The great big "all the customer test drives" thread

[vantage]

Great review, especially from an 981 GT4 owner!

If you had to choose between buying an used 981 GT4 now or the Emira, what would be your choice then?

Or would you still need to have more seat time, especially spirited driving in order to decide?

My personal conclusion is that the Emira has it’s benefits on the road, might be the better road car where the GT4 might be more rewarding on the track. But with some tweaks (suspension setup / coilovers) it can get there, too.

1. Impossible to say, but given that I know the GT4 well, it is the safer bet. My guess is that with Lotus you tend to get used to stuff like the gearbox and it becomes less of an issue, but only further driving would confirm. 981 GT4 you are paying close to MSRP for a 6+ year old car out of warranty though, so that’s something to favor the Emira. I’d probably choose option 3 and consider a 718 Spyder for a little more money!

2. GT4 has track limitations as well with strut rear suspension and the front spring rate is a little soft. So Emira has the potential to handle better with the right setup and alignment.

 

[vantage]

oh good point someone just made:

Major con is the seat bolstering. It is not tight enough. an inch too wide. that will be a problem.

I didn’t find the side bolstering to be too wide around my waist. Perhaps I’m fatter than you. It’s comparable to Porsche standard seats in that regard. They just aren’t going to be as supportive on track as a carbon bucket from Aston, Porsche, McLaren, etc. Not as much support above the waist.

Should be fine on the street but YMMV.

 

[Lotustoronto]

Had a quick drive in the same yellow car as Chris. If below is TL;DR then just read his post.

Logistics:
- dealer was running 45-60 minutes behind schedule due to awful LA traffic (this limited usefulness of the drive because we had to avoid the planned route), but I appreciate the dealer helping to expedite things and the Lotus USA rep not taking any meaningful breaks to move things along as well

- drove my 2016 GT4 to the dealer as a basis for comparison

PROS:
- suspension (Sport + Cup2) is wonderful. Very comfortable on the roads I drove. Seems to have a nice bit of initial travel to soak up small jitters in the road and was very well-damped. Definitely rides better and is much less bouncy than the GT4 or even GT3. A slight downside of this is that there is a bit more initial movement in the suspension when you first turn in, but it takes a set and doesn't feel sloppy whatsoever. Typical Lotus approach.

- Steering has good feel and an old-school sensation to it. I would say Porsche GT steering is just as precise (if not moreso immediately off center), just less feedback

- I found the interior quite functional, though quality is perhaps just a notch below Porsche, but no issue overall. Kinda missed analog gauges, but Lotus has never done analog gauges that well, so I'm fine with the digital dash. Minor quibble is that in underpasses, lights turned on and screen dimmed too low to see well.

- Definitely an exotic feel to this car. Sitting in the driver seat, you get the sense the canopy narrows as it sweeps above you and to the back, giving it a fighter jet-type feeling.


CONS:
- Biggest one for me -- I did not like the gearbox overall. Lotus did a nice job of making the shifter short throw with nice precision, but the gearbox isn't that pleasurable to use for me. You can't rush it and if you are deliberately a bit slower and precise, it works just fine. It just lacks some slickness that Porsche has IMO. On flip side, the Porsche shifter feels perhaps less mechanical, especially because it is more forgiving to use with seemingly bigger gates. I got used to the Lotus shifter pretty quickly though, so perhaps this is something you'd grow to like more with time. Gearbox made unpleasant noises below 2k rpm it...distracting. On the plus side, the ratios are natural feeling and I don't think the gearbox is a hinderance to the car's actual performance. Clutch is easy.

- (Minor) Brakes are as immediate and touchy as everyone says, but I've never liked this about Lotus cars (my Elise was similar). I prefer the pedal pressure required with iron Porsche brakes, though PCCB drivers would probably like the Lotus brakes more. I thought modulation at lower speeds required more thought than preferred, but this is probably something you get used to with time. Also very slight dead spot at the top of travel, similar to my Elise.

- (Minor) Seat bolstering feels improved from the shadow grey prototype car that was in the U.S. and is probably on par with Porsche standard seats. But no more aggressive seat option. These seats won't be adequate on track IMO, but this is a minor con all things considered.

NEUTRAL:
- I don't think the engine is bad as (some) people are saying. It has linear torque across the power band and you don't have to rev it to death like a Porsche N/A engine to get performance out of it. On the flip side, I didn't find it as rewarding or sweet sounding to rev out. Throttle pedal travel is like 2X my GT4. Anyway, this car has about 400hp and it will move just fine at this level. No, it is not a GT3, but pretty comparable with a 981 GT4 speed-wise.

- Seating position is fine, I didn't have any trouble with the pedals. There is a sensation of sitting higher than with Porsche standard seats, but I think this is because the window sill is lower, so it may be an optical illusion. You definitely don't sit as low as with Porsche carbon buckets based on butt/knee relationship, but I think that is okay since these are the "touring" seats.

- Sounds is fine, I bet it gets quite good with aftermarket exhaust

CONCLUSION: Overall, I don't think you can really truly understand this car unless you get to drive it on a mountain road or on the track, but my test drive was still worth the trip. I was left with the feeling of an old-school car, in a good sense. Harry's review where he said this car could have come out (5?) years ago is very accurate. Car definitely seems to reward economy of input as Catchpole stated as well. I didn't come away feeling that I must have this car (i.e. sell my GT4 for it) but would love to have another go in a more performance-oriented environment. Also want to drive the AMG i-4 with DCT.

