Which PH'ers have placed a deposit on an Emira?

[Bispal]

So anyone put a deposit down? I did today seems there have been 150 just at Bell & Colvill.

What will you be getting the V6 or 2.0AMG?

Favourite colour choice and specs?

Edited by Bispal on Wednesday 7th July 15:16

[Bispal]

Been on holiday (touring of course) since I started this post but seems there have been lots of orders for the Emira which is great news for Lotus.

The Emira looked amazing at the FoS, especially in blue, the black car did it no favours IMO. I want the Emira for touring and have yet to see the boot space but I was disappointed with the space behind the front seats. Considering the car is slightly longer than the Evora where has the space gone where the rear seats where? I read somewhere the rear bulkhead had been moved forward to allow for hybrid power trains. I really hope the boot is much bigger than the Evora or it may not be usable for touring. The rear shelf also slopes so its not useful for bags / coats etc. It could be that with its huge 'Frunk' and large flat shelf behind the seats that my 675LT will hold more luggage. In fact the Emira is only 13mm narrower than a 12C, another worry with narrow roads in the Alps, Cote d'Azur, Amalfi coast and Lake District.

I have never been so excited to see a boot before, the anticipation is building.....

Edited by Bispal on Friday 16th July 11:57

[Bispal]

Shnozz said:

Bispal said:

Been on holiday (touring of course) since I started this post but seems there have been lots of orders for the Emira which is great news for Lotus.

The Emira looked amazing at the FoS, especially in blue, the black car did it no favours IMO. I want the Emira for touring and have yet to see the boot space but I was disappointed with the space behind the front seats. Considering the car is slightly longer than the Evora where has the space gone where the rear seats where? I read somewhere the rear bulkhead had been moved forward to allow for hybrid power trains. I really hope the boot is much bigger than the Evora or it may not be usable for touring. The rear shelf also slopes so its not useful for bags / coats etc. It could be that with its huge 'Frunk' and large flat shelf behind the seats that my 675LT will hold more luggage. In fact the Emira is only 13mm narrower than a 12C, another worry with narrow roads in the Alps, Cote d'Azur, Amalfi coast and Lake District.

I have never been so excited to see a boot before, the anticipation is building.....

This is a big question for me too. Have found a few photos on line but not many, and one of the goodwood cars had a boot full of batteries so not the finished article. A few dark photos of the space behind the seats doesn't really show the extent of use, albeit have heard it said not far off the Evora which I had so can judge a few cabin bags might be ok.

For what I want to use the car for, or more where it will fit for me in terms of what it may replace, I would want to be able to tour a bit in it. My Mrs isn't really a car person so wouldn't be thrilled if we had to do it with minimal luggage.

If the luggage space is minimal, I would be tempted back to an Exige for play and the Aston for touring. If the Emira's capacity is sufficient, it can replace the Aston instead, albeit the luggage space on that is unlikely to be equalled I accept.

Edited my post with my own photo I took at FoS. behind the seats is a long way off an Evora. Your usage is exactly like mine. I was also told seats were not final version and they were fixed all way back so need to see for real before I decide. My wife also likes to recline the seats quite a lot for a 'snooze' so its important they can also do this and still accommodate her legs as she is quite tall.

Edited by Bispal on Friday 16th July 12:02

[Bispal]

Just been called by Lotus and emailed, our V6 Emira is now scheduled for build and will be delivered June 2022.

[Bispal]

BertBert said:

Bispal said:

Just been called by Lotus and emailed, our V6 Emira is now scheduled for build and will be delivered June 2022.

That's extremely exciting! Do you know where you are in the queue? When did you order originally?

No idea but ordered after the official reveal and before Goodwood FoS. Have heard most of the First Edition cars will be delivered in June and just press cars pre June.

Edited by Bispal on Friday 17th December 15:22

[Bispal]

The new Lotus (Geely) Emira, 2 seats - 1,405 kilos
The new Dacia Jogger, 7 seats - 1,205 kilos

I can't wait for a Dacia 2 seater sports car, possibly the new 'new' Lotus?

[Bispal]

av185 said:

Interesting comparison of the minor differences in spring rates of the touring and sport suspension of the Emira.

If anyone doubts the compliancy of the Cayman GT4 on cup tyres drive a 981 GT4 (GT3 front end) then a non GT3 suspension set up 981 Spyder on standard Pirellis and there is really nothing in it whatsoever.

And that's why I sold my 981 Spyder, just too firm on UK roads, concrete springs. Lovely in Europe where the roads are so much better (Belgium excluded). However I kept my 430CUP, it rides better than my 981 Spyder did.

