The Lotus Emira Is an Amazing Return for Lotus 

I think I'd go c8 or Atom before this

This needs more power. Perhaps they'll release a gt or updated version of this in a year or two

Why do you think it's ok to fund China, against the West? Are you even aware that they are using that brand to push EVs on everyone...Chinese EVs that is.

@@kameronkingsbury9386 Chinese 'Lotus' will not be selling any internal combustion engine cars at all by 2028.

Definitely, lotus have always put out insanely well handling sports cars! This one looks amazing 😮

Maserati and Dodge is my favorite. 100k for a car with the same switchgear as a fucking Dart lmao.

hahahah it's actually surprisingly hard, despite how much time I spend in cars. Usually I see a shared piece of switchgear and I think "I know those from somewhere but I can't quite place it..."

Thats actually a great idea he should dedicate a sunday video doing that😂

It's Chinese, owned by the CCP.

​@@DougDeMuro Pls do car spotting again.

One made me look twice today. Their designs have always been incredible and simple

They’re under rated because they’re always under powered.

@@jimsteinway695 Exactly and you can get them for cheap when used. Probably have more fun driving a performance Benz, BMW, Audi

now its a chinese company.

This is overated if you ask me 400 hp and 310 torque for 96k? There's over 20 cars i can think of that are cheaper, more powerful and more luxurious this is crap

Well said 😎👍

Yep. Dont forget Elise 111S and Elise 135.

I wish they would emphasize the Lotus tuning. For me, it is less exciting to have a Toyota motor even if it is better.

@@777jones on the flip side, guys who actually track this car are exited for the Camry engine. Grenade a motor on track and it’s not a big deal. Grenade a Cayman motor… that’s a 20k mistake

What about the i6 from the new supra. :p

@@heh2k thats a bmw engine lol

Was wondering what that was!

It's the supercharger relief Valve ...

Glad someone else saw it! I zoomed it like…wtf is that a little wiper?

he ddnt even mention the hydrallic steering that gives much more feeling of ho much grip the wheels have, etc. he didn ention how muchhe can feel the rear of the car get towardits grip limit,. few car people have much experince , or they only focus on stuff they are paid to focus on . eole who do alk about the whol drving expernce, all say otus evora (which this car is mostly jut a repackagd evora) and other tus cars ave been much better in giving a feel o what car is doing. savagese is one of those reviewrs i think

@@robnorth-1372 hmm interesting. I thought it wasn’t lining up properly to the throttle input the throttle control was the only thing I could think of. Thanks for the heads up

no, it isnt. looks generic. No one looks twice.

@@Rockwyn That's not true. Someone in my apartment complex has one, and the first time I saw it getting in our parking, I looked for a good 30 seconds because the car was so beautiful!

@@Rockwyn Safe to assume you live in some luxurious neighborhood or city where you've been desensitized to incredible looking cars. Most of the world doesn't have anything remotely similar to this driving around town. Expand your seemingly shallow perspective instead of coming off as some edgy contrarian.

Why does every "supercar" that came out last couple of years look the same? Take the badge off and you couldn't tell if it's mclaren, ferrari, chevrolet or whatever generic brand nowdays.

I think it looks great in British racing green, quite a dark shade, a bit menacing. @@AkhileshBhaugeerutty

Im guessing u saw lotus in the title and instantly clicked

Problem is… they look amazing and you love the idea of this tight sports car, but I could never trust it won’t fall apart. Plus it would be a nightmare to daily drive I suspect.

Well...the one with the Toyota power train should be as reliable, if not more, than a Porsche, but with super car handling and looks! Pretty compelling idea!

🐚 shell

I'll admit... One of your videos was also in my feed, but I clicked this one first. 😅

You don't care that the company is Chinese? And that CCP/Geely plans to use Lotus to sell only Chinese EVs from 2028 onwards?

Me too a fan of those Lotus cars.

How’d it compare to GT4 for you? Especially steering/handling?

The sounds it makes? Do you mean like at 14:00?

@@boogeyratt yes, precisely. He doesn't talk about it, the sound it makes in the cabin, the sportiness etc. It is sublime!

@@rckrckrckrck great question! The GT4 is stiffer overall, especially the chasis. It feels more subdued (especially w the mid range flat spot), while the Emira sounds more raw. Truth be told, I didn't get much seat time in the Emira, but the sound and feel immediately left an impression on me. More the track, the GT4 is definitely my choice, but for dailying and B-roads, Emira w Touring is the way.

