New Lotus Emira vs Porsche Cayman GTS review | Autocar

The all-new Lotus Emira is a big car for Lotus. For one, it's the end of something: the last petrol-powered sports car Lotus says it will make. And for two it's the start of something, as the first all-new model to be introduced since Geely took over Lotus five years ago.
Like the Evora before it it's a mid-engined sports car with a 3.5-litre supercharged V6 engine; here it makes 400bhp and drives through a six-speed manual gearbox. It'll do 0-62mph in 4.3sec and has a 180mph top speed.
But just how good is it? We've put it up against the benchmark mid-engined sports car to find out: a Porsche 718 Cayman GTS. This has a 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat-six cylinder engine making 394bhp. It will do 0-62mph in 4.5sec and has a 182mph top speed.
Which is better? Join our editor-at-large Matt Prior on some great British roads as he finds out.
Follow AUTOCAR here:
LIKE Autocar on Facebook: bit.ly/2Jzyvh1
FOLLOW Autocar on Twitter: bit.ly/2JzABgT
FOLLOW Autocar on Instagram: bit.ly/2TIgvFI
Check out our full video catalog: bit.ly/1UfAOCH
For car reviews you can trust, subscribe to Autocar: smarturl.it/autocar

[@barryrodgers3039]

Porsche probably makes the best cars in the world. However emotionally, the Emira calls to me more. It looks beautiful and exotic. It is a car you would always look back on as you walk away. It will also be more rare. Put the GTS engine in the Lotus and you would have the perfect combination.

[@bokiNYC]

Agree 100%! 👍

[@kalasmournrex1470]

What about a C8 Corvette? I think I prefer both the Cayman and Emira in looks, but the C8 Corvette is an interesting curve ball. To be fair, I own a Cayman.

[@jameswillard1]

@@kalasmournrex1470 C8 just suffers from generic and awkward styling

[@barryrodgers3039]

@@kalasmournrex1470 I like the C8, but it is starting to get fairly common and I really like a manual transmission in a sports car even if slower. If I want to go fast with two pedals then might as well go electric.

[@BlatentlyFakeName]

They can be a bit boring though. If you want to have actual FUN, get the Lotus.

[@Eric-pw5yf]

You never push the cars…. Looks like a review in slowmo…. 🙂 Come on floor it, you won’t hurt them and they will show their real potential and we as viewers get a better video!

[@robrackstraw]

Seldom seen such a lack of enthusiasm about two such excellent cars.

[@ShanePleasance]

It's difficult for me to imagine a more funereal drear of a demonstration of what ought to have been a celebration of driving.

[@EvoraGT430]

So true. Dull beyond belief.

[@TassieLorenzo]

Where's Sutcliffe?! :( Hopefully Sutcliffe will take these cars (or the sharper Emira Sport) to a track test and we will learn something a bit more useful...

[@bluemonstrosity259]

That's Matt in general.

[@opnarth]

I disagree, I like his style.

[@lesflynn4455]

I really hope the Lotus Emira is a raging success. It saddens me to think that this is the last Lotus with an internal combustion engine. I have some hope that the Emira does so well that they continue to do what they have been doing for so long. No other manufacturer does what Lotus does. Small, light, lovely handling cars with just enough power to thrill the driver.

[@SoCalFreelance]

Of course the Cayman/Boxster has been refined/perfected over 25 years. The first year for any new car/platform is a rough one.

[@soaruk3697]

the 'platform' has been around for a while - its just a rebodied and tweaked Evora......

[@James_Sovereign]

Sure, but the Lotus isn't "new". The Evora, that the Emira is built on, was launched in 2008 and the Toyota sourced 2GR-FE has been around since 2005. There was a lot of hype and expectation around the Lotus and unfortunately, aside from the looks, it's not really living up to it.

[@michaeltb1358]

So its basically a 25 year old design.

[@JoseRodriguez-ey7ju]

@@James_Sovereign what are you saying? It is absolutely living up to the hype, lotus was never promising anything revolutionary with the Emira. Part of the reason there was so much hype around the Emira was the new looks and the new interior, not a whole new engine or suspension setup or anything like that, so in that department the Emira has delivered, however if you expected anything more than that you were always setting yourself up for disappointment.

[@Baerchenization]

Like Lotus never built a mid-engine car before, hm? Porsche simply has a million times more money to throw at development and can dive in to the vast VAG parts shelves.

[@davemdub]

I didn’t think it was possible to make a boring comparison test if these two cars but you figured it out.

[@domzbu]

Teenagers prefer Chris Harris drifting fest

[@3storiesUp]

Seemed to me he was trying his best to find reasons to compliment the British car .. and was failing miserably ..

