Emira VS My Past Cars

[AK16]

2024 Lotus Emira First Edition
Spec
Seneca Blue with full black pack, Ice Gray interior, manual transmission, V6 with yellow calipers

Pros
The Emira takes the Evora GT’s formula, sands out some rough edges, slaps on a dollop of refinement and technology, sprinkles in some reliability fears and shaves away a tiny bit of the raw and focused nature. The Evora GT is a better performing car and is more enjoyable to drive. It has a clear, focused and direct mission. The luxuries all take a back seat so the driver experience takes center stage. The Emira says “hey, maybe you want some tech and polish”.

The pure aesthetic appeal of the Emira has me smitten. It is stunningly beautiful. I turn on my garage Nest camera regularly just so I can sneak a peak at the Emira as it sleeps soundly in the garage. I can’t walk away without taking a look back at the purposefully designed contours. It is gorgeous! The interior layout, ergonomics and design are also wonderful. Everything falls to hand nicely, controls are where you expect them to be and the materials seem great (for a Lotus!).

The steering feels just like the Evora GT. I know some say there are significant differences but I can’t sense them, at least not in my driving style. Very communicative, very direct, great on-center feel. Can’t really ask for more. The shifter action feels great. The cliche rifle-bolt feel is there. It all feels very mechanical, very engaging. You actually feel like you are doing something rather than the gearbox sliding into gear almost telepathically in some modern high end gearboxes (like Porsche, Civic Type-R, etc). The noise is great. It doesn’t sound exotic. It doesn’t scream to a 9000 rpm redline. It just has a great note and tone and I find myself smiling at the rumble, roar, whine, overrun crackles and more. Tons of character in the sound. The touring suspension does a commendable job of playing the role of a Porsche 911. It’s supple, soaks up imperfections, removes nervous bump-steer dynamics, and tightens up nicely as the pace increases. Lotus gets suspension damping and steering feel right… always. The Emira is no exception.

The tech is a great change. The Wireless CarPlay has worked flawlessly. The Lotus voice control works a treat. I love being able to press the voice control button and say “set temp to 76 degrees and turn on heated seats” knowing it will happen without having to fiddle with the knob or screen or buttons. The silly voice saying “I’m here” in a digital British accent adds a touch of charm and quirkiness that I enjoy. Speaking of heated seats… they work very well! Toasting my buns on a cold New England fall morning amply. Also, love the little touches like the sprinkles of single-color ambient lighting everywhere, the LED bulbs throughout the interior, steering wheel controls, and power seats. Do they add weight? Yes. Do I care? Not at all. I drive long distances to get to the types of roads I want to drive. As a result, on those long stretches of monotonous driving, I want those creature comforts. Great interior storage space too! Oh, and great cupholders!

Cons
The KEF audio system had me very excited… and then extremely let down. It’s just not very good. I tried all the tricks I heard in the forums about resetting audio settings and such. None of it helped. The bass is just bad, the staging isn’t great and the worst part of it is that the bass sounds like it is coming from the car behind you while the music stage is all in front. There is this strong disconnect that I just can’t unhear. I’m spoiled by the Burmester in the 718 Spyder, I’m sure, but this is MUCH worse than even the Bose in my 2023 Type-R. Not a fan.

The few other niggles that bother me all have solutions on the way. I don’t enjoy the touch sensitive buttons on the wheel. GRP to the rescue with the physical buttons mod. I feel the exhaust is a bit muffled. GRP 3rd Cat delete fixes that! I don’t like the valve control logic. Milltek valve control for the win! Wheel fitment isn’t ideal, needs to be pushed out a tiny bit… GRP 12mm spacers handles that like a champ! Supercharger whine is a little underwhelming. Eventuri intake on the way! The leaves just a couple of little things… I wish it had keyless entry so the fob can stay in my pocket at all times. I wish it had ventilated seats. I wish it had adaptive cruise control on the V6 Manual… heck it has the distance control buttons on the wheel that just do nothing… I wish that worked. That’s it, though!

