The Emira is the first new Lotus to launch since its Geely acquisition, and it's also the very last to be combustion powered. Jethro Bovingdon puts the V6 First Edition through its paces around Anglesey Circuit.
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Harrys review has been the best I've seen on the new Lotus so far on understanding the two options of touring and sport (he drives them both). The Lotus is the better looking car.
The best auto reviewers are in touch with their emotions and honest without being afraid to annoy the manufacturers handing over the keys. Good job, Jethro!
The best auto reviewers are objective - the most important quality to give them credibility. Matching a track-focussed Cayman GT4 with superior tyres against a road-focussed Emira, in a track environment, is not an honest comparison. It's a fait accompli.
@@tsmith7146 For very similar money, I know which one I'm buying.
@@chrismckay9647 Lotus have their own Emira GT4, which is a track only car, stripped with spoiler etcc. That car would give Porsche Cayman GT4 more of a run for the money. The only issue is that the GT4 has the same engine, so it might be better for track people wait couple years for the 4 cyclinder AMG engine during the later cycle for max power with better gearbox, as the 3.5L 6 cyclinder dies out due to EU emission rules.
@@MrAceekidd The Porsche GT4 is not track only... For the same money, it's a no-brainer.
@@MrAceekidd tons of people daily their gt4 it's not a track only car.
Lotus produces a street car, the modern Espirit, and you do a 100% track test at Anglesey? On the wrong tyres. Back to back with a GT4. I appreciate a blunt and honest review, but you didn't even test the car on the road! Harry's Garage had the Emira for five days and it's hard to believe you were driving the same car.
Welcome to the difference in driving ability/preference.
Welcome to EVO, sponsored by Porsche
Doesn't explain the comments about the engine and gearbox though?
You may be making a ton of assumptions about the conditions they were allowed to drive this car or any other arrangement details involved. What if they didn’t have better options available to them? Update: Ah, and apparently they explain the reasons why in the magazine article.
@@techyd8411 Like many, might I add.
Feel like Evo have always patriotically held a torch for McLaren, never daring to criticise and flat out ignoring issues with the cars - but here we have a new British road sports car and it gets a track only review, on road tyres, against a Porsche GT4??
Bargan basement Cayman GT4 will spank any Lotus Lol!
Silly comment. Reviewers can only test what's presented to them. Plus it wasn't really a comparison and as Jethro said, if a Cayman GT4 is there why not compare the Emira to the best?
@@wasdwasdwwasd Get real mate. Lotus will "handpick" the car they give to EVO to drive.
Which is what I said, EVO or any of the other publications never got to choose what spec they wanted.
@@wasdwasdwwasd Emira has its own track focused GT4, which is stripped and has spoiler etc so would be nice to see that compared after it's release.
As an Evora owner, I understand exactly what Jethro means about that gearbox. It’s those cross gate changes, especially when pulling off that hard charging 2nd to 3rd move that catches people out. I gradually learned that the gearbox is almost a staggered H pattern, with 1, 3 & 5 slightly off to the right of 2, 4 & 6. This is an unnecessary annoyance that a company like Porsche iron out…but I’ve learnt my gearbox now and I love driving it and I rarely make a mess of that quick 2nd to 3rd change. Should you have to learn to deal with things like that? Or should you have everything handed to you on a very efficient German plate? I love my Evora, traits/flaws and all, plus it’s 100kg lighter. But I hope the Emira is a great success, as it is ultimately a much better package than the Evora, at a much sweeter price point. Kudos to Lotus for taking the fight to Porsche👍🏼
Emira is a performance downgrade from the much older Evora 400. I've seen a video of the Emira having a 0 to 60 time of 5.3 seconds. The only improvement from the Evora 400 is the interior. I'm very disappointed in Lotus. I was expecting more from Lotus next-generation and last ICE vehicle.
