I have a GT, and I tested the demo car at Motorcars of Atlanta with the sport suspension. The GT is still the livelier and more raw car than the Emira. It is the car if you want to get out and cut up with your friends down some back roads. The Emira is pretty toned down, and compliant version of that — or for bettter term, more 'practical' for everyday usability. Don't get me wrong, the Emira is a fantastic looking car with a nice interior, but from a performance perspective, the GT is still a much better 'Lotus' than the outgoing. The Evora's steering is sharper and can be tossed around pretty easily, whereas the Emira is definitely more stable and comfortable due to its wider track.

In my view, they're not really made to replace one another but rather to suit different preferences. Do you prefer back road driving and canyon carving? Choose the Evora GT. If you just want to drive around on the street and be comfortable for weekend dates, the Emira is the way to go. That's how I see it. Unless they come out with a newer variant like the Emira S or R, I don't see myself getting rid of the GT for a less performing car just because it's the latest hype. Keep the Evora GT and if you're one of those guys in the market, I genuinely recommend getting the GT (especially one with the carbon pack for resale down the road) over the Emira if you want to experience true modern day Lotus DNA.

 

Amen brother. I just don’t see why one would prefer the Emira over the GT. It’s got less power and more weight. The GT is more lively in handling and stands out more in a crowd. I don’t know…I just don’t get it. There’s no way I’d trade my GT for one, but to each their own. The only reason mine’s on the market is to fund the purchase of a 600LT.

 

Depends on how long it takes the no doubt bespoke and impossible to source headunit/display to break.

Being a generic double din was one of the biggest selling points for the Evora for me.

Easy to get new tech when I want it.
No worry about British electronics dieing and being irreplaceable.

 

No worry about British electronics dieing and being irreplaceable.

I believe most of the Emira electronics are borrowed from Volvo, so that would make them Chinese electronics? Either way, I too like the double DIN flexibility, but I get why people want something with a more integrated appearance.

 

I have both and they are two different cars, neither is a replacement of the other, and both are very much Lotus.

 

Awesome collection! How do you like the evora? Any advice on carbon pack vs no carbon pack?

I’m moving in from my 2006 z4 m coupe and 2022 m3 competition x drive, all so I can make space for an evora gt. I drove one for a weekend and it absolutely left me awestruck.

 

After finally seeing an Emira in the flesh this weekend at a local Italian car show, I have some thoughts.....
The owner of the Emira stated that it was the first one sold in California. I was very intrigued to see what this model was all about, and he allowed folks to open doors and the boot to take a good look around. I thought the green color with the yellow calipers appropriate and in keeping with the oversized Lotus logo on the hood. I also liked the stailness speaker grills for the KEF sound system. Frenched in door handles were beautiful. That was about where the positives stopped for me, and where I started to ask myself if this car truly embodies the Lotus sprit.
At that show, in a sea of Italian supercars, the Emira blended in well and looked like one of the crowd. My Evora GT stood out as an individual, distinct from the group. There was a pristine Exige there too, and it looked simply amazing and very "Lotus". In days of yor, when you saw a Lotus, you always knew it was a Lotus. I saw a blue Emira go by on the freeway last week, and it took me about ten seconds to realize it was an Emira and not a Ferarri. The blue color was the tip off, but I still was left wondering if it was indeed an Emira.
Looking deeper into the Emira revealed some very non Lotus features. The engine surround looked so cheap and production line. The seats, while nicely assembled, seemed too overstuffed and under bolstered. The electronic display just turned me off completely since it could be any basic SUV in there. I prefer the dash on a Hyundai Santa Cruz! No carbon fiber door sill covers also was a disappointment. Not even a Lotus logo! I felt like I was crawling into a Volvo station wagon. I also noticed the rotor assembly looked cheap, poorly cast, and less race oriented. The rims were a nice design, but not forged or machined with a crisp look to them. You could truly feel the Asian influence on the interior design, and not in a good way, just a generic way. As to the body design, it is pretty no doubt, but is it Lotus?
For the past three years, I have been contemplating whether I would be awestruck by the Emira, and want to let go of my Evora GT, but my mind is at total peace now, knowing that I have the last Lotus to leave the factory that embodies the Lotus spirit one hundred percent in every aspect. That is a really good feeling after three years of doubt.

