Discounted stock Emiras...
Discussion
The other aspect to this of course is the difference between the V6 and i4 in many areas not just overall weight engine mass and position but also different subframes and dimensions of the rear track between the models and steering software together with oem geo differences how they are (meant) to leave the factory.
BertBert said:
I sympathise with your issues RS and as I said earlier, I would probably have been in the same place. This is just my thoughts based on how I would have done had I got there - which I probably would have done if I'd carried on with my sports chassis order.
My view of the Lotus suspension is there is quite a lot of difference between the sports and touring setups made by the summation of multiple small differences between the two - springs, dampers, geo and the like. This is the skill of Lotus. That means that they are obviously very similar but different in a number of areas. This then means it's not just a tyre thing. Also there is confusion in what you are saying about the tyre. It's not to do with the compound per se and how long they last. It's about the whole construction and there are many components to that. That results in a tyre that acts as a suspension component in a certain way. There may be some change to sidewall stiffness with temperature, but not that much. Also tyres warm up as they are used even in cold temps.
So what am I saying? If one has a suspension that one doesn't like (assuming there's no actual failed components), it's a long old slog trying to improve it with aftermarket components (unless someone clever has done the development work) If it were me, the fact that there is a touring suspension available which is different (and reviewed to be different) I would firstly test drive to see if that was to my liking. If neither were, then I'd abandon the model and p/ex my car for one to my liking from a different manufacturer. If the Touring was good, I would p/ex or find another way to get to the Touring chassis.
Good luck in the journey, hope it's fun, not a chore.
I appreciate your thoughts & insight...but a UK Based Lotus tech who works on Emiras everyday of the week for last few years responded to me recently & told me there is little difference between the 2 chassis setups to the point of its not worth changing it out or moving to the Touring from Sports. He thinks mine is either tyre related or something wrong with the actual suspension setup (cold weather can cause the fluid inside the shocks to harden). He could be wrong he could be right.....as he has a lot of experience with Emira's I have to assume he probably knows more than me or you (no disrespect intended I know your just trying to help which I appeciate!!).My view of the Lotus suspension is there is quite a lot of difference between the sports and touring setups made by the summation of multiple small differences between the two - springs, dampers, geo and the like. This is the skill of Lotus. That means that they are obviously very similar but different in a number of areas. This then means it's not just a tyre thing. Also there is confusion in what you are saying about the tyre. It's not to do with the compound per se and how long they last. It's about the whole construction and there are many components to that. That results in a tyre that acts as a suspension component in a certain way. There may be some change to sidewall stiffness with temperature, but not that much. Also tyres warm up as they are used even in cold temps.
So what am I saying? If one has a suspension that one doesn't like (assuming there's no actual failed components), it's a long old slog trying to improve it with aftermarket components (unless someone clever has done the development work) If it were me, the fact that there is a touring suspension available which is different (and reviewed to be different) I would firstly test drive to see if that was to my liking. If neither were, then I'd abandon the model and p/ex my car for one to my liking from a different manufacturer. If the Touring was good, I would p/ex or find another way to get to the Touring chassis.
Good luck in the journey, hope it's fun, not a chore.
He also strongly advised me against making any changes to the suspension as Lotus will not honour the warranty & have already thrown out a claim against someone who took their Emira to his dealership with aftermarket shocks for a suspension related issue which cost them a lot of money to rectify as no warranty to fall back on....so its no longer an option for me to swap them out to lose the warranty.
So let me go down the change tyres route next if checking & changing tyre pressures do not resolve or make it better!!
RS_MAN_CHILD said:
I appreciate your thoughts & insight...but a UK Based Lotus tech who works on Emiras everyday of the week for last few years responded to me recently & told me there is little difference between the 2 chassis setups to the point of its not worth changing it out or moving to the Touring from Sports. He thinks mine is either tyre related or something wrong with the actual suspension setup (cold weather can cause the fluid inside the shocks to harden). He could be wrong he could be right.....as he has a lot of experience with Emira's I have to assume he probably knows more than me or you (no disrespect intended I know your just trying to help which I appeciate!!).