Summary
The Emira takes all the elements I loved about my 911 Carrera S and my Evora GT and blends them into a drop-dead gorgeous package. I am only 2 weeks into ownership so I will refrain from getting too far ahead of myself but, as it stands now and after 1500 miles of blissful driving, it is by far the best car I have owned. Is it perfect? Heck no. But the lack of perfection gives it the character and charm that just heighten my love for the machine.

 

[AK16]

2016 Alfa Romeo 4C Spyder
Spec
Madreperla White, Red interior, Spider Track Pack 3

Pros
Second to the Emira, this car is gorgeous. I love the design elements, swoops, curves, sculpted and molded in a seductive way. It is SO wide! The width is amplified by its short length. The interior materials and sense of occasion of being in something special is here in spades. Carbon everywhere! It takes the bare aluminum look of the Elige cars and ups the ante by replacing aluminum with carbon fiber.

The turbo noises harken back to a Ferrari F40 or something… snarling and barking, and whooshing away. 240hp doesn’t seem like a lot but it feels properly fast. I never felt the car was lacking performance. The paddle shifting dual clutch irritated me so much at first. I couldn’t stand the slow shifts and even slower downshifts. I was thinking about all the Audi’s I’ve owned with properly fast-shifting dual clutch transmissions and felt the 4C was pathetic comparatively. But then, it hit me! The delays, the barks, the drama with each shift… They have dialed in character and feel with these shifts. The polished, seamless shifts of those other dual clutch systems make them feel too refined, too smooth. Alfa didn’t want that. When you pull a paddle to grab the next gear, they want you to feel like you did something of substance. They succeeded!

Mechanical grip levels were great. It took very deliberate action to break traction. In “Race” mode, with traction control off, you’d still have to do something foolish to make the car bite. This made the drive very confidence inspiring. The immediacy and sharpness of the unassisted steering rack was great, too!

Unlike the Elise SC, getting in and out was actually pretty easy. Not as good as most of the other cars I’ve owned but when you see the shape of the car, you might assume it would be a challenge. It isn’t.

Cons
That same steering I just complimented feels entirely and unnecessarily heavy. The Elise SC I owned didn’t have that problem so it isn’t just the heft of an unassisted system. It felt like I was moving twice the weight on the front end that I really was even at speed. It shouldn’t really require that much effort to move 45% of 2400lbs, right?

The power ran out of steam too early. By 5500rpm, the fun was over. Typical turbo 4 cylinder woes… no power, no power, no power, then all the power in a mad rush, then no power, then redline. Is it fun and dramatic? Yes! Is it fulfilling? Nope.

The steering wheel is god-awful ugly. Not sure how or why that passed the Italian design approval process. Maybe the process of making it pass American safety standards necessitated it but it’s inexcusable. The seats… dear God the seats…. Terrible. Ergonomic nightmare. In the stock setting (they have a few settings you can modify by undoing and moving some bolts), they have you tilted forwarded a ridiculous amount. I felt like I was using my legs to push myself back into the seat at all times. Even after I adjusted the bolts to the complete opposite angle, it still just wasn’t right. I know they were trying to make lightweight, small seats but the Probax seats in the Elise accomplished that while being ergonomic and comfortable. Terrible seats!

The tech is nonexistent. I replaced the headhunt with an aftermarket single-DIN that had wireless CarPlay that seemed to help. The lack of a backup camera was painful but I remedied that with a digital rear view mirror. The blindspots were atrocious but the mirror helped that too with its wide angle. The button placement and thought process behind the buttons don’t make any sense. Storage space is nonexistent. Cup holders are useless. Sound system is worthless. The convertible top mechanism is annoying at best but it’s a step above the Elise soft top.

Summary
Despite my long list of concerns with the Alfa 4C that I list above, I’d be willing to overlook nearly all of them because it brings a sense of theatre, drama and occasion to the driving experience that few, if any, cars today deliver. The fact that it doesn’t even make me crave a third pedal by way of a purposeful and engaging paddle shifting action is a testament to Alfa’s ability to deliver engagement. It’s beautiful, rare, over-the-top in all the best ways but… at the end of the day… I just couldn’t get comfortable in it. The seats, seating position, ingress/egress, and my fat ass all combined to ensure I couldn’t last more than 30 minutes without crying for help to get out. If that one element had been different, I might not be an Emira owner right now. It’s THAT special and unique of a car in a sea of clones from all manufacturers.