[@3storiesUp]

@@domzbu Nothing to do with his drifting fest ..

[@nickkatone]

Well Said....borrrring

[@josiahhein6036]

This was terrible to listen to! I'm actually in the market for either of these cars, or a 991.2. I had to stop halfway through! Would have stopped sooner if I wasn't busy working. Would have been more exciting to read about these 2 cars!

[@portland573]

Least enthusiasm I've seen for such pleasant cars. 2+ year wait for the yellow badge says it all.

[@johnlangdon9097]

The big differentiator for me, that wasn't really discussed, is the looks. The Porsche, whilst an amazing driving machine, looks (to me) a little bit awkward and with so many new and old Caymans/Boxsters (lets say 911s as well) around on the roads the appearance is essentially too familiar. The Emira looks special, rare and to a bystander probably a price-class above the Porsche. It's been said many times before but the Emira has an aura of a junior-Supercar about it whereas the Porsche looks a little too common and (sorry) for me, a little bland.

[@Andrew-rc3vh]

I think the Porsche has been designed to have looks which appeal to women.

[@Breadfan00]

@@Andrew-rc3vhyou mean “for women”= not as aggressive, inoffensive?

[@Andrew-rc3vh]

@@Breadfan00 Sort of "cute". Also the sort that works well on a shopping trip at 30mph, not made for the track.

[@StandingUpForBetter]

I agree 100%.

[@craignovo9964]

@@Andrew-rc3vh cool story, too bad it wipes the floor with Lotus on a track. But yeah, you are right, the car for real men is probably the chinese one made in a country that is ruled by Indians and with the engine out of a Toyota.

[@randall7004]

I love that body of the Lotus. It just takes my breath away.

[@LitleBear]

This was the exact review I was expecting before I even saw it. GTS for me but the Lotus seems pretty great too.

[@alanwayte432]

The Lotus has great qualities, above all its not a Porsche so people might let you out of a junction

[@EvoraGT430]

@@alanwayte432 As an owner of both, the difference is enormous.

[@lotuscarlton3325]

@@EvoraGT430 and what is the difference ?..

[@yyyy-fg3ii]

Porsche is a better driver's car.

[@christianabandabella235]

Very informative review but unfortunately, a number of important points were overlooked/problematic or not talked about in sufficient details. The first being how the gearing in the Lotus compares to the gearing in the Cayman, as manual Porsches are currently plagued with overly long gearing (emissions-related): which speed is reached at the top of 2nd in both cars? The second issue is with the steering. Maybe it's a bit of Porsche bias, but what does he mean by the steering is a bit 'corrupted' in the Emira? Journalists lauds a steering that vibrates and wriggles a bit from road imperfections when referring to a 993/996 Porsche (even lauded as unique 911 trait due to the engine being at the back), but suddenly, when the steering of an Emira does a little bit of that, it is somehow described as 'corruption'? It really sounded like he was trying to find ways not to simply acknowledge that the hydraulic setup in the Emira is just better than the electric setup in the Cayman. Thirdly, I remember how I read so many articles and watched so many videos about manual gearboxes in Caymans and in Evoras being this and that, but when I actually drove an Evora 400 and several Caymans, frankly they were all great and I would have been hard pressed to fault any of them. Finally, is the engine sound piped into the cabin through speakers for either car?

[@Eurosport.Automotive]

I can only speak for the GTS 4.0… no sound pumped in through the speakers but there is a pipe running from the intake manifold to the firewall to increase induction noise heard in the cabin.

[@Whiters8]