He also strongly advised me against making any changes to the suspension as Lotus will not honour the warranty & have already thrown out a claim against someone who took their Emira to his dealership with aftermarket shocks for a suspension related issue which cost them a lot of money to rectify as no warranty to fall back on....so its no longer an option for me to swap them out to lose the warranty.
So let me go down the change tyres route next if checking & changing tyre pressures do not resolve or make it better!!
Well. Another argument that can be taken here is.... you're now taking the word of one single mechanic - over the entire Lotus team of mechanics, designers, engineers and test drivers who built the cars in the first place. So for sure play around with tyre pressures and tyres themselves if you do wish - but a LOT of people were involved in the design of those two chassis - the combined know-how that will be far in excess of one technician no matter how experienced.He also strongly advised me against making any changes to the suspension as Lotus will not honour the warranty & have already thrown out a claim against someone who took their Emira to his dealership with aftermarket shocks for a suspension related issue which cost them a lot of money to rectify as no warranty to fall back on....so its no longer an option for me to swap them out to lose the warranty.
So let me go down the change tyres route next if checking & changing tyre pressures do not resolve or make it better!!
I'm of the opinion that you should take it to somewhere that has exactly the same car (as close as you can get it) - except it has the touring suspension - and tell them you're thinking of swapping and you'd like a test drive. It's true isn't it? Well it could be. I can't see how a sensible salesman would not let you take one out for a drive. THEN - you will FEEL the difference YOURSELF. Not some mechanics opinion - not some random person on a Lotus forum - but YOUR OWN experience of the difference.
But heck - I'm just some random person on a Lotus forum so there's that to factor in...
Good luck either way.
jamesgareth said:
Well. Another argument that can be taken here is.... you're now taking the word of one single mechanic - over the entire Lotus team of mechanics, designers, engineers and test drivers who built the cars in the first place. So for sure play around with tyre pressures and tyres themselves if you do wish - but a LOT of people were involved in the design of those two chassis - the combined know-how that will be far in excess of one technician no matter how experienced.
I'm of the opinion that you should take it to somewhere that has exactly the same car (as close as you can get it) - except it has the touring suspension - and tell them you're thinking of swapping and you'd like a test drive. It's true isn't it? Well it could be. I can't see how a sensible salesman would not let you take one out for a drive. THEN - you will FEEL the difference YOURSELF. Not some mechanics opinion - not some random person on a Lotus forum - but YOUR OWN experience of the difference.
But heck - I'm just some random person on a Lotus forum so there's that to factor in...
Good luck either way.
Quoting yourself - gotta watch out for that one huh? I'm of the opinion that you should take it to somewhere that has exactly the same car (as close as you can get it) - except it has the touring suspension - and tell them you're thinking of swapping and you'd like a test drive. It's true isn't it? Well it could be. I can't see how a sensible salesman would not let you take one out for a drive. THEN - you will FEEL the difference YOURSELF. Not some mechanics opinion - not some random person on a Lotus forum - but YOUR OWN experience of the difference.
But heck - I'm just some random person on a Lotus forum so there's that to factor in...
Good luck either way.
I'm kind of thinking of the same sort of thing with my car. I love it (i4 touring DCT) - but I am curious to see if the V6 auto is that much different. So I am tempted to go test drive that red V6 auto that's on A.T. at £65K just to see if the sound is THAT much nicer than mine that I would want to throw £10K at the problem. I doubt it but I bet I could persuade a salesman to let me try.
Stay tuned....
jamesgareth said:
Quoting yourself - gotta watch out for that one huh?
I'm kind of thinking of the same sort of thing with my car. I love it (i4 touring DCT) - but I am curious to see if the V6 auto is that much different. So I am tempted to go test drive that red V6 auto that's on A.T. at £65K just to see if the sound is THAT much nicer than mine that I would want to throw £10K at the problem. I doubt it but I bet I could persuade a salesman to let me try.
Stay tuned....
As the dealers don’t own their demo cars I can’t see they’d be bothered by you driving one - nothing for them to lose really. (Apart from 20 mins of their time, but usually you’ll get a solo test drive anyway).I'm kind of thinking of the same sort of thing with my car. I love it (i4 touring DCT) - but I am curious to see if the V6 auto is that much different. So I am tempted to go test drive that red V6 auto that's on A.T. at £65K just to see if the sound is THAT much nicer than mine that I would want to throw £10K at the problem. I doubt it but I bet I could persuade a salesman to let me try.