As long as you understand what this car is all about, I think buyers will be quite happy.

In your opinion, which vehicle feels more raw / alive the GT4 or Emira. Thanks for the write up!

 

[VL3X]

The car wraps around me, feels sleek and smooth and good isolation with windows up. Windows down it is really really a pretty experience. Most cars that is just a dull annoying experience.

This is how I felt when I got in and drove. It just felt right to me. I was comfortable quickly and everything was where I needed it. Looking forward to my next proper test drive with more time.

 

[VL3X]

some one-on-one time with the car without 1,000 other people pawing all over it but it was a bit like getting to high-five a super model that you’ve been secretly engaged to.

That feeling continues when you walk out to the parking lot and people are taking pics of your car and you can unlock it, get in, and drive. Or what I like to do is pretend it's not mine and ask about it. Then eventually let them check out the inside if they seem cool.

 

[Lotus64]

The Emira on the other hand would almost be more fun on the back roads because it can actually be revved out at full throttle without getting sideways. It's manageable power and still sounds fantastic. Also, I felt more engaged with the Emira due to the manual transmission.

It is more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow. This is actually a good argument for the tour suspension, as its lower limits will be more easily accessible than the sports.

 

[eteled]

I made the 6 hour one-way drive that Nsrg didn't (Wednesday vs Thursday) to Lotus of Denver for my test drive.

My review is identical to that of vantage. Reread his.

My additional thoughts are:

• Carpet material used in the Emira looks cheap and there is a lot of it.
• Steering wheel shape was fine, but the oval nature of its cross-section and where the stitching comes together was uncomfortable to hold onto.
• Steering wheel seemed offset from center of the seat, like old Hondas. Is this a Lotus hallmark?
• Otherwise, I was pretty blind to the interior. Meaning that fit and finish is right up there with Porsche.
• Pedals and clutch seemed like they'd be awkward, but I forgot about them within a mile.
• Tom (Lotus rep.) wanted to show me the radio/infotainment and was surprised that I did not care.

My last performance car was a 2015 981 GTS (pdk w/ sport suspension) I custom ordered in 2014. I sold that in 2020 and was going to order a 718 Spyder as the replacement, until I saw the Emira. Not sure if I made the right choice...

 

[Lotustoronto]

I made the 6 hour one-way drive that Nsrg didn't (Wednesday vs Thursday) to Lotus of Denver for my test drive.

My review is identical to that of vantage. Reread his.

My additional thoughts are:

• Carpet material used in the Emira looks cheap and there is a lot of it.
• Steering wheel shape was fine, but the oval nature of its cross-section and where the stitching comes together was uncomfortable to hold onto.
• Steering wheel seemed offset from center of the seat, like old Hondas. Is this a Lotus hallmark?
• Otherwise, I was pretty blind to the interior. Meaning that fit and finish is right up there with Porsche.
• Pedals and clutch seemed like they'd be awkward, but I forgot about them within a mile.
• Tom (Lotus rep.) wanted to show me the radio/infotainment and was surprised that I did not care.

My last performance car was a 2015 981 GTS (pdk w/ sport suspension) I custom ordered in 2014. I sold that in 2020 and was going to order a 718 Spyder as the replacement, until I saw the Emira. Not sure if I made the right choice...

I have my test drive this Saturday, I owned a 718 Spyder so I will be doing a comparative review. Although seat time in the Emira will be limited, there are some decent roads around the dealership. BTW 718 Spyder was the best car I owned so far, and the one I regret not having in the garage at the moment. Really hoping the Lotus fulfills on it.

 

[vantage]

In your opinion, which vehicle feels more raw / alive the GT4 or Emira. Thanks for the write up!

I did not climb out of the Emira thinking rawness was a significant distinguishing factor between the cars. The Emira is more tame / usable day to day in some ways (more comfortable suspension, possibly slightly less road noise, exhaust is slightly [edit: less] raucous, clutch is lighter than the 981 GT4). The Emira is also more of a throwback in other ways (hydraulic steering has more texture but is less active off-center, gearshift requires a more precise and firm hand, pedal box is much tighter). The view to the front and through mirrors of Emira is also more exotic. GT4 has carbon buckets available, but Emira does not.

At normal speeds, neither car is as alive as an Elise. I never drove any of the recent Evoras for comparison. But Lotus has done a good job of making the car feel pretty sophisticated and modern overall, except for some of the throwback elements mentioned above which in some ways are anachronistic.

I understand the 718 Spyder / GT4 rides a bit better than the 981 and the clutch pedal is definitely lighter, so YMMV.

 

[NicolasB]

I hate that the UK people still aren't getting to test drive! What the heck?!

 

[Leonard]

I hate that the UK people still aren't getting to test drive! What the heck?!

Next week hopefully

 

[Italiabrain]

I recognize we each have things coloring our views and mine is coming from a much faster but much less analogue vehicle.

I could do without the commentary that others just don’t “understand” the car with the associated implication that no one else’s opinions or preferences are valid.

 

[RENDERMAN]

My test drive thoughts:

Magma 6MT, Michelins, reportedly sport suspension but my testdrive companion wasn't 100%

Exterior:
9/10
-Paint looked really good
-Wheel gap is fine in person. Would look better lower, but major functional trade offs for me without a front-end lift on offer
-Rear angle and 3/4 look better in person, something about the rear bumper openings doesn't come across great in 2D
-The hood seal is godawful itself, but doesn't remotely ruin the front of the car. Still hoping for removable with minor wind noise penalty here. In person it looks like it is emphasizing what would otherwise be an okay gap size. The one on my demo was uneven and wavy to add insult to injury.
-The hips on this thing look awesome in person... could almost support saddle bags if you ran out of storage space!