[Bispal]

chrisABP said:

Still waiting for a test drive option but i'm 90% that I won't be keeping my Emira if (that's a big IF after various previous delivery date updates!) it arrives in October as the latest email suggested.
So i'm now waiting for local dealer to receive its demo car and allow me to be 100%.
The question is, if I decide against keeping the car do I cancel it with Lotus or do you think that there are any legs in flipping (I know its a disliked word / practice and not something i've ever done before) and making a small profit?
As the UK enters recessionary conditions, rising interest rates, record energy prices etc and the fact that the car is now arriving in the winter I'm starting to think my best option might be to get my deposit back rather than risk not actually being able to make a small profit!
What would you do?

IMHO they will be very similar to the GR Yaris. Might be a tiny bit over but not much and that will last a year or so, unless interest rates go to 15% So probably free motoring for 12 months if you keep miles low. However £80k is a lot of money to lock away for 12 months, even if you lose nothing you could have made something elsewhere if that's what the concern is? PS I just got my deposit back after starting this thread but for other reasons mainly to do with touring ability and luggage space compared to a Boxster. I think the Emira's luggage space is woeful, especially when its the same size as an Evora and down 2 seats. Plus its 400 kilos up and 30bhp down on my Exige 430 so can't believe its going to be as good to drive.

[Bispal]

The seller noted the list price he paid was £82k. I am not sure if that was OTR and included the £2,365 first tax on cars over 255 g/km plus the additional £520 on cars over £40k. If it didn't they made nothing but Collecting cars made 5% (just gone up to 6%) - £4,225. if it did they made £2,500. Either way £84.5k places the car at around £89k but that was the 1st one for sale so assume a slight premium, so around £85k for first few months. I expect they will achieve list for a year or so until more hit the used market. Very similar to a GR Yaris. At least its not a loss which could have happened in this market.

[Bispal]

fridaypassion said:

Bispal said:

The seller noted the list price he paid was £82k. I am not sure if that was OTR and included the £2,365 first tax on cars over 255 g/km plus the additional £520 on cars over £40k. If it didn't they made nothing but Collecting cars made 5% (just gone up to 6%) - £4,225. if it did they made £2,500. Either way £84.5k places the car at around £89k but that was the 1st one for sale so assume a slight premium, so around £85k for first few months. I expect they will achieve list for a year or so until more hit the used market. Very similar to a GR Yaris. At least its not a loss which could have happened in this market.

I would broadly agree with that I think anyone with a Seneca blue car has a good chance of getting a bit over list the two on AT are dull colours that will have a smaller market and obviously now its clear they are about 15k overpriced. The yellow is a very strong colour on the Emira so this car did have almost max chance of seeing what the feel of the market is the only better resale colour would be the Seneca at the moment launch colour and all that. if there are a reasonable number of cars delivered before about the end of Feb I would say thats the point at which we will dip under RRP. I'm not convinced there are all to many flipper cars about as a lot of these types of buyer bailed over the summer as the economic outlook started to worsen.

Yes exactly, flippers bailed! I think almost everyone that wants one has one coming and will be ok with waiting several months for their personal spec. Only buyers now will be people who didn't order and want something new to drive round in for 6-12 months with 'hopefully' minimal depreciation.

[Bispal]

ThisInJapanese said:

Gibbo205 said:

On any other car yes, but waiting to sell an Emira to get overs is far less likely the longer you wait, by next Summer Lotus would of delivered a lot more Emira's to customer and thus more cars will be coming to market and as such eliminating potential of overs.

I will suspect this time next year you will be able to pickup a second hand Emira FE V6 for 60-75k all dependent on how many Lotus get out the door between now and then, then of course how many owners decide to sell up or have to get rid due to financial reasons or not getting along with the car.

It might be easier / just as profitable to sell your place in the queue rather than the car itself.

I gave my place away, as did quite a few others I know, FoC, several months ago. I doubt there is any monetary gain in selling your place in the queue. if someone wants to give me a GT4 RS allocation though I might offer a few thousand for it

[Bispal]

keo said:

fridaypassion said:

Well in fairness at the moment I only have the experience of having had a Sport 410 Evora and 981 GT4 at the same time. The 410 Sport knocked spots off the Porsche it made the Porsche feel pretty dull and boring TBH. Theres no way a mid level Cayman is going to hold a dynamic candle to a Lotus.

I had a 981 GT4 prior to my Exige 410 and I agree. GT4 was numb and boring. Imo the Emira looks stunning and I hope it’s a sales success. As a car it doesn’t really suit my needs as a weekend toy. They would need to do a pretty special more hardcore version to get my out of the Exige. But I understand that isn’t really the target market.

