My Top Car of 2024: The Lotus Emira Review

[@PhilipBlank]

Hope you enjoyed the vid! If you didn't, tell me why. Also a few extra facts: 1. The V6 is running a mechanical hydraulic assist power steering system, while the I4 is running an electro-hydraulic assist system off of the electrical system. This boost steering at idle speeds and fuel efficiency on the smaller engine. 2. Apple CarPlay is installed in the center cluster, will update if it’s wireless or wired. 3. They make a right-hand drive version for those markets. 4. If you are tall, test drive and figure out if the spine into the headrest is going to be a pain for you. It’s right on the brink of annoying for me and it’s not adjustable.

[@Tommyblueeyes]

They make a RHD car for certain Countries?? LOTUS is a BRITISH MARQUE! lol...Right hand drive by default! You should have said they make a "left hand drive " for USA and other Countries..

[@PhilipBlank]

@ lol fair. Most the world is LHD, only about 10-20% of them would be RHD based on the markets volume. In the first year of about 5k units targeted, they had about 500 allocated to the UK so the majority of their volume will be LHD.

[@scottlenahan8228]

Excellent spec!! Hope to see it someday soon!! And keep up the good work dude.

[@PhilipBlank]

Yeah’s it’s pretty clean! I’ve seen the Nimbus gray in person a few times and it also looks incredible! Thanks for the comment.

[@akselfjerstad2567]

Being able to see that mechanical linkage of the shifter is so cool! That's definitely my favorite part.

[@PhilipBlank]

@@akselfjerstad2567 it is a neat addition that has no value from a design perspective but shows you they are having fun with their work over in the Uk on this car!

[@Rex_Racer]

It’s plenty fast for US roads, and extra hp won’t help in the corners. I love the feel of the hydraulic steering- only Lotus, McLaren and GMA offer this today.

[@PhilipBlank]

I concur, the feeling of the hydraulic is great and yeah it doesn’t feel anywhere as nimble as the 720s but it’s totally fine. On HP it is plenty fast, I’m just used to a hair more power so I miss that here and it feels like a downgrade with snap but again totally fine for its overall package!

[@PhilipBlank]

And actually a hidden note that you’ll rarely see brought up anywhere is that the V6 has the hydraulic assist steering running a full hydraulic pump off the engine. The I4 AMG has a electro-hydraulic system that’s running everything off the electrical system with an electronic pump. No exp with it to know how it feels but it takes the load off the engine and slightly helps with fuel efficiency.

[@Rex_Racer]

@@PhilipBlank I believe the GMA t.50 and t.33 use a similar system. I’ve not driven the i4, so I don’t know how it feels, and I’m very not heard anyone that’s reviewed both give an opinion.

[@PhilipBlank]

@@Rex_RacerI can’t say I have ever even seen a GMA in person! Maybe someday I’ll get to check one out.

[@DanDoesGame]

Hey I was planning on grabbing one of these, but cant seem to find much on reliability. How long have you owned this and any issues that have come up on the mechanical side? IDC about the small stuff, I think anyone could come up with things like that for even the most reliable brands like Toyota. Reason for asking is I am not a mechanic by any means, the closest Lotus dealer to me is about 4 hours away and dont want to be going there more than 1 time a year for a check up.

[@PhilipBlank]

Great question but honestly pretty tough one to answer high level. The Japanese power train is highly reliable, especially for a sports car but also the British are not renowned for the best reliability in high milage for newer cars. For general use and daily driving I’d say it’s great. If you’re not hitting pot holes, and hard on everything or tracking it to wear out the bushings, it “should” last, but new cars can always have wire harness problems, quirks, unknown issues, etc and that’s the benefit of the 3 year warranty peace of mind. Relative to higher end cars out there I’d say the Emira will be super easy to own and nothing like a used Aston or Jag where you have no idea what you may be in for. With that, if you don’t have a speciality place for oil changes you’d probably need to find one (if not doing them yourself) or take the Lotus back to the dealer for the services every 5k- maximum 10k miles. (Toyota says 10k on the engine but most people change sooner) This one has 0 issues but it’s not used that often. I’d scan the forms and get a feel for what others do as most people don’t live near dealers for Lotus, closest one for this one is about 3.5 hrs. I’d vote you’re safe if you know what money you’re getting into with sport cars but what do I know, I’m just a random guy on the internet! haha

[@DanDoesGame]