Interior:
8/10
-Comes across as generally high quality
-Materials felt good
-Switchgear borrowed from Lotus/Geely appears to be a general positive
-Didn't trial the KEF at all, sorry -- open window driving was the ticket here
-Speakers, covers, and infotainment visually looked better than expected, the bezel on the center screen was a gripe for me in pictures, but didn't bother me in person. That might be because of the poor brightness/contrast/color content on the center screen making it less apparent.
-Not a big fan of the driver-side screen, slightly washed out, not a lot of visual appeal. I'm also not a fan of the non-linear RPM grading represented on a linear scale. Lots of cars handle this better by having a kind of sideways hockey stick kind of representation where "the part that doesn't matter" is more vertical on the left side and then it levels off and the horizontal part is linear. It's strange to me to do both the linear visual with the uneven numbering in track mode
-Zero interior rattles or groans for me
-Good overall noise isolation with the windows briefly up
-Small amount of non-buffeting wind noise and muted road noise from the rear of the cabin / rear window area. I would describe it as very similar to driving a normal sedan with the rear seat folded down. Was totally fine for me.
-I don't like the first edition placard, I would prefer not at all, but it wasn't intrusive in a brief test drive
-Plenty of interior space for 2. I'm a fatty and my sales guy was on the taller end. We both fit fine and we weren't shoulder to shoulder
-Steering wheel: I liked the grip on the perforated leather, the shape took me zero effort/experience to get used to
-Pedal box on LHD: I actually liked it more than a typical arrangement. It took me feeling around with my right foot for maybe 3 seconds to get used to it. It didn't actually result in a turned driving position for me. If you think about cruising your right foot is on the gas and your left foot is to the left of the clutch and neither of those pedals have moved from the typical layout. Same for normal driving/shifting the left and right are both in their normal position. The only difference for me was less movement of the right foot when transitioning from gas to brake, which I actually liked. (Size 10, wearing tennis shoes)
-Noticeably little cross buffeting with both windows open. I'm overdue for a haircut and going double the speed limit on surface roads didn't even ruffle my hair. Maybe I just didn't consider it with the shape of the car vs current sedan, but major upside to driving with the windows down whenever weather permits.

Steering - 10/10. Communicative with just enough damping to not be jittery. Good input resistance, not overboosted. Good wheel grip, turn in, etc. Slightly notable heaviness at very low speeds, which I prefer.
Handling - (With the caveat that I'm not 100% I was on a sport suspension). Felt flat from inside. My sales guy actually encouraged spirited driving and I pushed it hard enough in an empty roundabout to get some mild understeer that neutralized very easily (sport mode, might have been some ESC magic there, they didn't want it in track for test drives per the Lotus guy). Not remotely too harsh over small bumps on good pavement. I'm currently dailying a 2019 M5c and the BMW rides rougher in sport mode

Transmission / clutch - 9/10. It was just "notchy" for me. I did not get the impression that it was overly sensitive to quick shifting and I didn't have any problem landing a hard 2/3 shift on my first try.
Clutch engagement was relatively high in the travel, as seems to be pretty standard

Power:
5/10 for overall power. If they offered this in a 500+ state of tune with a warranty I'd pay a healthy markup for it, but it's unlikely to ever come in the V6 and the manual is absolutely mandatory for me
3/10 for power delivery. This is the thing that I view as the biggest negative
-Little torque on the low end (expected, essentially non-issue)
-No apparent squat, linear power build, (and good interior isolation with windows closed) diminish the sense/drama of speed even if they're good on their own
-The high end being cut off creates a very strange sensation to me. I've driven a couple commuter cars that really gasp for air by redline and feel like they fall on their face. Then there's a natural-feeling of "rounding off" of power that I'm used to that's almost a separate indication of time to shift without that total fall-flat sensation. This does neither and feels like you're at redline when there's still more to give. I didn't actually hit the gas cutoff or have a ton of time to play with it, but it simultaneously felt like you had to rev it out for power and that it prevented you from revving it all the way out.
-I want to be clear that it isn't slow, it puts on MPH faster than it feels like it is doing. But the acceleration is not impressive, is not on par with the rest of the car, and doesn't feel as fast as it could for the power/weight.
-I don't care how old the engine is, it's tech level, or its sourcing. I do care that it's not up to par with the rest of the car. It doesn't have the drama of revving to the moon or the low end punch of making max torque by 2000 RPM, but it does sound good -- it's got that going for it.
-Ultimately I suspect keeping the manual meant keeping the engine for Lotus, which is a little unfortunate
-This might be the first car where the tune ends up being worth the risk for me, even in-warranty if one is available by then, especially if it can safely raise the redline


Hood seal:
View attachment 10249

Hips wider than mirrors from the rear and prompting the saddle bags comment:


View attachment 10250

Great write up! we finally have some brain around here! (mine not included)

 

[Hodl]

I don't have much track experience, but a background of cars I've owned for you all to gauge my experience: 2005 Evo MR, e92 m3, and n55 m2. Most of what has already been said are the same impressions I had on my test drive. Also in LA, but had an early time slot so not many cars on the road quite yet.

Exterior: 10/10 for me. Definitely eye-catching and unique. Wheel gap was not a problem to me based on viewing angles of looking down at the car, but from far away, I can see it being an issue for those who like a more flushed look.