 

[AK16]

2021 Porsche 718 Spyder
Spec
Miami Blue (with XPel Stealth Matte PPF), Carbon Buckets, Carbon Ceramics, ALL of the leather!, manual transmission, Kline Inconel full exhaust system from engine to tips

Pros
Holy heck… what a machine. The steering is as good as electronic power steering can get. The shifter is fantastic. The auto-rev-match system is uncanny. The front end grip is astonishing. Power delivery is exactly how it should be, linear and smooth up to the 8,000rpm rev limiter. The interior fit and finish is exceptional. The Burmester sound system is acoustically as good as a convertible cars stereo can get. Beautiful design, sexy “flying buttresses”, the Spyder humps… man, oh man. With the sport cats in the exhaust and the tune, I estimate I was around 460hp which was PLENTY. The bucket seats were exactly what you’d expect from Porsche carbon buckets… supportive and ergonomically excellent. A side note… the frunk/trunk combo (much like the Cayman GT4) makes this a surprising practical car. I NEVER had to worry about how much wifey was packing for a weekend getaway.

Cons
The stock exhaust system, and the valve logic/control, was pretty awful. On the first drive after transport delivered it, I was VERY disappointed and underwhelmed. When the valve God’s decided to finally fully open, I could tell there was a voice there that I wanted to hear but the valves opened and closed in many random times and situations. The Kline exhaust system fixed everything with that (along with the tune that changed the valve logic).

The roof mechanism was a pain in the ass. No other way to say it…just awful. Much like the Elise SC feedback I shared, we are prone to random bursts of precipitation in the northeast. In those moments, having to jump out and dance around the car for a minute or two as the rain is starting isn’t fun. Unfortunately, it led me to just keep the roof closed when the chance of rain was there. Or worse, not take the Spyder out on those days. What a shame to lose the open-top factor.

The cupholders…. Ugh!! And the lack of heated seats for those cool winter/fall moments.

The only other element I keep feeling negative about was that it just felt TOO perfect. How is that possible? I don’t know, but it did. It didn’t feel like I was being challenged to be a better driver. I didn’t need to perfect any skills. The car saved me, shielded me, sheltered me and hid all my mistakes. Perfection, in and of itself, is a flaw to me.

Summary
After a wild run where car values were climbing at silly levels, the tea leaves were signaling a slowing trend and potential precipitous drops coming. I bought the 718 Spyder really well… below MSRP despite having nearly $10K of PPF and Ceramic and all. The values were at an all time high and I didn’t want to be on the receiving end of a swift price drop when the new Spyder RS would inevitably arrive. Adding all this to the fact that I still had the Emira on order, I felt the timing was right to part with the Spyder.

 

[AK16]

2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus
Spec
Suzuka gray with red interior, carbon everywhere, ESS Supercharger Kit (825hp), Fabspeed exhaust

Pros
I have loved the design of the Audi R8 since its inception. Low, wide, looks like it was chiseled from a solid block, simply gorgeous. I think it’s one of the more timeless designs ever and will stay relevant and attractive for decades to come. The motor with that supercharger…. Dear goodness…. 9,000rpm worth of V10 wail coupled with the thrust and whine of the blower was just unreal. The dual clutch transmission fired off imperceptible shifts (is that a good thing?? More on that later with the Alfa 4C review).

The interior was proper Audi luxury. Heated seats, great technology with CarPlay, Virtual Cockpit, excellent materials everywhere. The R8 felt heavy in a planted and solid sort of way. It didn’t feel bloated, but it had a sense of significance about its weight. The steering was good… not Porsche good, no where near Lotus great, but just good. The carbon ceramic brakes gave plenty of confidence. The traction control system did a great job keeping the car pointed in the right direction, especially when combined with the legendary Audi Quattro system. It was able to put down and use every last one of the 825 horses.