The Emira is definitely more "italian" in design, while the Evora GT is more true to Lotus in handling and styling. Frankly, the more refined materials and modern looks of the Emira are why I prefer it, as it feels like a more together car for general daily driving. There is not doubt in my mind though, that excitability wise, the Evora GT is a more raw and precise vehicle.

 

In short:

Evora GT > Evora 400 ≥ Emira > Evora S > Evora

 

Correction Evora S>GT>400>Evora...EMIRA position TBD
S1 Evora S esthetics nailed it. 400/GT were trying to be a lambo........and the interior was a major downgrade v the original design IMHO. Sparco seats suck

 

I think the Emira is more Lotus. Hurry up and dump these lame Evora GTs so I can pick one up on the cheap. 🤠

 

Ah, reverse psychology!
Sadly for you, my GT is never leaving my hands now that I have had the opportunity to compare. I made the mistake of selling my Elise years ago, and will never do something dumb like that again.

 

Haven’t driven the Emira but I like it. I like my 400 too. I think the Emira is the last of the British Lotus sports cars just like it implies but doesn’t say outright on the package. It’s the Eagle platform much like the first Evora. If you like the Evora I think you will like the Emira. BTW I don’t think the GT or any US Evora is that raw either. They ride great, they steer great etc BAC Mono, that’s raw. Five years ago the diehard elige people here poopoo’d the 400 as too muted. It’s all in your frame of reference.

As I say often, I’m not off my 435 400 unless or until I can get a factory tart of an Emira. But I don’t
think the Emira we have isn’t a Lotus. The electric cars are a different story to me.

 

My GT only leaves if I crash it. Then it would take a much more hardcore version of the Emira to get me to buy. The 400s / GTs are the ones to hold in my mind.

 

I understand why S1 owners prefer their interiors or even the exterior (subjectively speaking) but the other benefits of the S2 versions far outweigh the interior variations IMO. Shift quality, generally upgraded performance and easier entrance and egress are among the S2 improvements most buyers will discover between the two. Generally the latest builds are the most desirable to my mind. They’re all good tho.


As respects the seats, I find the Sparcos very comfortable and have spent multiple 500 mile 10 to 12 hour days in my 400 in total comfort. They’re all good so it becomes a question of budget in my mind.

 

I understand why S1 owners prefer their interiors or even the exterior (subjectively speaking) but the other benefits of the S2 versions far outweigh the interior variations IMO. Shift quality, generally upgraded performance and easier entrance and egress are among the S2 improvements most buyers will discover between the two. Generally the latest builds are the most desirable to my mind. They’re all good tho.


As respects the seats, I find the Sparcos very comfortable and have spent multiple 500 mile 10 to 12 hour days in my 400 in total comfort. They’re all good so it becomes a question of budget in my mind.

I'll yield on items like cosmetics and interior appeal - some people like it, some people don't. It's subjective in the eyes of the beholder, and that's fine. My main point was on the performance and overall upgrades/changes on the side of things that make it overall better than the S1.

I'm not going to debate on S1 vs S2, but was merely laying down why the Evora GT is still the better car. If you were to get the Emira today, you'd get the latest hype at the cost of big depreciation for the next 1-3 years, whereas the price curve of the Evora GT is still the same, perhaps beginning to appreciate in the next 2-3 years.

 

Whether the Emira is Lotus enough depends on how far back or which models you compare it to. Emira seems in line with the Excel and Eclat which are pure Lotus cars.

Consider the time the cars were penned, automotive design of the day, and reality of the automotive business.