Interior: 9*/10. * placed because I did not pull at things or pay super close attention to stitching/buttons as others probably did. Based on immediate generalized look and feel though, it was fine for modern standards. I'd say better than my old M2 and similar to my buddies gt3 I drove after for comparison.

Engine: 7/10. First supercharged car I've driven. My background is mostly turbos so the immediate power delivery is a plus. There's no drama as others have said in terms of throw you in the seat feel (my evo had the most fun feel in this department). However, for city/canyon driving I feel it is more than adequate enough.

Transmission: 6/10. Clutch was easy and quick to get used to. Between the Evo and the M2, I'd say clutch feel is in the middle of those in terms of heaviness and actuation. Gear shift was a weak point for me, but I'm sure I'd get used to this over time as with most manual transmissions. Like others have said, you need to be more precise when changing the gears. I had no issues with getting into the gears I wanted, the feeling was just new to me and I was not ecstatic about the feel right out the gate (no pun intended).

The drive: Thanks to the early time slot of my test drive and not many cars being on the road, I felt I was able to push the car a little more than others in LA. Test drive route was a pretty standard "right turns only" route so I was left with quick lane changes to get steering feel. Not many cars on the road meant I was able to make my own chicane with the two lanes. Steering is snappy and precise. Extremely enjoyable in terms of feedback and being able to place the car where I wanted it. Very planted. The off center rotation of the steering wheel caught me by surprise at first, but I got used to it quickly. The car had sport suspension and was not too uncomfortable in LA roads. For those thinking sport suspension might be too rough, it's not bad. Hitting the on-ramp of the freeway was not as exciting as I thought it'd be as the power delivery and torque just don't seem to be there.

Overall: For me the positives of the car outweigh the negatives for my needs and I can't wait to get one! I was able to drive a buddies GT3 right after this test drive to compare. Briefly, steering felt better in the Emira. Comfort was better in the GT3. Sound is no contest, GT3 wins this. Interior I'd say were even.

 

[SPoivre]

I was able to finally take an Emira test drive and thought I would post my thoughts about the experience.

The car I drove had the touring suspension, was Nimbus Grey with the red leather interior. It was a short 15-20 minute drive but got a decent variety of roads, including highway and back country roads, both smooth and bumpy pavement.

First...the good:

This is the second time and the second color I have seen the car in person. Still looks great. I really liked the red interior and that was high up on my list of choices but I wanted a blue car and wasn't going to go the superman route. Looking at the red, made me second guess my choice...(what else is new?). Interior is nicely laid out with the combination of buttons and touch screens. Materials felt decent quality, in general. I liked the exhaust sound. The car has a nice purr. Then again, I have a bias towards 6 cylinders.

I absolutely loved the steering wheel. Reminded me of a McLaren. It’s a bit of an angular feeling wheel. The steering feel was great and a little heavy, the way I like it. The car shrinks around you, even though it isn't that big in the first place. I found the driving position great for me. I'm 5'8" and I think I like to sit a bit high.

The Touring suspension was fantastic on the road. My car is ordered with the sport and I'm a little weary about if it will be better for me. I like my cars on the firm side, and after a reasonably detailed discussion with a Lotus engineer, I was told I should get the "sport". He said on the road, I wouldn't even notice the difference. Well, I hope he was right because the Touring was really sweet. I saw a number of videos and the body roll seemed excessive to me. I had no issue with the car in person.

The placement of the gearshift was very natural for me. I don't think getting used to the shift feel is going to be an issue. It did the job. I've driven and own a number of stick cars. Each is different but none of them have ever presented a problem. For street driving, one just adapts, IMO.

The pedals are a bit offset and the clutch seemed close to the brake. It was weird for the first minute but not an issue at all during the drive. I didn't need to wear any special driving shoes. Just had my regular hiking shoes on ( not boots)

The clutch didn't present any issues. Didn't really think about it. I guess that is good. Seemed seamless enough.

The bad:

The car was slow. I'm used to fast cars, overall. My slower cars have all been ragtops which seem fast. This car was surprising slow for 400 hp and 31x ft-lbs of torque. Not sure how I feel about this. It was a bit off putting to me but my wife, who loves stick sport cars but not the torque "shove" will probably really love it. I had a 2018 Cayman GTS with PDK. The Lotus seemed comparatively slow. I expected more from the supercharger. This car felt N/A in that sense. The redline didn’t seem to be an issue. I didn’t find the RPM limit an issue. I once test drove an Alfa Romeo 4 cylinder Guilia…hated that…constantly was hitting the rev limiter and going nowhere. ( I drove my 2019 AM Vantage to the demo drive. The Emira made the Vantage feel like a super car. That surprised me. I’ve always thought of my Aston as a muscle car, not a super car. I know it’s apples to oranges but the difference still surprised me.).

The storage space behind the seats seems to be really small. Even though I have seen the car before it caught me a bit off guard just how lacking the storage space is. The space behind the seats was useless, IMO. I don't even see a decent size soft bag going there. Maybe a jacket and an umbrella. Certainly not a bag of groceries on the way back from the market.

Visibility was about average for a sports car. I think a 718 Cayman has fantastic visibility. The 718 Boxster has terrible visbility with the roof on. This car was in between.

The screen in the center of the car was completely crap for visibility. I just kind of wished it would go away. Might have to put a bag over that.

The display tells you what gear you are in.Seems a little pointless but what is peculiar is that if you are at a stop and put it in gear it doesn't display the gear. You have to be moving. So if you are at a stop and try to start off in 3rd instead of 1st, you don't get the display until after you are moving a little bit.

