Last week, I had the pleasure of properly driving a new Lotus Emira on the roads surrounding AutoEurope (Lotus of Detroit). We've known Tom Schick for 20 years and have been doing business with them as long. They are one of the best Lotus Dealers in the country and every bit as enthusiastic about the brand as we are. Tom and his crew were willing to show me the ropes with the car - in fact this car has more tech than any previous model so it was great to get a proper orientation.
Overall the car is really fun and a nice enhancement over the Evora 400 or GTs. Dynamically I would say it is not better but the interior and technology make it a great evolution. In fact, I would say the car is an evolution not a revolution. It should appeal to a broader audience than any previous offering from Lotus so hopefully will bring more sales and new clients into the Dealers.
So let's talk about performance impressions and then I will list some interesting creature comfort/convenience items that caught my attention.
Driving Impressions:
The exhaust is every bit as sweet as the V6 Evora S/400/GT. This car offers 3 distinct exhaust levels based on Touring, Sport or Track settings. Each setting opens the valve in order to get more sound. It works well and I suspect most people will not be opting for a sport muffler. Though the 3.5ltr can be made to sound even more exotic so we will be obligated to comply!
There is no point in comparing this car to an Elise/Exige. Apples and Oranges in my humble opinion. The 111 platform is a go-kart while the Emira is a GT.
The bottom-line with this car is that it works like proper sportscar should and could be used daily. If you have a 400/GT there is no reason to trade for one of these unless you daily your car. Keep reading why you might want to trade up Emira instead...
Modern Features: |
| Cell shelf along with duplicate buttons |
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| plug in your cell |
- Cell phone shelf with slot for charging cord
- Additional USB ports in the center console
- Charge port on the side of the Rear View Mirror to plug in your radar detector or other accessory
- Kef stereo that sounds great!
- Cubbies in the door
- Large shelf behind the seats for bags
- Trunk that can accomodate golf bags
- Passenger airbag shut-off switch in the glovebox
- 'Exposed' shifter mechanism
- Seat position presets
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| Charge port |
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| Rear shelf and 12V outlet |
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| Passenger airbag shut-off |
4 comments:
I was looking for something that felt more like an Elise than an Evora. The newer tech is nice, but not revolutionary enough to make it stand out. The horsepower is adequate, but doesn't compare to a Corvette C8. The handling and steering are excellent, but don't fully compensate for the heavier weight of the car compared to the Elise. The manual transmission is lovely, but being cable-driven, it can't compete with the buttery feel of an old-school manual Porsche. The small number of dealerships, difficult supply-chain conditions, and a first-model-year car built with mostly new employees, are also worrisome. I think the one area where the Emira stands out above the competition is in exterior styling.
The Emira is a wonderful addition to the Lotus line-up and was a necessary step for the company to expand its client base. Porsche was able to expand its client base by adding SUVs and sedans to its lineup, but they kept the 911. Where I believe Lotus failed is in adding the Emira but not keeping the Elise (specifically introducing a version of the Elise that would meet US DOT requirements). The Elise is like no other car; the Emira is too much like a lot of other cars, without being better.
Just my two cents worth. Disagree if you must, but don't be hating if you do. :-)
LotusLover,
No car that weighs 50% more than an Elise will ever feel the same. This is not a realistic expectation. The Emira could never fill the void left by the 111 platform. Nor was it meant to.
To your otherpoints, the power is plenty for fast road/canyon work. It won't win a drag race with a C8. The shift action is perfectly fine and I had no complaints. Lotus have been building the Emira for over a year so some of the initial QC issues should be worked out for our cars - but quality will likely lag competition.
Lotus SUVs are coming, albiet in EV form. Hopefully that will generate the cash to produce sportscars on their upcoming LEVA platform. I remain optimistic for the brand.
Without SUV's & Sedans, Porsche would be out of business or have to be priced as a Ferrari. The Elise/Exige owners are a small subset of even hardcore sport's car enthusiasts. A DOT approved Elise/Exige that stayed true to the cars we own would only be possible in the $80K+ range which would further limit the potential buyers. We all own cars that will never be duplicated again!
USB port in the mirror is HUGE! Radar detector and dashcam power pre wired! Thank you LOTUS! Finally a car maker who gets it.
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