Agree. A really good review. On your first point, he didn't mention the speeds in second which would have been a useful reference point, I agree. But he does mention the Porsche's overly long gearing and the fact that the Lotus feels more urgent or immediate, and I think he mentioned it in the context of gears and the Lotus' supercharger. On the steering, corruption is unexpected and sharp 'kickback' where the steering wheel reacts in your hands to bumps and the car is knocked off your chosen line. You then need to react to the unwanted movement by applying correction to get the car back on line. Mostly happens in corners but can be a problem on the straight ahead as well. Corruption can also be used to describe tram-lining where the front wheels follow imperfections in the road surface that you then need to steer to correct. Road camber can also do this but mostly I find it's where the surface is different across the front axle and the steering pulls as a result. I think that last example is where the difference between corruption and feel cross over. A little light tugging of the wheel in reaction to surface changes can be quite nice in some cars, but it needs to be light enough to class as informative rather than distracting. Perhaps a little tug to tell you there is a little less grip under one of the front wheels. Good steering 'feel' is information imparted by the front tyres at the contact patch and up through the steering system to the wheel, and tells you what the surface is like and what available grip there might be. Both hydraulic and electric racks can give good feel, but more often the hydraulic rack also adds a more natural resistance to add to the overall package of 'feel', whereas electric systems can often seem like they have an artificial and/or sticky weight to them. Porsche seem to have worked the hardest to recreate the more natural feel of a hydraulic rack through their electric systems. The early 991's steering while accurate didn't have the natural weight of Porsche's hydraulic systems. The gearshift is often subjective. Some just care about the speed and accuracy, others find the 'feel' more important. I guess the best do both through a combination of throw, weight, springing and bushes. One of my cars has a short, fast but weighty and slightly clunky shift. I like it and think it's fine in isolation, but another (far cheaper car) has the cliche police annoying 'knife through butter' shift. It's slightly longer but soooo slick and satisfying with no notchyness. I've only recently discovered what a difference the knob can make (not talking about me here 🙂 - well, maybe not.) The shape obviously, but also the weight of the knob itself. I think it was in relation to improvements to the Civic Type R last year but my ageing brain may have just made that up. Finally... I don't think either car pipes in any noise, certainly not through the speakers. I don't know if either have those sound tube thingies that direct induction noise to the cabin 🙂

[@tayloraverett3138]

@@Whiters8 thanks for that reply, I learned something new!

[@M4X1]

Just buy an Emira and stop complaining if you’re gonna be such a fanboy; trying to find any reasons to admire the emira.

[@JuanGonzalez-cl3pw]

Such an underrated comment, you really do know about both cars

[@vagabond1776]

Keep on it! I enjoyed this video! There are plenty of quick to-the-point videos out there….I appreciate the laidback driving feedback. When I get the opportunity to drive these two vehicles I will be in the same mindset, attentive and observant.

[@nickg3999]

Was he actually enjoying himself?! Two of the best modern sports cars on great roads and from his delivery you would have thought he was testing a couple of shopping trolleys. What do they feel like and how do they respond when really pushed? What about a proper engine delivery and sound comparison. Most importantly with these sorts of cars, how do they make you feel?

[@swerne01]

It's stressful when you know people want to know who the winner was and they're so close.

[@PrettyGreenMonk]

Lack of vocabulary to get his feelings across is the issue here but none the less a good honest review

[@jeevaan6965]

I liked it, he was doing his best to describe how things felt. Not everything needs to be clickbait Fortnite highlights aimed at 5 year olds.

[@tajezzoxcube1374]

shopping trolleys😂

[@kevind2760]

You are the ONLY channel that covers driving on crappy roads, and that's important. Everyone does track battles. I don't live on a track.

[@highgate14]

GTS is a more polished product and easier to live with than the Lotus Sports equivalent. Should holds it value better too

[@shanewilson2484]

That is why you wait and buy a used Lotus.

[@simondemetriou7750]

I know that looks are subjective………..but Caymans just don’t have the wow factor and look quite drab and boring now. The Lotus makes you look back at it, and is way more exotic and desirable! 😍

[@Magic_Vince]

Damn I wish for some more emotions when testing these awesome cars. Didn’t talk enough about the engine and handling balance. Not great.

[@fastdays_1]

He's always like this..very cold, robotic, I don't like his reviews (I'm watching this just because of the Lotus)

[@RC-wb6gv]

Driving so slowly…..how is the corning…braking…..engine performance……….poor review imo………just seems like he’s not bothered

[@TheRealMacSavage]

Magma red looks way better I’ll than on the configurator 😍

[@fcog9525]

Very useful actually! Thank you very much

[@Natak222]

I’m a little confused, so which one do you prefer? I’ve seen you review the Alpine and Cayman head to head and there you were much more enthusiastic. Yet in this, You didn’t seem impressed with any of the cars

[@Cloxxki]

I took from it that the Lotus is the bumpy road Ferrari, Porsche the car you'd drive all other places.

[@jimj2683]

@@Cloxxki He said the ride quality was better in the Lotus...

[@kalmmonke5037]

not sure how gearbox is better but people been sayin so. cayman is smaller car, might be quicker acleration, we dont have offical numbers. steering and chassis communication even ride quality better in lotus at least the touring version, this red car was supposed to be the sport version in othe youtube vidoe, toruing is more quiet and maybe more isolating from road bumpiness without sacrificing steering communication

[@ronin84]

They both have their own advantages. He said overall he'd prefer to spend more time in the Porsche, but there are times and roads where he'd prefer the Emira every time. He was impressed with both.

[@jehannavarathne1885]

🤣

[@nedcoburn6421]

Great review as always Matt, thank you.

