Another 718 GT4 vs. Emira Test Drive

[VL3X]

Had a 718 spyder & loved it, yes it was a safe bet for residuals but now have my Emira since Nov 21 & am loving it a little more each day as its more involving than the spyder.
To me the 718 is looking dated now but you should go with your heart, you must drive the Emira before making up your mind.
Good Luck

Welcome to the forum @Xspyder! I appreciate your feedback.

I've driven quite a few Caymans, 981 GT4s, and 718 GT4s. Never actually driven a 718 Spyder, but I do like the way they look with the top down. My only gripe is the manual soft top. Seems so silly to have to unsnap a fabric top with a $100k+ convertible in 2023!

Glad to hear you're loving the Emira. Feel free to start a thread in our dedicated Journals subform.

 

[Magma]

Welcome to the forum @Xspyder! I appreciate your feedback.

I've driven quite a few Caymans, 981 GT4s, and 718 GT4s. Never actually driven a 718 Spyder, but I do like the way they look with the top down. My only gripe is the manual soft top. Seems so silly to have to unsnap a fabric top with a $100k+ convertible in 2023!

Glad to hear you're loving the Emira. Feel free to start a thread in our dedicated Journals subform.

Lol...thought the same especially when the top is automatic in the GTS. But everyone wants a more "raw" experience right? Lol

Also...less to go wrong.

 

[Keenan]

Today I had the opportunity to test drive a 718 GT4. I have given my thoughts on the Emira test drive that I had, I will link to it if you want to read, but I wanted to get my thoughts down for my own sake. Context: I am 26 years old, put the deposit down on an Emira when I was 25. Looking for something used less than a daily-driver and more than a weekend warrior. I have also tested a 718 GTS 4.0, an R8 v10+ manual (2012), and would like to test a supercharged 90’s NSX. Basically anything that is mid-engined, rwd, manual, and not electric is my criteria. I did not come from money, and this is probably my only big purchase like this for the rest of my life, so take that into consideration with how you may value the dollar vs how I do, be it more or less.

GT4 test drive conditions were a bit wet and not warm, on cup 2s, and city/highway. Manual Transmission. I don’t think there is any crazy new information in this review, so if you want to skip, the only brand new-ish things that may help you understand the cars without driving is in the ‘feel’ and 'verdict' section that I wrote.

The link to my Emira review, if anyone cares: https://www.emiraforum.com/threads/...mer-test-drives-thread.2080/page-4#post-59465


Visuals: Much like the Evora/ GT, it is hard to photograph the GT4, as in my opinion it never quite looks as good as when you see it in person. Proportions are really great, and the profile of the Spyder they had looks even better to me. That said, it still does not look as nice as an Emira, in person or in photos. On the drive, it drew much less attention until the engine wound up than the Emira did. On the road, pretty much everyone snapped to look at the Emira, and only a couple did with the GT4. That could be good or bad, depending on your goals.

Getting in/ Interior: This will be different for LHD vs RHD, but the pedal configuration in the GT4 is laid out much more nicely than in a LHD Emira. Getting in and out is much harder in a GT4, as it is lower to the ground and the bucket seats are fairly aggressive. Immediately, the Porsche feels better around your body than the Emira, more on that later.

This may be controversial, but the analog and needle display and lack of big chunky display sticking out of the dash was much more my style. The Porsche felt more put together, but also more bare. I prefer the interior of the GT4.

Handling: People aren’t kidding when they say this is as good as an electric steering setup can be. There was less feedback from road vibrations, but I would venture to say that even though I was pushing it wayyy less than I was able to push the Emira, it directed where you wanted it to slightly better. This was likely a result of the Emira I tested being on sports suspension with goodyears, but I could definitely feel the front end start to give way (which in a sense is good that I received that feedback before ending up in a wall). There was none of that in the GT4. Exactly where you put it, and pretty much with identical immediacy between the cars.

Confidence: The GT4, maybe ironically, is an easier and more intuitive car to drive. Kind of crazy how approachable it is, actually. I was genuinely hoping that I would get out and think it was wayyy to intense to be a daily, but that just wasn’t the case. The rev matching feature is nice for when youre adapting to the vehicle, but I would ultimately turn it off.

Sound: The GT4 sounds better, and for longer in the rev band, period. It does not feel neutered like the Emira exhaust does.

Gearing: This is a big point for everyone on this forum… you can hit about 80 mph in 2nd gear. I will say I never went above 3rd, apart from a mis-shift into 5th. However, unlike the Emira, it pulls throughout the range with a pretty massive powerband (in terms of longevity), so just because you can be in second gear, doesn’t mean you will suffer if you shift around from first to third. You don’t have to shift near redline to get sufficient pull for a thrill, which is a bit unlike the Emira. Tall gears were not nearly the detriment I was told (and frankly I was hoping) they would be.

Feel: I am putting this separate from handling because I think it is an important distinction. I will do my best to describe this. In an Emira, you feel extremely connected to the road, but you feel like you are sitting in the car. In a GTS and GT4, you don’t feel as connected to the road, but you feel like you’re one with the car. You almost wear the Porsche and it does the work for you with insane ease. The Emira makes you work for it, you move the car based on what the road is telling you. The GT4 moves you with precision.

Suspension: Sports on an Emira and GT4 sports (adjustable) were both completely fine even on crappy roads for me – but I am younger than the average person here and have a history of cars with teeth-rattling suspension. That said, there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that the GT4 suspension would blow an Emira’s away on a track with either spec.

The GT4 is very low, and front axle lift is not an option. This alone may be a reason I am unable to own one, give the approach angle leading to my neighborhood.

Engine: The 4.0 feels like it is doing what it is designed to do and is not holding anything back, and as I am sure anyone who has driven the Emira near redline can say, it feels like it has just a bit more to give. These are both cars that could get you arrested easily at 10/10ths. However, as I am sure you all know, you will have many more opportunities to drive the Emira harder than you would a GT4.

Visibility: Slightly better view out the back in the Porsche, much much better view out the sides in the Lotus. The windshield in the GT4 also makes you feel like you can see less ahead of you, and feels less open than the Emira’s.

Used vs New: You cannot spec a new GT4 anymore, so you are stuck picking from a pool of pre-owned ones. For a car this price, you may want to have it exactly how you’d want, which you can do with an Emira. On the other hand, a pre-owned Porsche is something you can own today, and interest rates are only going up. Additionally, even a pre-owned Porsche comes with a better warranty than a brand new Lotus. I wont go in to ease of service with dealer networks or perceived future values.

Occasion: Apart from not turning heads like an Emira, and not being as ‘exclusive,’ driving the car just doesn’t give you the same butterflies, or it didn’t give me them at least. I am not a guy who has a background of supercars/ super sports/ high end sports, whatever you want to call it, but even I didn’t feel all that special in the Porsche. Again, not just from visuals, but almost from the ease of the drive. You feel as though almost anyone could get in and drive, which is fantastic engineering on Porsche’s part when you think about it.

Price: In my area, GT4s and Spyders are going for 130-145k ish. Emira is 95-105k ish, depending on a bunch of factors at the moment.



Verdict: The GT4 is a superior car, no questions asked. It edges out the Emira in almost every way. I would probably say it was the best car I have ever driven (not been in, but driven). I wish I didn’t like it so much, as it is making it a hard choice. At risk of coming off as stupid, the problem is that the car is too good. I found myself doing less work, being less engaged, and almost at ease. The GT4 is crazy capable, way more so than I am, to a point where it was almost boring after a bit… boring is an unfairly harsh word to use. Obviously, it wasn’t boring… just less of a “wow.” Again, I am not desensitized to these cars and I am relatively inexperienced with them. I did not feel at ease in the R8, and I did not feel relaxed in a C8 (even though I didn’t enjoy it). I did not experience the same thrill and desire to push harder, nor the butterflies or special feeling that the Emira gave me, which is hard to describe with words. I was having a ton of fun, but I didn’t come away with the same smile I had gotten from other cars, even way less powerful ones.

If these cars were the same price, I would buy a GT4. If they gave me the same sense of occasion, I would pay 140k for a GT4. As it stands now, even with the Lotus price hikes up to 105k, I don’t think it makes sense to pay an extra third of the price for less engagement. After all, I have worked hard to earn money to spend in this niche market for a car to drive, not a car that makes it easy. That said, Lotus is on thin ice for me… with the option of having a car now instead of in a year, if they bump this price up much further, they are losing me to a phenomenal car. Even saying this, I still have not made up my mind 100%.

I have an emera on order, infact i should have had it a long time ago but thats another story. i drove the emera 3.5 manual and went directly to porsche and baught a used GT4. Its a no brainer now that my car would be £6.500 aditional pounds. the GT4 is twice the car and i even think in clubsport spec it looks just as good if not better.