Cons
That same power I was just gushing about is ultimately the downfall of this car, in more ways than one. I get it… the magazines and YouTubers all convince us that a 10 second quarter mile or sub 3 second 0-60 is necessary… mandatory even! Chris Harris shows us that the proper way around any turn… virtually ALL of them… is to drift, full opposite lock, at all times. Mat from CarWow lives life one quarter-mile at a time. But that isn’t real life. Not for me, at least. On the windy backroads, that 825hp was absolutely and positively pointless… useless, even. It quite literally ruined that car. 600hp in OEM format was too much, let alone 825hp. It couldn’t, shouldn’t and won’t ever be used on public streets. And on a racetrack? You can have more fun in a Miata/Lotus/etc so why deal with the immense running costs of a $200K car with massive tires and carbon ceramic brakes? Utterly pointless. Beyond all that, the biggest “con” I can say is that I regularly forgot I was in an R8. It felt just like the Audi TTRS I had before. That feeling was inexcusable.

Summary
I was bored of this car as fast as nearly any car I have owned. I bought it already supercharged and several times considered restoring back to stock in hopes of making it a little more enjoyable. However, luck wasn’t on my side. I started having issues… and not little issues either. Rather, they were $200K V10 heavily modified issues. Thousands of dollars were sunk into cooling system problems and leaks before noticing a little bit of slipping from the DSG transmission. I decided I had enough and put it up for sale with a disclaimer to the new owner that they will likely have to rebuild the transmission/clutches. I sold the car, as is, for a $20K loss and swore NEVER again!

 

[AK16]

2020 Lotus Evora GT
Spec
Exige Orange, black interior with orange stitching, manual transmission

Pros
Right after unexpectedly selling the 981 GT4, I needed a replacement. My local Lotus dealer (what a blessing to have one so close to my home!) had a new Exige Orange Evora GT that they were sitting on and anxious to sell. MSRP was $108K, they wanted $99K and I was sold! The shortcomings or “cons” of the GT4 were addressed in the Evora GT. I found the design to be special, unique and plain sexy. I couldn’t stop looking at it everywhere I parked. The back end design especially… the way the aerodynamics and body lines blend so perfectly with no giant wing hanging off the back, the round taillights, seeing the rear tires through the bumper cutouts… just plain sexy.

The cupholders were properly useful. The Sparco carbon buckets were heated. The stereo (yes, the GeekSquad special Pioneer headhunt) had CarPlay and a backup camera that worked well enough. It solved all my concerns with the GT4, while being a brand new car and for $10K less than I sold the GT4.

I loved the driving experience. It felt special every time I drove it. The supercharged V6 had a sonorous if not special sound to it. The throttle response was sharp and sudden, the shifter was pretty good… doesn’t like to be hurried but doesn’t get in your way on a spirited drive either. Pure, focused, sharp. I couldn’t stop driving it. I put 2500 miles on it in less than 3 weeks… no long road trips, just took every opportunity to hit backroads in New Hampshire, upstate NY, Vermont and Maine.

Cons
I could complain how the badge on the passenger side of the dash was mounted crooked. I could argue that the microphone for the stereo/bluetooth calls should be better integrated. I could make a case that the shifter should be better. But that’s it.

Summary
Ultimately, none of that mattered much and they were all minor concerns. So minor that they did nothing to detract from the driving joy I felt driving the Evora GT. It took the character, charm and sense of occasion the Elise SC had and blended in equal parts of all the things the 911 did. In many ways, it pulled elements from the Elise, the 911, the GT4 and many other cars I have owned and put them in a uniquely attractive package. So why did I sell it, you ask? Well, there was this little announcement of the soon-to-be-arriving new product from Lotus… the Emira! I placed an order immediately! With the understanding that it might be less than a year from delivery, I felt that the Evora values might be negatively impacted upon the Emira’s arrival so I figured I will sell the Evora now and buy a holdover car I want to experience until the Emira arrives. I was not prepared for the 3+ years it would take until I would have an Emira in the garage. Nor was I not prepared for the fact that the Evora GT today sells for the same amount I sold mine for 3 years ago. In hindsight, I would have kept and loved that Evora GT up until the day the Emira arrived but, you know what they say about hindsight.