@@tribe_called_oh if you don’t mind me asking , What do you do for a living?

It's literally what the Alfa Romeo 4C should've been, also imagine if Toyota swapped the supercharged V6 to the Camry TRD

Hmmmm Toyota V6 Manual or Mercedes Electro Clutch Time-bomb??

It's Chinese, owned by the CCP.

@@fresatx I'd go AMG - too bad its not a manual though. So.... soulless Toyota it is.

@@jc_47 Without Alfa's goofy nachos grill.

Its more like the SUPRA we were expecting but didnt get

@@fernandor3854 ...a mid-engine sports car? Supra? Really?

@@fernandor3854 It's not like a Supra in the slightest, more like an MR2 if anything.

@@fernandor3854 💀💀💀

IMO the Lotus Evora GT is what the new NSX should have been., I have both.

Ditching Rover engines for Toyota engines was a good decision for Lotus. Shows that your sports car doesn't have to be unreliable. In fact, reliability is a major factor if you really want to enjoy your sports car.

those rover engine elises were a ticking bomb, I haven't had the pleasure of owning one, but I have owned the 1.8 rover K series in MGs and they are quite fun to drive, and nowadays not that expensive to rebuild so I'd have one to be honest

Yeah I may not have bought an Elise if it had a rover engine in it. But being a Toyota engine gives me all the confidence I need

@Lotusoup Thank Clarkson for that one 🤦‍♂️

How’s that dash and headliner treating ya?

Same!

Us

What color options did you o with? I build mine weekly with different colors lol one day I'll pull the trigger

I'm like 6'5ish.. u think I'll fit?

Hope you let me drive it!

Not even so baby. The Exige was the baby supercar... This, is more like a teenage supercar or something!

@@bliglum Evora and Elise 190 and 1996 Lotus Elise also.

Emira design have a lot of simillarities with their EV supercar, Evija, so it is understandable that it feels that way.

More like the real SUPRA, at least better than toyota's

Nah it's more like an MR2 for the new age. A sign of things to come maybe?

@@fernandor3854 this car shares no parallels to the Supra. MR2 is a better comparison.

Except miata is not mid-engine, so not really a good comparison, like the other guy said, more like an MR2...it has a toyota powerplant too

The new Miata RF is already that imo.

Lotus always done these right the same way like Evora and 1996 Elise.

1500 lbs ???

Lotus are experts at car handling. So it's still more exciting to drive than many lighter cars. The heavy Toyota engine is most of it. But worth it for that engine brings.

The S1 Elise was around 1600lbs. I've driven one, and it's my benchmark for how cars should handle.

@@JimPekarek I owned the first Elise S1 for ten years so I know it very well . The Emira and the Elise are not at all in the same segment , comparing apples to oranges.

All cars are much heavier then they used to name the standards have changed

Yeah, seems to be a good deal.

Hot hatch performance, lotus build quality

Really mind blowing to me that lotus could decide to go away from the Toyota engine and switch to a Mercedes in the four-cylinder. They switched to the reliability of the Toyota for a reason.

@@maddog1011 Lotus Emira also has

@@maddog1011 the Emira has V6 Hybrid imo.

Well in 5+ years when you can pick it up for sub-60k go nuts!

I think the same, but I worry that even though it’s a lotus (depreciating king) the fact that it’s the last combustion engine might make it a collectible. Hopefully I’m wrong! I want a yellow one!

Look at that front. Awful. Like a crashed car that needs a hood repair.

@@Jakepianos agree, Jake.

​@@Jakepianosdepreciating Lotus?! where do you live?!

That would look great

Does Lotus stand for a 3200 lb car?

@@johnlagerquist8227 They (or the parent company) are clearly trying to please the mass(es) xD

Dont forget 1996 Elise and 1999 Lotus Elise 190.

I do too but even with the duel clutch automatic the C8 is 100 more HP and a much better car for the same price.