@@zarbon700 oh yes, I definitely agree on the performance downgrade, the Evora GT430 or even the 400 is going to embarrass the Emira👍🏼 But as a whole package, trim, ergonomics, performance, comfort, tech…I think Lotus have moved the Emira into a demographic of buyers that just can’t put up with a bare bones no compromise sports car and prefer something more rounded. Ultimately that’s going to steal sales from Porsche and keep Lotus alive and kicking…I hope🙂🙏🏻
@@zarbon700 I thought the Emira had a 0-60 of 4.3?
@@ronretired282 Nope. Carwow, did a 0 to 60 run, which ended up being 5.3 seconds. Emira is a disappointment on speed and handling. Unfortunately, the Emira is a watered down redesigned Evora 400 with a better interior.
The gearbox in the Evora does take some getting used to. It does not like to be rushed. The feel is top notch, but you simply cannot snap off quick shifts like you can in the Porsche boxes. It feels more old school in that regard, which I personally enjoy.
I think Harry’s review gives a better perspective of what to expect and how it operates in the real world. But I do appreciate Jethro’s honesty.
Honesty in pitching a road-car on road-tyres against an unobtainable track-car....on a track.
@@EvoraGT430 Ah so thats why the gearbox sucks in Emira 😂
Harry also is fanboy for everything British.
@@EvoraGT430 Yup, this guy is just horrible, wonder what agenda or ulterior motive he has with this 'review' that pretty much goes against the consensus.
@@EvoraGT430 in the U.S..... the gts 4.0 and the 6-cyl emira are the same cost... roughly 110k usd.. it's not an unfair comparison over here right now actually lol
I think this car deserves and is welcome to exist in the world of electric cars, downsizing and dual clutch automatic gearbox. It has it's imperfections clearly but I'm confident the issues will be sorted with time and development. Lotus screams Elise, Exige, Esprit and Evora to me and these 4 are probably the best cars ever made by this small company. Lovely to see Jethro at the wheel. Awesome honest review and shout-out to the filming aswell 👍
Track is super smooth. I would get touring version.
As a long time P-car buyer, I'm all in on the Emira even if it comes up just a bit "short" to the Cayman in the "shifting" dept. The Emira is a much more rare and interesting car.
Here is a man who never owned a Porsche, and doesn't know how to use quote marks.
@@Chris.Davies I personally owned Porsches, including Cayman GTS + GT3 + GT2RS + some other.... I ordered Emira, tbh Cayman GTS is best sports car on the road I ever driven including Ferraris, but I wanted something more Raw on the road and I don't think you can find a more raw and a more special experience than Emira on the road..... This review tbh is expected for me, Porsche engines/ gearbox combo simply the best, I don't care what you have Porsche just does it better, but on road I doubt its better than Emira in terms of excitement, a hardcore version of Emira will make sense but big question for me is which engine? If they go for the DCT + V6 SC combo thats in Radford I think I will also buy this..... I'm a DCT guy on track focused cars.
No, you're just a British nationalist. This is just sad to read.
youtube people saying it gives more movement communication from steering wheel and chassis, more quiet in toruing version, but its around 3 inches bigger length width, 40 percent of a second less quick accleration than gts. if they let engine rev while shifting or quicken aamount of time takes to shift. its heavier than amg mercedes inline4, probably also tranmissions fault
The Lotus Emira unfortunately is not to be compared with the superior Porsche Cayman. Already a dated car with an old Toyota engine.
Very surprised that Lotus handed the new Emira to EVO without being fitted with Cup 2 tires, knowing full well that the car’s track performance would be less than ideal. The obvious result? The Emira failed to perform at its best on track and I am dumbfounded Lotus let that happen….
Yep very odd
Read the magazine they explained why....basically this was a car setup for a euro tour, not track and it's a really good article... I don't get the negativity over gearshifts as I never had a problem when I test drove the Evora...
It also depends on the driver... other road testers have reported different expectations, experiences and results. Everyone has different requirements with different driving styles, it's all valid, but you need to pay attention to more than just one.
