Which PH'ers have placed a deposit on an Emira?
Discussion
Although the content may not be to your guy's taste, this is the type of exposure Lotus need:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mNdxdW5iAc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mNdxdW5iAc
AlexNJ89 said:
Although the content may not be to your guy's taste, this is the type of exposure Lotus need:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mNdxdW5iAc
Jesus Christ I thought Schmee was annoying. Basically unwatchable, forget the cars I just wanted to punch the guy in the face. Repeatedly.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mNdxdW5iAc
trumpton7291 said:
AlexNJ89 said:
Although the content may not be to your guy's taste, this is the type of exposure Lotus need:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mNdxdW5iAc
Jesus Christ I thought Schmee was annoying. Basically unwatchable, forget the cars I just wanted to punch the guy in the face. Repeatedly.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mNdxdW5iAc
AlexNJ89 said:
Although the content may not be to your guy's taste, this is the type of exposure Lotus need:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mNdxdW5iAc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mNdxdW5iAc
AlexNJ89 said:
trumpton7291 said:
Jesus Christ I thought Schmee was annoying. Basically unwatchable, forget the cars I just wanted to punch the guy in the face. Repeatedly.
He has 4.3m subscribers, it's what the teenagers want to watch.AlexNJ89 said:
Although the content may not be to your guy's taste, this is the type of exposure Lotus need:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mNdxdW5iAc
It’s an office fit out video. Got bored after 30 seconds, I’ve done office fit out and it was clear he fhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mNdxdW5iAc
ked up the instructions to the contractor. 
So 3 years, yes three years, after starting this thread I have finally driven an Emira.
Reading & watching reviews didn't fill me with much confidence, so while I was always 'interested' to try one I never felt the urge to do so as it wouldn't fit into my life as well as a Boxster (for touring) and Exige (for Sunday mornings)
I was initially excited at the prospect of a new Lotus, placed my deposit, than cancelled when I realised the luggage capacity would not be great and it could, potentially, rule out the Emira as a car that could do both the touring and Sunday morning drives. When I say touring we go 2 up for 3-4 weeks at a time.
I have been through four Boxster's in the intervening 3 years, a 981 Spyder, 2 x 986s & my current 718 Spyder. They are all great touring cars and can do the Sunday morning thing too.
Luckily I had a whole hour on an early Sunday morning with deserted roads between Surrey & Goodwood to try out the Emira (with touring chassis) back to back with my 718 Spyder.
What a car, seriously impressed. It rides and handles as well as a McLaren. In fact, the ride / handling balance - comprise is so good, there isn't any compromise. On a twisty road, it is utterly exhilarating. It is easy to heel & and toe, and the engine is so much sweeter than it was in my 430CUP, which I could never get on with in terms of rev matching. It has just enough shove for a 'whoa' moment, its obviously not McLaren fast BUT for 1/3rd the price its a bargain.
Are there any negatives? I don't like the steering wheel, it's too square and too thick. The brakes are slightly over servoed, and there is a hint of rev hang. I'm not a fan of the digital cluster layout / design and the rear view out is not as good as even a Boxster. But all very minor. I would have followed though with my order and been very pleased, if only the boot was Boxster size. Would I have one over a 718? That's a tricky question because I don't think I could get all my luggage in an Emira (though Tim Burton tells me he can and its fine with squashy bags), and of course the roof doesn't come down.
The one area the Emira is really good is in the mid corner adjustability. The 718's gearing is a tad long (as we have all been told). While this has never bothered me, as it has great torque, the Emira did the job slightly better. In the Emira the lower ratios means you get more instant 'snappy' responses. This gives you more options when cornering to change your line and power out.
So how does driving an Emira compare to my old 430CUP? I really enjoyed my 3 years with my 430CUP (now sold) but it wasn't without its flaws and on balance I preferred driving the Emira, as it 'flows' with the road more and has a real zen like quality when driving. You can really get into a 'zone' with it. The Exige I had to concentrate all the time on driving it, getting the engine / throttle / gearbox, to do what I wanted. In the Emira, it just did what I wanted.
I also found the Exige unpredictable. Sometimes, it was great, BUT you also had to be great or really at the top of your own game to gel with it. If you weren't, then you would have a subpar experience that day. In some respects, that's good as the Exige forces you to be a better driver, BUT, only better at driving an Exige. Sometimes, the 430CUP would understeer, sometimes oversteer, the gearchange had a 50/50 chance of being satisfying, heel and toe, 10% chance. Sometimes, it went like a scalded cat. Other times, it just went.
The Emira was a lot easier to have fun in as it is more consistent and less strenuous. That leaves your brain more capacity to enjoy the drive. The Exige requires near 100% concentration and accuracy with your inputs. Emira's consistency in its abilities is almost Porsche like. So on a drive out, at 8 or 9 tenths, it's actually very enjoyable and not as stressful / sweaty as the Exige.