Stay tuned....
I’m torn, I want the v6 manual but a combination of rapid depreciation and the build issues. compounded by an overwhelmed lotus dealer network who appear not to be able to cope with the warranty support to customers, I feel like I’m better just going for something else.
It looks a beautiful car
It looks a beautiful car
RS_MAN_CHILD said:
I appreciate your thoughts & insight...but a UK Based Lotus tech who works on Emiras everyday of the week for last few years responded to me recently & told me there is little difference between the 2 chassis setups to the point of its not worth changing it out or moving to the Touring from Sports. He thinks mine is either tyre related or something wrong with the actual suspension setup (cold weather can cause the fluid inside the shocks to harden). He could be wrong he could be right.....as he has a lot of experience with Emira's I have to assume he probably knows more than me or you (no disrespect intended I know your just trying to help which I appeciate!!).
He also strongly advised me against making any changes to the suspension as Lotus will not honour the warranty & have already thrown out a claim against someone who took their Emira to his dealership with aftermarket shocks for a suspension related issue which cost them a lot of money to rectify as no warranty to fall back on....so its no longer an option for me to swap them out to lose the warranty.
So let me go down the change tyres route next if checking & changing tyre pressures do not resolve or make it better!!
It's odd that Lotus would have gone to the bother of having two configurations if the difference between them is minimal. In any case it sounds like you have a route to explore if you can live with the sports setup.He also strongly advised me against making any changes to the suspension as Lotus will not honour the warranty & have already thrown out a claim against someone who took their Emira to his dealership with aftermarket shocks for a suspension related issue which cost them a lot of money to rectify as no warranty to fall back on....so its no longer an option for me to swap them out to lose the warranty.
So let me go down the change tyres route next if checking & changing tyre pressures do not resolve or make it better!!
I think in cars like this the ride can be a lot more noticeable as a passenger. I've been a passenger in my own car and been quite shocked by how uncomfortable it can be - something that is never a factor when driving.
NRG1976 said:
I’m torn, I want the v6 manual but a combination of rapid depreciation and the build issues. compounded by an overwhelmed lotus dealer network who appear not to be able to cope with the warranty support to customers, I feel like I’m better just going for something else.
It looks a beautiful car
I'm thinking the main depreciation is done. Not completely of course - but once you're into paying sub £60K for a 23 or even 24 plate then the downward curve is going to be way flatter from now on. Impossible to say but I can't think it will now be any worse than any other similar sports car.It looks a beautiful car
As for the dealers? I hear good and bad. Sounds like stuff does get fixed - and remember positive experiences are always less likely to be reported.
jamesgareth said:
Well. Another argument that can be taken here is.... you're now taking the word of one single mechanic - over the entire Lotus team of mechanics, designers, engineers and test drivers who built the cars in the first place. So for sure play around with tyre pressures and tyres themselves if you do wish - but a LOT of people were involved in the design of those two chassis - the combined know-how that will be far in excess of one technician no matter how experienced.
I'm of the opinion that you should take it to somewhere that has exactly the same car (as close as you can get it) - except it has the touring suspension - and tell them you're thinking of swapping and you'd like a test drive. It's true isn't it? Well it could be. I can't see how a sensible salesman would not let you take one out for a drive. THEN - you will FEEL the difference YOURSELF. Not some mechanics opinion - not some random person on a Lotus forum - but YOUR OWN experience of the difference.
But heck - I'm just some random person on a Lotus forum so there's that to factor in...
Good luck either way.
I think your right about testing a Touring spec...did not really think about it that way before...the thing is I really do not want to spend much if anymore on moving into one tbh...I already feel like I have spent enough to get into the i4 I have...like you I also wonder about the V6....just not sure its worth the difference in cash honestly...your not going to get much change from £10K are you so there that to consider!I'm of the opinion that you should take it to somewhere that has exactly the same car (as close as you can get it) - except it has the touring suspension - and tell them you're thinking of swapping and you'd like a test drive. It's true isn't it? Well it could be. I can't see how a sensible salesman would not let you take one out for a drive. THEN - you will FEEL the difference YOURSELF. Not some mechanics opinion - not some random person on a Lotus forum - but YOUR OWN experience of the difference.