Fair point, but as a former owner of two Lotuses (Elise and 2-Eleven) and someone's that's driven the whole range prior to the Emira, I must be honest and say the track is not where they shine, even my 2-Eleven. The rearward weight balance is the main reason for this, meaning they lack the balance of a car like the Cayman, or a purpose built racing car. Where they really shine is on a bumpy British road, where in my humble opinion any Lotus is streets ahead of any Porsche in terms of linearity of controls (Porsche deliberately fit non-linear steering! Lotus obsess over this), feedback, sub-limit handling and road manners. To date, the Elise, Evora and Exige are the best road cars of their type I've ever driven.
@@RobManser77 Yeah you are very true. Elises are not this ‘brilliantly balanced’ trackday weapon. Rather, they are the sports cars for the road. Brilliantly summed up.
Just watched Harry's review, it seems like Lotus sent the wrong car to EVO and to Harry. It would be soooo interesting to see what the sport spec would be like on the road with the Dunlop tyres. I did note that I think this is a pre-prod car (the SRS warning light on the dash), so hopefully the shift is fixed in the production versions.
have you bought it ?
@@Houthiandtheblowfish there is a 2 year waiting list apparently...
Oh they did send the right one. It was just not up to par. These were honest reviews.
@@ezcatch77 Good point, it's just a shame they didn't send the Dunlop shod one to Harry and the Michelin shod one to EVO
@@ezcatch77 agreed the best version of this car would be amg engine sport suspension specially you could tune that engine there are lots of warranty high quality tunings to 550 hp! but if you compare that to a pdk gts i would pick that one any day of the week but if you want novelty effect something new and good looking and comfortable and no longer buying a lotus for driving dynamics and lightweight but for being a nice all rounder that looks nice
Thank you not only for the review but also for blasting our ears! Please please, you are a car review channel/magazine - you have to know that a good microphone inside a car (ideally on the driver) is a must, otherwise we won´t know what you´re saying and that is almost the whole point of us watching these videos! :)
A review of the wrong version in the wrong settings. By people who are so Porsche biased. How can this review be sooooo different from the impressions of others? I’ve been driving a Lotus Evora S as my daily driver for over 10 yrs. Puts a smile on my face every day. And the Emira I have on order, will highly likely do the same.
Good to see EVO still tells it like it is
Yeah, a track car is better on a track. Wow, how insightful.
emira is meant to be fun on the road, the gt4 is a track car that is meant to be driven fast
@@EvoraGT430 it’s a damn Lotus, don’t make excuses for it
So good to see Jethro back!
I get the frustration but in 2011 I drove a 2010 Evora I got at the FRA Hertz rental counter in late October and it was magic. I don't regularily drive fast sports cars but think I could (dreamer at heart). I did get it to 253 kph on the Autobahn until a lady in a diesel wagon came zooming up and passed me. For those of us who can afford this car and won't ever really drive it on a track unless something magically happens, I would love the Emira and maybe I am that target audience. The markup at the dealer for these will probably be as big as the Porsche markup so it'll be intersting to see what the real price is going to be. Great review Jethro.
Best rental car ever?
@@EvoraGT430 yup for a small 100 euro upgrade fee which covered 4 days. After I got home I did get a $27 ticket charge on my Hertz account. Never got a ticket though. Then found out the corporate insurance would not have covered it if I crashed it. Would do it again though but just get the insurance. :-)
Jethro, you’re the best! Great review as always but it’s ever more difficult to find an honest british reviewer that’s not gushing about a british car. I had my sights on this car and was just waiting to get a sense of this car from several reviewers. Most have been gushing. Your review is not an insult. It is a fair evaluation. That gearbox issue would be a bigger issue for less experienced drivers. Nowadays, that should not be the case anymore, on the back of the GT4 or the GTS. Many will still buy this car and that makes me happy. Lotus is a manufacturer that I hope survives, and gets it right in future iterations of this car. Well done Jethro! Thank you.
Wow, that final shot. Jethro gets out of the Porsche, almost enters the Lotus, but turns around, gets back into the Porsche. Devastating.
Its always hard to recieve bad news. But its also good. If you dont know, you cant fix it. I think Lotus will fix it. They have Geely behind them and thats a big wallet. But, it may be the case that they have chosen a different direction with Lotus altogether, a more linear approach rather than extreme racing.