The Exige is very visceral and intense. Therefore, you have to be in the mood, which probably makes the Exige a better car for a small selection of owners. Which is probably why Lotus struggled to sell many and had to make something more approachable.
To sum up, on a perfect day, on a perfect road, with a clear head and near 100% of your abilities, the Exige was awesome, visceral, a real experience. 95% of the other times, I would rather be in an Emira, just please @lotuscars, give it a round steering wheel, more luggage space and change the bonnet so it doesn't look like its been in a front end shunt.
You may yet see me owning an Emira in the not too distant future (when after market steering wheels are available)
Reading & watching reviews didn't fill me with much confidence, so while I was always 'interested' to try one I never felt the urge to do so as it wouldn't fit into my life as well as a Boxster (for touring) and Exige (for Sunday mornings)
I was initially excited at the prospect of a new Lotus, placed my deposit, than cancelled when I realised the luggage capacity would not be great and it could, potentially, rule out the Emira as a car that could do both the touring and Sunday morning drives. When I say touring we go 2 up for 3-4 weeks at a time.
I have been through four Boxster's in the intervening 3 years, a 981 Spyder, 2 x 986s & my current 718 Spyder. They are all great touring cars and can do the Sunday morning thing too.
Luckily I had a whole hour on an early Sunday morning with deserted roads between Surrey & Goodwood to try out the Emira (with touring chassis) back to back with my 718 Spyder.
What a car, seriously impressed. It rides and handles as well as a McLaren. In fact, the ride / handling balance - comprise is so good, there isn't any compromise. On a twisty road, it is utterly exhilarating. It is easy to heel & and toe, and the engine is so much sweeter than it was in my 430CUP, which I could never get on with in terms of rev matching. It has just enough shove for a 'whoa' moment, its obviously not McLaren fast BUT for 1/3rd the price its a bargain.
Are there any negatives? I don't like the steering wheel, it's too square and too thick. The brakes are slightly over servoed, and there is a hint of rev hang. I'm not a fan of the digital cluster layout / design and the rear view out is not as good as even a Boxster. But all very minor. I would have followed though with my order and been very pleased, if only the boot was Boxster size. Would I have one over a 718? That's a tricky question because I don't think I could get all my luggage in an Emira (though Tim Burton tells me he can and its fine with squashy bags), and of course the roof doesn't come down.
The one area the Emira is really good is in the mid corner adjustability. The 718's gearing is a tad long (as we have all been told). While this has never bothered me, as it has great torque, the Emira did the job slightly better. In the Emira the lower ratios means you get more instant 'snappy' responses. This gives you more options when cornering to change your line and power out.
So how does driving an Emira compare to my old 430CUP? I really enjoyed my 3 years with my 430CUP (now sold) but it wasn't without its flaws and on balance I preferred driving the Emira, as it 'flows' with the road more and has a real zen like quality when driving. You can really get into a 'zone' with it. The Exige I had to concentrate all the time on driving it, getting the engine / throttle / gearbox, to do what I wanted. In the Emira, it just did what I wanted.
I also found the Exige unpredictable. Sometimes, it was great, BUT you also had to be great or really at the top of your own game to gel with it. If you weren't, then you would have a subpar experience that day. In some respects, that's good as the Exige forces you to be a better driver, BUT, only better at driving an Exige. Sometimes, the 430CUP would understeer, sometimes oversteer, the gearchange had a 50/50 chance of being satisfying, heel and toe, 10% chance. Sometimes, it went like a scalded cat. Other times, it just went.
The Emira was a lot easier to have fun in as it is more consistent and less strenuous. That leaves your brain more capacity to enjoy the drive. The Exige requires near 100% concentration and accuracy with your inputs. Emira's consistency in its abilities is almost Porsche like. So on a drive out, at 8 or 9 tenths, it's actually very enjoyable and not as stressful / sweaty as the Exige.
The Exige is very visceral and intense. Therefore, you have to be in the mood, which probably makes the Exige a better car for a small selection of owners. Which is probably why Lotus struggled to sell many and had to make something more approachable.
To sum up, on a perfect day, on a perfect road, with a clear head and near 100% of your abilities, the Exige was awesome, visceral, a real experience. 95% of the other times, I would rather be in an Emira, just please @lotuscars, give it a round steering wheel, more luggage space and change the bonnet so it doesn't look like its been in a front end shunt.
You may yet see me owning an Emira in the not too distant future (when after market steering wheels are available)
Edited by Bispal on Monday 8th April 11:21
Wouldn't say the lack of luggage capacity in the Emira 'boot' is a major disadvantage bearing in mind the space behind the seats although the proximity to engine heat in the boot could well be a minus in the hotter summer months especially.
