Went to go see Emira… purchased an Evora

[DaaS]

I recently attended the Emira roadshow. Emira is a beautiful car, but the gray exterior and charcoal interior did not do it justice. My eyes kept looking at the brighter Evoras around the dealership. I kept going back and forth and comparing the two cars. Evora’s exterior was not as beautiful as the Emira, but it had seriousness to it. Fender gap was tighter, steering wheel felt good in my hands, seats were better designed to hold you in place. Can I say I even liked the interior layout better?

Not knocking the Emira at all and my deposit is still in, but I developed a greater appreciation for the Evora. I started looking around 500 mile radius. Found a pre-owned 2021 Evora GT with 900 miles and purchase it. It is Liquid Yellow with automatic transmission. I know… auto… but that is what I wanted. It almost has a DCT mechanical feel and deserves better reputation. Smooth in normal mode and aggressive in sports mode. I think it suits the car’s analog personality just fine. I was going with manual in the Emira, but will likely choose the auto after driving the Evora auto.

So far I really like driving it. Wish the seats were height adjustable. Suspension is definitely firm, but not harsh. Barely any body lean. If Emira sport suspension is similar to Evora GT, then that’s what I will choose. It is adequate for the roads where I live, but I can see it getting annoying if streets were rough. Steering and turn-in is great. Car feels solid and sounds amazing. Going in for 1000 mile service next week!

There you go. Never cared much for Lotus until I saw the Emira videos in July 2020. Never owned a Lotus before and here we are…

 

[DaaS]

Judging by the pictures, can someone tell me what options this car has? I know Liquid Yellow is an option, auto transmission is an option, yellow calipers is an option. Not sure what interior options it has, if any. It also has PPF on entire front and some lower areas around the sides.

Thanks!

 

[TXEMIRA]

Nice ride! You should be able to contact Lotus with the VIN and they can tell you everything you need to know for sure.

 

[wallstbear]

Very nice indeed. Lotuses blossom in bunches don't they?

 

[digilotus]

What a great choice! You'll be very happy with it. I'm looking around for Evoras myself. They have a retro quirkiness to them that is quite appealing to me.

 

[Mike-engel]

Would you mind PMing me and sharing what you paid for the car? I’m talking with a dealer here on the east coast about a car that is nearly the same spec. It has been a demonstrator and has around 2K miles. It would be sold as a new car with full warranty. I can’t seem to find if there are any dealer incentives or rebates on 21 GTs. Anyone?

 

[TXEMIRA]

Would you mind PMing me and sharing what you paid for the car? I’m talking with a dealer here on the east coast about a car that is nearly the same spec. It has been a demonstrator and has around 2K miles. It would be sold as a new car with full warranty. I can’t seem to find if there are any dealer incentives or rebates on 21 GTs. Anyone?

Ask about the “take over” or “brand loyalty” discount. Up to $5k last I checked that is based on the types of cars you own now.
Even if you’re not trading in. They have this discount to get you over to the brand.
So say you own a Porsche now, they’ll give you a discount to buy a Lotus, just so you don’t go buy another Porsche. (For example.)

#Conquest - that’s the word I was looking for. Ask about “Conquest”.

 

[SemiF19]

I would absolutely consider buying an Evora, if it wasn't for the stinking price.......I've contacted a dealer relatively close to me who has 3 on the lot, but they are all over $100k. He talked about the discounts mentioned above, but nothing gets it below a brand new Emira, which makes it a non starter. What is interesting is the new Emira, with supposedly the same motor, makes less HP than the Evora. Probably tighter emissions requirements I'm guessing? Anyhow, congrats to the OP. Beautiful car!!!

 

[Mike-engel]

Ask about the “take over” or “brand loyalty” discount. Up to $5k last I checked that is based on the types of cars you own now.
Even if you’re not trading in. They have this discount to get you over to the brand.
So say you own a Porsche now, they’ll give you a discount to buy a Lotus, just so you don’t go buy another Porsche. (For example.)