@PhilipBlank ya i have a McLaren 570s, so i get more power means less reliable. I was more so talking about the issues I see online with Lotus leaking, handles breaking, trunk's and doors not closing, oil leaks,.etc. or if all of that stuff is just over exaggerated, just like the 570s was 🤣

[@PhilipBlank]

⁠​⁠@@DanDoesGameoh then you’d be fine haha. I think it’s safe to say the Emira would be more forgiving than the 570 with reliability and maintenance concerns, but every car is a chance. The Emira has been a big step forward from the Lotus’s of the past in consistency and build quality, I’ve seen the metrics but I imagine Lotus is much happier with this model. The previous one’s were more go cart and rattily, this is more refined and feels like the new Supras. It does have a battery tender you have to keep on it if you don’t drive it often enough to charge, and you have to click the rear boot latch with a screw driver so the car shuts it’s lights off when you have it on the charger. I’d see if you could get one out for a test drive for a weekend and definitely see if the back seat height is tall enough for you but it’s a good car for range!

[@DanDoesGame]

@@PhilipBlank ok cool!! ya the "rattly go cart" type of car was what I wanted to avoid 😂

[@andygtv]

It’s a nice car it just needs some Italian magic to tweak the exhaust sound.

[@PhilipBlank]

Complete agree with that! It’s lacking just a hair in the sound department to match the rest of the car.

[@Hapkin]

I have a 3rd cat delete and Milltek valve controller. Game changer. I keep it in the partially open setting and it screams!

[@akselfjerstad2567]

That is a beautiful color! What is it called??

[@PhilipBlank]

I agree! Seneca Blue, it’s a pretty bold color. My next pick is their Nimbus Metallic gray, that looks incredible in person.

[@todwcampbell]

Nice…like this review.

[@PhilipBlank]

Thanks mate!

[@andygtv]

Nice photography 👍

[@Steve-uf8pk]

Only come across one, which was blocking the road in North Norfolk with a broken clutch…..

[@PhilipBlank]

lol nice. Reliability can be mixed! But curious if that was operator error, known many a persons who broke their clutches from how they drive.

[@Steve-uf8pk]

@@PhilipBlank “Reliability can be mixed” Really. Felt sorry for the guy sitting on the grass verge looking so embarrassed…..

[@PhilipBlank]

lol Yep not fun. I passed an old Ferrari 512 broken down on the side of the road about a month ago with the whole engine bay opened up leaving my home. He was there for most the day as I passed him early Sunday morning around 7 AM and he was still there after lunch when I came back. I think they could’t find a wrecker that went low enough to tow it, but they finally got it moved. That really sucks! Sunday drive turned into a nightmare. They had some older Porsche’s surround it. Imagine spending several 100k and being stranded!

[@vetteseller5]

I disagree about future value. This is their last gas car and first edition with the coveted 6 speed manual. Prices should keep going up for collectors. - Pappy

[@PhilipBlank]

That’s a good point! Lotus did just back down on their all EV by 2028 so we may see hybrid Emiras, but time will tell! It also may hold its value being one of the last great “manual” options out there and spike the demand in the world of EV’s.

[@Leaky-bunghole]

7:50 did you just call it a supra? The engine comes from a Camry.

[@PhilipBlank]

lol no, Super aka the supercharger. I’m a big fan of the whine of a supercharger.

[@Leaky-bunghole]

@@PhilipBlank oohhhhhhh lol sorry i was high. great video, really enjoyed it

[@PhilipBlank]

@@Leaky-bungholehaha no worries! Does almost sound like Supra when I listened back

[@Leaky-bunghole]

@@PhilipBlank ehhh maybe. i was under the influence of a substance when i posted which is way more to blame in this instance than what either you actually or kinda maybe might have said

[@rowan1043]

You're completely wrong about Lotuses not historically holding their value. I can tell you aren't totally familiar with what you're talking about.

[@PhilipBlank]

Fair but I think it depends on what time frame you are looking at and how "historic" prior to the 2022 car bubble where everything went nuts. Take for example the MSRP of the 2009 Evora of around $74k, 6 years later they were going for closer to 35-50k pending the milage. The Exige's are a bit more rare and have done better but I'd say the brand is more relative to Jaguars, lagging significantly behind Porsche in their valuation. They are definitely in their appreciation curve with the values peaking in 2023, but in my opinion they are not a strong brand name in the investment valuation of cars. (But still one of my favorite brands out there) Check out Bring a Trailers valuation history on their Auction graph, sadly it doesn't show further back than 2017 but it's great for seeing trends! bringatrailer.com/lotus/evora/?q=lotus+evora

[@na_wu]

Evora keeps value very very well.