Not really, he stands alone. Everyone else rates the Emira highly. I know which I would choose and it’s not the beetle
@@Milkman69ner Confusing the Cayman for a 911, or are you daft enough to think a VW Beetle is mid-engined?
Respect for delivering an honest review
Interesting review and it seems Jethro is the only one of the early reviewers who has more than one or two negatives, Porsche fan-boyism or willing to tell the truth? He even admits that it is designed as a road car and set p for the road so please give us a road review instead of track!
Autocar have very similar comments about the drivetrain. OK engine, OK gearbox. Not really good enough at £80k.
Great to see you back Jethro! A proper honest, old school journo who tells it like it is. Im shocked at the outcome though after reading all the development to get to its release what a shame as it looks so good.
I doubt the average driver would have a fraction of the issues he had driving on roads rather than a track. Complaining about the 2GR as ‘old’ is a bit petty. It’s a fantastic engine and still in service for that reason.
How is this honest? This video is the only negative review at all. They’ve done it to be different. End of. That’s a shitty publication
@@grimson maybe not that fantastic for a brand new sports car? It doesn't perform well enough, that's pretty obvious from the reviews I saw.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of variability in these early cars still (they're still not completely built with production processes), and looking at the front suspension on that one plus having driven a few, I can't help but feel he didn't get one of the better examples. Customer cars should have all those things ironed out
@@Gadgit83 his did seem to teeter toter a lot where other renditions of the car were just mind blowing on how it took the corners. there is DEFINATLY a different suspension setup on THIS car vs some of the others reviewed.
Wow, that was something. No one gives an honest and mildly scathing review anymore. I don't know that I agree, but I know that I'm much more informed than before watching. Thanks!
So glad to see Jethro back. Very sad to hear the car isn’t where it was hoped to be.
Jethro, I appreciate a lot your honesty - pretty rare these days.
Reviews of cars are in the moment. Given time we will all forget the faults and nuances when compared to another car. I will add to the props of unbiased opinionated journalism. Great review. Still love the car. Thank you Evo, thank you Jethro!
Whilst this wasn't a road test, it's worth noting that the things you can legally enjoy on the road (steering, shifting, braking) also translate well to the track, and so are in some respects the most important to get right. Looks fantastic, though.
As a lotus affectional, this is disappointing. I love the look of this car. Let’s hope they don’t stop trying to bring it to the peak that it deserves!
engine stop revving between shifts, long shifts, is prolly only reason why 0-60 is not as good as cayman. wonder why it so heavier than even amg turbo linline 4, tranmission prolly also to blame. frank stephenson video showed how easily it couldve been better looking, also see his other videos like aston vallahala, i liked vallahala v6 concept aesthetic more thna how production version ended up
by long shifts i mean it takes too long to shift
Or you can watch other reviews before you make that decision. This is probably the first negative review I've seen, not saying it's wrong, but I would watch all the other trusted reviews before you make the decision, especially since all the cars currently being reviewed aren't actually production models yet, just near production.
@@gpaje exactly!
Even the looks are pretty generic tbh.
Although a track comparison clearly shows the Porsche is the one to have I wouldn't mind betting the exact opposite applies when comparing the two as daily more usable drivers.
Good to see you back! Jethro 👍
Great stuff Jethro 👍. Makes you wonder if they drove a Cayman whilst developing it.
Is Jethro the preferred driving god for the EVO/Pistonheads crowd?
@@seanm.collins9888 I wouldn’t put it like that but I like Jethro although I can’t speak for everyone.
@@seanm.collins9888 I do really enjoy his automotive content
Jethro reviewed what he was given but I am far from sure that all the Emiras out for review are the same. Some vastly different conclusions being drawn.
Good to see a review pointing out the faults as well as the good point. Felt a little harsh using a GT4 as opposed to a GTS, but price wise I guess not loads apart.
Depends on what markets. Prices differ and can make GTS more relevant.