[@schneckenreiter11]

Since the touchscreen explanations I was happy to have a pure elise 250 cup in my garage :-)

[@Maurice_Moss]

I was falling asleep through this test

[@thedrivebygg]

Great honest review, any news when the next gen boxster is due?

[@michaelmeredith912]

I wish they would have used the cool looking pattern they used in the exhaust tips with the Lotus logo shape for the mesh that you can see the shift mechanism through. Come on Lotus! 🤓

[@876yuugt]

Excellent review.

[@since-jx1ix]

Matt you seemed underwhelmed by them both. The Lotus particularly, but I guess we've waited a long time for this car and promised a lot.......just seemed to leave you flat.

[@LarsAgerbk]

Matt was born underwhelmed. This is as much excitement you'll ever see from him.

[@aviator-kn8zq]

@@LarsAgerbk yes lol.

[@oppos727]

@@LarsAgerbk great writer but dry as a week old wafer when it comes to his on-screen presence. Really wish they’d use other staff members for these roles.

[@ovidiudiumea4012]

@@oppos727 I like Matt's on-screen presence. Not every presenter needs to be brimming with emotion.

[@oppos727]

@@ovidiudiumea4012 respect that. It just feels like clocking into a second job for me.

[@MrRoyck10]

What a somber and cold 🥶 review

[@johnl.7582]

"At the speed limit at the top of 2nd gear" is a key issue with a modern N/A sports car (or bike, for that matter), but surely this is resolvable with appropriate gearing.

[@pamo5900]

Will there be on track comparison?

[@geirarnesen6531]

Great review for seasoned petrolheads. Factual, no-nonsense content. thank you!

[@babber2536]

absolutely what i was thinking to compare atm

[@nomoreheroes93]

Both Autocar and Evo seem to miss the desirability factor of cars in this segment, the Lotus looks like a supercar, the Cayman still essentially still looks like a Boxster with a lid on. I know which one I'd have for the money. Also excited to see what the more focused variants of the Emira do, I think they'll have the Cayman's trousers down.

[@bokiNYC]

Highly doubt they'll make it more extreme than the gt4rs but hey, let's see.

[@NutriwellnessTraining]

Ce n'est aucunement le cas d'une Porsche que de ressembler à une supercar:) Vous confondez Porsche avec Lamborghini ou Bugatti. Le Cayman est le modèle coupé et sportif de la marque et représente un des meilleurs compromis entre sportivité, élégance et plaisir de conduire ! La Lotus est sympa mais cela n'a rien à voir même si vous la considérez au-dessus parce qu'elle l'apparence d'une supercar: ) on ne roule pas avec une apparence mais une voiture...et croyez-moi, Porche s'est faire ça sans beaucoup d'équivalence sur le marché !

[@martinsaunders2942]

In my opinion Lotus totally ruined the Evora by trying to make it more focused. It ended up with a cheap looking interior, stripped of all comforts and amenities, riding on suspension that whilst good for a track was very jarring and indifferent on an average B road, and stupidly for Lotus, the Evora 400 ‘s biggest competitor was the V6 Exige and V6 Elise… not clever really!. The Series 1 Evoras, when they were a well equipped GT are much better cars…particularly as a daily. The Emira today, has been conceived exactly as the Evora was 14 years ago, a well equipped, comfortable and usable. Focused cars have very little appeal to most buyers…Porsche are a very good example..the GT 2/3/4 are not the volume sellers of the range.

[@nomoreheroes93]

@@bokiNYC you'd be surprised, especially if they build a race series around the Emira and then release a road-legal "cup" variant.

[@Samson44444]

Nothing is touching a cayman gt4 rs

[@thedownshiftchannel]

I was really tempted by the Lotus in announcement but with the additional price for the V6 and drivers pack etc it moves it into a different price band and I think a used GT4 seems a better buy

[@boringuserhandle]

A used GT4 is 100k.

[@thedownshiftchannel]

@@boringuserhandle there’s plenty of 981 available for 70-80 and I still feel that’s a better option

[@dagnut]

So much bullshit about this car costing 60k. I knew any decent one would be 80. Typical lotus, typical British sports car really..this reminds me so much of the 2006 Vantage launch..."we're coming for Porsche, we are going to undercut and outperform them"...in reality the car arrives with dated engine tech, over weight and the forecourt price is no where near what they claimed

[@thedownshiftchannel]

@@dagnut totally agree it seems mental paying a strong premium for an engine that required no extra R&D as they’ve developed and used it for decades

[@dagnut]

