Drlonline
Emira Fan
Thanks for your thoughtful response. It's interesting just how much your experiences with other cars before your Emira test drive mirror mine. After the lease ended on my BMW i8 a few years ago, I went with a more practical car, a BMW 530E. It's been a very nice car, full of luxury and conveniences, but it lacks any emotion. When I started reading about the Emira, I realized just how much I missed the joyful experience of driving a sports car. So, I've put down a deposit on the Emira, but fret about some of the niggling issues that have plagued the early deliveries. Whatever car I get will be my daily driver, so reliability is a concern. But damn, it sounds like the Emira is one hell of a fun car to drive .Sure. I am going to babble a bit, but I'll try my best to describe it.
The car is a pre-prod model, and has the sport suspension with Cup2 tires. And as my luck would have it, it was pouring rain. I drove it for about 20 mins through side roads and on the interstate. The wipers worked just fine in rain detection mode, speeding up and slowing down as needed. The Cup2 tires, in this rain, worked just fine.
When I look back at the cars I have had for the last 10 years or so, they have been stuffed with technology, electronics, and luxuries. My current car is an Audi eTron GT, it does not get more electronic than that I think. I enjoyed all of the cars but recently realized how far away I have gotten from actually driving the cars. They do most of the driving, I am a passenger with a numb steering. Prior to that, I enjoyed a few superb sports cars, I love driving on the streets and on tracks. I don't have brand loyalty, I just genuinely enjoy driving, even in the rush hour.
The Emira just solidified or confirmed my realization that I have been missing what enjoyed the most about driving. It is about driving, being as close to being one with the car as possible. The mechanical bits, the feeling I get when shocks compress and rebound, when the rear diff starts chattering, comfortably commanding the car to do what most don't even get the chance to try.
The steering is heavy. It felt just right, I quickly recalled how it used to be and felt at home. The size is perfect, not rediculously thick like the recent ///M cars. It feels comfortable, familiar and certainly very communicative without being too chatty. I don't know what Lotus does to get this so right, but they certainly know what they are doing.
The clutch is heavy. Obviously, for someone who hasn't used a clutch for the past 10 years, it is normal. It picks up at a pretty deep compression of the pedal, just right for me. After all these years, I did not stall the car. That should tell you how right they got it. The shifter is delightful, rowing the gears was easy, I did not miss a shift.
The sport suspension is just superb. I drove our 2005 645 to the dealership, and on the way back I realized how harsh its shocks are compared to the Emira. The sport suspension is the right choice for me. I did not get to drive aggressively due to rain and crowded streets, but even taking interstate ramps, I could feel exactly how the shocks were working. The front/rear balance felt just right, again.
The brakes were grabby. It is to be expected, and again, exactly how I prefer.
Overall, the car is just the right size; not too big, not too small. Exiting and entering the dealership parking lot with dozens of cars crammed on all sides, I had no issues placing the car with confidence and navigating through the maze. The visibility is better than my eTron GT and the 645.
The Emira envelops you, hugs you even. It told me that the relationship will be complex, full of surprises, and it will give back in spades all of the efforts I put into learning to extract the most from it. I really felt an immediate connection and emotion toward it. I haven't had such a connection to any car for a very long time. I just smiled back. it has a lot to offer.
The engine and exhaust noise, again, just right in Sport mode. Just enough burbles and pops, not obnoxious like Porsches or some other cars. It sounds authoritative with presence.
Jaymee sold me on the car because he gave me a good history lesson on previous models; the Elise, Exige and mostly the Evora. He also technically explained how much of the Emira's chassis and mechanical bits are either the same or very similar to the Evora. Furthermore, unintentionally, he showcased his knowledge and confidence in servicing the cars. He has a dedicated track car, an R32, and regularly tracks it. He understands what people like me expect and want from the cars, he is ready to service them beyond recommended maintenance schedule. He is also keen to approach owners, interact with them and give his best advice. He understands we like getting dirty a bit, crawling underneath the car, and messing around a little; he welcomes such relations. His opinion is that the mechanical bits won't have issues, they are tried and true, but the unknown is the electronics. For me, as long as the mechanical bits perform, the rest I can either deal with it or will learn to be patient. The only issue with Lotus, historically, is getting new parts on time. As a low-volume manufacturer, Lotus only produces only so many spare parts. Again, I am more than okay with this.
If I can answer other questions, I'll be happy to do so, and promise to write much less where I can. I am genuinely excited about this car.
Cheers.