They're all equally Lotus to me.

 

IMO the order of best for on road driving out of the main larger cars.

GT, 400, Emira, Evora S, evora

I’ve ordered and then driven the Emira, I ended up cancelling my order after driving it.

The emira felt heavier and slower than my 400, I was not at all impressed. It feels like a 400 in a fat suit. I think the Emira serves a very different demographic, it’s more of a daily driver and less of a sports car / super car feeling to it.

on top of it, emira prices are already dropping quick. They are making tons of them, it’s not as rare as a GT or 400, and I think used emiras will quickly be selling for less than the GT / 400.

 

These are the comments I most treasure and was looking for when the Emira orders opened up. Other 400 owners. Fat suit is not a good look and is well put.

I have said numerous times that they built a Porsche Emira. They had to in order to sell some cars. I just received my Certificate of Provenance and found out there were only 5 IPS and 5 Manual 400s sent to Canada for 2017? They needed to build a refined sports car, and from every last thing I have read they succeeded. Steering not as direct, exhaust not as loud, more comfy overall. That was my 991.2 compared to my 400. I will say though if you can daily a 911 like me, then a 400 is absolutely doable as well. Only major difference for me so far is dealing with the crowd of onlookers at Home Depot surrounding my 400...

 

Evora GT > 400
comparison between the Lotus Evora 400 and the Evora GT

Track Times:

Track	Lotus Evora 400	Lotus Evora GT
Hockenheimring GP (Germany)	1:07.7	1:06.9
Anglesey Coastal (UK)	1:11.0	1:09.9
Bedfordshire (UK)	1:30.4	1:29.3

 

Very interesting to see the 400 not that far behind the GT. Not a great difference. I pine for a GT but finding one here in IPS will be difficult, in addition to paying an extra $20k+ is prob not worth it in the end for me. Plus I daily drive my 400, and its suspension is sublime for spirited and pothole-missing city driving. Seeing these numbers for the first time makes me think I have the proper model for my purposes.

 

I feel the older the Lotus the more Lotus it is, not by model year but the model itself.

the newer the cars have more electronics, safety stuff etc which add weight, complexity etc… which in the past isn’t what Lotus is about.

it doesn’t make the newer cars bad, it’s a different world now then days of the past.

I don’t know why Lotus added weight with the Emira and also dropped its power. Even my GT seems down on power, i can only imagine adding 100+ and also dropping 10-20HP.

If they can’t get 450HP from the v6, I almost wish they would have just ditched the manual completely and released the Emira with 450+ HP. I know that would of turned off a lot of buyers not having a manual, but the lack of power is having similar results.

 

Put an Emira and any Evora side by said in a high volume foot traffic area. My gut tells me the compliments of one v the other will be 80:20 in favor of the Emira.
How it feels slower is probably just more refined suspension tuning. Same 400HP, same tranny, cars within 50+/- lbs. Its all in your head son. A SIMPLE LITHIUM BATTERY SWAP WILL REMOVE MOST OF THE WEIGHT DIFFERENCE. Hopefully our Euro friends will tell us the weight of the stock exhaust. I know my 2011S was like 44lbs v 18.5 = 25.5lbs.
So easy to drop 50lbs........oversized 20s up front ...hmmmmm another 10lbs..........2 piece rotors another 10-15lbs...........~75lbs are easy pickins v a stock 400. So much for heavy and slow

 

Put an Emira and any Evora side by said in a high volume foot traffic area. My gut tells me the compliments of one v the other will be 80:20 in favor of the Emira.
How it feels slower is probably just more refined suspension tuninng. Same 400HP, same tranny, cars within 50+/- lbs. Its all in your head son. A SIMPLE LITHIUM BATTERY SWAP WILL REMOVE MOST OF THE WEIGHT DIFFERENCE. Hopefully our Euro friends will tell us the weight of the stock exhaust. I know my 2011S was like 44lbs v 18.5 = 25.5lbs.
So easy to drop 50lbs........oversized 20s up front ...hmmmmm another 10lbs..........2 piece rotors another 10-15lbs...........~75lbs are easy pickins v a stock 400. So much for heavy and slow

owning a GT, I do agree that the majority will prefer the Emira, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was more then 80/20 that prefer the Emira, it is a great looking car!