I can understand why a 718 Cayman GTS would get rated better than this car. With the exception of the steering, a similar priced Porsche is probably better overall. If I didn't think the Cayman was fugly ( and I owned one for 3 years) I would say it would be hard to say this car is "better".

I'm still sticking with my order. Mostly because I am stubborn The only thing that really put me off was the car was much slower feeling than I expected. All the cars I own are imperfect, in some way.

 

[TheMotizzle]

52 new items by Matt Motal

photos.app.goo.gl

The Event

It turns out Galpin got one Emira in last weekend and had an impromptu test drive event Sat, Oct 29 - Mon, Oct 31. This wasn’t the official road show. Apparently this Emira was set to be shipped back to the east coast but wasn’t able to for some reason. Galpin was given first opportunity.

They sent out email invites to deposit holders, but I didn’t receive one (possibly because my number is so late). I reached out to Justin at Galpin and he was super cool about fitting me in. Thanks Justin! I first came on Sat and filled out the paperwork. I was told I just needed to wait til a spot opened up, but they’d get me in. After an hour, there was still a lot of people and my wife had food poisoning and was watching kids so I opted to come back first thing Sunday. Shout out to all the cool people I got to speak with on Saturday!

I came back on Sunday at 8am when the event opened and Justin got my paperwork back online right away. I spoke with several other test drivers - all super cool. Shout out to Oren, Joe and everyone else. Joe was the owner of the orange Evora GT in the photos and was so generous to let me sit in it and check it all out. Thanks!

After about 4 scheduled appointments, a slot opened up and it was my turn!

The Drive

Tom, the Lotus employee who did the ride along, was great. He got me up to speed on the car and explained as much about it as I wanted. This is my first time driving a Lotus so weigh my opinion as you see fit.

The Emira was a V6 manual in sport mode. We drove a preset route on surface streets with some straightaways I could really get on the gas. It was about 10 minutes I’d guess.

Clutch

As people have mentioned, the pedals are to the right a bit, but wasn’t an issue. The thing I noticed more was how firm the clutch was. When Joe showed me his Evora, the pedals felt the same. Very firm and very responsive. I was told to release slowly while delivering power because there’s not a lot of travel. It felt like a proper sports clutch for sure. Sitting in stop and go traffic might be a little exhausting on the legs, but taking it to the track, you’ll welcome it. It’s as solid a clutch as I’ve ever used.

The shifter was solid. Not short throw, but not long. Very solid. Not soft at all.

Engine

This car moves! For comparison I’ve driven the new Supra for a day around town and raced a Ferrari 488 on track with an instructor for about 15 minutes. The Emira is really fast. It’s obviously not as fast as the Ferrari, but I couldn’t tell in the range I was driving. I stepped on it and it flew. Very responsive engine. Power came on smooth and “linear” as people said, but not lagging in any sort of way. Power was there right from the start, but not “lurchy”.

I was told not to redline and tried to shift earlier so can’t speak to the upper end too much. I did accidentally redline once (sorry Tom!) and it felt like the car doesn’t have that last 1k rpm character change like some engines, which isn’t a bad thing. Honestly, there’s so much power, outside of the track, I’ll never be able to use it. It wasn’t lacking by any means, it’s more that it was strong all the way through rather than building. For comparison, an S2000 engine behaves like a normal car in the low range, sports car in the mids and screams from 8-9k rpm. The Emira had plenty of torque. I was never left wanting more or wondering if I could go faster. It’s more, how do I want to deliver the power and how fast am I prepared to go. It was impressive to say the least. My hair was blown back by the power. It was faster than I expected.

The engine sounds was good. It’s not going to sounds like a Ferrari 355, but Lotus did a nice job with it. Strong and has a supercar vibe. Not throaty, but you know it’s coming.

Suspension

The sport suspension felt extremely planted. It’s as good as advertised. It was very, very solid in a good way, but on the streets it wasn’t harsh. Tom told me there’s only a 10% difference between tour and sport. For those considering sports, I think you can safely do so. I’m planning on tour because I likely won’t be tracking much. I honestly think both are going to be incredible and you can’t really go wrong. Just depends on the feel you want.

I obviously didn’t have a chance to do any hard cornering, but I’d be surprised if the Emira was anything less than incredible.

Steering

As mentioned, the steering is SOLID. The clutch and steering were the two things that really got my attention. The best way I can describe it is, metal connected to metal (in a good way). Versus metal connected to something squishy connected to metal. Everything is so firm and connected and I get why people rave about the steering. It has almost an industrial build quality compared say the Supra which had great steering, but felt more like steering I’m used to. I didn’t realize steering could be this connected. It was better than the Ferrari too.

Brakes

I did some medium/firm braking slowing down from ~75mph to a stoplight and the brakes were strong. Not a lot of travel and they definitely bite in a good way. The only car I’ve ever done max braking on was the Ferrari on track so hard to benchmark the Emira brakes, but they felt like the Ferrari’s did at the speeds I tested them. I’d imagine they’re incredible on track, but can’t say.

Cabin

Visibility was good all around. Large windows, side mirrors were good, and the rear was decent. I was so focused on driving I forget if the windows were up or down haha. I’m pretty sure they were up and cabin noise was good. I barely looked at the dash or infotainment since I was so focused on the drive. This Emira had alcantara which felt grippy. I’m personally going leather, but the alcantara was nice. I like the cabin a lot. Had all the creature comforts, but also feels special like an exotic. The taller guys that were test driving said they had tons of room. I’m a small guy and moved the seat up to be right on the pedals but it didn’t feel too big by any means. The power seats worked as expected (not spartan like some exotics).