@@craigthescott5074For less if your willing to wait i myself have been waiting for a little over 4 months now getting the base model 1LT C8. I considered getting an emira it’s starting price was similar to the C8 but just a little over a year later and the Emira is hovering just below 100k. I do wish to own an emira someday though

@@craigthescott5074 It’s objectively a better car if we’re talking performance wise. I’ve heard the base C8 gets very understeer-y. So it may whoop supercar for half the price, but it’s also a worse driver’s car than the Porsche and the Lotus. Not saying you can’t enjoy it. I’m just saying its competitors in its price bracket are probably more fun. But I guess fun is subjective

@@mrsoisauce9017 I’ve never experienced any under steer with my C8 HTC Z51. And considering the HP difference the C8 is a much better car for the money. Also try finding a Lotus dealership to service the car. My first service on my C8 with oil change and trans fluid and filter change was $400. The Lotus and Porsche would be three times that.

@@craigthescott5074 While it's less of a case with the C8 than previous generations, there is a certain... stereotype that follows around Corvette owners. All cars have this of course (e.g. Altima drivers are Karens, BMW drivers don't know how to use turn signals, Subaru drivers are either lesbians or tree-huggers, etc), but it's something to consider.

I have a c8 as well and i would traded in if i get a chance

You guys are nuts the C8 is a much better car with 100 more HP. And I think the C8 looks better. The hood on this lotus is ugly.

@@craigthescott5074 So is the new GT3 RS, but it's function over form. You will change your mind when you see it in person

@@agooberss I doubt it I own a C8 HTC Z51 car and for performance there no comparison to the Lotus. Not even close the C8 rules.

@@craigthescott5074 agreed, at the current price the 2LZ C8 is offered it is literally the cream of the crop when it comes to all things speed, comfort, handling, and sound. I specd mine out to $108k Canadian dollars and it has everything I could ever want from a car.

I've driven the Emira on track, and I think the gearbox is quite good. It has a bolt-action feel that's very satisfying (and that Lotus people will be very familiar with). It's not as smooth or buttery as something like the Porsche or a Miata but the extra heft to it creates a connection to the machine that feels very rewarding.

@@getawaydriving7611 well, I'm envious! Sounds like a blast! Thank you for the description. I do like a little bit of extra heft. I like to feel like I'm working for each gear, so it sounds like it's something I'd be into. Fingers crossed I'll drive one someday. Thanks again!

Not a shame at all, electric is the future for a reason, lucky we're even getting this!

@@cenciende9401 I get that it's the future, and I'm not knocking electric, but Lotus is about driver connectivity and you lose quite a bit of that and quite a bit of character with EVs. I'm interested to see how the Evija and Eletre do, but still sad to see the end of Lotus ICE.

@@GearboxCarReviews Lotus Emira imo has an exact same handling capability as TommyKaira ZZ-S. So nimble.

Yes, it's really a nice car, but surprisingly heavy! Guess you still have to go for an Alpine if you want a lightweight car.

I like Doug but not enough for him to massage by belows 😂😂😂

Their sales would go from low to really low if they go electric

@@donovanmiller8992 I doubt it. Lotus goes wholistic with making light weight cars so they will likely be one of the lightest EVs on the road which would be a huge selling point. Plus they partner with Toyota which already has some of the lightest batteries on the market and are releasing even lighter solid state batteries in their next gen cars. The Prius prime has all the mechanicals of the gas engine and the Battery/Electric setup but only weighs around 3500 lbs which is the same as a non hybrid Camry.

Hopefully they'll be the first to be willing to release an intentionally short range EV - you don't need 200+ miles of range in a fun weekender car and all of the weight from an EV comes from the massive batteries manufacturers feel the need to fit. The rest of the power train is way lighter than ICE

That's Chinese engineering for you.

@@StuninRub Toyota is not Chinese. They simply bought the company.

@@ph8632 They only use the Toyota engine block, everything about that engine is tuned, designed, and engineered with Chinese engineering.

@@StuninRub Sure little one...... sure

@@StuninRub Mini is owned by Germans... They're still made in Oxford...

Exactly right. My wife owns an Evora GT and it's been brilliant! Heck the maintenance is nothing. Oil filter is literally $10! 👍

It makes you think… why Toyota themselves didn’t use this engine?

@@jucluva they do. Lotus just tuned and modify it and added a supercharger. What I would like is we being able to bring the Camry to Lotus so they can modify it for us.

@@06VistaBlueGT1 Evora GT literally has 360bhp.

@@Mewzyc wish Emira also got V6 Turbocharger.

And hotels. I miss them

@@Jon3800 Same lol remember that medicine themed $100,000 hotel...good times

Fun fact, the Dino was a key piece of inspiration for the Elise. This car certainly has some of that Elise DNA, so your read makes a lot of sense.