that being said, last I checked the GT’s have 416 HP while other parts of the world the Evora developed 430 HP at its peak. Both numbers are a bit more vs the 400 HP Emira

its more like 100+ LBS difference & correct, a new battery can be swapped in the Emira just like a Ti muffler, Ohlins, rotors,, wheels, seats etc to drop 100-150 lbs. That being said the same can be done to the Evora. I was at 3,160 lbs with a full tank of gas, I can’t recall whose video I watched where the Emira was approx 90 lbs more then my evora with a 1/4 tank of fuel. Subtract 8 gallons of fuel from my car and the weight difference is over 100 lbs.

That being said, with all the modern day electronics in the Emira, the added computers, creature comforts etc well done to Lotus for keeping the cars weight down. I think I saw the c8 ZO6 is around 3,650 lbs….

 

I've not sat in the S1 evora recaros, so they may be amazing, but IMO the gt sparcos are totally on par with the recaros that were in my gt350. I wouldn't have bought the evora if the seats weren't of that caliber to me. I had a deposit on the emira but stumbled into the evora gt and am 100% happy with how it all turned out. Agree I'd consider a more raw track oriented emira in the future, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

I test drove one while at Gator getting my rear toes replaced and re-alignment on my 06 Elise (which is the only Lotus I’ve driven. So that’s my comparison point).

Thoughts?

1) You could DEFINITELY feel the weight difference. But it was still pretty damn nimble on the roundabouts surrounding Gator. Definitely felt like the Lotus I know.

2) Compared to the Elise….its a car. Not the street legal go-cart I’m used to. Very nice and very comfortable interior. Much easier to get in and out of.

3) Didn’t SEEM to be much faster in the first gear than the Elise. Although, I will admit, could have been driver error on takeoff from stop.

4) Seemed overly refined. I could barely hear the engine/exhaust with the radio off. Isn’t that kinda the point? For me anyway, hearing that growl is a good chunk of why I love my Blue Meanie!

5) Definitely didn’t feel the driver/car mind meld I have with the Elise. Nowhere near as communicative at the hands and feet. Although, it was just a one off test drive. I could be mistaken. Had I had it for a day or two, maybe I’d be saying something else.

6) It is gorgeous! Without a doubt, one of the prettiest cars on the market at that price point.

7) For the updated price point, seems like there are other, possibly, better options on the market. If I won the lottery that I rarely play, I’d have one. Just for its looks. But if I was going to spend 6 figures on a car as a working dude….not sure this would be it. Don’t get me wrong. It is a fantastic car. But at 80k it’d be awesome! At 105k? Like I said, other stuff on the market.

Compared to the Evora? Dunno. Ain’t had the pleasure of driving one yet…

 

Amazing how 50lbs is a fat suit now..... The suit can easily be removed however.
and I hope they are selling for less or future variants don't escalate to much in price. I came away FAR more impressed with Emira than I thought I would. Going to 20s up front alone added 10lbs for example. Had to.
Waiting for someone to try some Evora OE 18/19 forged units on an Emira. Bet that would drop 30+lbs easy! So battery and wheels -60+lbs and Voila! no fat suit.

 

But you can do all that stuff on an Evora GT too.

IMHO, since they won't put a manual with the AMG, and they certainly won't be pairing a new transmission at any point with the 2GR, the Evora GT is lighter, more powerful, and yes a bit more raw. It's not as pretty from most angles maybe but the rear and side views of the Evora especially GT is still exotic and sporty.