But heck - I'm just some random person on a Lotus forum so there's that to factor in...
Good luck either way.
Lets see how I get on with the tyre pressures tomorrow morning if its still as bad then I can either sell it or try to persuade Auto 100 to let me move into the Touring spec they have as that's still cheaper than losing up to £10K going to another dealer & they get another few K out of me...
This is how frozen it was this morning! Its not so bad now as temps are a bit higher but will still require an hour or so of gentle heat in the morning before I can even remove the cover, adjust the pressures & go for a few hours drive into countryside. The trick I used on my RS this morning is to get into the car start the engine put the heaters on full blast as well as the window de-misters takes a few mins to warm up then gradually thaws the car out! (My RS even had ice inside the door lips this morning I suspect the Emira will be the same the small valley bowl we live in attracts severe frost at times).
NRG1976 said:
I’m torn, I want the v6 manual but a combination of rapid depreciation and the build issues. compounded by an overwhelmed lotus dealer network who appear not to be able to cope with the warranty support to customers, I feel like I’m better just going for something else.
It looks a beautiful car
Just go for it there is no such thing as a perfect car...once the current available Emira are gone its either factory order for £97K or wait and see if they build any V6 in 2026......!It looks a beautiful car
Many of the early V6 do have some issues though but you can get them fixed if you want to take it on & can live with the hassle & emotional turmoil!
RS_MAN_CHILD said:
I think your right about testing a Touring spec...did not really think about it that way before...the thing is I really do not want to spend much if anymore on moving into one tbh...I already feel like I have spent enough to get into the i4 I have...like you I also wonder about the V6....just not sure its worth the difference in cash honestly...your not going to get much change from £10K are you so there that to consider!
Lets see how I get on with the tyre pressures tomorrow morning if its still as bad then I can either sell it or try to persuade Auto 100 to let me move into the Touring spec they have as that's still cheaper than losing up to £10K going to another dealer & they get another few K out of me...
This is how frozen it was this morning! Its not so bad now as temps are a bit higher but will still require an hour or so of gentle heat in the morning before I can even remove the cover, adjust the pressures & go for a few hours drive into countryside. The trick I used on my RS this morning is to get into the car start the engine put the heaters on full blast as well as the window de-misters takes a few mins to warm up then gradually thaws the car out! (My RS even had ice inside the door lips this morning I suspect the Emira will be the same the small valley bowl we live in attracts severe frost at times).
Try and test another sport one too…then you’ll know if your car suspension is working as it should be…Lets see how I get on with the tyre pressures tomorrow morning if its still as bad then I can either sell it or try to persuade Auto 100 to let me move into the Touring spec they have as that's still cheaper than losing up to £10K going to another dealer & they get another few K out of me...
This is how frozen it was this morning! Its not so bad now as temps are a bit higher but will still require an hour or so of gentle heat in the morning before I can even remove the cover, adjust the pressures & go for a few hours drive into countryside. The trick I used on my RS this morning is to get into the car start the engine put the heaters on full blast as well as the window de-misters takes a few mins to warm up then gradually thaws the car out! (My RS even had ice inside the door lips this morning I suspect the Emira will be the same the small valley bowl we live in attracts severe frost at times).
Bakazan said:
It's odd that Lotus would have gone to the bother of having two configurations if the difference between them is minimal. In any case it sounds like you have a route to explore if you can live with the sports setup.
I think in cars like this the ride can be a lot more noticeable as a passenger. I've been a passenger in my own car and been quite shocked by how uncomfortable it can be - something that is never a factor when driving.
On the podcast the designers mention a few times not a great difference between specs...who to trust...perhaps if you do not drive on rough roads for long its fine or spend some time on tracks which are smoother its not much difference..so much conflicting info out there tbh! I think in cars like this the ride can be a lot more noticeable as a passenger. I've been a passenger in my own car and been quite shocked by how uncomfortable it can be - something that is never a factor when driving.