@@thedownshiftchannel if it was 60k it's fine, its cheaper than a Cayman and most importantly it's not another Porchse...but when its 80k, and engine aside, the quality is yet untested , I'm not sure I could look past a Cayman. Residuals are usually rock solid with Lotus's but I'm not sure with 2030 looming...not sure this is special enough to be in demand as a hobby car...there's so many out there already...I'm with you I'd stretch to a gt4, that will always be in demand and when it's hobby only for ICE cars , Porchse will be top of the menu for most ordinary folks

[@moimoi4725]

Can you compare it to the 2021 Evora GT

[@OlderthanIlookyoungerthanIfeel]

It might be heavier than the Elise and the Exige , but the Evora was no lightweight . It looks wise I think it's the nicest looking thing that Lotus has ever made . Add to that the reliability of a Toyota engine . And I would take the Lotus over the Porsche any day . But I'm a poor Canadian who can't afford either so who cares .

[@earthlingtheaaron21]

Although the Toyota power train is probably more reliable than Porsche’s, part availability for everything else will be cheaper for the Cayman. Part availability has been phenomenal for my 22 year old Boxster S.

[@andyjarvisio5337]

Reliability is down to more than just the engine

[@BlatentlyFakeName]

The Toyota engined Lotuses have been pretty reliable. Porsche have had all sorts of internal engine issues ever since they moved away from air cooling ago really. Bore scoring on a number of engines for example, which kills a lot of engines out of warranty and is probably present on most from the 00s when checked. Porsche ignores the issue and won't help at all.

[@jamdown1ify]

Your video with all the close up shots of the wheels, lights, vents etc, should i put them together like a puzzle in my mind then imagine what the car looks like?

[@CherylCold]

Still have an Elise for many years, 3 other cars but I don't see myself moving away from the Elise, as for the gear change, I've never had any issues with the Elise, if anything I find it wonderful, the ride is crashy but on tight twisty hill climbs I've never seen anything get close. As soon as you add refinement you take away the essence. One car will never do every trick.

[@davidroush1224]

Me too. I was hoping the Emira would be a refined Elise with more power, but instead we got what seems to just be an Evora re-skin with focus on daily driveablilty. Keeping my Elise, maybe forever. Only hope now is that Caterham or someone buy the Elise tooling and offers new kits so I won't be driving what is already a 16 year old car for decades more.

[@sonicsabbath]

You forgot to talk about looks - which the Emira wins hands down. I say this as a porsche owner.

[@nickbrown6457]

The Emira looks amazing, new and fresh, whereas Porsche design just continually rehashes the exact same 911 body shape every time they launch a (supposed) new car. The Taycan is just a long 911. The Cayenne is just a fat 911. They are literally as dull as ditch water, as we say in the UK. Can't they design something new for a change?

[@colinearwaker3329]

Great review Matt, really enjoyed an unbiased review. If the Emira has room for improvement then it needs highlighting as it’s a great looking car. Probably one of the best professional motoring journalists writing currently. It would be a hard decision to choose between either if I was fortunate to be in a position to buy.

[@drumtum]

Feels like i am watching a review of two new hearses from Lotus and Porsche.

[@wernerengel4919]

I much prefer the look of the Lotus but Porsche have had much more time to fine tune the engine and gearbox. Hope Lotus does really well with this car.

[@sarianhoufis7539]

this is the same engine in the emira than the evora. lotus had a lot of time to perfect this engine

[@wellingtonbruh3756]

To be honest, I'd go for the Lotus. Even if the porches edges it out on paper and is arguably more refined and has better performance for the price, I want a car that both catches eyes and feels special for that price. If we only bought cars for the performance then why get an R8 or Hurrican when you have a 911. If I'm paying nearly 100k, I'm getting the car that I'll always look back at when I park it.

[@X50505]

That's because you're a 12 year old who wants to show off. You'll grow up one day.

[@cybersurfer2010]

Were are you guys driving these cars? Wales, Scotland, ? Great scenery!

[@dedge12858]

Was wondering the same. Could also be somewhere in Northumberland. Stunning roads with low traffic up there but can be a little bumpy.

[@lloyd.8272]

Last time I was in a lotus it was a lot more exciting than in this video.

[@captain_the_puggy8486]

Tune in next week for Matt Prior's 1 hour review of his favourite colours of cups of tea

[@AR-rs2dy]

Two great sports cars, one dull commentary. Nothing about how the cars behave once you start to pick the pace up and drive them like they're designed to be driven.

[@UKArtlover]

Can’t get over the fact that to me personally from front three quarters the bonnet makes it look like it’s had a shunt OR doing an impression of Rod Hull’s Emu … hey it could be called the Emura 😂

[@LaudaMaestro]

As much as I doubted them, I wished Lotus would prove me wrong and put out a solid competitive package. As it stands, the Emira would have been an attractive package had it been priced closer to the standard 718. Instead, they priced it closer to an optioned 718 GTS 4.0, arguably one of the best sports cars ever built outside of a 718 GT4 and GT4 RS. If you’re going to come out of the gates shooting for the throne with your first car as a rebranded Lotus, you better come with something undeniable.