@@nessuno5403 Yes agreed. I think as this is the more standard Emira variant, and given the release of the GT4 Emira, I think they may well release a more 'hardcore' version of the Emira which would well compare. But given prices in the UK, maybe a GTS would have been a good comparison. However, I personally don't think it detracts a lot from the review.
Even the 718 GTS 4.0 is more expensive than the Emira FE V6 when optioned similarly, and it's a much closer performance equivalent than the GT4. At "base" pricing for the GTS 4.0 and the Emira V6 (when the base model becomes available) the Lotus will be quite a bit less expensive. On that car the pricing lines up roughly against the 718 Cayman S.
While I agree that price matters. The people who can afford these types of cars probably don't care if one is $10,000 more then the other. I still think its going to be hard to steal people away from Porsche and its Dealer/Parts network. The Cayman is also pretty damn practical for a 2 seater. I can put my 4.1m drop stitch inflatable kayak in my Cayman with spare space for all the other stuff that comes along with it. It can be your only car. However I don't think I can say the same thing about the Emira. The whole point of choosing Lotus from an enthusiast perspective is to have the more engaging car. Either way, I think the real problem will be simply building enough cars for everyone. However I bet once the Emira has been out for 7+ years. The thing will be perfection.
@@ForgetfulFoot ALARM!! You sound like a sensible car enthusiast :)
Harry Metcalfe says "a great engine…..gives this car real character this engine"
It reminds me of the 458 in the looks… a smaler variant with a manual and half the price… so nice! Thank you!
No, the side pods are more 488 😉
Lol no not at all. McLaren if anything.
Not to sure about this review. Other test drives have been positive, both on the road and track reviews. There's been praise for the engine, ride and gear box. So maybe Evo having a GT4 to compare it with didn't do the Emira any favours. Considering Lotus budget compared to Porsche's, I think Lotus has done a bloody good job
A Cayman 4.0 or even Cayman S seems a much more fair comparison
Go and buy it then. I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole personally and this if no real surprise :)
Jethro knows what he’s talking about.
@@michaelherron4306 Genuinely curious to know how you came to this conclusion. Plenty of other reviewers are experienced car journalists that have extensive race experience like Jethro who have come to a different conclusion. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty sure Cayman GTS would be my choice unless a test drive in both convinced me otherwise. But I do think that Jethro as a freelance and experience as a staffer in the bigger publications quite likes to be a bit more negative for the attention these days. Its his USP and why they hire him possibly. I hope he was being honest with the negative feedback and not just feeding his reputation because at the end of the day, I suspect he knows next to nothing about designing and building cars so to be negative for the sake of a more dramatic review would be dishonest. Car journalists in general I think are an odd group. They provide no real benefit to the world but deem themselves qualified to judge the skill and creativity of others. The real public service is to present just the facts and allow others to draw conclusions from a test drive. Any ither opinions are just that and should be wrapped up more in entertainment than a car review. Ahhhh. Rant over.
It's on road tires at a track; odd choice by Lotus but I guess this was a demo car that's being also run on-road. As is, It strikes me as a spruce-up to the body with an interior tech update, and little more. Hope I'm wrong, though.
Interesting soundtrack choice Really makes you ponder
Any review on the AMG GT Black Series? Seen hardly any review videos of it, seems it broke a Nurburgring record and no one even batted an eye.
Love the honest feedback -
Honest as they come. Thanks Jethro 🙏
Now this looks high quality and the looks are beautiful.
Thank you for being so honest
Maybe the results would be different if the Lotus had the optional CUP 2 tires for the track review to match the setup on the GT4.
Thanks for the honest review. Refreshing to see a UK channel reviewing a UK product and not come to the conclusion that it is given to us by the god's. 😉 Great production over all. 👍
really quite surprised after metcalfes review to see this, brilliant vid
Can you put bigger and wider front rims? Also give it more gas when you heel toe. I burnrt my share of clutches but I don't hear that ideal rev matching sounds when you drive.
Best review of this car I’ve seen. Thanks Jethro
Love the honesty
Will the 2 liter AMG engine with DCT fix the issues and give it a chance to compete with cayman?