I had a 430CUP and 981 Spyder at the same time. They are very different cars but the main differences below:-

• On track (and road) the Porsche was accurate and measured, almost every lap was consistent. Great cars for average drivers to extract performance. The Exige was inconsistent but you have to master an Exige. It takes time to learn unlike the Porsche which you can get a good lap almost instantly and feel great. However that soon becomes less interesting and quite metronomic. When you hook up a good lap / road in the Lotus the thrill is so much more as you know you were part of the equation. To me that is the main difference between any Porsche and Lotus after owning 5 Porsches and 4 Lotus.

• The 3 way adjustable suspension on the Exige actually gave it a better ride. The Spyder was so firm in the UK (fine in Europe) that my feet would bounce off the pedals on rough roads. Porsche just can't get their ride quality right for UK roads on many of their cars, it was one of the main reasons I sold.

• Both suffer from engine management foibles that irritated me. The Porsche's irritating pops and bangs were engineered and always played the same tune, like the Dukes of Hazard's horn you can tell when a 981 is approaching. The engine was a reigned in C2S and you could feel it pulling back in the midrange, the detune obviously an engine management tweak. The Exige suffered from Brake Throttle Override, a hangover from Toyota. This made it difficult to rev match in certain conditions and i found it quite irritating. Sometimes rev matching would result in over revs and sometimes the revs would just die when you hit the throttle. The same happened if you left foot brake, revs would stay static on re-application of the throttle. The magnitude of this seems to vary from car to car after driving a few,

• Porsche has a better gearchange and brakes. Lotus better handling and poise.

• Porsche steering quite inert, Exige was OK but not on a par with older Lotus like Elsie S1/2. Neither were particularly noteworthy.

• Porsche carbon buckets one of the best seats of any car ever. Nothing really negative about Exiges but Porsche were sublime.

• Porsche much nicer place to be and take on a tour. Better built, better quality, great AC, heated seats, but downside is felt a lot heavier. Lightness and all the positives it comes with does come with a trade off.

• 981 feels big, very big! Too big for me, it felt a lot larger at times than my McLaren which I could not get my head around why. I watched an everyday driver video and was pleased to find they concluded the same driving every Boxster generation back to back. so I knew I wasn't alone in my thoughts.

• Spyder gear ratios too long, Exige too short. Neither was an issue though for me. made the Exige exciting and is the 981 you get to savour the engine revs and drive on the M25 in 2nd gear hearing the engine which was great fun on a boring M-way journey. Gear ratios can define a lot about the character of a car.

• Both look stunning, hard to find 2 better looking cars at under £100k.

• Running costs, Exige practically nothing, so cheap to service and own, on a par with my Mk1 MX5. Porsche expensive, warranty, parts, servicing etc. almost on a par with a McLaren. Both would do over 30mpg on a run easily.

• Convenience, the Boxster is one of the best sports cars if not the best for this, 2 boots, loads of luggage space and stowage space. Easy entry / egress. dual zone AC, electric roof, cupholders, glovebox, grab straps (don't underestimate passenger grab straps) , sun visors The Exige cant compete.

In the end I sold the Spyder and kept the Exige. I could not get on with the harsh low speed ride on the Spyder and the size of it, it just felt too big. I also recently sold the Exige but more because I have a 675LT and they are both Sunday morning / hoon / trip type cars and i only need one of those.

I have thought about getting another 981 Spyder but I would have to change the suspension out for standard 981 Boxster set up. I did look into this and was told it would be lunacy but it would make a much better car.

So is the Emira a better Exige? Well its 30 bhp down on my old cup and 400 kilos heavier. I could not reconcile this so cancelled my order. I was also worried the engine management foibles might not have been rectified and would be keen to drive one to see. Watching Harry's Garage it seemed the rev matching was working which is great news. However nothing can overcome the woefully small boot and luggage space in the Emira. It just could not cope with a 3 week euro tour, which we do every year, so it was out. I'm back in a Boxster of 986 flavour while I decide my next move. A Boxster is favourite but the 981 too big perhaps a gen 2 987 or another McLaren 12C/650s. Evora is out for the same engine management issues and there are certain stylistic elements I don't like. In Alpine is also too light on luggage. It really seems to me Lotus missed a trick with the Emira for touring. Its the same size as an Evora but the rear seat space is missing, completely swallowed up by space to allow for future hybridisation and batteries.

