris) even at low speeds it feels much more of a special experience. I can't wait to experience it on proper roads on a warm dry day!

 

[Bilbao-Emira]

Took the car out this morning, 3-4ºC and damp. Still driving very gently but the Cup 2s handled fine 50-60mph on A and B roads. Don't know how I'd feel on a dual carriageway but I'm quite surprised I wasn't sliding all over the place in these conditions. I think if you tried to push it you'd end up in a hedge pretty fast, but gentle driving in non-ideal conditions seems possible.

I am happy you are enjoying even in those conditions.
My experience with Evora and Cup 2´s back in March this year, tires almost worn out, 6.000 kms, first 500 kms I did continuously raining, temperature above 10 degrees Celsius, had no issue gently driving on B roads with good asphalt, until on the way back on the highway found a huge patch of water on a bridge at only 90 km/hr, nothing you could do then. I was very lucky nothing happened to me or the car.
My recommendation would be to change for Eagle in winter, and careful in wet anyway as this car is very light on the front, similar to the Evora.

 

[scoates]

I am happy you are enjoying even in those conditions.
My experience with Evora and Cup 2´s back in March this year, tires almost worn out, 6.000 kms, first 500 kms I did continuously raining, temperature above 10 degrees Celsius, had no issue gently driving on B roads with good asphalt, until on the way back on the highway found a huge patch of water on a bridge at only 90 km/hr, nothing you could do then. I was very lucky nothing happened to me or the car.
My recommendation would be to change for Eagle in winter, and careful in wet anyway as this car is very light on the front, similar to the Evora.

I remember reading about that! It's one of the reasons I was quite apprehensive about getting the car at this time of year. I'm not planning to drive it when they are putting salt on the roads which will start in the next few weeks so will be off the road until spring and avoid the worst of the winter conditions.

 

[Sirtreeman]

Had a quick blast out in Prestbury in monsoon like weather. Never owned a Lotus before, although did test drive an Evora many moons ago and was put off that by the weight of the clutch. Don't see much point in trying to draw comparisons to my 2 most recent motors as they are in a whole different league.

All seemed in good order build quality wise, loved the gear shift, albeit my brain will need retraining to avoid the embarrasing stalling, lol.

Power wise it had plenty of grunt given the conditions, I'd have to give it a whirl in the dry to see what happens under a heavier foot. Spent the test in Sport mode throughout and didn't really notice the engine note being intrusive, but then again my missus thinks I'm deaf......

I would say it felt a tad cramped, (I'm 6'2), but this would probably be resolved with a bit more time to get the seating position and support in the optimal settings.

Overall I'm still in but hope to get another test in better weather to check out the interior in a bit more detail and see what it can really do without the grease under the rubber.

Thanks to the team at Oakmere for being so welcoming and showing what customer services can be.

 

[roundincircles]

I have just test driven the car pictured below, manual with tour suspension, at Lotus Silverstone. The route was on country roads with a short blast on a dual carriageway. Lot of bumpy roads but a decent test route.

The build integrity is very good, this car is solid with materials of a fine finish. Leather in particular. The seats are comfy for me and the steering wheel had enough adjustment to not be in my eyeline to the instruments, at 6' - 1". However the seat is 'high' on its lowest setting and leaves little luggage space behind, maybe a soft bag. The instrument layout did not suit me as the rev counter is a bar across the top and does not dominate in any way so you have to look for it. The brightness of the centre screen is poor but the Lotus guy said that's cured with Apple or Android carplay......ummm.

The dynamics of the car, unsurprisingly, have Lotus heritage/DNA in spades. The car flows with the road and the steering is precise and full of feedback. The Tour suspension seemed set up perfectly for all day road driving with the car turning in on demand with precision. The power delivery is linear and 'gentle' at best. I knocked it down two gears to get it going but the car has loads of torque and will happily poodle along in a high gear at 1500 rpm or less....it's deceptive.....so knocking it down a couple of gears was me being unfamiliar with the powertrain, maybe!