 

[AK16]

2016 Porsche Cayman GT4
Spec
Sapphire Blue, Ceramic Brakes, Carbon buckets, full leather everywhere

Pros
Balance, poise, precision, confidence… these are things we want in our cars. The 981 GT4 delivers on ALL accounts. The electronic steering is no where near as good as the Elise but darn good for an electronic system. The shifter is best-in-class. The 3.8L Carrera S motor feels dramatically different in this car than the 911 it was borrowed from (due to the placement of the motor and the lighter weight of the Cayman chassis). The naturally aspirated power delivery is linear and smooth with no drama or surprises.

A simple tune from Softronics coupled with catless headers removed the very few bottlenecks of the car, revved to 8100rpm and sang a beautiful flat-six song all the way to the rev limiter. On the race track, the Michelin Cup2 tires might have been ideal but since 99% of my driving is in the backroads of New England, I changed them to… gasp… all seasons! This was a scary topic for me but, alas, to my surprise, it made the car a little less serious, a little more playful. Suddenly, the unflappable grip of the Cup2’s was replaced with a back end that wanted to dance a little, rotate a bit. A little bit of BRZ/FRS character injected into a precision race machine.

Interior fit and finish is typical Porsche excellence. Great Porsche Carbon Ceramic Brakes, spectacular Carbon Fiber Lightweight Bucket Seats and all the leather one could ask for rounded out the package. The frunk/trunk combo offered massive amounts of storage carrying capabilities for such a small car, also!

Cons
There really aren’t many but you will see a similar answer as what I stated about the Elise. The flip-out cup holders are awful. I know, I know… some love them, some hate them. I am firmly in the “hate” camp. The stereo system is just ok at best. No backup camera and a big old wing made parking in tight quarters a bit more difficult. No CarPlay meant I was back to the “roughing it” days of MapQuest printed directions (or just mounting my phone in the RennLine phone mount…basically the same thing as printing MapQuest, right?). No heated seats, either. I’m spoiled by these modern amenities and I don’t really want to do without them.

Another major negative for the Cayman GT4 (and really, all Caymans) is that I really don’t find the design to be attractive. The proportions just seem off to me. The back end design doesn’t call me in any way. I remember being out at dinner with my wife and we had secured a nice outdoor table that had views of my GT4 in the parking lot. As I looked over at my car, I couldn’t shake the feeling of “meh…”. The emotional sex appeal a man and car have just wasn’t there.

Summary
Ultimately, these negatives weren’t enough for me to abandon the GT4. However, one day I drove to a local Porsche dealer to test drive a used Mercedes AMG GT-R they had in stock. I really had no intention on buying the AMG but I wanted to drive it. I drove there in the GT4. After a brief test drive, I found myself thoroughly bored in the AMG, thanked the sales team and walked out. As I got to my GT4, the used car manager rushed out and said “hey, I don’t care if you buy my car but I can’t let you leave without buying YOUR car. I suppose he had a buyer already in mind for my GT4. I told him I wasn’t interested in selling but, everyone has a price, right? I threw out a number that I would want….a number $15K more than I had just paid 8 months and 8,000miles prior. Without much discussion, he accepted and sent a truck to my house to pick up the spare tires, OEM parts and all. Do I still think about and miss that car? For sure! But I am at peace with my decision.

 

[AK16]

2008 Lotus Elise SC
Spec
Storm Titanium with black interior, manual, supercharged, Rota Torque wheels, AIM MX2E gauge cluster, Android head unit, ShiftR111 kit, GRP goodies, full Exige clam swap, Larini exhaust

Pros
No car unites the driver and the machine better than an Elise/Exige. None. The manual steering rack, the high-revving, just-enough power, the absurdly light weight… there is literally no other car like it. I loved the VVTi coupled with the supercharger. Grunt down low with a huge rush up top on the hot lobe of the cam. The shifter was pretty awful but I suspect that was due to an aged mechanism, cables, bushings and linkage. Once I replaced everything from knob to transmission with the ShiftR111 kit, it was much improved but still not Porsche good. The pedal placement makes heel-toe shenanigans a breeze.