 

[Foxy87]

Gt4 doesnt make sense on public roads IMO. At least not if you drive it more or less within legal speedlimits.

For me, the Emira was a lot more fun on public B-Roads. I guess ghat would change on track. But as I dont track often (anymore), the Emira would be my choice, even though a GT4 (both 981 and 718) are clearly the faster cars.

 

[SmallerBaller]

I have an emera on order, infact i should have had it a long time ago but thats another story. i drove the emera 3.5 manual and went directly to porsche and baught a used GT4. Its a no brainer now that my car would be £6.500 aditional pounds. the GT4 is twice the car and i even think in clubsport spec it looks just as good if not better.

Well you obviously seem to know what youre talking about! Giving you the benefit of every doubt... glad you ended up with the car you prefer! May I ask, if you were so disappointed by the Emira test drive, what convinced you to make a forum account for the car you hated and check up on it? Also, genuinely not trying to sound rude, but the spelling of 'Emira' is written at the top of the page if you want credibility around here!

 

[Keenan]

Well you obviously seem to know what youre talking about! Giving you the benefit of every doubt... glad you ended up with the car you prefer! May I ask, if you were so disappointed by the Emira test drive, what convinced you to make a forum account for the car you hated and check up on it? Also, genuinely not trying to sound rude, but the spelling of 'Emira' is written at the top of the page if you want credibility around here!

Thanks for the spelling corection, never my strong point. forgive me. I created an account as I was interested in the views of others who had got the price hikes. I didnt get to drive the Emira until after the price rise and thought i better do this to know if im getting a daily i can see value in, I did not and do not HATE the Emira i just think its not the great value car it was sold to me as. A do hope you get to drive some quick cars to enable your reviews to have a little more balance and of course more credibility as you come across as a bit of a wanabee or one of lifes (SmallerBaller's)

 

[SmallerBaller]

Thanks for the spelling corection, never my strong point. forgive me. I created an account as I was interested in the views of others who had got the price hikes. I didnt get to drive the Emira until after the price rise and thought i better do this to know if im getting a daily i can see value in, I did not and do not HATE the Emira i just think its not the great value car it was sold to me as. A do hope you get to drive some quick cars to enable your reviews to have a little more balance and of course more credibility as you come across as a bit of a wanabee or one of lifes (SmallerBaller's)

Hey man, I've got no insecurities here for you to exploit, the name is very self-aware! That is the point! I am far from an expert... said that in both of my personal reviews, thought it may help to be able to offer insight to others with less experience. That said, I have driven a few, but not a ton of quicker cars (GT4, R8 V10+, C8, all quicker than an Emira), and my conclusion was that the GT4 is actually probably the best car I, myself, have ever driven!

Again, sounds like you have all the experience you need to make an informed decision and got the car you prefer, and youre welcome to share those thoughts. Whenever I get whatever car I end up with, I will be grateful to God for the opportunities I have been given, because they are beyond what I could have imagined growing up.

No need to come in here and act like a goober because people have other opinions!

 

[Evotion]

the GT4 is twice the car and i even think in clubsport spec it looks just as good if not better.

Ouch.

Whereabouts are you? Would be good to do a comparison actually!

See if I can improve your thoughts on the car! Even if the GT4 becomes 1 1/2 times better only.

 

[4MIR3]

Makes no sense... I smell a troll... or buyers remorse. Why join a forum post that it's 2X the Emira. Makes zero sense.

Oh BTW the GT4 and Spyder were officially discontinued... and the 4RS had a 15k price hike... and the GTS a 6k increase.

 

[Superman]

I have an emera on order, infact i should have had it a long time ago but thats another story. i drove the emera 3.5 manual and went directly to porsche and baught a used GT4. Its a no brainer now that my car would be £6.500 aditional pounds. the GT4 is twice the car and i even think in clubsport spec it looks just as good if not better.

OMG, this is so clearly a spam/troll/paid account. Typos and contextual inaccuracies... I think we can safely just ignore this one!

 

[Hell4Leather]

Thanks for the spelling corection, never my strong point. forgive me. I created an account as I was interested in the views of others who had got the price hikes. I didnt get to drive the Emira until after the price rise and thought i better do this to know if im getting a daily i can see value in, I did not and do not HATE the Emira i just think its not the great value car it was sold to me as. A do hope you get to drive some quick cars to enable your reviews to have a little more balance and of course more credibility as you come across as a bit of a wanabee or one of lifes (SmallerBaller's)

Wannabe………look man. For those of us that give 0 F’s about tracking the car, I have driven a McLaren 570 GT around town and the experience was awful. It’s basically warp speed in a 45. It’ll snap necks, including the drivers. But speed for the sake of speed is just as useless as that crap Demon/Hellcat that sounds loud, has a lot of ponies, can pop wheelies, but can’t turn itself or an onlooker.