The rev limit is low as the engine gets going and then hits it.......a little frustrating, but again familiarity would help. I can see an Emira S with 430 bhp, and an Emira S Ghia with 470 bhp popping along at some stage. The car is quiet and at 100 mph ( we popped over to Germany) was just drifting along with no fuss. You get the sense that there is potential in this smooth power plant. However, at idle and in neutral there is some slight vibration. Plus on the throttle over run there is some drive present.....I suspect there is a remapping on the way or it's a function of the supercharger which I have no experience of.

The gearbox is good but sometimes the first to second had some resistance, the clutch did not bother me, the bite is close to the 'floor'. The brakes are grabby and I did not adjust to them. The Lotus guy said they did not bed them in as test drives were the first use, it had 500 miles on the odo iirc. The brakes would stop the car on a sixpence/dime/euro, impressive anchors.

I came away thinking Lotus has expanded its customer reach with this car. Easy ingress, nice place to be, solid, good styling and easy to drive. The performance or power delivery would suit many. But I can see the power tuners and zaust makers getting busy. I think a test drive is essential before you buy. It's a fine car that seems to have build integrity and quality.

 

[RafP]

I hope you can get a drive in the Bristol car I drove. I forgot to mention the gearbox action in my post but I liked it. The positive action and short throw seemed very precise and dropped into which ever gear I selected without a fuss.
I’m intrigued to know if the different views are down to personal taste or if there are marked differences between the cars.

Good to hear. My experience of other cars with same box is all different. Some start off crap and bed in some start off good and as cables stretch and heat cycle need adjusting (some times a few times).

It’s to do with the cables TBH, long run along a not optimal route (in Evora was cas anyway). I would have hoped we would have been past that lottery 13 years later. My first Evora had 2 lots of cables and 4 adjustments in total before it was decent.

When I got rid of my last Evora 2018 car with latest cables, it needed new cables and or adjustment at 19k miles as some gears (Rev, 1st 2nd) we’re getting stiff.

Main point is if you have issues it’s a faffe as can take a few adjustments / visits. I can see allot of new people to brand having a whinge especially with such a sparse network in some areas.

I’ve always lived with it before myself.

 

[roundincircles]

I forgot to mention the Keff audio. I had finished driving and asked for the system to be switched on, we were stationary. The sound is detailed but lacks 'depth' in that it is a bit tinny.....are you realising I have in-depth knowledge of high-end hi-fi, lol.

My guess is the doors need some sound material behind the speakers so the sound is projected out rather than 'lost' in the doors.......dash.....rear bits.....etc. It is not stand out stunning, it's, maybe, OK.

 

[Rapture]

I test drove the Emira (Magma/Black Leather) at Lotus of Glenview IL 2 days ago. My current car is a 2021 M2 Comp, prior 2018 TT RS, 2014 C4S power kit. I’ve always driven manuals but the last 3 were PDK/DCT as I have some trouble with my back/hip at times. I miss the engagement and wanted to see if this was an “easy” car to drive with a manual.

It will be my daily, although I don’t really drive daily.

My Summary:

• The car is beautiful, every angle.
• The seats were very comfortable, and had actual cushion, much better than the 3 prior cars including the Porsche with the 18-way seats. All are hard.
• The pedals are close together as other have mentioned, though I had no problems.
• I could modulate the clutch by pivoting my foot, didn’t have to raise my leg which I’m hoping is good for the back.
• The shifter felt great, precise with a good notch-e-ness, was not rubbery. I can’t compare it to an Evora though.
• It felt a bit like an older NSX that I’ve driven.
• I didn’t have a problem with the brakes, though the M2 brakes are much, much more sensitive.
• Great view out front. I was concerned I wouldn’t like how low it was, but the open viewed curtailed that.
• Power felt close to the M2 in a straight line which is fine for me, I did not push it that hard though. This car has supercar looks, but not supercar power as others have mentioned.
• I thought it was much easier to get into than the Evora GT that was in the showroom.
• The interior was complete, and real. Thanks, Geely.
• It was a sport suspension car. It did have a bit of front end twitch under certain road conditions (I’m not a track guy and would go Touring).
• The Lotus rep confirmed that Touring will be slightly higher which would be helpful to get down my condo garage ramp. The cars here now are Euro spec.
• I loved the sound of the engine inside (only drove in sport) I could still have a conversation easily with my 6’5” co-driver.
• Interestingly I did not check out the stereo although I realized it was on when I turned the car off. I could not tell it was on while driving.

