It’s a sad fact that many people don’t wish to drive a stick. Many gearheads are not aware of this fact or, more often filled with gatekeeper’s anger at the thought that you could enjoy cars, and sports cars, and still have no desire for an automatic transmission. I’m personally doing my part–I only purchase cars that have manual transmissions and only will. My calves are tattooed with “Gas” and “Clutch.” But Lotus needs to sell more cars to more people, not sell exclusively manual transmission cars to a hardening-but-diminishing enthusiast class. If you’re looking to increase your line of sports cars it’s best to provide an option that is competitive with two pedals.
Lotus has at least 20 years of used engines from other manufacturers, and, more importantly, from a different producer: Toyota. This has indeed helped Lotus. They’ve been able to benefit from this “Lots of Trouble, Usually Serious” days are over and it’s an uncommon occurrence to get complaints about a Toyota-powered Lotus powertrain.
Its four-cylinder engine in the Elise and Exige was particularly when it was supercharged) It was fun, pleasant to listen to, nd long-lasting. It’s not necessary to invest more than a paragraph about the 3.5-liter V-6 engine from the Camry that was first introduced in 2010, in the Evora and later supercharged in later versions that are still in the current Emira V-6. If you were to create an inventory of “powertrains of concern,” I guarantee you that those who love the Toyota Camry and early Aughts Corolla will not be on it.
The Evora was an excellent Lotus! Even if you haven’t thought about it, Lotus also offered it with an automatic gearbox that included A torque converter unit, which ihat was also available similar to the Camry. I tested it for a short period. It was more than you’re likely to believe, but defs than you’d expect it to be for your purpose, especially given the vehicle’s price of over $100,000.
2024 Lotus Emira Review
The car that is being introduced is called the Emira is a masterpiece. It is a perfect blend of all the best features of the original Evora GT that worked, for example, the lightweight made of bonded aluminum and the supercharged Camry engine and a smooth manual gearbox that is engaging and refines the parts that no longer works including the old design, the basic interior, and the lack of infotainment from a third party. It’s a completely modern, yet refreshingly basic car that was excellent company during the Smoking Tire’s latest trip of 800 miles across the UK to attend The Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Engine & Performance
However, things are improving. The V-6 Emira “First Editions” are being produced and sold at an amount of about 25 cars a day out of Hethel and have been getting praise from motoring publications. There’s the Wuhan-built Eletre SUV and Lotus has placed a huge bet on this brand new Emira version we’re driving right now that comes with a Tax-friendly 2.0-liter engine and a modern dual-clutch gearbox that comes from an unknown source: AMG.
For Lotus the initial turbocharged motor since Esprit, the company has procured an entire engine, the gearbox and engine which comes from Mercedes Go-fast’s division. This isn’t brand-new, we’ve been able to see it under the cover of the rowdy Mercedes AMG (CLA as well as GLA within The US) for over 10 years. The custom-built aluminum mill featuring a twin-scroll intercooled turbocharger is among the most powerful two-liter production motor that is available. (Yes certain four-cylinder vehicles produce the most horsepower … especially when used by a hybrid system.) In the fully-covering rear bonnet of the Emira, the motor produces 317 lb/ft of torque between 3000 to 5,500 RPM. It reaches its maximum power command es in at 6,000 before reaching a 7,200 rev limiter. With AMG’s eight-speed double-clutch transmission, it produces the strongest four-cylinder Lotus in the history of the company.
In the end, for better or worse, Lotus has a very limited say on the functioning of its powertrain. The transmission and engine are at Hethel joined and sealed off from AMG and Lotus cannot make any major software or hardware modifications. What Lotus actually needs to be changed is the complete rear subframe made of aluminum on the Emira and how the suspension is laid out, the shock tuning, and the rear wheel offset. The four is larger in comparison to the 6, requiring that you have to move things around to create space, moving backward in order to make the cars operate similarly to one another, using different geometries. In addition, it reduces 26.5 pounds over the V-6 model, and the rear subframe is made of steel.