[@nigel.w]

The Evora is clearly an extremely flawed car, because with a lot of development and an Emira re-skin, it's still not a compelling purchase against a GTS 4.0. Maybe the AMG-powered car with minimal options will make more sense than a Cayman S, for say, no more than GBP65k with options?

[@ajnaughtin1]

I think it could have easily competed if it was lighter. I don't understand why it is so heavy. Optimistic to go toe to toe with Porsche right now, their line up is great.

[@allenvaughn5410]

The launch edition is an additional $20k in the US I believe and the test car was a launch edition. So I believe the standard would be a more viable option

[@casualarrogance]

@@ajnaughtin1 the weight is with 90% full gas tank and a 75kgs driver included!

[@martinsaunders2942]

@@nigel.w I have owned my Evora S since new in 2015. I don’t really understand why you think it is ..Extremely Flawed.. to be honest, though I do appreciate it’s a bit of a left field choice Living in Italy, I very regularly drive mine up and down to the U.K. and it performs faultlessly, it has been super reliable and suffered absolutely no problems at all. My previous Carrera S broke the intermediate shaft, breaking both the engine and gearbox..this whilst cruising on a motorway at 70mph. My subsequent trip Cayman was nice enough..but frankly a bit boring.. A very capable car, but as exciting as a VW Golf. ..I will happily stay with my extremely flawed Evora thanks.

[@patrick_1984]

A little more excitement reviewing sports cars would be a little more exciting to watch too.

[@rubioe3067]

Thank you!

[@martinaston1715]

May have been covered BUT which Emira Touring or Sport I believe they drive very differently especially so on the road …

[@RtB68]

That review felt like a chore to get through. What a lacklustre effort. I'm not expecting bells and whistles but for most of that 15 minutes I thought you might be dead.

[@mattdedasc]

I never understood the fascination with black wheels.

[@Squilliam-Fancyson]

Would go for the Porsche all day long. It's such a good chassis and since it's got the detuned 911 GT3 engine, it's my absolute favourite car in it's class. Porsche is also one of the few european car manufacturers, that still offers good manual gearbox solutions.

[@zbrembo]

its not a detuned gt3 engine, its a bored out base model 991 engine with no turbos.

[@pininfarina575]

not a detuned "GT3" engine. normal carrera 3L bored / stroked and turbo removed.

[@Squilliam-Fancyson]

@@zbrembo Ok did not know that, but makes sense since the GT3 engine is quiet expensive.

[@nessuno5403]

@@Squilliam-Fancyson in other words, you talk scheisse

[@dumbasasupremebrick7767]

@@Squilliam-Fancyson The GT4RS has a “detuned” GT3 Engine maybe that’s what you’re talking about?

[@daysofgrace2934]

Does the Cayman have double wishbone suspension like the Jag XE?

[@msulemanf]

In this class of car (particularly), passion, desire, ethos, history & patriotism perhaps have a heavier weighting. It's just a brilliant day when you can think to yourself "yes, I'd have the Lotus, no question" in such talented company.

[@nikaveyard1176]

“Sticktion” nice to hear an Allan Staniforth word 👍

[@jamie101010]

This was a great Caymen review!

[@Bergie_78]

lol

[@gracefullygraceful9776]

😁😁😁😁

[@JBsC6]

The beautiful new lotus is an exciting new entry and a new flavor . Id buy in america a 2020 corvette z51 that I currently own yet I admire both the porsche and lotus as great choices from boutique manufacturers.

[@Bupkus68]

Since when is Porsche a “boutique” manufacturer?

[@ronniet906]

Thanks Matt, you always give a sensible technical review!

[@icrowley]

This review could be summarized as "How to split a hair". Where there's a big difference in these cars is the interior/exterior design. The Porche is unmistakably of the maker, an evolution and as such fine if a little dull. How any of these can you see on any given day? The Lotus is exotic and to me exciting which is what I'd want after spending 80 grand. Every time you look at the Lotus you'll think "Wow". Every time you look at the Porche "Is that one mine?"

[@SoerenAU]

Serious stuff, certainly.

[@carfan3762]

The Lotus looks lovely and no doubt is - or will be - a very good proposition. But the global excellence of the Cayman GTS (one must keep in mind this is a Porsche !) and it’s praticallity does the job for me. Both cars are top notch. As always, in the end, it’s just a matter of personal preference. Thanks to Matt Prior who always does very good reviews and gives us a clear understanding of what is at stake. 👌🏻🙏🏻

[@cromo7743]

They finally did what I always thought they should do with Lotus: a competitor to Porsche. For years it was a brand that was very poorly taken advantage of in its market potential.