[@reflekt6777]

Cool car, but you struggle to maintain lane for it being such a small car lmao

[@PhilipBlank]

Haha perks of back country roads with nobody else on them

[@さいちゃん-m8r]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4CZgJVtidZqoaMsi=5SNoKZn6DbskYtcw My friend in a foreign country. My emira and yours are similar. I customized it a little bit, so I recommend it.

[@PhilipBlank]

I shall check it out! I love the look of the stripes on that!

[@daratzz7637]

Came here to see a nice review of the cars performance: *Test drives Lotus famed for handling then drives up and down straight roads tip-toeing around corners* *Comments about Lotus not holding value as it's not a Porsche* - completely untrue, rarer cars hold value more. *Grabs boot lid by the locking mechanism* 😂- please don't do that, close it from the top of the boot. *says Lotus is about giving exotic feel* - no it's about pure driving performance *Makes comment right-hand drive version available for certain countries* - er of course, you mean the country that makes the car? *holds on for dear life when accelerating* *wobbles gear knob to explain lack of desire for 6 speed* *comments traction not good enough and wants more grip - gets nowhere near limits or even shows braking performance* You sound like you have no idea what you're on about, such a waste. You may as well have done the review without even starting the car and just read out your googled information.

[@PhilipBlank]

Ooo savage comment haha but appreciate the feedback! I agree not living around a lot of hilly curvy roads is not ideal for making videos! Usually have to go on longer drives to get there but gotta play the cards you’ve got! lol if you think lotus hold value better than a 911 I’d like to know what market your shopping in. Check out Bring a Trailers auction trends or other price tracking tools to learn more. Rare doesn’t directly correlate to demand and value. If supply is low and demand is low, the value isn’t there. Lotus are iffy on intrinsic value, that’s the way the market has always been, they have been appreciating more over the 2023 peak but Google it, ask ChatGPT, read a form, whatever you like to find your info from, lotus are not legendary for holding value. Grabbing by the lock prevents leaving hand prints on the PPF, so it works totally fine, that’s how I close McLaren doors and GT3 RS hoods, anything without built in handles off the painted surface. I have a lot of Asian viewers and many times on videos I get asked if companies make a RH version, you’d be surprised so I share the info so they don’t have to dig. I’ve driven many manual cars and this 6 speed on this one is pretty sloppy and loose, so l wish it was tighter in its engagement and would give that feedback to Lotus. I love the car and it mad great to drive but it’s not above having flaws. Last note, if you ever get into making videos and posting stuff online, you must always keep everything “tame” from a road legality perspective as it would be incredibly naive to post yourself breaking the law, driving aggressive, or anything that would be illegal for future incrimination. Public roads are not a race track, drive within the bounds and stay safe. I had a blast making the video so even if nobody watches it, it’s my little hobby and pays the for the camera gear! Your comment was thorough and showed you watched the video so I appreciate that! If there is any note of value in it I’ll try to think of that to improve my future work. Peace!

[@Frakaphoto]

central screen is a crap choice. please Lotus provide us a later option to remove these.

[@PhilipBlank]

It’s a decent screen! But I wouldn’t mind a version with a sleek dash.

[@TD-nf7kw]

Nice review, but 1995 called and wants its manual transmission back ... Your comment on the AMG I4 is misleading... That vehicle will come with a dual clutch transmission. Try asking the F1 guys to give up their sequential and other PDK style gearboxes ...

[@PhilipBlank]

lol the I4 comes with “Dual-clutch 8-speed automatic” straight from Lotus website. PDK’s are still considered automatic that can be manually electronically shifted. I’ve driven many a cars that the automatic are far superior for the shift speed and many other reasons, which is why very few super cars even offer a manual. But for a lower-end entry sports car like this where speed and power are second to handling and drive experience, I recommend the manual! That’s why it’s most fun to just have a lot of cars where you can drive both!

[@PhilipBlank]

@@TD-nf7kw but I do appreciate your opinion so thank you for commenting!

[@franklinsantana3553]

well I think the car looks beautiful great video so in the mid- time I’ll will keep my six speed 9th gen civic si 500 HP turbo just for Nowww🤣🤣

[@PhilipBlank]

I’m sure that’s a blast! As long is the car is keeping you happy then that’s the best thing to run.