Interesting. I saw that for 2020 cars but didn’t know it applied to 2021 since we are still in 2021. I’m wondering how folks approach these negotiations. I find when I conflate the various discounts I loose sight of whether I’m getting a good deal. Over on Lotus Talk I remember a thread on 2020 GT purchases around the beginning of this year where people were getting 14-16% off msrp. I think that included the $5K rebate in that total discount. So for a $103K car they were getting them for $85-90K plus TTL. The car I’m looking at is a demonstrator being offered at $102K. Also need to consider how it will or won’t hold its value with Emira on the horizon, which is anyone’s guess. Thoughts from the group?

 

[SemiF19]

Interesting. I saw that for 2020 cars but didn’t know it applied to 2021 since we are still in 2021. I’m wondering how folks approach these negotiations. I find when I conflate the various discounts I loose sight of whether I’m getting a good deal. Over on Lotus Talk I remember a thread on 2020 GT purchases around the beginning of this year where people were getting 14-16% off msrp. I think that included the $5K rebate in that total discount. So for a $103K car they were getting them for $85-90K plus TTL. The car I’m looking at is a demonstrator being offered at $102K. Also need to consider how it will or won’t hold its value with Emira on the horizon, which is anyone’s guess. Thoughts from the group?

Good question. Emira kinda feels like a car that could be a collector one day due to its status as the last gas powered Lotus ever built. The Evora from a long term value perspective is harder to pin down. I just tried to find out production #s for the Evora and it's hard to get exact #s. I didn't realize there are so many versions of the Evora. The 430GT looks like an awesome car......

 

[FederGigant]

Why don‘t you consider used Evoras? I just saw a 2019 Evora 400 (not sold in the US) here in Germany for 68.000€. If it‘s only for one or two years until you get your Emiras it would probably only be a 5.000$ loss if there are similar offers for the GT 410s in the US. Or is it that there are no older cars than 2020?

 

[SemiF19]

Why don‘t you consider used Evoras? I just saw a 2019 Evora 400 (not sold in the US) here in Germany for 68.000€. If it‘s only for one or two years until you get your Emiras it would probably only be a 5.000$ loss if there are similar offers for the GT 410s in the US. Or is it that there are no older cars than 2020?

LOL, I'm looking at used Evoras as I write this.........

 

[FederGigant]

@SemiF19 I heard that there were roundabout 5.000 Evoras built over it‘s lifetime.

 

[Mike-engel]

Great question. There are several d

Why don‘t you consider used Evoras? I just saw a 2019 Evora 400 (not sold in the US) here in Germany for 68.000€. If it‘s only for one or two years until you get your Emiras it would probably only be a 5.000$ loss if there are similar offers for the GT 410s in the US. Or is it that there are no older cars than 2020?

imensions. First is that the car matches the Emira spec I’m considering. That is a plus, because so many of the cars for sale used are in colors and configurations that don’t appeal to me. I wouldn’t want to buy something that I’d just have to change cosmetically to match my tastes. I’m a little old for the brash colors and black wheel racer look. I prefer something that leans toward understated. Then there’s the new vs. used issue and warranty. Honestly, I’m not sure if I would sell it or not once Emira comes along. I might like to have twins (hahah). Then there is a medical issue for me. I’ve got a peripheral neuropathy that makes it harder and harder to drive a stick. So it’s the auto for me. That eliminates the earlier ips cars. The best iteration of the ips is in the most recent cars. That’s some of the issues. There are others.

 

[TomE]

I recently attended the Emira roadshow. Emira is a beautiful car, but the gray exterior and charcoal interior did not do it justice. My eyes kept looking at the brighter Evoras around the dealership. I kept going back and forth and comparing the two cars. Evora’s exterior was not as beautiful as the Emira, but it had seriousness to it. Fender gap was tighter, steering wheel felt good in my hands, seats were better designed to hold you in place. Can I say I even liked the interior layout better?

Not knocking the Emira at all and my deposit is still in, but I developed a greater appreciation for the Evora. I started looking around 500 mile radius. Found a pre-owned 2021 Evora GT with 900 miles and purchase it. It is Liquid Yellow with automatic transmission. I know… auto… but that is what I wanted. It almost has a DCT mechanical feel and deserves better reputation. Smooth in normal mode and aggressive in sports mode. I think it suits the car’s analog personality just fine. I was going with manual in the Emira, but will likely choose the auto after driving the Evora auto.

