Got my deposit down for the Emira

[philnotts]

13 hours ago, lotus111 said:

Hope the weather is ok for us both duncx

Be really interested in your thoughts vs the GT410 Sport you currently have, after cancelling my Emira deposit and recently purchasing a GT410 Sport instead!

[duncx]

Just got home, my thoughts....

Road conditions for the test drive were rubbish; raining, poor visibility, low light, loads of traffic, headlights reflecting off the soaking roads - I'm sure you get the idea 😄

First, looking at it parked outside in the rain. Verdant Green wouldn't be my choice (too dark for me) but there's no doubting that the thing looks great. Parked amongst other cars it doesn't look too big, if anything it's the perfect size to carry off its 'supercar' looks. The Dark Verdant is actually a little bit more green that I was expecting. I've heard others say it's almost black but even in such dull conditions you could easily see the dark green hue coming through, sort of a BRG hiding in there somewhere. For me though it needs the yellow, red, blue or silver/grey to show off the curves to their full effect - it's a very personal choice 👍

The door handles seem a bit gimmicky to me, they look good when they are closed/flush and they worked perfectly, but I'm not sure that I wouldn't get a bit fed up with them long term? The door opens easily (of course) and closes with a nice 'thunk', giving the impression of high quality. You still have to swing your leg over the sill as you get in but it's dead easy (even the passenger side!) and the sill height/width just leaves that tiny bit of drama as you slide in - a nod to the 111 chassis I like to think 😉

Seats are super comfy and I have to admit that the electric adjustment makes finding the perfect position very easy. I felt that the seat height is about right for driving, although at 6'3" and with the driver's seat on the lowest setting I only has about 1" maximum spare above my bonce so no room for a helmet, not that it bothers me. View through the windscreen is great, very good road visibility and I could see the top of each front wing for placement of the car. However, I couldn't see any of the bonnet (disappeared below the dashboard) so I'm not sure how much of the wings 'vertically challenged' drivers would be able to see? View through the back window is not too bad when using the rear view mirror, although not of much use for parking/reversing. The reversing camera seems to work brilliantly though, very clear and a decent sized image on the screen.

Driving..... remember that this is on a set route, with someone sitting next to you, and all the details of the drive are collected by Lotus. It was a mixed route of 30/40/50/70 limits and I stuck within them at all times. This car is SO easy to drive! For some reason it doesn't feel that wide on the road, the steering is lovely, the brakes are perfect (I've read they are too sharp, that's nonsense!), the visibility is great, the gearbox is smooth, the clutch is not too heavy and the bite was just right. Can you tell, I'm genuinely amazed at how 'friendly' this thing is! This car is on Sports suspension and for me, across all of the potholes, speedbumps etc, that's just perfect. No way is it harsh or fidgety, it's still a classic Lotus ride with just the right amount of road surface feedback - touring is definitely NOT for me.

A word on the dreaded V6 gearbox/clutch noise, a pet hate of mine. I could hear it a tiny bit, nowhere near as intrusive as on the V6 Exige, maybe down to better soundproofing? Unlike on the Exige, it didn't bother me in the slightest. Time will tell if some people get cars that are noisier in this department than others.

A couple of points some people may see as negatives - it's not particularly fast at lower revs (it's not a torque monster) and it's not got the 'howl' of a 400/410. I would say that it's fast enough and that the exhaust is perfect for everyday use, still a nice engine note and it still gives the odd 'pop' on changing down. Evora 400/410 owners (and Exige owners) may be a little disappointed?

Personal questions.... will I get one at all and will it be a V6 or an i4? I had ruled out the V6 because of the hateful gearbox/clutch noise but if they are all like this test car then that's no longer a problem - and it's a MANUAL!!!!!!

Conclusion...It's a REALLY nice car. It's not an Elise or an Exige (maybe not even an Evora?) , it's very much a genuine fun car for daily use.