[@exigeboy]

I can only assume Dagnut Has driven an Emira to have such a well informed opinion of it. I have an Exige an not for a moment would I take a Caymen over it. However I have never driven a Caymen so I wouldn't dream to comment on one. I just prefer a British car and the immense sense of occasion it is every time I drive it. Oh - and with the roof off on a sunny day on the right road - it just feels like perfection.

[@Slingsshootingandcamping]

Brains says porche heart says lotus

[@G0ddEityawesome]

I thought the emira was the f8 at first glance with that red exterior

[@hueyhoolihan582]

might want to consider ordering the "sheep catcher" option on those cars.

[@Bmontepeque11]

I think the only reasons to go for the Emira in this case would be if you prefer the looks, or the reliability of a Toyota engine, because that GTS 4.0 is just overall better in my eyes 💕

[@DMSparky]

Aren’t Porsches actually incredibly reliable? Just expensive to fix when there is an issue.

[@SkyrimCZtutorials]

@@DMSparky Not true actually. Service costs ale usually little better than for Audis. The only costly things comes from the fact i got boxer motor, even for spark plugs, engine must come out of the car.

[@ergonaut940]

@@DMSparky Porsche is at least as reliable and cheaper to fix.

[@razorworks111]

@@SkyrimCZtutorials that’s incorrect. Spark plug change does not require removal of the engine. The mid engine layout is still a tight space, but most maintenance does not require dropping the engine

[@Bmontepeque11]

@@DMSparky Porsches are reliable! I was just trying to say that "If you compare a Porsche Engine to a Toyota Engine in reliability, the Toyota is the better one no doubt"

[@doug3011]

by kick back in steering do you mean bump steer?

[@kalmmonke5037]

yes, what else would it be

[@mistreku]

IMO, this sort of car needs a track test also, it's what they are meant to do after all. Even if most owners will never do it, I think it's still called for in a review. My money would be on the Porka.

[@Scorpio1075]

BIG problem with the Porsche is that the gearing is so looooong it makes buying the manual pointless. So, buy the Lotus if your want a manual sports car and buy the Porsche with PDK if you want an automatic sports car.

[@celliott16]

Nonsense 😂 the manual 4.0 is a marvel, the way the car instantly pulls at low revs in any gear is amazing, people only moan about long gears because it sounds so damn good high up in the rev range and your doing illegal things up there!

[@markw9512]

Please…put down the Kool-Aid. One of the joys of a manual (actually the only joy) is shifting through the gears and hearing the engine wind out. At the point of your second shift at redline in the GTS, you’ll be over 80 mph/128km/h.

[@jorgeluiscapiello414]

Love both, but... give me the Lotus!

[@jonolondon]

Matt you are always brilliant! A proper journalist and a terrific review as ever. We are lucky to have you doing this for Autocar. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@jlo6388]

4.0 NA engine with 400 hp in a Cayman chassis? No comparison.

[@Gadgit83]

Try driving the Emira! It certainly doesn't feel like you're in a golf!

[@joelpethick3406]

Which road is this on viewers?

[@Baerchenization]

That switch in the Porsche is of course not about a softer or stiffer suspension, it lowers the suspension.

[@nigel.w]

I'm not the biggest fan of the Cayman, but for me, the fact that it is a thoroughbred is an important distinction bewteen it and the Emira. I much prefer the looks of the Emira, and I much prefer the lower gearing. The interior as well as the ingress and egress are definitely a step-up for the Emira vs the Evora, but the interior still looks cheap to me, and even though the Cayman's interior is arguably dated, I think I'd still prefer to live with it over that of the Emira. And even with all the improvements and the rarity of the Emira vs the Cayman, I still think the Cayman will depreciate significantly less. But the overriding difference comes down to the fact that no matter how good it objectively may arguably be, the Emira's powerplant is essentially a blown Toyota Camry lump, whereas the GTS 4.0 has one of the finest naturally-aspirated powerplants ever, and it is quintessentially Porsche. I'm not a big fan of supercharged engines. It's a brutish means of delivering performance. I also don't think the Toyota lump is worthy of being on display. However, I admit that it sounds pretty good. Lotus still advertises that the AMG-powered Emira will start at GBP60k, and at that price-point it may make more sense to me, and come out on top vs the equivalent-priced Cayman. But, for me, if the choice is between the Emira V6 manual and the Cayman GTS 4.0 manual, the latter wins hands-down, despite the Emira's vastly superior looks and its rarity. A car at this price-point can't live on looks alone. And as Enzo Ferrari once said, the engine is what makes the car. Otherwise, there'd be far more kit cars on the road that look the business, but have relatively ordinary powerplants.

[@iHaveTheDocuments]

These are really cool. No way around it.

[@prabirbiswas4373]

Hey, there is any relation between "Autocar India" and your channel "Autocar" ? Beacuse both chanel icon is same.

[@TonyVee89]

I really respect your opinions, so thank you for this review

[@Kevin-xo5pi]

I fully understand the comments about a lack of emotion from the presenter. However, when reviewers get really enthusiastic, I always suspect that they are sponsored and selling the product. Two excellent cars. Head GTS, Heart Lotus.

[@michaelsalter2473]

Love my GTS4.0 and am 12k miles in. I will probably look at an Emira if I want to change, I’ve had an Elise and hopefully is easier to get in and out of. I suspect I’ll stick with Porsche though of I do change. I’ve done long distance runs, 450 miles in a day, and track day and the GTS is amazing at everything.

[@EvoraGT430]

Try an Emira anyway.

[@celliott16]

I cancelled my emira and went for the GTS 4.0, there's a hell of a lot of bias in the emira reviews right now, I understand we should be getting behind the UK car but cabin quality/feel is a mile behind the Porsche.

[@Gadgit83]

For sure it is 100x easier to get in than an Elise - sill is barely there in Emira, I'm 6ft, have no problem

[@jeffreykilpatrick3592]

Can a 6’2” guy fit in the Emira easily? Headroom? Shoulder room???

[@petercavellini3232]

From the intro the Emira looks like a Ferrari 458?, a back handed compliment?

[@tessrobinson2736]

Sometimes it's not always about technology. A sports car is about how it makes you feel. It's about being individual and looking awesome. That's why the Lotus wins hands down despite any tech, it's about feeling and looking like a racing driver and not a geek.

[@liangyuchen6523]

One thing i notice is that you camera make the car looks shaking, I don't know why that happen but it looks weird.

[@samueldowney2806]

Nice comparison. So the Lotus rides better, steers better, is faster, but the Porsche has a more special engine and gear shift. Well done Lotus for producing a car that trades blows with the best all around sports car in the world. However, if you see an Emira driving down the road in the right colour, looking exotic like a mini supercar, any Caymans in the immediate vicinity would effectively cease to exist....

[@jlo6388]

I’ll never like the iPad glued to the dashboard look in any car

[@nigel.w]

IMO that's the least of its problems.

[@polygamous1]

Am Long in the tooth ( the few I have left) but I remember Very well in the 60s how an Elan handled n how the 356 did, there was No comparison specially in the wet the Elan would kill the 356 maybe things are very differnt Now but for me its the Lotus ALL THE WAY, in Fact the first time I drove an Elan I was actually totally shocked, that Any car made on planet earth could be was so amazingly good, you have to remember my own can was If I remember right my old MK1 Ford consul or maybe my MK1 Cortina a Stepto n son horse n a thoroughbred

[@Boostlagg]

Damn UK weather almost always look so depressing

[@carmasterz9733]

Matt Prior's best review to date. Unusually relaxed and on point.

[@The_Stanman]

Agree that delivery was better. But wish he drove the cars more spiritedly - we didn't get a good feel for the type of driving owners will buy this car for.

[@EvoraGT430]

Relaxed to the point of dreariness.

[@ashman0071]

Let me pose this question - if the new Carrera T had the 4.0 liter NA engine and 6 speed from this Cayman and a drivable soft 'touring' suspension - would you still buy either of these cars ?

[@patrickm8316]

The Emira is a thing of beauty, the Porsche is...

[@ronretired282]

All great comments below. I'm just surprised the statement; "Tesla is faster" hasn't been posted as of yet. Maybe, that is just reserved for C8 Stingray reviews. Anyway, how was the understeer between these vehicles? How about the braking. Did the Lotus have the optional CUP tires? Was the leather top tier in both cars?

[@vagabond1776]

I hope Lotus will offer a plain button-less steering wheel and short throw shifter.

[@kirkpaulkirkman9453]

Both seem like great cars, the one to experience is the Lotus, the one to own is the Porsche.

[@TheBucketOfTruth]

Can't be coincidence the Lotus rides better seeing as it's coming from the UK vs Germany where the roads are quite a bit different. We should also note that while the Emira shares a bit with the outgoing Evora it's still at the very beginning of its life cycle whereas this Cayman is at the refined end of its life cycle. So we all know Porsche is great at what they do, but they've also had time to really hone this model.