• I smiled the entire time from when I saw it to when we left. It felt like an event driving it. I miss that.

On the way back to the dealer the co-driver said to pass the Tesla (yea, right) so I could get in the left lane to turn. I took off and so did the Tesla which quickly caught up. The guy in the Tesla was freaking out on how cool the Lotus was. He followed us back to the dealer to check it out. This car gets attention, which you have to be ready for/want if you get one.

 

[Cachaco131]

Here is the test report from my wife, she happily volunteered to drive since I'm away for a few weeks.

Boardwalk lotus, HY, sports suspension, cup 2s, Alcantara interior.

Her car history is limited to euro hatches and more recently a series of X3s, the current one is the M40i. Mine includes euro hatches such Clios and Golf GTIs, Elise S2, F80 (current), E46 M3 (current), E82 (current), and a very modified Mini R56. She has driven them all.

1. She said Kyle was super nice despite doubting her manual transmission driving skills! We grew up in South America so manual transmission was usually the only option.
2. Ingress/Egress: this was important to me because I've a knee injury. She found it very easy and pointed to a few tall folks that got in and out without any trouble.
3. Suspension: she thought it was comparable to her X3 m40i...lol...which actually isn't cushy for an SUV. Non issue for her, didn't find the car bumpy or firm in the boring test route which included highway 101.
4. Engine: described as vroom and fast! Her X3 has like 385hp so I guess she felt the similar power plus lower weight was a good combo.
5. Noise: loud outside but discreet enough inside.
6. Gearbox: she said she missed 4-5th shift and the mechanism required precision. Seems consistent with other comments. Clutch was very soft and would grab quickly.
7. Interior: less elegant than BMWs but functional and classy. Felt like an actual car relative to the Elise. Lol. She commented on cup holders and USB ports.
8. Steering: didn't remember well, said she was driving mostly in a straight line. Steering wheel shape was a non issue.
9. Luggage: said trunk was for weekend luggage and behind seats for farmer market purchases.
10. Looks: wow factor is 11/10, a lot of onlookers and people trying to sign up for a drive.
11. Color combo: we both agree on HY and we both like tan interior. Despite reading somewhere about Lotus recommended color combos that didn't highlight HY/tan as a great match, she felt the mustard tone of HY with the dark enough tone of Tan was a good match. Wheels: she said black ones would be lost, I agree. Privacy glass: no.
12. Overall: she loved it, thought it was an incredibly easy to drive sports car (easy to daily) and said I could upgrade to the more hardcore version if there is ever one, and she'd happily take this one!
13. Investment Committee: purchase approved.
14. Boardwalk: will be getting a Seneca one in March, US deliveries to begin March as well, my car probably December 23...oh well.

I'll test drive it March but I'm glad she is an awesome wife that supports our childish hobbies.

 

[Swaff1958]

On Monday I finally drove a manual Touring spec Emira. I was impressed with its build quality and user friendliness.
The test drive was about 25 minutes on a variety of roads. The steering feel, accuracy, feedback and response was great. I’m used to a Cayman GT4. Power delivery was linear and torquey and it felt quick but without the savage soundtrack of my GT4 of course. Ride quality was excellent and the seats work well in unison with the suspension. I wasn’t pushing hard because I was unfamiliar with the roads but it felt capable of a long drive without too much fatigue. I was surprised how good the transmission felt too, the precise gear change was a delight. Overall I’m really looking forward to taking delivery, hopefully in March……..!