I loved it  👍👍👍

P.S. Oh, infotainment etc I hear you ask? Dunno, I don't give a monkey's about any of that stuff so I didn't test it at all 😄

EDIT:  I forgot to mention..... when we opened the tailgate to look inside the boot (it was raining remember) a fair old slug of water cascaded down from the bottom of the tailgate and splashed down through the engine compartment, a small amount even splashing into the boot. The tailgate design obviously collects a small 'pond' of water at the bottom - what will happen if the car is kept outside and this is a regular occurrence, with freezing of said 'pond' in winter? Is this going to cause paint (or other) issues?

 

 

 

 

[Elisemadray]

Great review  thanks Dunc 

[lotus111]

Agree with everything that Duncan as said and it honestly surprised how good the car is. A mixture of road conditions on Central’s test route there car is on sports suspension with Goodyears having been more than happy with the suspension settings on my 410 I was really surprised the Emira is even better especially over broken road surface’s. Feels a very special place to sit in and seating position was spot on for me, far better than the Evora where you sit to high, performance hard to judge with very damp conditions with felt similar to the 410. The biggest surprise was the exhaust obviously not as loud as the Evora but a better note to it with the valve open and closed. Gear change, transmission noise, better than the my Evora. Keeping my deposit where it is as it just feels like a grown ups Lotus being in my 60s it’s just what I need 😂. 

[duncx]

Sounds like we both felt the same Scotty, just such a lovely car to drive 👍

I might have to take a sneaky trip to Central just to look and then look some more - blue and yellow are the best FE colours I reckon 😍

[Elisemadray]

Great review and pictures Scotty, I cant wait for my test drive on normal roads to get the real feel of it, as my on track experience did not give me the chance to drive it normally but from what you have both said I think I'm going to enjoy it  

 

[lotus111]

8 hours ago, duncx said:

Sounds like we both felt the same Scotty, just such a lovely car to drive 👍

I might have to take a sneaky trip to Central just to look and then look some more - blue and yellow are the best FE colours I reckon 😍

Yes duncx it really surprised me how good it was to drive and the dreaded transmission noise was hardly noticeable in Central’s car and yes they do look great in Blue and Yellow 👍

[duncx]

2 hours ago, Elisemadray said:

Great review and pictures Scotty, I cant wait for my test drive on normal roads to get the real feel of it, as my on track experience did not give me the chance to drive it normally but from what you have both said I think I'm going to enjoy it

So, as the MLOC collective we know it's great on the track and we know it's great on mixed roads and in normal conditions.

Only one question left, what's it like on a Sunday morning run? 😄

[Robert lamb]

Very comprehensive review Dunc ,have you ever thought of becoming a motoring journalist 🤣Lotus need to see this as it is very relevant feedback from a long standing user of their products.Scotty and Rays re enforcements just go to show what a good car Lotus have turned out .The future’s bright,the future’s yellow 😀

[Phil Hutchins]

…the future’s i4…!

[Boo 111S]

Fantastic review guys, sounds like another winner from Lotus. Looking forward to seeing one on a Sunday morning drive...

[MrWill]

On 22/11/2022 at 08:45, duncx said:

So, as the MLOC collective we know it's great on the track and we know it's great on mixed roads and in normal conditions.

Only one question left, what's it like on a Sunday morning run? 😄

Bagsy Shotgun!  There said it first! 😁

[Phil Hutchins]

Unexpected drive thro’ Prestbury today and spotted this beauty that had just arrived at Oakmere😎. Had to stop to admire! Magma Red with black pack, yellow calipers, full black leather, silver alloys. 
Now if only it was an i4!

The Verdant green (looks black) one that Duncan drove on test rolled up just as I was leaving; paled by comparison.

[Boo 111S]

On 29/11/2022 at 19:44, Phil Hutchins said:

Unexpected drive thro’ Prestbury today and spotted this beauty that had just arrived at Oakmere😎. Had to stop to admire! Magma Red with black pack, yellow calipers, full black leather, silver alloys. 
Now if only it was an i4!

The Verdant green (looks black) one that Duncan drove on test rolled up just as I was leaving; paled by comparison.

Looks fantastic - would black wheels be better?

[M@r]{]

That red looks great under lights or in sunlight, however in dull light, when it’s cloudy, it seem to lose the sheen and looks a little dull, like a flat burgundy.