The gearshift’s are an issue with the Evora GT as well. I just don’t shift to second gear on the track. I can’t even shift from 1st to 2nd while driving fast. Still a great car though
Is the automatic better for the 6 cyclinder engine then?
Yet I regularly drive my Evora Sport 410 on track and have never had a problem. In fact I really enjoy the gear change. Looking at the different reviews of the Emira and the Evora over the years it seems that the gear set up is sensitive and or the QC at the factory isn’t consistent enough. I think the answer is go try one yourself and make your own mind up. You can’t rely on any single review
I love Lotus! I've wanted a Evora GT430 Sport since it's launch! 😃👍
Lotus is like rooting for England football, except harder, as they’re competing against Porsche with €28B revenue/€4B profits & eye watering R&D investment & talent. Arrows against the wind…but I’m rooting.
Thank you for a fair and honest review. Indeed, so many journalists have gone out of their way to praise the Emira, probably because they want to help Lotus and reward that a manufacturer bothered to introduce an ICE car with a manual transmission these days. As an Elise owner, I was frankly disappointed at the Emira reveal. Early on they suggested a leading edge car, returning to Lotus roots. Many of us hoped for something closer to the Elise with improvements for daily driving. My mantra at the time was "500/50," meaning a car that was 500 lbs lighter than the Evora with 50 ft.lbs more torque. That, would have been a perfect final ICE Lotus. Instead, it looks like we got a heavier, reskinned Evora. Don't get me wrong, compared to most cars you can get today it indeed should be a blast as a daily driver and better than most cars out there. But where I had been considering putting a deposit on one before, once revealed it left me cold. For now I'm just going to keep my Elise and hope that somehow, someone decides to bring a car like Gordon Murry's T.43 concept to market which indeed was more of a modernized Elise optimized as a daily driver. That, is my dream car.
Modern car buyers don't actually want lightness; they want toys and interior toys. Porsche show the way it's done, so Lotus would be crazy to not follow them.
@@EvoraGT430 I get it, they needed to expand their base to make the brand profitable. If it lets Lotus survive, it is a good thing. But what they delivered isn't as good as the Porsche. Still a great car and hopefully they sell a bunch of them for their sake. Just likely I won't be getting one. Shame.
@@EvoraGT430 people do want light weight, but not directly. Lighter the car, less fuel it consumes, faster it is, more comfortable ride since smaller/lighter wheels and softer suspension can be used without compromising the car in any way. Difference is that they don’t want to sacrifice comfort and convenience at the same time.
Nice review of a road car on the track. "why would you want the touring pack"........you need to watch Harry's Garage review.
Love seeing Jethro back at Evo !
Looks lovely, although I am astonished that it weighs almost 1500kg, What happened to "add lightness" ??
1405kg
Fat people with money wanted a car that was easier to get into with electric seats and gadgets and big heavy stereo systems and cup holders!
They didn't sell?
@@ianhancock5657 1486kg so they said.
Interesting comment on the sport vs tour edition as feels slightly at odds with the comment from Harry's video. Will be interesting to hear from Jethro his view on the differences between the sport and tour after he's driven them both
Intrigued that Lotus PR should give both Harry and Evo the 'wrong' spec car, (Harry must be special as he got both ☺) . I've always wondered what's the point testing road cars(unless it's a performance variant) on track, they need testing in the real world of pot holes, speed humps, rough tarmac, car parks etc.
@@stippolyte Because a track is the only 'safe' place to find out how a car will behave on (and over) the limit. You wouldn't want to go testing for that info on a public road, would you?
@@coalhouse_walkerjnr4735 Sure, just like you really shouldn't be taking any car on the road anywhere near its limit.
@@coalhouse_walkerjnr4735 Harry seems to manage perfectly well giving us a detailed impression of how a car drives, either on his home roads, the Triangle or the Arctic circle. The likes of Harris and Jethro, being racers, giving their slant on cars more likely to be used on track days etc.