I think the 2 specs are more about marketing than anything else...they are not going to confirm or deny either way are they its always in general terms & no-one is challenging them to say in interviews how was the road surface smooth or rough. Also not sure they spent that much time on the 2 either in the podcast again the designers say the only major differences on the suspension are springs, shocks & setup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkTCZhJl5Vc&t=...
That podcast is well worth the time for any current or future Emira owner also!!
RS_MAN_CHILD said:
Auto 100 do not do test drives so I would have to lie to another Lotus dealer then!
Why do you think you'd get a worse deal from a new-other dealer than you might get from Auto 100?You're going to get the same deal - or roughly the same deal - or maybe even a better deal somewhere else if they have a touring chassis that they want shot of for some internal reason - you DO NOT KNOW.
Go to a new dealer - one that allows test drives (it auto 100 really won't let you test drive one).
It's not that difficult.
The only way to solve this is for you to EXPERIENCE the difference YOURSELF. No more youtube videos. No more opinions from anybody here or some Lotus mechanic or anybody else. YOU have to experience the difference. YOURSELF. Stop getting other people's opinions on this!
Seriously.
RS_MAN_CHILD said:
Lets see how I get on with the tyre pressures tomorrow morning if its still as bad then I can either sell it or try to persuade Auto 100 to let me move into the Touring spec they have as that's still cheaper than losing up to £10K going to another dealer & they get another few K out of me...
I can't see any reason that Auto 100 will let a change happen for a few k I'm afraid. They probably want rid of the Emiras quickly so taking one back with an additional owner is the last thing they'd wantBertBert said:
RS_MAN_CHILD said:
Lets see how I get on with the tyre pressures tomorrow morning if its still as bad then I can either sell it or try to persuade Auto 100 to let me move into the Touring spec they have as that's still cheaper than losing up to £10K going to another dealer & they get another few K out of me...
I can't see any reason that Auto 100 will let a change happen for a few k I'm afraid. They probably want rid of the Emiras quickly so taking one back with an additional owner is the last thing they'd wantNRG1976 said:
BertBert said:
RS_MAN_CHILD said:
Lets see how I get on with the tyre pressures tomorrow morning if its still as bad then I can either sell it or try to persuade Auto 100 to let me move into the Touring spec they have as that's still cheaper than losing up to £10K going to another dealer & they get another few K out of me...
I can't see any reason that Auto 100 will let a change happen for a few k I'm afraid. They probably want rid of the Emiras quickly so taking one back with an additional owner is the last thing they'd wantThe number of available cars I think will tail off. Lotus aren't going to be selling many new ones at 95k and The I4's success might depend a bit on Porsches direction with the 718. The current I4 I thought would be the one everyone wanted but at the moment it seems to be a bit of a flop there must be a big % of the produced cars on Autotrader now with 30. If Porsche do go full electric the Turbo SE could become a bit of a success if they dont cock the pricing up. The market would be I4 and Alpine. The Alpine is a great car but I feel they are very expensive new and even as an owner of one they are a bit bloody ugly against the Emira.
I wonder if "the field" has been emptied now with Auto 100 and Endeavour taking 60 odd cars in December. I would guess there are still some cars there with Lotus saying no UK V6 production they must have held some back for the network. Apparently the '24 cars are '23 manufactured so Lotus have been offloading them for over a year already. Maybe pushing cars out to a none franchise was a last ditch to shift on the returns and overstock?
Lotus could protect residuals by being careful with UK stock but I really don't think they think in this way they will just pump cars out at any price to get them away. In fairness to Lotus Porsche do this now as well they have abandoned the price management they were masters at as the market no longer supports it.
I wonder if "the field" has been emptied now with Auto 100 and Endeavour taking 60 odd cars in December. I would guess there are still some cars there with Lotus saying no UK V6 production they must have held some back for the network. Apparently the '24 cars are '23 manufactured so Lotus have been offloading them for over a year already. Maybe pushing cars out to a none franchise was a last ditch to shift on the returns and overstock?
Lotus could protect residuals by being careful with UK stock but I really don't think they think in this way they will just pump cars out at any price to get them away. In fairness to Lotus Porsche do this now as well they have abandoned the price management they were masters at as the market no longer supports it.
Gassing Station | Emira | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff