Yep, replacement for 3 models and their new underlying architecture. Really hoping they’ve stuck with the add lightness philosophy and it looks like a mini Evija.
Last edited by Middo; 5th July 2021 at 22:20.
Yep, replacement for 3 models and their new underlying architecture. Really hoping they’ve stuck with the add lightness philosophy and it looks like a mini Evija.
Yes!
Tried to order a Final Edition Elise but missed the boat on them, so am hoping that the Emira is still naturally aspirated (or supercharged) and manual.
I also hope the roof comes off, but today’s teaser video made it look as it its a fixed coupe only.
Will be tuned in tomorrow!
Looks good to me.
Is it really the last combustion-engined Lotus?
Watching the launch instead of the football…that’s how excited I am!
I think it looks great, especially from the back. I think it’ll suit darker colours best.
Quite nice. Presumably not cheap?
£60k isn’t that bad
https://youtu.be/F1H_Wd1tN-A
Pretty thing indeed, hope they sell a boatload.
Love Jenson's throttle blip at 54.05.
Did someone say 1,400kg?
"A man of little significance"
Didn't think this time would arrive so soon.
I remember the arrival of the 959 and thinking that performance was as strong as it was ever going to be in a road car.
Got that slightly wrong.
Yep, almost two S1 Elise's, although it was clear they'd abandoned the whole light and simple ethos after the Geely takeover.
It does look a very nice place to sit though and a it's direct competitor to the Cayman in power and weight. If it goes as well as it looks they'll have no shortage of buyers and I'm guessing a stripped and aero'd GT4 rival is already in the works.
Mainly cos no-one actually buys light and simple cars anymore. It's all about BHP and gadgets. The Alpine is getting amazing reviews but it's not setting any sales records.
People always loved my vx220 until they found out it "only" had 150bhp. Similar to the evora i had for 5 years - wasn't the supercharged one so everyone just assumed slow and pointless.
1400 isn't too bad when you consider a poverty spec mini will be close to 1300kgs.
With two young kids and a WFH job i can't see me buying one any time soon but i think they're on the right track.
I agree, never been that interested in Lotus but that is a great looking thing.
I'd put my house on Lotus preparing one or more Cup versions, you only have to look at the details they've released to see where weight can be stripped and aero addenda added.
I haven't read every news article or viewed every video however does anyone know what the body material is?
Interesting that it's coupe only, I suppose that would have made it less costly to develop. When I bought my S2 Elise 13 years back IIRC there were approximately 250 available on the pre-owned market via the usual online channels, last time I looked a couple of months back or so it was maybe 10% of that and asking prices had climbed. Most/all of that was as a result of Lotus announcing that the Emira was on its way, now that they no longer produce a soft top and their lightest car will be 400kg or so heavier than their previous lightest I can't see S1/S2 prices dropping...
Tricky to edit my post via my mobile so I'll add here that there may be a couple of other reasons for coupe only; that Lotus (or Geely) thought the global market to be much larger and coupes are usually stiffer than convertibles with that chassis stiffness enabling better body control and handling.
The S1/2/3 chassis/tub was always designed with a soft top in mind, maybe the new Emira tub (built using the same methods as its older sibling) isn't.
Last edited by CardShark; 7th July 2021 at 12:39.
Is it an British sports car, or a sport's car made from kits made in china?
The aluminium tub is made here, that's been made clear, and we know the vehicle is assembled here as well. Of course parts are going to come from all over though it's great to hear that whatever that spread is Lotus/Geely are investing a reasonable whack of money in the UK for the Emira, Evija and beyond.
It certainly looks fabulous, and given that it is a Lotus, I would expect it to drive brilliantly as well.
A lot of very stylish and sophisticated car for 60k - although I wonder how many options will be pretty much essential.
At that price point it could almost fill the gap in the market left by the demise of TVR.
So clever my foot fell off.
Well done Harry.
Captured one of my favourite icons (Type 72 F1) at 7 minutes in.
Given the parent company that wouldn't surprise me, better than some old Vauxhall parts that are used S3 Elise and Exige that made their first appearance decades ago (I'm talking about indicator/wiper stalks here).
It's simple economies of scale, given your line of work you'll understand that. If it allows Lotus to thrive then I really can't see an issue. As for being a British brand and outsourcing parts from outside the UK I can't see many people caring either, "Swiss" watches aren't necessarily composed of Swiss components.
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Ah, thank you.
It's probably the same issue with the Evora tub - there is a substantial roll hoop behind the B pillar. The situation (ie potentially removing the roll hoop) was exacerbated when the 400 tub was introduced in 2015. To improve access, the sills were slimmed down and lowered slightly from the original 2009 tub. This reduced the stiffness of the overall tub so the roll hoop had to stay. Hence no Evora convertible in the end.
I did wonder, TBH. Those body panel shapes from aluminium wouldn't have been cheap to produce and given that the starting price of around £60k is less than many expected I'd have thought GRP would have remained. I just hope they've sorted the bubbling issues...
Ref the Metro mirrors - I'd forgotten about those!
It is becoming hugely frustrating, especially when most people thing these car companies a British, my wife's I-Pace is made in Austria by Magna, Geely are making most of these cars in China and a huge proportion of the new Range rovers are Chinese content, British companies who had been supplying for years didn't even get RFQ's.
These huge conglomerates are turning the UK into an LCR and our government are sitting back and letting it happen.
Yet most car plants and suppliers are currently closed or on short time because they cant get parts from China and Korea.
It’s a British Sports Car company with decades of heritage.
I don’t think anyone cares that the headlights and indicator stalks are made in China.
I like it.
A lot.
Last edited by Middo; 10th July 2021 at 20:32.
I like the McLaren F1 indicators / side lights on my Elan!
I used to have a Scimitar SS1 and a Sabre. Apart from the chassis, there wasn't a part that couldn't be sourced from the dodgiest of scrapyards or fabricated from fibreglass
I had a good look at this whilst at Goodwood. It really is a fantastic piece of kit. It looks to be very good value for money. My understanding was a very large amount of deposits were placec on Thursday so we will see. I am certainly keen in getting a test drive. It could be a viable daily for me. Whist the Ineos grenadier could become the family wagon. Again another very good looking piece of kit.
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
Sorely tempted to stick a £2k deposit down and see how it goes.
What is the point of a fat Lotus? At least it looks good. Let's hope the quality is a few leagues ahead of their previous efforts. Bearing in mind this is going to cost 4.0l Cayman money, I honestly wonder if it will be the success some think once the novelty wears off.
Last edited by Padders; 10th July 2021 at 22:31.
What does a 4l GTS Cayman weigh?
The quality you desire comes at a cost, weight and financial.
I love the cayman but this just looks so much better and will likely have a better standard specification. The £65k Porsche doesn’t even have LED lights as standard - and you will likely have to kiss the feet of the dealer to be allowed to buy one.
Manual. It’s got to be manual.
Slight worry is that they’ve only mentioned a starting price of £60k. They could say that’s for the AMG engine and make the V6 £15k more and everything an option. So the end price might be £90k, like it is when you spec up a £60k Boxster.
I’ll probably not pay that much for one, so it’ll be….”refund my deposit please.”
Fingers crossed its still very well priced in V6 guise as they’ve eluded to.