@@dedge12858 On that basis, no car would ever be driven at over 70 on a public road on any UK road test. After all "you really shouldn't be" doing that! I've found the limit of many cars on many public roads in many driving conditions. You don't always have to go looking for the limit, it can present itself when you least expect it (late lane-changers, debris in the carriageway, wandering livestock, greasy standing water on a bend, etc.). I've spun a mid-engined car 360 deg at less than the speed limit. I was very lucky on that occasion but I would rather have had an idea of how fast it was going to snap before I had need to try to catch it. Track testing has its benefits - to me, at least.
This was a brutally honest review. But, it has to be placed in its proper context. It is a first impression of car with the wrong tires for the track. Tires matter. The other aspects of the review were very revealing and keenly knowing. Rarely do I every hear anyone mention rake, let along how your to measure it by feel. The same may be said of the engine's characteristics (including its rev limits), and the gated shifter. If any aspect of the critiques are valid, Lotus has a lot of tweeting to do to perfect its last, ICE car.
Harry’s garage tries both touring and sport v6 set ups cup 2s and Goodyears interesting differences
Great review👍
Jethro is back, epic!!! 😀
nice to know it's not that good on track but please do another review of how it is on the road
A bit confused it has the Goddyear tyre on the sport setup ? Shouldn't it be on the Michelin with that spec ?
It’s a production car it’s perfect for the roads in the uk it’s not a super car it’s similar in many ways. It’s by far the best car of its kind and will appeal to just about everyone we’ll done Lotus great car builder company I salute you
Love the aspect ratio
When the Porsche entered the frame I was hoping to see Jonny Lieberman 😂
So regardless of the marketing hype it's essentially a third generation Evora. The same drivetrain from the old Evora 400 (not the 410 or 430 it should be noted) and a seemingly nearly identical chassis. Nice new interior apart from that tablet device crudely slapped on the dashboard like some aftermarket tat from Halfords! Yet for all its shortfalls I'd still have one over any Boxster/Cayman. The real tragedy is Lotus having abandoned its lightweight design heritage with the end of Elise and having no direct replacement for it.
What about the A45/CLA45 engine? That thing goes to 550 hp with a stage1 tune. I would not be able to keep this un-tuned for power if I got one; no way. I'm wondering if that would fix the power and engine part. I am seriously considering this thing.
Jethro is one of the very best in the business. I trust his opinion and review.
Some British journalists just hate a success story on their own turf and habitually go for the negative bias. Thanks Evo we can be reassured nothings changed for Lotus. Ah we can be the underdog again that’s more reassuring to the viewers. Think Harry captured the excitement and passion that lotus cars can evoke for us mere mortals. Perfectionism is not a sign of the truly adventurous. Or should I just play safe and buy that familiar Porsche? Well done Lotus
Great review, able to see by the stunning looks unlike most others.
Ouch, I think that it hurts to see it come through the development process, and not address the issues that have been raised. Lotus can do so much better. We know and expect better. I feel like they have been told this is what you have, Do the best you can, instead of the no compromise approach it claims. Fingers crossed the v6 is going to be the touring version that older customers who can't live with or want a more extreme ride/drive train quality and most cars will never be driven hard. Then the 4 cylinder can be lighter and much more focused and the true EVO choice.
Great review!!!!! Years of waiting but a lot of small problems.... I'm really confused. Maybe too many expectations?! I don't know, but if an older Porsche is better than a new car targeting Porsche....mmmm.... it's not the sound that I was hoping for.
Great to see an honest review. Well done. Respect.
Finally you know the gear box problem, Nice to hear that，that's fine to drive with normal speed and fast speed but not for track speed, the gear box doesn't work with track speed because BTO coming in, thats stupid system control Gear box. Only s3 exige has it (v6）, v6exige and emira is the same gearbox system。 I ownd exige 350 (2years) and 981 gt4 I will say i like to drive exige more without the gear box problem. So i will buy amg this time
Beautiful car looks way more expensive than what it is,the review was tad bit harsh but fair, in its defense the touring version was driven here and not the sport chassis ,lotus clearly states that’s it softer dynamics gearbox and suspension are for the road
There’s no question. Jethro simultaneously works for every car magazine.
