Had my scheduled test drive this weekend thanks to Lotus Sussex. Coincidently I'd had an email from Lotus the day before telling me my car is now pushed back to Q224 which seems to be the norm for people placing deposits this year.
When placing the order I'd already decided I needed something before delivery date to scratch the itch and so after testing everything on my shortlist I ended up with a brand new Alpine A110. It was the best set of compromises based on my requirements (a great road car with the ability to cover long journeys/driving tours and occasional track days). If I was doing more track days an Exige Sport 380 would have almost certainly been on the cards as I practically fell in love with it but in the end decided it was too raw for my needs, not to mention a wife factor element.
The Emira I tested was a sports suspension/eagle-f1 model, driving on mostly dry roads with a good mix of really crap tarmac and slightly less crap. I got a few chances to push it through the rev range but can’t say I got anywhere near to the chassis limits given a relatively short time to get comfortable with the car.
Walking up to the demo vehicle in Seneca Blue it looked stunning, even under poor light/grey skies. As always photos don't it justice. I'm a huge fan of the A110 looks, it's achingly pretty when up close (many will disagree) but the design team at Lotus really have created something equally special if maybe not quite so individual.
My test drive started from the passenger seat for the first few miles. Within yards I could tell the setup was much firmer over my Alpine which I'd just driven down in but tbh this was hardly a surprise. I have the base A110 which has a compliancy and fluidity almost unsurpassed compared to most cars in it’s class I’ve driven. The Emira didn't feel uncomfortable though and certainly not crashy, even on really poor roads. I can imagine many a road where the Emira sports setup would be an advantage, i.e. driving elsewhere in Europe!
From the passenger seat I took the time to take in the interior which came across as well put together, nice quality materials and fairly spacious with good visibility, although that maybe comes at the expense of some intimacy. I didn't really play with the screen but it seemed a good size and didn't seem to have any of the reported visibility problems although it wasn't a particularly bright morning so maybe not fair to judge.
Moving on to behind the wheel, first the positives. Despite the weight and additional creature comforts Lotus has added to make the car appeal to a wider audience, they've still managed to produce a steering feel far beyond most cars I've tested. This really must be the hydraulic system paying dividends. Arguably an Elise/Exige are a step beyond but this really did impress me and had that classic Lotus go-kart feel, with a great sense of the chassis coming through the alcantara wheel which was super direct. The Alpine steering is also great, fingertip delicate with loads of feedback but there's a level of insulation between wheel and road that the Emira strips away by comparison.
As speed increased and the road surface deteriorated, the chassis stayed composed and it came across as a rare breed of sports car you can drive at legal speeds and sit back and just enjoy the feedback and sensations through the car without putting your licence on the line.
With regards to the gearbox, I really enjoyed the mechanical feel. It didn’t feel much different to other Lotus cars I’ve driven and the added interaction vs an auto is worth the performance sacrifice to me. Even though the DCT in the Alpine is great, I’d trade it for the Lotus manual in a heartbeat.
The negatives? In summary, no showstoppers, just some disappointments. The cabin/engine noise wasn’t great imo. There’s a lot of supercharger coming through which seems to mask the character of the engine/exhaust, especially compared to the external sound which is much more pleasant. There’s an aftermarket opportunity here for sure.
I’ll also repeat what’s been said elsewhere regarding the power/performance. I wouldn’t have guessed 400bhp after a few acceleration runs. The delivery is very linear and with a low rev limit and uninspiring engine note, you don’t get the top end rush that I’d expected. I drove exactly the same roads in the Alpine afterwards and if anything the 250bhp in the A110 pushing 1100kg gives a bigger shove in the back. Maybe that’s turbo vs supercharger and I expect the stopwatch would disagree with my subjective butt feel.
There’s probably lots more I could add but I’ll summarise by saying the Emira is a beautiful car with a lot of positives and a few negatives. The latter I think will almost certainly be resolved with future revisions/aftermarket. Surely a Sport 430 Emira with a 100Kg-150Kg diet is on the cards at some point. At the end of the day Lotus have created a very desirable sports car and I hope the build quality and long term reliability matches their pitch. I’d certainly like a much longer drive to determine if it has what I’d consider ‘greatness’. Thirty minutes isn’t much time at all when you’re spending this sort of money and just about gives you time to get comfortable without giving any real opportunity to make real qualitative judgements. I’ve had hours in comparable test drives and some even allow 24hrs+. I understand that right now everybody with an interest is booking Emira test drives so hopefully this improves over the next few months.
So after the above, how do I rate it compared to my current car? Does it feel like £20k more car than the Alpine (yes I know I’m comparing the FE edition here)? Probably yes judged on looks/material terms alone. I think most seeing them parked side by side and sitting in the cabin would feel where the extra money has gone.
However does the Emira feel like a £20k better car to drive than the A110? I drove the same roads around the dealership in the Alpine before/after the test drive. Bear in mind I’m comparing months of ownership vs a 30 min test drive but today, if you offered me god’s tarmac, no restrictions and the keys to either, I’d take the Alpine without hesitation. It really is that special a car to drive and I suspect people would be queuing up to buy one if this was Lotus’ next car. There must be many an Elise/Exige/Evora owner thinking what next and looking at the Emira but I’d also suggest they owe it to themselves to try an A110.
In the meantime, I really fancy a Lotus Academy day to get to spend some quality time with the Emira and try both chassis setups. I’ve got plenty of time to make my mind up so will keep my deposit in place as I’m still excited about the overall package and it’s potential.