So far I really like driving it. Wish the seats were height adjustable. Suspension is definitely firm, but not harsh. Barely any body lean. If Emira sport suspension is similar to Evora GT, then that’s what I will choose. It is adequate for the roads where I live, but I can see it getting annoying if streets were rough. Steering and turn-in is great. Car feels solid and sounds amazing. Going in for 1000 mile service next week!

There you go. Never cared much for Lotus until I saw the Emira videos in July 2020. Never owned a Lotus before and here we are…

Fantastic looking car, congratulations and welcome to the Lotus-owning family! The most recent Evora IPS auto is surprisingly good isn't it.

The Evora is a cracking car and much under-rated. It didn't get enough publicity and many people only knew about the Elise/Exige until the Emira came along and brought more attention to the Evora. The steadily rising prices of newer Evora models didn't help either.

Enjoy many miles of smiles with your new Lotus.

 

[DaaS]

I know this is an Emira forum, but like many of you, I was also new to Lotus until I recently purchased an Evora GT and I wanted to share my Lotus ownership experience while we wait for the Emira to arrive...

First service and dealership experience... I purchased the Evora GT with 900 miles and I am fortunate to have a local Lotus dealership about 15 minutes away. It is not a dedicated Lotus dealership. It is not fancy, no free donuts or water bottles, no loaners or courtesy shuttles. Your local dealership experience may vary (assuming you even have one), but the point is you may have to set appropriate expectations before you start complaining. On the positive note, the service staff was great. The 1000 miles service was $300 USD and included synthetic oil change, wheels torqued to specs and engine diagnostics report. Next basic service is due in 12 months. (BTW, another Lotus dealership few hundred miles away quoted me $5xx for the same exact first service). I also had couple of warranty items that the first owner probably ignored, but they were handled professionally by the service staff. The engine diagnostics report was interesting. As analog as this car is, it is keeping track of the engine speed, how long engine was at certain RPMs, coolant temp, oil pressure, acceleration rates, g-forces, etc. No signs of abuse were found on my car. Point is, be aware that Emira will likely log similar diagnostic information that the service department can pull up if needed.

Driving experience... somehow I have managed to put 500 miles on the Evora GT in 4 weeks. I think the honeymoon period is over and I still love driving it. I wanted the auto transmission and I have no regrets at all. Gearing is good and up/down shifts are quick enough. Exhaust note is amazing. I will be sad to not have the dedicated exhaust button on the Emira. 416hp is enough. There is plenty of low speed drama. Suspension is on the firm side and I wish the dampers were adjustable. Unless the roads are smooth, your bones will feel every little bump and imperfection. I guess this is "GT" in the Lotus world. I always selected the 'sport suspension' option on my Garman cars, but I am debating selecting the 'Touring' option on the Emira, but it feels wrong doing it. I probably won't because Emira will not be my primary car and stiffer suspension adds to the car's personality.

Overall build quality... it's very good in most areas and then you wonder what happened. Exterior paint job is excellent. Wheels are well made. Chassis feels super solid, steering wheel mounted pedals are metal. Leather and plastics are nice. There are no funny squeaks coming from the dash even with such a firm suspension. Then you close the frameless door with the window down and all the solid feeling goes away. I know it's a frameless door thing when the windows are down, but other manufacturers have figured out how to make it sound solid. I actually checked this in the pre-production Emira and it was better.

Random thoughts and comparisons... If you are coming from Korean, Japanese or German cars, your Lotus experience will be different. It is unique and it has quirks so adjust your expectations of the 'overall experience' that you expect when buying a $100K USD car. These quirks are not annoying enough to ditch the car, but life will be easier if Lotus was your second car.

After driving the Evora GT, most fancy German sports cars now feel like fast, numb and refined street cars and less like true sports cars that reward basic driving. I recall Cayman GT4 having similar raw driving characteristics as the Evora, but it needed to be rev'd a lot and I never got out of 3rd gear due to tall gearing. R8 and 991.2 GT3 are really nice and also faster, but still too refined. New M cars fall into a similar category with lots of horsepower, suspension tricks and AWD.