Body

The body looks INCREDIBLE. An easy 10/10. One of the most beautiful cars - perfect from every angle. The yellow paint looked as good as I hoped (I’m getting yellow). The stance is wide and amazing. The photos show the Evora GT next to it so you can get a sense of its proportions.

Overall

The car is incredible. Everything I hoped for. The things that really stood out to me were:

1. The rigidity/connectedness/firmness/build quality of the steering, clutch and suspension. I understand what people are saying when they mean “it’s a Lotus”. This is a driver’s car first.

2. The looks. So gorgeous in every way.

3. The power. As fast as I’ll ever need to go.

DCT vs stick

I’m currently signed up for an i4 base model (my # is north of 200). Having driven the Supra and Ferrari, I LOVE the DCT. I’ve driven stick my whole life and swore I always would, but the DCT suits me. I was wondering if the stick would switch me back. It was great, don’t get me wrong, but I’m still planning on the DCT. I love the way it drives, plus LA traffic with that clutch would be tough on the legs. Perhaps I’m soft. I’ve never driven the M139 DCT and it’s very much personal preference, so take it with a grain of salt.

Order Breakdown

Justin told me about 95% of Galpin's orders are for V6 manual. I think he said he had single digits for V6 auto and 20ish for i4. I thought that was interesting. I wonder how the rest of the nation/world stacks up.

Closing Notes

I wanna give a shout out to Galpin Lotus for making this happen, especially Justin. He’s been responsive, helpful, cool and got me in despite not having a reservation and being very low on the deposit list. To everyone I met, I had a great time chatting with you all and nerding out about the Emira and cars in general. This has very much affirmed everything I hoped about the Emira. I had a blast!

Hopefully this is helpful to everyone.

 

[SenecaLotus2023]

Had the opportunity to test drive the Nimbus touring with red interior. The car looked even better in person relative to the photos so overall a really fantastic looking car.

In terms of driving impressions, I’m relatively new to manual transmission and am coming from a 718 Spyder 6MT (and a 981 Boxster PDK before that). I was really excited to get that hydraulic steering feel again (E36 BMW 3-series is memorable for me). While it’s difficult for me to get a real sense for a car’s character during a 15-minute test drive, I do think I had a decent sense for the texture of the road surface and the steering did load up nicely going through the corners.

Beyond that, I was struck by how light the clutch pedal was right away. The salesperson noted that the Emira clutch is lighter than the Evora. I was surprised that the 718 Spyder clutch is meaningfully heavier than the Emira I drove, as the 718 Spyder itself has been criticized for its softer clutch relative to the 981 Spyder.

The shifter and shift feel seemed “lower quality” relative to the Porsche. Taken together with the lackluster engine and softer clutch, I was a bit disappointed that the quality of the overall driving experience did not compare favorably to the Spyder. My opinion only based on limited experience, so I’m very curious to hear Lotustoronto’s impressions of the same.

That said, I won’t draw any final conclusions from this brief test drive and am still looking forward to the V6 manual. I’m hopeful that the sport suspension and SC2 tires will make all the difference for me.

 

[lion shf]

-Noticeably little cross buffeting with both windows open. I'm overdue for a haircut and going double the speed limit on surface roads didn't even ruffle my hair. Maybe I just didn't consider it with the shape of the car vs current sedan, but major upside to driving with the windows down whenever weather permits.

so happy to read this, I’m windows down all the time awesome

 

[DF_Toronto]

Had my test drive today, full yellow V6 manual with sport suspension and Goodyear tire.

It was a semi test drive as the dealership is right in the middle of the city and we could only take it a few laps around the block where its 40-50km roads with stop signs every 100M, so I couldn't evaluate everything and therefore won't do a 1-10 rating across the board. I think I was the 2nd one in the car and the dealership has 175 or so orders and the car for 2 days so I wasn't going to get greedy, should be able to take it on proper roads when they have their demo which would require at least 30 mins in the car since it's at least 10 minutes from the dealership to get to a semi proper road.

So much confirmation of things others have mentioned (the positive ones), TLDR so I'll start with the really key things that were either major or I things I haven't heard as much about:

- *spoiler, the only negative. The stereo is crap, and this being the so called upgraded option. This is kinda minor since it's not the reason to buy this car but holy moly I own KEF speakers, they make good speakers...these are going to cost EXTRA on the base car. KEF should be ashamed of themselves and offer a replacement at a later date as an optional recall, this is so embarrassing for them. They are what I'd expect in 2022 on a base Honda Civic. Anyone that thinks this is acceptable as something costing extra vs thrown in at base has been smoking something...

- A carry golf bag fits just perfectly in the boot. The space behind the seat looks useless, but it has more than it appears as the rep who brought the car had a standard size carry on case back there that he had brought.

-Having seen probably thousands of pictures by now it doesn't really look different in any way than I had expected, this is nor good or bad! In terms of looking exotic/loud/attention grabbing it's not to the level of a supercar, but halfway in the middle between a Porsche and a supercar, and I think that's amazing if you want something that's different, gorgeous, but not on the roading begging for attention that says "look at me I'm a rich show off". The wheels look bigger in person and haven't seen many pics or discussion of the tires too which are very wide.

-The centre screen wider and more rectangular that I got the impression of in pictures.