But the true distinction is the backseat, and certainly something Lotus in its heyday did plenty of (though for some reason I feel a lot better about putting my kids carseat inches in front of the engine in my car rather than say the back of a Lotus Elite).

 

The back seat is not for humans, it's for a full size suitcase and a second carry-on.

 

I think there are many others here who would disagree. I use the Evora most days for school drop off and pick up. Eventually my kids will be too big, but the backseat is the reason I own an Evora instead of anything else right now. Backseat/MT/isn't a 911= Evora.

 

It's great you can multitask with it but I don't think having a back seat for children is a high priority for many people who are shopping for a sports / track car.

 

The weight thing is killing me. ~3175 v 3212. OMG its a poker at 37lbs heavier. Half the owners would benefit from dropping that weight off their person................I can say the same of a GT which is heavier than my S.. 3175 v 3168....and they did a lot of lightening during the build so there is less room to drop easy weight. The 44lb exhaust on the S v 33.8 on the GT just to name one. Lighter flywheel etc.... The only truly lighter Evora is the Sport 410!
You guys are NOT keeping it real with the weight concept.

There are only a handful of us out there down on the 3060 and below zone short of stripping it out and going to track seats etc... Seats on mine would get me below 3000lbs which would make a GT a real porker in comparison.
Even after a 30 minute drive, I feel pretty confident in saying no stock Evora GT will pull a car length on an Emira at LRP in a full lap. I doubt there will be any difference and due to superior damping, I wouldn't be surprised if a pro was faster in an Emira as its transient responses are fabulous. On a back road, this discussion is just flatulence. Just like every new version where the prior version owners were defensive, it is magnified here.
I have more than neutralized any later version advantages

As far as the back seats go, Evora is for those that need the seats no doubt. Those owners will no doubt hang on to the Evora 2+2 till the kids grow up or they really are little people. Most of us found them to be useless for humans however. My gas containers don't fit as well in the seats as they do on the back deck.........
Both are equally Lotus folks...both are Eagle origins

 

Your USA model GT's seem to be much heavier than the UK models which are 1,320 kg (2,910 lbs) wet weight, and some are even lighter if you opted for the Ohlins Titanium exhaust and carbon sport seats.

 

That is why you buy a Stelvio Quad that can haul, bacon , and kids....I'm coverd just in case my 59 yr old wife gives me news I don't expect........regardless of the source hehe

 

Look the Evora evolved over the years ending with the Evora GT. However, no Evora ever sold in enough numbers to make a dent for Lotus money wise. Interior wise it really was a bespoke car. Quality did not come close to a Boxster or Cayman. The Emira changes all that and has the looks of an Italian exotic. I don't know what the production numbers are of the Emira, but I keep reading that Lotus cannot build enough of them. Now they (Lotus) is in a Goldilocks situation as Porsche is phasing out the Ice Boxster/Cayman for and EV version. In terms of availability, it seems as if you can only get a PDK turbo 4 cylinder at dealerships right now. If Lotus can build the V6 manual for a few more years they could potentially sell in much higher volumes as there may be limited competition.

 

I though the difference in US and UK cars was mostly due to weighing with/without fluids.

Pretty sure it's exactly the same car excepting front bumper but I don't think there's 200lbs of difference there.

 

Saw a silver Emira at an intersection last week- what a beautiful, head-turning design. But so is the Evora / 400 / GT- and personally I prefer the old school Evora interior. Agree the Evora is likely to be much rarer and it will be a forever car for me. Hopefully can partner it with an Emira GT / 500 / SE in a few years 👍

 

I think the Evora GT's will be rarer, but considering the Evora is 10+ years older, it will be nowhere near rare as an Emira. Especially when you consider this is supposed to be a short run until they move on to EV's. I would think the V6 Emira's would be the rarest, unless you want to count the AMG engine rarer since it'll be the only non Toyota & with a DCT Lotus.

 

I have owned them for 14yrs so I am ready for the future.