I’ve been reading (like everyone!) the explosion of threads. I think it’s important to know or understand that there are, I suppose, two different sorts of customers buying the Emira. Some (myself) are buying and planning use of the car as a 3rd or weekend or ‘take out and use for fun’ car. I will never drive this car into the city and park it and go to work. I won’t use it to commute anywhere. It (probably if I can help it) won’t see rain, much less snow. It’s something I want to use (as if almost a drug or treatment!) to make me feel good, and smile, and simply enjoy.
Others out there look to buy the car to run every day. Commuting, getting groceries, taking long road trips. I applaud you!
For me, what’s VERY important is to feel engaged and special and connected. What is of almost no value is how much storage is in the car, or if the infotainment is better than brand X, or if my 0-60 is worse by .5 secs or etc.
I’ve driven many many cars (I’m in the USA, and I’m a Driving Instructor for NASA and PCA and BMW and Lotus and AMG and others). In the recent past, I’ve driven (on track) a Cayman GT4, Shelby GT500 track pack, C8 Z51, Camaro ZL1 1LE, and a Shelby GT350. Want to know which I found the most fun and made me smile constantly? The GT350. And it was the slowest (well, I’d say it was tied for slowest with the GT4. I was within a tenth or two). Fastest was the ZL1 1LE and within a tenth was the GT500TP. The C8 Z51 was in the middle. The one I liked the least? GT500TP. Even though it was fastest in a straight line and had incredible DCT and all that. The C8 Z51 I felt was by far the best car for the money, but with no manual option and a bit soulless. Comparing what you got and how it performed it was hands down the bargain. BUT - it didn’t stir my soul like the GT350 did.
But remember I’m an emotional buyer! So after all that, what did I buy? The ZL1 1LE. Because it did stir me (not as much as the GT350, but the ZL1 1LE has a heck of a presence about it), but it also is bulletproof (the 5.2 Voodoo is fragile!) and it’s performance was phenomenal. So I ‘settled’ on the most emotion and most reliable for reasonable sum.
Why am I buying the Emira too? Because it’ll fill up the rest of that emotional hole !
I guess very long winded, but we need some reviews out there that forgo more of the raw numbers stuff and capability stuff and expand more on ‘I’d buy it cause it makes me FEEL’. Then the emotional buyers could watch those (good or bad) and the performance/capability buyers could decide by watching the others.
Oh and the GT4 wasn’t even close to making it into my garage. Too sterile to bland not much soul (made me feel similar to the C8 Z51 but it was not as fast as the C8)
Nearly identical to you; just a few rungs down…
I track 10+ times a year be that HPDE or time trials. On top of that, I’m now racing Lemons 3x per year for the very addictive w2w racing.
Also similar, I track a SS1LE and chose the Camaro for many of the reasons you cited. I considered the ZL1 1LE but 455hp was already enough although I do wish I had your wing! I got an incredible deal on the Camaro on top of the fact it already is the performance bargain.
It’s funny to think the Emira will likely be slower in many metrics ie. 0-60, 1/4 mile, and 60-130mph. I anticipate track times, braking distances and endurance to be similar but the Camaro will probably still be the better performer.
So my Camaro at less than half the price of the Emira will be the better sports car.
HOWEVER, that’s not what it’s about to me. If I wanted quick, I’d get a Tesla M3P. Driven that for 3 days. Launched once. Then didn’t do it again because it was clinical, boring. If I wanted outright speed, I’d supercharge and run e85 on the Camaro. But again, that’s not what it’s about.
The Emira doesn’t have to be the fastest launching or around a track. It just needs to be reasonably fast but mostly enJOYable.
What am I excited about and what will bring me joy?
-Supercar looks. How many times will I turn around when I walk away? Others?
-Rarity. Aside from a coffee and cars event, I doubt I’ll ever see one on the road.
-Sound. I intend to delete the 3rd cat. It’ll sound like an exotic.
-Engagement. Steering feel, suspension, brakes & manual transmission ~ I want to savor it all. I don’t need to rush a 2-3 shift and save .01 seconds on track. I don’t mind a little slower snickity precise and intentional gear change.
I can keep going but I’m ranting now. Just want to say I agree with your sentiment. This purchase is more about emotion over capability.