 

[kitkat]

I have an emera on order, infact i should have had it a long time ago but thats another story. i drove the emera 3.5 manual and went directly to porsche and baught a used GT4. Its a no brainer now that my car would be £6.500 aditional pounds. the GT4 is twice the car and i even think in clubsport spec it looks just as good if not better.

Aren't GT4 clubsports not even road legal? Weird comparison.

 

[Magicman]

15 porsche car history, fan boy and last car was a 981 gt4, I really liked it, done 1100 mls in my Emira and imo its without doubt more fun and engaging as a road car (porsche is still built better unfortunately), maybe the roads we drive regularly make quite a difference in the outcomes of these comparisons

 

[SmallerBaller]

15 porsche car history, fan boy and last car was a 981 gt4, I really liked it, done 1100 mls in my Emira and imo its without doubt more fun and engaging as a road car (porsche is still built better unfortunately), maybe the roads we drive regularly make quite a difference in the outcomes of these comparisons

I think the general consensus is as you just said, and also the conclusion that I came to: Emira is more involving and fun, GT4 is more of a precision instrument and higher quality. Depends on your priorities and reason for buying!

 

[Cachaco131]

15 porsche car history, fan boy and last car was a 981 gt4, I really liked it, done 1100 mls in my Emira and imo its without doubt more fun and engaging as a road car (porsche is still built better unfortunately), maybe the roads we drive regularly make quite a difference in the outcomes of these comparisons

What about a 992 T for daily and long commute purposes? I will not baby it. Any thoughts? It would replace an F80.

 

[Magicman]

What about a 992 T for daily and long commute purposes? I will not baby it. Any thoughts? It would replace an F80.

I've also had an f80 m4c , fun car if a little traction limited
I mentioned elsewhere that I took a friend out the other day in my emira that had a couple of hours before been in his friend's 992 gts targa and was really surprised how much more of an event the emira felt. The 992 Gen 911 (excluding Gt cars) ironically, is much more of a gt car than previous gens. Maybe a 992 T would be a step back in the right direction, probably a better all round daily than the emira I'd say.
The Emira feels closer to my old 997 GTS in some ways.

 

[Cachaco131]

I've also had an f80 m4c , fun car if a little traction limited
I mentioned elsewhere that I took a friend out the other day in my emira that had a couple of hours before been in his friend's 992 gts targa and was really surprised how much more of an event the emira felt. The 992 Gen 911 (excluding Gt cars) ironically, is much more of a gt car than previous gens. Maybe a 992 T would be a step back in the right direction, probably a better all round daily than the emira I'd say.
The Emira feels closer to my old 997 GTS in some ways.

Thanks. I meant as an addition to the Emira and for serious abuse. 20kmiles a year. I do a lot of highway, and GT sounds good. I agree that 911s are more along the GT vein nowadays. 718s feel a bit small inside for me. I'm sold on the Emira but that will be for weekends.

 

[Fasttoys]

IMO The GT4 is not a fare comparison to an Emira. Price point and this Porsche is a GT car. You need to get a Porsche Cayman S which ends up being around the same price. When you do this it’s Emira all day long. GT4 is 120k plus in todays market unless you go to a first generation. Driven them all and IMO the only Porsches to own have GT in their names. C8 Z51 Corvette if you can get at MSRP is a fare comparison and depending what you like it’s hard to beat the C8. Just got the email from the GM of the largest Corvette dealer my Z06 allocation is coming soon, can’t wait. My Emira LE is not till 2024 1st Q

 

[Hell4Leather]

I think the general consensus is as you just said, and also the conclusion that I came to: Emira is more involving and fun, GT4 is more of a precision instrument and higher quality. Depends on your priorities and reason for buying!

I have no work commute, no city traffic, and a bunch of twisty back roads. I also like to show off. - I made my choice. Too bad it’s not going to be delivered until next century.

 

[Ftype]

Had a 718 spyder & loved it, yes it was a safe bet for residuals but now have my Emira since Nov 21 & am loving it a little more each day as its more involving than the spyder.
To me the 718 is looking dated now but you should go with your heart, you must drive the Emira before making up your mind.
Good Luck

How long had you owned your Spyder for