The four also use an electrohydraulic power steering system in contrast to the conventional hydraulic steering system that relies on pumps that iareused in the 6. One way you can know from the exterior whether an Emira is equipped with four or six engines is to check the window in the rear. When you see the engine in its entirety, it’s six. If you’re able to only see the full width of the plastic cover there are four. Lotus enthusiasts in my Instagram comments criticized that the covers were not as good, however after seeing the engine uncovered in the Hethel factory, believe me, that it’s the very best. The engine was never intended to be exhibited. It is possible to look through the interior to see shift paddles mounted on wheels and the modern lever for gear selection instead of the manual lever.
The engine’s tone is distinct from the sound it makes in Mercedes hatchbacks, in the same way, that the six-cylinder engine completely alters its character in comparison to what you’re used to in the Camry. AMG departs from Lotus to create its system of exhaust. When you shut the windows, the engine cold starts, and you can hear a raucous turbine-like sound coming from the intake, which is located directly in front of the driver’s windows (in left-hand drive vehicles More on this in the future) before settling to its usual idle sound. Although the sound may be new h, however, the resonance of the engine’s rumbles is arisnmistakable. I remember thinking how rough the engine sounded “for a $70,000 Mercedes.” In the case of a British sportscar, it’s like home.
The V-6 variant, Emira AMG is available in both “Sport” and “Touring” trims. The configurations are distinctive band uilt around the latest rear geometry and lower weight. The AMG is the tiniest 3,180 lbs DIN (curb weight, with 90 percent capacities for fuel). Based on Lotus it is more bouncy over the 6 in all trims having “Touring” set up to the same rigidity that “Sport” in the six. After five days of traveling through the countryside in the V-6 touring, today we’re currently driving the AMG Sport on track and country roads close to Hethel this morning, and the more rigid setup is noticeable (and to me, less appealing), especially with the track-ready Michelin Cup2 tires. In the end, we’d rather have the Touring for any engine you purchase.
It is said that the Emira AMG is best experienced in a country setting with the windows closed and at a 7/10ths speed in sport mode. It will go into or out of the turbo to create a symphony that is turbocharged with one’s right. The range and variety of sounds that come out of the intake as well as into the driver’s cabin will make Fast and Furious sound designers look at the car with a smile. Take a sip, whoosh blow off blow out, snort, hiccup, nd pop. GASP, baaah crack. It’s a tune-lovers’ dream and a complete departure away from the smooth and even-keeled sound of the traditional six.
With a quick however not at a racing pace, the wonderful aspects of the powertrain display themselves. The rev-happy engine produces tons of midrange torque, pushing Imira forward at an incredible speed without the need to fully throttle or push the limits. It’s almost like the last 10 years when working on Mercedes Crossovers had been a heavy bat, and the Emira is now hitting home runs with no effort. The electric power steering is less heavy than the V-6 model which adds to the impression of a sleek car. It sheds pounds, 60 of them, however, EPAS makes it feel more. When you apply partial throttle or brakes the shift paddles respond with with the sound of a “crack!” on upshifts and a “gasp” through the intake during downshifts. The car’s chassis is more firm than I’d like (again I’d recommend Touring with any engine) but it’s not too harsh and the car is responsive to any input. For a daily driver or a weekend getaway car T, he Emira AMG is a great choice. The trunk is also slightly bigger in this version due to the absence of an additional bank of pistons.
I would like to claim that things improved at the track. But unfortunately, it’s not the case. It’s not that this Emira was a failure; certainly not. However, the benchmark established with the V-6 Emira as well as its predecessor, the Evora GT bt is extremely high. We’ll show you the top pieces first. A four-cylinder Emira is extremely light. It’s light. We’ve mentioned that less than 3200 pounds in 2023 is an extremely light car, particularly when you add the latest technology including power seats, as well as an engine that can be turbocharged to 360 horsepower.