Having said this the Emira storage is substantially less than in the Cayster platform where even the GT4 and Spyder have relatively large capacity both front and rear and only slightly reduced in the RS models.
Interesting Porsche have completely deleted any existing front storage in the GT3 RS due to a combination of DW front suspension (as in the Emira) and necessary additional cooling ducts effectively giving no storage whatsoever if CS is optioned.
Re the Emira gearing yes the ratios are lower than the Caysters BUT the downside is the very low top 6ks rev limit is soon reached v the much higher e.g 8k rev limit in the GT4/Spyder.
Apart from the odd sized shape and thickness of the wheel the steering on the Emira is imo very reminiscent of the last 911 hydraulically steered 997 GTS...nice balance neutrality and almost perfect weighting although over busy on Sport suspension cars with Cups.
Having said this the Emira storage is substantially less than in the Cayster platform where even the GT4 and Spyder have relatively large capacity both front and rear and only slightly reduced in the RS models.
Interesting Porsche have completely deleted any existing front storage in the GT3 RS due to a combination of DW front suspension (as in the Emira) and necessary additional cooling ducts effectively giving no storage whatsoever if CS is optioned.
Re the Emira gearing yes the ratios are lower than the Caysters BUT the downside is the very low top 6ks rev limit is soon reached v the much higher e.g 8k rev limit in the GT4/Spyder.
Apart from the odd sized shape and thickness of the wheel the steering on the Emira is imo very reminiscent of the last 911 hydraulically steered 997 GTS...nice balance neutrality and almost perfect weighting although over busy on Sport suspension cars with Cups.
av185 said:
Wouldn't say the lack of luggage capacity in the Emira 'boot' is a major disadvantage bearing in mind the space behind the seats although the proximity to engine heat in the boot could well be a minus in the hotter summer months especially.
Having said this the Emira storage is substantially less than in the Cayster platform where even the GT4 and Spyder have relatively large capacity both front and rear and only slightly reduced in the RS models.
Interesting Porsche have completely deleted any existing front storage in the GT3 RS due to a combination of DW front suspension (as in the Emira) and necessary additional cooling ducts effectively giving no storage whatsoever if CS is optioned.
Re the Emira gearing yes the ratios are lower than the Caysters BUT the downside is the very low top 6ks rev limit is soon reached v the much higher e.g 8k rev limit in the GT4/Spyder.
Apart from the odd sized shape and thickness of the wheel the steering on the Emira is imo very reminiscent of the last 911 hydraulically steered 997 GTS...nice balance neutrality and almost perfect weighting although over busy on Sport suspension cars with Cups.
I thought the rack on the Emira was way, way faster than a 997/987. in fact I drove a 987 Cayman R that day too and the Emira seemed to have almost Ferrari levels of steering rack speed in comparison. RE luggage, I can't see how we could get 4 weeks worth for 2 people plus all our walking gear without compromise. We can in a Boxster with space left over to bring back some shopping from Europe. Having said this the Emira storage is substantially less than in the Cayster platform where even the GT4 and Spyder have relatively large capacity both front and rear and only slightly reduced in the RS models.
Interesting Porsche have completely deleted any existing front storage in the GT3 RS due to a combination of DW front suspension (as in the Emira) and necessary additional cooling ducts effectively giving no storage whatsoever if CS is optioned.
Re the Emira gearing yes the ratios are lower than the Caysters BUT the downside is the very low top 6ks rev limit is soon reached v the much higher e.g 8k rev limit in the GT4/Spyder.
Apart from the odd sized shape and thickness of the wheel the steering on the Emira is imo very reminiscent of the last 911 hydraulically steered 997 GTS...nice balance neutrality and almost perfect weighting although over busy on Sport suspension cars with Cups.
I have a Sport chassis car on Cup 2s but this week I have been in a loan car which is Touring with Goodyears. I've never driven a 'Touring' before and have now done 6,000 miles in mine.
I definitely think my sport chassis car is 'busy' but the turn in and grip and steering feel is night and day better than the Touring. Compared to mine I find the Touring steering is vague in feel, the car feels 'floaty' at the front and it also understeers like nothing I have ever experienced in mine. Having said that, the Sport chassis on Cups is borderline ludicrous on grip (certainly for the road) so in many situations you probably wouldn't notice what I'm picking up on the Touring unless you drive the cars back to back.
Not been on track in either .... yet ..... :-)
I definitely think my sport chassis car is 'busy' but the turn in and grip and steering feel is night and day better than the Touring. Compared to mine I find the Touring steering is vague in feel, the car feels 'floaty' at the front and it also understeers like nothing I have ever experienced in mine. Having said that, the Sport chassis on Cups is borderline ludicrous on grip (certainly for the road) so in many situations you probably wouldn't notice what I'm picking up on the Touring unless you drive the cars back to back.
Not been on track in either .... yet ..... :-)
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