@@getawaydriving7611 thanks for the info, I didnt know that.,

It costs one third of a Mclaren/Ferrari and will be more reliable and much much cheaper to maintain with much less depreciation.

Ah, congrats, hope you enjoy! I always think about the lucky excited customers as they're coming off the line, what colour did you go for?

​​@@Gadgit83Thx I could only enjoy it more when I am done with the first 1500km to then really rev that engine up (which sounds absolutely amazing for a V6 on low revs already). 🫠🫠 ❤️❤️ Specs: -Dark Verdant Green -Black package (black roof, Lotus sign and exhaust) -Alcantare interior with yellow stiches (think most went with the tan leather combo but I love Alcantara) - Diamond cut wheels - Touring suspension with Goodyear tires (In swiss there not really much tracks but lots of mountain passages so this made more sense to me) I also had it covered with Xpel protection from a partner garage, where I had to already order new parts because they crashed my emira into a Porsche GT3, all before I even sat in my car once 😵‍💫.... long story but the Lotus painters did great to visibly fix the damage so I can drive it till the new parts arrive. Maybe now I am one of the first customers who already needs new parts 😅

@@swiss_crypto6596 that sounds like a great spec, definitely the right choice of suspension and tyres too. I'm not a fan of the tan interior so with you there! Sorry to hear about the damage, hope you can get the parts you need soon! It will be worth the run in to then really be able to open it up! Am so pleased that the car got a good reception, and is finally getting out there to customers!

@@Gadgit83 Thank youuu! I am so honored to be one of the first ones here in Switzerland but I heard that many can expect theirs soon as well now

Handling and styling both feel underrated here. I've driven this thing on track and it's sublime. Also I can't remember the last time a car was so universally praised for its good looks.

The 2GR is the best part of this car and it's used in many Toyotas and Lexus. I guess Doug just wants it to sound more dramatic by referring to it as a "Toyota Camry Engine" rather than say a Lexus RX.

Yeah. The 2GR-FE is a very solid motor. Many SW20 MR2 owners are going with a 2GR swap nowadays, as an alternative to a Honda K Series or 3SGTE swap.

@@artistnyc123 yeah for sure. It’s in a lot of cars and it’s a great reliable engine. I think it sounds great too.

@@mk2mister2 yeah I have heard about 2GR MR2 swaps

I think he should stick to reviews and commentary

To me a Chinese car, and a brand which has the goal of killing off all internal combustion engines by 2028 is a nightmare, not a dream.

He does ask you to visit CARS AND BIDSSS though…

Doug is the kind of guy to give the Chinese Communist Party car a score of "7" on cool factor...

Question no one will ever mention.. how’s the sound system? Compared to the m4 or other cars?

@@THExKINGxKINGx It's ok. But only ok. Similar to the HK in my M4 I'd say. No where near as good as the Bose in my Porsche, lacking bass.

@@s8aan Have you ever adjusted the equalizer in the Harmon kardon? I had an f30 with the same system and it was absolutely terrible without adjusting the equalizer.. once I did it was better than probably 6 other cars in the same price range I was looking at

@@THExKINGxKINGx Yup I've got the B&O extra equalizer options coded in, and spent a while tuning it. It's good! But still the Bose in a Porsche is better. And the Emira is I'd say on par with the HK, perhaps not quite as loud, but it's got quality. Just lacking the bass - all IMO of course. I'm sure others might disagree :) But I'm 3000 miles and 5 months in, and still own the M4 and the Porsche so can directly compare !

@@s8aan Oh you sold the emira! So you prefer the m4 over it? I’m looking at going m3 or supra next… which Porsche do you have? I love bass heavy sound systems for sure.. definitely just want it sounding right from the factory and not having to tear the car apart for sure

Most European? They're literally a Chinese car company! Lotus is owned by Geely, which in turn is totally controlled by the Chinese government. As for weight saving and purity, they've already announced long ago that they'll only be selling EVs by 2028.

@@pistonburner6448 also the Emira weights nearly 3,100 pounds which is only 200 pounds lighter than a base C8.

To be honest I think the performance specs are the cars shortcomings, it's power to weight is pretty tame BUT that's not what this car is about, it's not about getting sub-10 drag times, it undoubtedly about how it makes you feel, how much you enjoy just driving the thing, sadly I've not had the chance to drive one but imo it's got to be the best sports car you can buy for the price!