It’s also quick. We were unable to conduct tetestsith instruments however my butt-dyno suggests that with launch control you can be donkey-kicked up to 60 in just four seconds and cruising around the quarter-miles 12s, or perhaps high 11s under ideal conditions. your way to the top speed of 180 miles per hour. Lotus claims 4.4 minutes to s60 but I’m guessing that it’s that it’s sandbaggery. Most importantly, this Emira is fast. The V-6 version is fast as well, however, it has long legs thanks to the manual six-speed. The AMG-powered car comes with eight gears as well as paddle shifters; the feeling of ripping through gears intensifies the acceleration forces.
It’s very tossable and well-balanced to the max and, for it, with an EPAS system, it’s communicative to both front as well as rear Cup2 tires. The brakes, though not as quick likasrsche’s the PCCB-equipped set were consistent throughout many laps during a hot day. The Emira was steady with full threshold braking and complete throttle corner exits even with all assistance disabled. (In keeping with the brakes’ performance, the test car was parked with reporters from a different group lapping the track, which means they might not be as fresh as the ones you’ll confront on your lap.)
Michelin Cup 2 tires (245/20 fronts and 295/20 in the rear!) have more grip than your car requires. This is ideal if you wish to effortlessly run straight lines throughout the day. However, they are not as great if need to master car control take an incredible video, or experience the sway of a loose but reliable car on a closed track. The car doesn’t come with an electronic limited-slip differential and instead relies on the “e-diff” brake vectoring as part of the AMG drive unit. It was difficult for me to determine how it would slide to the camera, but maybe having tires with less grip would help. Although, there aren’t a lot of customers who purchase Lotuses to drift.
Specs
The gearbox can be a snub when you’re on track. To take a quote from the words of my The Smoking Tire co-host Zack Klapman The DCT “ruined so many good moments on track for me.” In theory, it performs the correct sports car tasks shifting gears with no torque dip, analyzing inputs, and not accelerating after hitting the limiter for revs. However, the way it is implemented it’s completely wrong.
It is essential to shift 1000 RPM before the redline as otherwise the delay from the papaddle to gearboxs too long and you’ll be able to hit the rev limiter, ad causes maa massive bobble. Also, if you wait too long before making a change, you won’t receive the gear you ask for. You must leave a larger “RPM cushion” than you would believe is necessary as otherwise, you’ll find the correct gear near the mid-corner instead of during straight-line braking. The problem with selecting the right gear is distracting when you are entering and exiexitinghile upshift issues cause a smashed rev limiter and a huge bog at the exit.
This isn’t what you expect from a race car. Sure, you can operate it with automatic mode, but … that’s not a good idea and won’t address the issue of downshifting. To be truthful it’s true that to be fair, the AMG Emira can’t be the only car to display this behavior, and in fact, it’s all to Mercedes-AMG, who, as you may recall, won’t allow Lotus to make any significant modifications to the gearbox, aside from a few software parameters.
However, the closest rival is that of the Porsche Cayman, which does not. In the Cayman, it is possible to upshift in a flash and downshifts only require 1 RPM (not 1,000 but just one) to be available before giving you an upshift. When pushing a car past the limit of corners weight transfer balance is essential, a quick reaction is crucial, as well as the ability to move down one gear when there is space in the tach is vital. The ardent few will opt for the manual, and so do I. In dollar terms (for the additional $5,000) it is the manual V-6 that’s the superior car, by far. It’s a manual Lotus sports car that isn’t as long-lasting either. When it comes to the end of the life of this car the six-speed model will be gone forever. Take advantage of it while you can.
2024 Lotus Emira Revealed
Lotus will be selling a lot of the four-cylinder 2024 Lotus Emira and it is a good thing. They’re great entertaining! They make a great on only car if you live in a situation suitable for such a thing and also a nice weekend vehicle if your plans don’t involve race tracks. The powertrain has proven to be reliable in Mercedes versions, and it’s extremely tuneable A 500-hp Emira is both feasible and reasonable, and it could be exciting perhaps the aftermarket will provide a transmission upgrade when you’re there.
In addition, the dual-clutch option that is paired with an engine that’s turbocharged to two liters will open Lotus to lots of new buyers around the world. In addition in contrast to the 3 tons Eletre SUV, lighter weight is also an option. Lotus might make SUVs today but it’s offering great sports cars and because of that, it is worthy of acknowledgement.