New Cayman V Emira V A110S reviews

[Ryan9729]

Nice to see the comparisons side by side of the new Lotus Emira against the Cayman 4.0 GTS and also not forgetting the Alpine A110S although that one really didn't seem to excite like the other two.

Video Link here: Lotus Emira vs Porsche 718 Cayman GTS vs Alpine A110S | Which would you buy? (4K) - YouTube

I wonder if the rankings will change once the real production model is out?

 

[PaulJ]

I'm currently on my 7th consecutive Porsche and did wonder if the Emira could tempt me out of my 4.0 GTS. I've had 4 Lotuses in the past... Then I found out it is 130mm wider than my Porsche, ruling it out completely. Lotus aren't meant for those who need extra width.

 

[Motorhead]

Paul,

I don’t know where you obtained that figure but according to the manufacturers’ websites, with the mirrors folded the Emira is 94mm wider than your GTS 4.0 (1,895mm vs 1,801mm).

Like you I think that I would struggle to get the Emira through my garage door … even if I did, would I then be able to get out of the car?! []

Jeff

 

[Scrounger]

It looks stunning but not for me I'm afraid. Dodgy build quality and dealer network would put me off. Plus the Porsche sounds better.

Put the NA 4.0 from the Porsche and add the PDK, now that would be a different matter. I'll be interested to see what the Merc engine reviews are like as most seem to me of the Toyota 3.5.

Dan

 

[Motorhead]

Dan,

In fairness to Lotus, under Geely they’re now running a different sort operation which should address the build quality and dealer network issues, but of course that will take time and we’ll have to wait and see what happens.

Personally I wouldn’t be jumping-in for a couple of years at least until they’ve got all the production snags sorted, and your guess is as good mine as to what will be the residual situation once the initial euphoria is over. The Porsche will always be a safer bet in that respect.

Apparently the AMG I-4T engined version with an 8-speed DSG won’t be available until sometime next year.

Jeff

 

[Scrounger]

Indeed Jeff. I've no intention to move to a Lotus any time soon but I wouldn't mind a go in one once they are available as demos.

Dan

 

[Motorhead]

Me too Dan, but the word is from the dealers that we could be in for a very long wait!

Agreed that it’s a good looking car in the pics and videos. Look forward to seeing one on the road, although initially they’re going to be a rarity. It appears that Lotus are planning eventually to produce up to 15,000 Emiras per year if demand is strong enough. Volvo have turned around their business under Geely’s stewardship and it would be good to see a British car manufacturer doing well with the right financial backing.

Jeff

 

[PaulJ]

Paul,

I don’t know where you obtained that figure but according to the manufacturers’ websites, with the mirrors folded the Emira is 94mm wider than your GTS 4.0 (1,895mm vs 1,801mm).

Like you I think that I would struggle to get the Emira through my garage door … even if I did, would I then be able to get out of the car?! []

Jeff

I'd rather keep my mirrors un-folded in as a psychological safety net before anything expensive gets touched!

 

[ralphmusic]

Evo are quite critical re on-track use.

[tube]https://youtu.be/i_Ip1zSlF2I[/tube]

 

[Motorhead]

Ralph,

Rather odd that Lotus gave Jethro a sport chassis car with Goodyear tyres rather than the Michelin Cup 2s for a track evaluation.

In some ways it was a rather odd assessment. The Emira basically is a highly developed Evora platform clothed in an eye-catching body but with the ancient Toyota powertrain, so other than the chassis tweaks the engine and gearchange are going to be the same aren’t they? I’m sure Loutus’s principal aim was to produce a much higher quality product to appeal to a wider market and not necessarily track day enthusiasts and owners who bought into the minimalist philosophy of previous cars, which clearly wasn’t particularly successful for the company. With the Emira we’re looking at a different type of Lotus, and there’s sufficient time to bring out more focused versions once production is established.

Jeff

 

[JohnCRS]

If you can live with the DSG then I would think that the AMG engine will be the one to go for. A bit lighter, no shortage of power and eminently tunable. I do dislike these comparison tests between cars that are unobtainable within any realistic time horizon, although I believe the Alpine supply is not so bad.

 

[AndrewCS]

Local `new` Alpine dealer is currently quoting a six month wait, I`ll be testing an A110 S on Cup 2`s this Wednesday

 

[Wollemi]

It’s somewhat interesting that a number of the magazines have conducted group tests of The Alpine, Cayman GTS4.0 and Lotus Emira, and that their conclusions are quite different. I think it was Top Gear that placed the Alpine top, with Lotus second; whereas Car put the Cayman first with the Alpine last. I guess it shows nothing more other than we all like different things. (In my mind they are all flawed by having fixed roofs! - I don't expect any agreement in this forum though!)

 

[StuNo1]

I too, like others, thought this could be a competitor for my next car up against the Cayman GTS 4.0.

I would want the V6 but the auto will be pants as Lotus IPS is average at best. Also I owned the Evora s sr and the manual box was a bit of a pig. As mentioned above dealer network is an issue with so few in the country. To get a good auto box which is my preference that means the merc using which sounds poop. Also, why not add storage to the front? The only real step forward over the Evora is the interior. I also love the driving modes on my 981 with sports chrono and adjustable suspension etc. not having that capability in the lotus is a shame.

like others have said making it wider also seems daft and will rule it out for me due to only having a single garage.

I imagine lots of deposits will be refunded.

 

[AndrewCS]

Drove an A110 S for an hour today, racing bucket seats with the microfibre (alcantara) package. As expected it is extremely quick with an excellent gearshift, balance, ride and steering ... overall an impressive and quality package but not one to replace the GT4 or even a previous 981 Cayman S PDK. I would miss the `character and feel` of the Cayman

Whilst I have not driven any Lotus products, I could not help thinking that the A110 is what the Emira should be ! ?

Having had the `Merc` engine in an A45 AMG (360bhp), if it`s `manic` engine was mated to the A110 gearbox []

 

[JamesBall]

Whilst I have not driven any Lotus products, I could not help thinking that the A110 is what the Emira should be ! ?

Having had the `Merc` engine in an A45 AMG (360bhp), if it`s `manic` engine was mated to the A110 gearbox []

Is the A45 gearbox noticably less good than the A110 one?

 

[AndrewCS]

It was back then, our car was one of the first iterations (2015) and not a true dual clutch system I believe. We had an issue with the reverse and the whole `box was replaced under warranty

The `box did not quite `match` the engine, t`was a little slow. I would assume / hope that the latest `box is much improved

We did 40k in two years with no other issues