When placing the order I'd already decided I needed something before delivery date to scratch the itch and so after testing everything on my shortlist I ended up with a brand new Alpine A110. It was the best set of compromises based on my requirements (a great road car with the ability to cover long journeys/driving tours and occasional track days). If I was doing more track days an Exige Sport 380 would have almost certainly been on the cards as I practically fell in love with it but in the end decided it was too raw for my needs, not to mention a wife factor element.
The Emira I tested was a sports suspension/eagle-f1 model, driving on mostly dry roads with a good mix of really crap tarmac and slightly less crap. I got a few chances to push it through the rev range but can’t say I got anywhere near to the chassis limits given a relatively short time to get comfortable with the car.
Walking up to the demo vehicle in Seneca Blue it looked stunning, even under poor light/grey skies. As always photos don't it justice. I'm a huge fan of the A110 looks, it's achingly pretty when up close (many will disagree) but the design team at Lotus really have created something equally special if maybe not quite so individual.
My test drive started from the passenger seat for the first few miles. Within yards I could tell the setup was much firmer over my Alpine which I'd just driven down in but tbh this was hardly a surprise. I have the base A110 which has a compliancy and fluidity almost unsurpassed compared to most cars in it’s class I’ve driven. The Emira didn't feel uncomfortable though and certainly not crashy, even on really poor roads. I can imagine many a road where the Emira sports setup would be an advantage, i.e. driving elsewhere in Europe!
From the passenger seat I took the time to take in the interior which came across as well put together, nice quality materials and fairly spacious with good visibility, although that maybe comes at the expense of some intimacy. I didn't really play with the screen but it seemed a good size and didn't seem to have any of the reported visibility problems although it wasn't a particularly bright morning so maybe not fair to judge.
Moving on to behind the wheel, first the positives. Despite the weight and additional creature comforts Lotus has added to make the car appeal to a wider audience, they've still managed to produce a steering feel far beyond most cars I've tested. This really must be the hydraulic system paying dividends. Arguably an Elise/Exige are a step beyond but this really did impress me and had that classic Lotus go-kart feel, with a great sense of the chassis coming through the alcantara wheel which was super direct. The Alpine steering is also great, fingertip delicate with loads of feedback but there's a level of insulation between wheel and road that the Emira strips away by comparison.
As speed increased and the road surface deteriorated, the chassis stayed composed and it came across as a rare breed of sports car you can drive at legal speeds and sit back and just enjoy the feedback and sensations through the car without putting your licence on the line.
With regards to the gearbox, I really enjoyed the mechanical feel. It didn’t feel much different to other Lotus cars I’ve driven and the added interaction vs an auto is worth the performance sacrifice to me. Even though the DCT in the Alpine is great, I’d trade it for the Lotus manual in a heartbeat.
The negatives? In summary, no showstoppers, just some disappointments. The cabin/engine noise wasn’t great imo. There’s a lot of supercharger coming through which seems to mask the character of the engine/exhaust, especially compared to the external sound which is much more pleasant. There’s an aftermarket opportunity here for sure.
I’ll also repeat what’s been said elsewhere regarding the power/performance. I wouldn’t have guessed 400bhp after a few acceleration runs. The delivery is very linear and with a low rev limit and uninspiring engine note, you don’t get the top end rush that I’d expected. I drove exactly the same roads in the Alpine afterwards and if anything the 250bhp in the A110 pushing 1100kg gives a bigger shove in the back. Maybe that’s turbo vs supercharger and I expect the stopwatch would disagree with my subjective butt feel.
There’s probably lots more I could add but I’ll summarise by saying the Emira is a beautiful car with a lot of positives and a few negatives. The latter I think will almost certainly be resolved with future revisions/aftermarket. Surely a Sport 430 Emira with a 100Kg-150Kg diet is on the cards at some point. At the end of the day Lotus have created a very desirable sports car and I hope the build quality and long term reliability matches their pitch. I’d certainly like a much longer drive to determine if it has what I’d consider ‘greatness’. Thirty minutes isn’t much time at all when you’re spending this sort of money and just about gives you time to get comfortable without giving any real opportunity to make real qualitative judgements. I’ve had hours in comparable test drives and some even allow 24hrs+. I understand that right now everybody with an interest is booking Emira test drives so hopefully this improves over the next few months.
So after the above, how do I rate it compared to my current car? Does it feel like £20k more car than the Alpine (yes I know I’m comparing the FE edition here)? Probably yes judged on looks/material terms alone. I think most seeing them parked side by side and sitting in the cabin would feel where the extra money has gone.
However does the Emira feel like a £20k better car to drive than the A110? I drove the same roads around the dealership in the Alpine before/after the test drive. Bear in mind I’m comparing months of ownership vs a 30 min test drive but today, if you offered me god’s tarmac, no restrictions and the keys to either, I’d take the Alpine without hesitation. It really is that special a car to drive and I suspect people would be queuing up to buy one if this was Lotus’ next car. There must be many an Elise/Exige/Evora owner thinking what next and looking at the Emira but I’d also suggest they owe it to themselves to try an A110.
In the meantime, I really fancy a Lotus Academy day to get to spend some quality time with the Emira and try both chassis setups. I’ve got plenty of time to make my mind up so will keep my deposit in place as I’m still excited about the overall package and it’s potential.
. 
)
)