Especially the Porsche one.
Yay Jethro is back!
The telling sentence is “when Lotus make a road car” and that’s the point, it’s a road car and it’s the one I’d have because I’m not a superhero racing car driver and I don’t drive on a track.
So a sports car is compared to a gt car, it has road tyres on for track use. Does anyone else think this review is rather flawed?
Jethro is always honest on his opinion, even when talking about a british sports car that needs to sell urgently, I was already expecting this review/opinion from him and I appreciate it very much. The car is just not good enough and isn't as good value as many say it is, it is still very expenive for what you get.
But the British will still back it even if it's a lump of poo.
Jethro come more please 💪 we miss you
the cayman is my favorite sports car. it's perfect.
Finally, a proper review.
Welcome back jethro !
I love my '21 Evora GT and will keep loving it until we see what the AMG/Dual Clutch version of the Emira has to offer
I think the 4 cylinder AMG engine with the dual clutch is the way to go, also you could easily tune it over 400hp...
supposedly the detune on the Emira for the 4 popper is to keep heat in check - if that's true and not because they wanted to tier the 4 popper under the v6, a simple tune will potentially introduce heat issues to figure out as well.
The Chinese version of the Emira i4 AMG pumps out 400bhp…. It’s detuned in the UK so it doesn’t upshot the v6…. :(
Hopefully, a kind of an Emira gt4 rs and gt4 rs clubsport will arrive sooner than later.
I agree it’s a bargain that’s why there’s a three year waiting list at present I’m sure that will come.
Thanks for the honest review! It looks cool though...
Definitely needs more revs, but my IS 350 has the same feeling, like it’s capable of going further, but cuts prematurely (maybe inherent in that Toyota engine for durability sake). It’s the 1st Edition though, so lots of time to hone this car, until you get to its final iteration.
*What was the camera car used?*
valid things pointed out here but i think this review is a bit rough. The emira is not a predominantly track car, wait for the emira gt4 or whatever it'll be called... and no, even that wont beat the cayman but it'll be a better comparison
Harry Metcalfe talked to Lotus because he found the sporty setup a bit harsh, un-Lotus like perhaps, and was - among other facts - told that the sporty setup is dialed in in a different way, camber including, to take max advantage of the sticky tires. It seems very Lotus, british, that they gave you a sporty car with non-sporty tires, based on what Harry was told. I'll keep looking for reviews, hopefully by people who have been given the correctly spec'ed car.
unfortunately all the reviews say the porsche is better... I was hoping the emira would win because it looks so much better.
@@jimj2683 "because it looks so much better." There is your answer, why do you need the last 5% in performance 'on a track' when you can have something that actually drives well on B roads and looks great instead?
Wow didnt expect that opinion a total contrast to Harrys review and i respect both Harry and Jethro ....
The start button - its a trap ! 😂
I see Jethro I click like immediately
An "EVOL" verdict, but perhaps understandable - there will come versions I am sure of it, and the AMG engine offer migth be up for tuning - it makes more HP in the A class AMGs, dont know if its lighter ?. I can though see the lesiure appeal in it as is, - its mainly for the road and that must have to do with a borader or rather peraps additonal target segment strategy. I cant help thinking mini honda NSX alike with a Ferrari alike styling, does look a bit tall though from low camera angle, but I quite sure its different in the metal.
Also appreciate a car journalist telling it how it is. I feel like everyone just loves everything and is scared to upset whoever gave them the keys.
Thanks for the honest review. I am looking forward to the road review, maybe the new Lotus will fare better.
Jethro! Long time no see
Yep agree 100% This is like what Nissan did with the new Z. Sprucing up an ancient platform just barely enough to entice people to buy it. No longer chasing greatness, just settling for mediocre. a Sad fate for the Final ICE Lotus..... They could of at least went all-out and sent it off properly
Really? It's not sad at all. The "Final ICE Lotus" is still better than 99.9% of the vehicles that have ever covered pavement. Don't cry for me, Argentina (all said with a smile).