Ok, onto my NUMBER ONE takeaway which I think many have mentioned but really bares repeating. From the interior to the ride quality, this car is insanely comfortable and livable. Best example I can give is that if you blindfolded me and told me to climb into the car and then take the blindfold off while sitting in the car driving around town. From the ride feeling, to the comfort of the car, to the look of the interior...and apart from the engine sound and people looking at the car, I would be convinced I'm being driven around in a BMW/Audi/Mercedes coupe. For example I've been in a few friends sports cars where you get that feeling that you're sitting really low and peeking out at the world around you, and while they are modern and comfortable you wouldn't want to go on a road trip. The Emira has the performance of those cars, but doesn't have that tradeoff in any way. I'm currently driving a Mercedes E class cabriolet and apart from luggage space I feel like the Emira would actually be more comfortable on a road trip, although I might want a better sound system for that road trip . So this was the sport suspension edition and it was WAY smoother over road bumps and speed bumps than my Mercedes which rattles as well. Absolutely nothing from the Emira which eats them up, hard to explain because it's not an a Bentley or S class way that feels like there's this soft suspension absorbing them...hard to explain but purely magic. Of course, I would loved to experience a sterner test like a massive pothole on the highway where my Mercedes feels like something may have just come off the bottom or knocked the wheels out of alignment when it happens.

I think Lotus have really done what they said at the onset about the Emira. They've made an enthusiasts car with few if any limitations that's extremely fun to drive and usable, and that you want to grab the keys for even if you have nowhere to go. I know people who own much more powerful exotics or corvettes and compared to the Emira I have to ask, why? If you're buying it purely for the track or sit in a garage to look at or to get attention I can see the argument. However those cars pale in comparison in comfort, usability, and fun you can have driving the car off track without getting arrested. Porsches on the other hand, perhaps similar in comfort and usability...but not as tactile/fun/connected IMO. I live in a huge city with terrible traffic and if the Emira were to be my daily driver I'd be nuts to get it in a manual, so if you're going for anything less than the full experience and an autobox I can see weighing the pros and cons vs. Porsche...but if you're going for pure driving experience I think the Emira V6 manual is an absolute no brainer.

-Very comfortable seats as mentioned, felt like the perfect amount of bolstering, streering wheel felt perfect.

-Pedal placement was odd at first, when I first sat in the car I literally had my left foot on the clutch thinking it was the brake pedal as it's about where my current car brake pedal is. As everyone has already said, within 10 seconds I didn't even think about it again and it felt totally natural. I didn't check if anything was off centre steering wheel wise, if it was I didn't notice a thing. I did not need to angle myself in any way based on pedal placement - overall everything felt totally right. I have big feet and had Nike Airs on...probably not ideal having a clunky mushy heel but I also forgot about it after a minute.

-Sensitivity in all the pedals and travel and all that jazz felt extremely natural and good to me, either it's similar to what I'm used to or very different from what others who've pointed out anything here are used to.

-Gear shift, absolutely love it. I guess this may be a personal preference as some think it's clunky or cheap feeling and prefer the Porsche or BMW ones. The correct word I'd use is tactile, and isn't that the reason to buy a sports car in a manual? Placement and feeling of it is amazing to me. If I wanted something to just flick my finger to have ultra smooth non tactile changes, why not just get floppy paddles and get the benefit of an auto while sitting in traffic?

-Engine, currently owning a 360HP slightly heavier car I know the Emira is a faster car but I didn't expect it to be in another league. Wrong, instant and linear power. It's just the right amount that can throw you to the back of the seat but can also work up and down the gears. I honestly don't think I'd want any more power, if it felt 20% faster than my current car I certainly would, but that is not the case. Obviously I didn't have a proper experience here and even forgot to take it out of Touring mode, but I think I could tell it's fantastic. As far as engine noise, I think everybody knows by now it's not going cause a stir by making people a block away know you're coming. It will sound like you're driving a high performance sports car and elicit that fun while driving it, another thing I think they nailed. The supercharger sounds awesome in person.

-Handling, sadly the hallmark of a Lotus is an experience that will have to be put on hold for me (being limited to driving in a square on straight roads with only right hand turns at traffic lights). Obviously no cause for any concerns here as even the most critical reviewers concede that handling is best of breed in the Emira.

-Visibility, no compromises here it's very good and that's not the case with most sports cars.

Lastly, the wind buffeting that's been mentioned of late with the windows down...I wouldn't have thought about it until I heard folks talking about it here. Bang on, I've never been in a car this good with the windows down!

 

[SmallerBaller]

Had my test drive today, full yellow V6 manual with sport suspension and Goodyear tire.

It was a semi test drive as the dealership is right in the middle of the city and we could only take it a few laps around the block where its 40-50km roads with stop signs every 100M, so I couldn't evaluate everything and therefore won't do a 1-10 rating across the board. I think I was the 2nd one in the car and the dealership has 175 or so orders and the car for 2 days so I wasn't going to get greedy, should be able to take it on proper roads when they have their demo which would require at least 30 mins in the car since it's at least 10 minutes from the dealership to get to a semi proper road.

So much confirmation of things others have mentioned (the positive ones), TLDR so I'll start with the really key things that were either major or I things I haven't heard as much about:

- *spoiler, the only negative. The stereo is crap, and this being the so called upgraded option. This is kinda minor since it's not the reason to buy this car but holy moly I own KEF speakers, they make good speakers...these are going to cost EXTRA on the base car. KEF should be ashamed of themselves and offer a replacement at a later date as an optional recall, this is so embarrassing for them. They are what I'd expect in 2022 on a base Honda Civic. Anyone that thinks this is acceptable as something costing extra vs thrown in at base has been smoking something...