I think an Emira with the AMG engine, manual box, Evroa's rear seat space and a glass roof would have been my ideal car. I'm fed up buying compromises though and it might just be the 986/7 Boxster, 996/997 911 or the 12c/650s are the best touring cars ever made.

[Bispal]

AlexNJ89 said:

Bispal said:

I think an Emira with the AMG engine, manual box, Evroa's rear seat space and a glass roof would have been my ideal car. I'm fed up buying compromises though and it might just be the 986/7 Boxster, 996/997 911 or the 12c/650s are the best touring cars ever made.

So basically, buy this for half the price and you're good to go?
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13990743

Nice idea and have thought about it but the body kit, interior colour and lack of sunroof would be a no for me. If it was green, no body kit and had a sunroof perfect. It would also need to be a gen 2 for the better DFI engine. However prices of these would lead me back to a 981 v 987 Boxster and I would end up with a 986 again while i make my mind up. This has now happened twice with the last two 3k miles euro trips being in 2 different 986 Boxster's. First while I was waiting for Emira and second after I cancelled Emira and could not decide which Porsche to buy.

[Bispal]

Gibbo205 said:

Bispal said:

I had a 430CUP and 981 Spyder at the same time. They are very different cars but the main differences below:-

987.2 Spyder is the car for you!
Rides better than 981
Much smaller size on the road
Much cheaper to service and run
Perfect gearing
Better steering
No silly burbles and pops.

The 987.2 Spyder is one of the very best road cars, I did however sell mine and keep my Exige, but more because my Exige 410 is reserved mainly for track work and I got a 600 LT Spyder which kind of meant no need for the 987.2 Spyder any more.

I need to try a 987.2 Have never heard a bad word and £20k buys a good one! Amazing value.

[Bispal]

PaulJC84 said:

Bispal said:

I had a 430CUP and 981 Spyder at the same time. They are very different cars but the main differences below:-

Enjoyed reading that. Cut it just so as to not upset anyone with a long requote.

Something like this would maybe solve some of the issues you found with the 981 spyder?

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/14188778

Not running costs but maybe the harsh suspesion and long ratios.

I really need to try a 718, I haven't as of yet. That price point puts a 650s spider in contention and that's a tough choice.

[Bispal]

Bryans69 said:

Bispal said:

I need to try a 987.2 Have never heard a bad word and £20k buys a good one! Amazing value.

Can't comment on the Spider, but I had a Boxster S. Ride quality around town was crap. Didn't feel as quick as it was supposed to have been. Competent but dull sums it up. Quite sure that if I tracked it regularly, or lived near the moors or alpine passes you see on many of the reviews, I might have thought differently about it, but as a 'daily; sports car it wasn't anywhere near special enough.

I agree most Boxsters are not that fast but quick enough for touring (my main use) and still have the feel of a sports car. Ride is much better on 17" wheel on the 986 so expect same with 987.

I ordered my Emira for touring but felt the luggage was too small. When you look at manual alternatives the Boxster is the most relevant as mid engined but also tons of luggage space. I cant think of much else? Jaguar F type? AM Vantage (older model) ?

[Bispal]

AlexNJ89 said:

From what I can see, not a single one has sold over list so far?

If I was a dealer I'd be dropping to £85k and getting out.

The green and tan one looks nice, much better than the green looked in the samples. Till you go on the dealers website and see they have a 718 Spyder for less money then doubt and confusion sets in....What a dilemma....

Its interesting that the cheapest one is the one with the Sport chassis and cup tyres. Touring seems to be the spec of choice.

[Bispal]

blueg33 said:

As I understand it the AMG engine is excellent and 4cyl's can sound pretty good, my Giulia Veloce certainly does, especially in dynamic mode.

The stats published by Lotus for the i4 make it on a par with the V6. If its anything like the Evoras the lower CoG and I think lower weight will make a handling difference. My n/a Evora was sweeter handling than the super charged version I had after

Does the Giulia Veloce make the same fart noise on upshift like the Quadrifoglio? its the main reason I discounted the Giulia QF when looking, it was all exhaust with those awful Audiesque farts on the upshift. If the I4 sounds like that then its not going to float my boat. I hope Alfa have got rid of it now?

[Bispal]

BertBert said:

blueg33 said:

manual blip is more rewarding

But rather hard to do!

Is the Toyota V6 still not rev matching properly on downshifts like it did in some Exiges / Evoras? When you go to blip the throttle during a gear change is it un-responsive or over-responsive with no consistency? Does it also still cut power when left foot braking?

[Bispal]

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)

Edited by Bispal on Monday 8th April 11:21