I hope Emira keeps all the good stuff from the Evora and improves on the quirks. I will post some pics if anyone still cares about the aging Evora.

 

[Mike-engel]

I know this is an Emira forum, but like many of you, I was also new to Lotus until I recently purchased an Evora GT and I wanted to share my Lotus ownership experience while we wait for the Emira to arrive...

First service and dealership experience... I purchased the Evora GT with 900 miles and I am fortunate to have a local Lotus dealership about 15 minutes away. It is not a dedicated Lotus dealership. It is not fancy, no free donuts or water bottles, no loaners or courtesy shuttles. Your local dealership experience may vary (assuming you even have one), but the point is you may have to set appropriate expectations before you start complaining. On the positive note, the service staff was great. The 1000 miles service was $300 USD and included synthetic oil change, wheels torqued to specs and engine diagnostics report. Next basic service is due in 12 months. (BTW, another Lotus dealership few hundred miles away quoted me $5xx for the same exact first service). I also had couple of warranty items that the first owner probably ignored, but they were handled professionally by the service staff. The engine diagnostics report was interesting. As analog as this car is, it is keeping track of the engine speed, how long engine was at certain RPMs, coolant temp, oil pressure, acceleration rates, g-forces, etc. No signs of abuse were found on my car. Point is, be aware that Emira will likely log similar diagnostic information that the service department can pull up if needed.

Driving experience... somehow I have managed to put 500 miles on the Evora GT in 4 weeks. I think the honeymoon period is over and I still love driving it. I wanted the auto transmission and I have no regrets at all. Gearing is good and up/down shifts are quick enough. Exhaust note is amazing. I will be sad to not have the dedicated exhaust button on the Emira. 416hp is enough. There is plenty of low speed drama. Suspension is on the firm side and I wish the dampers were adjustable. Unless the roads are smooth, your bones will feel every little bump and imperfection. I guess this is "GT" in the Lotus world. I always selected the 'sport suspension' option on my Garman cars, but I am debating selecting the 'Touring' option on the Emira, but it feels wrong doing it. I probably won't because Emira will not be my primary car and stiffer suspension adds to the car's personality.

Overall build quality... it's very good in most areas and then you wonder what happened. Exterior paint job is excellent. Wheels are well made. Chassis feels super solid, steering wheel mounted pedals are metal. Leather and plastics are nice. There are no funny squeaks coming from the dash even with such a firm suspension. Then you close the frameless door with the window down and all the solid feeling goes away. I know it's a frameless door thing when the windows are down, but other manufacturers have figured out how to make it sound solid. I actually checked this in the pre-production Emira and it was better.

Random thoughts and comparisons... If you are coming from Korean, Japanese or German cars, your Lotus experience will be different. It is unique and it has quirks so adjust your expectations of the 'overall experience' that you expect when buying a $100K USD car. These quirks are not annoying enough to ditch the car, but life will be easier if Lotus was your second car.

After driving the Evora GT, most fancy German sports cars now feel like fast, numb and refined street cars and less like true sports cars that reward basic driving. I recall Cayman GT4 having similar raw driving characteristics as the Evora, but it needed to be rev'd a lot and I never got out of 3rd gear due to tall gearing. R8 and 991.2 GT3 are really nice and also faster, but still too refined. New M cars fall into a similar category with lots of horsepower, suspension tricks and AWD.

I hope Emira keeps all the good stuff from the Evora and improves on the quirks. I will post some pics if anyone still cares about the aging Evora.

I think all would find pics interesting, and I love hearing about your experience with your new Evora. I’m looking at a couple myself right now.

 

[DaaS]

Pictures - 2021 Evora GT in Liquid Yellow

 

[Lankan]

Lovely!

I wish the Emira was offered in Liquid Yellow.

How good a match is the Liquid Yellow with the yellow brake calipers?

 

[Leonard]

Pictures - 2021 Liquid Yellow Evora GT

Ah man she SEXY!
Part of me fancies an Evora over the Emira. I like the seats, all the carbon and the more brutish looks.
I found a lovely one for 68k pounds but plus 10k for a new Emira FE just makes more sense