- A carry golf bag fits just perfectly in the boot. The space behind the seat looks useless, but it has more than it appears as the rep who brought the car had a standard size carry on case back there that he had brought.

-Having seen probably thousands of pictures by now it doesn't really look different in any way than I had expected, this is nor good or bad! In terms of looking exotic/loud/attention grabbing it's not to the level of a supercar, but halfway in the middle between a Porsche and a supercar, and I think that's amazing if you want something that's different, gorgeous, but not on the roading begging for attention that says "look at me I'm a rich show off". The wheels look bigger in person and haven't seen many pics or discussion of the tires too which are very wide.

-The centre screen wider and more rectangular that I got the impression of in pictures.

Ok, onto my NUMBER ONE takeaway which I think many have mentioned but really bares repeating. From the interior to the ride quality, this car is insanely comfortable and livable. Best example I can give is that if you blindfolded me and told me to climb into the car and then take the blindfold off while sitting in the car driving around town. From the ride feeling, to the comfort of the car, to the look of the interior...and apart from the engine sound and people looking at the car, I would be convinced I'm being driven around in a BMW/Audi/Mercedes coupe. For example I've been in a few friends sports cars where you get that feeling that you're sitting really low and peeking out at the world around you, and while they are modern and comfortable you wouldn't want to go on a road trip. The Emira has the performance of those cars, but doesn't have that tradeoff in any way. I'm currently driving a Mercedes E class cabriolet and apart from luggage space I feel like the Emira would actually be more comfortable on a road trip, although I might want a better sound system for that road trip . So this was the sport suspension edition and it was WAY smoother over road bumps and speed bumps than my Mercedes which rattles as well. Absolutely nothing from the Emira which eats them up, hard to explain because it's not an a Bentley or S class way that feels like there's this soft suspension absorbing them...hard to explain but purely magic. Of course, I would loved to experience a sterner test like a massive pothole on the highway where my Mercedes feels like something may have just come off the bottom or knocked the wheels out of alignment when it happens.

I think Lotus have really done what they said at the onset about the Emira. They've made an enthusiasts car with few if any limitations that's extremely fun to drive and usable, and that you want to grab the keys for even if you have nowhere to go. I know people who own much more powerful exotics or corvettes and compared to the Emira I have to ask, why? If you're buying it purely for the track or sit in a garage to look at or to get attention I can see the argument. However those cars pale in comparison in comfort, usability, and fun you can have driving the car off track without getting arrested. Porsches on the other hand, perhaps similar in comfort and usability...but not as tactile/fun/connected IMO. I live in a huge city with terrible traffic and if the Emira were to be my daily driver I'd be nuts to get it in a manual, so if you're going for anything less than the full experience and an autobox I can see weighing the pros and cons vs. Porsche...but if you're going for pure driving experience I think the Emira V6 manual is an absolute no brainer.

-Very comfortable seats as mentioned, felt like the perfect amount of bolstering, streering wheel felt perfect.

-Pedal placement was odd at first, when I first sat in the car I literally had my left foot on the clutch thinking it was the brake pedal as it's about where my current car brake pedal is. As everyone has already said, within 10 seconds I didn't even think about it again and it felt totally natural. I didn't check if anything was off centre steering wheel wise, if it was I didn't notice a thing. I did not need to angle myself in any way based on pedal placement - overall everything felt totally right. I have big feet and had Nike Airs on...probably not ideal having a clunky mushy heel but I also forgot about it after a minute.

-Sensitivity in all the pedals and travel and all that jazz felt extremely natural and good to me, either it's similar to what I'm used to or very different from what others who've pointed out anything here are used to.

-Gear shift, absolutely love it. I guess this may be a personal preference as some think it's clunky or cheap feeling and prefer the Porsche or BMW ones. The correct word I'd use is tactile, and isn't that the reason to buy a sports car in a manual? Placement and feeling of it is amazing to me. If I wanted something to just flick my finger to have ultra smooth non tactile changes, why not just get floppy paddles and get the benefit of an auto while sitting in traffic?

-Engine, having a 360HP slightly heavier car I know the Emira is a faster car but I didn't expect it to be in another league. Wrong, instant and linear power. It's just the right amount that can throw you to the back of the seat but can also work up and down the gears. I honestly don't think I'd want any more power, if it felt 20% faster than my current car I certainly would, but that is not the case. Obviously I didn't have a proper experience here and even forgot to take it out of Touring mode, but I think I could tell it's fantastic. As far as engine noise, I think everybody knows by now it's not going cause a stir by making people a block away know you're coming. It will sound like you're driving a high performance sports car and elicit that fun while driving it, another thing I think they nailed. The supercharger sounds awesome in person.

-Handling, sadly the hallmark of a Lotus is an experience that will have to be put on hold for me (being limited to driving in a square on straight roads with only right hand turns at traffic lights). Obviously no cause for any concerns here as even the most critical reviewers concede that handling is best of breed in the Emira.

-Visibility, no compromises here it's very good and that's not the case with most sports cars.

Lastly, the wind buffeting that's been mentioned of late with the windows down...I wouldn't have thought about it until I heard folks talking about it here. Bang on, I've never been in a car this good with the windows down!View attachment 10432

Awesome review! This v6 does have 400 HP, not 360 (AMG i4 has this), so if it felt approximately 40 HP more impressive than you were expecting, that could be why!