Cons
Oh man…. One drive on a warm day, ran into a sudden downpour. This is common in New England during the summer. After quickly putting the roof back on and closing the windows (which isn’t all that quick), I noticed two problems. First, water was getting past every single window seal and getting me drenched on my left arm. While hurriedly wiping away water from the door sills as I drove in those conditions, I noticed that the windows were fogging up inside and out. Turns out the little man blowing lukewarm air out of a straw (we call it the aircon)wasn’t able to keep up with the warm weather and precipitation. The fact that the windshield wiper wasn’t doing a great job was just the icing on the cake. This was a treacherous 25 minute drive.

Aside from that drive, the daily struggles got to me. Getting in and out requires years of gymnastics training especially when you are built like a Hellcat driver. The rattles, lack of storage room/areas, poor stereo system, and fussy roof mechanism meant that I had to be very deliberate about when and where I drove the Elise. I don’t have a commute, I drive purely for pleasure. When I have to evaluate the risk of getting caught in a rainstorm, the temperature, what I am carrying or picking up, who I am taking with me, etc, just to decide if I will take the Elise, it ruins the joy of the car for me.

Summary
You see, I love the thrill of a proper sports car. I am awakened by the bliss of a windy mountain or canyon run where man and machine melt into one. But to get to those roads, there are often monotonous stretches of roads. In those moments, having a cup holder that safely holds my coffee while I listen to the latest episode of Everyday Driver’s podcast on CarPlay, navigating to that stretch of road on the Porsche Roads app all while the valved exhaust quiets down so I don’t attract the wrong attention is important to me. I want to be cradled in nice, warm, heated seats, too! The Elise did precisely all of the former and none of the latter. That is what ultimately spelled the end of the Elise SC journey for me.

 

[AK16]

2013 Porsche 911 Carrera S
Spec
Platinum Silver, back interior, 7-speed manual transmission, SUPER rare SportDesign package (GT3-ish front bumper and duckbill wing in the back), heated and ventilated 18-way seats.

Pros
So comfortable… the seats were excellent. Being heated and ventilated took them from great to…more great?!? The Bose stereo was solid if not spectacular. Plenty of fun tech for a 2013 car despite no CarPlay (wasn’t even available yet). The 3.8L flat six sounded and felt great. The new-for-its-year 991 Carrera S chassis was not as light, agile and alive as the 997.2 before it but added a healthy dose of refinement and cabin space. The manual transmission, with its rev-match downshifts, made me feel like a proper race car driver. I am not that much of a purist to not use those types of assistance systems. I love them! A spectacular car in every way with amazing mechanical grip, mostly due to the bulk of its weight hanging over the rear wheels.

Cons
During the 6 months of ownership, the dynamic engine mounts failed, the air-oil separator failed and a couple of other small sensor issues arose. Also, I couldn’t shake the fact that the Carrera S (unlike the 4S, Turbo, Turbo S and GT3) have the narrow body. I REALLY wish it was the wide body design. I wish it had CarPlay, also. And… the cupholders… gosh I hate those Porsche flip out cupholders.

Summary
Ownership of this car was short-lived. What a poor automotive decision I made in selling it. Today, that same spec sells for $20-25K more than I sold it for. But, $4500 worth of repairs and a warranty that was just about to expire put me in a bit of a panic mode about what out-of-warranty ownership of a $120K MSRP car would be like so I prematurely parted ways with it. I think about that car a lot. In a lot of ways, the Emira reminds me most of that car and I believe they are the closest competitors of all the cars I have owned.

 

[AK16]

The posts above are in reverse chronological order starting with the Emira today and going backwards. Interspersed with those, there are a bunch of other notable cars I have owned that aren’t “reviewed” here. I would happy to help answer any questions anyone has on these or any car.

• 2016 Ford Shelby GT350
• 2017 Ford Shelby GT350R
• 2019 Ford Shelby GT350
• 2017-2019 Audi RS3 (I owned 4 different ones over the years….)
• 2018 Audi TTRS
• 2018 BMW M3 Competition
• 2019 BMW M2 Competition
• 2022 Hyundai Veloster N
• 2018 Honda Civic Type R
• 2023 Honda Civic Type R
• 2004 VW Golf R32
• 2014 Audi S4 (and later a 2016 Audi S4)
• 2020 BMW M340i
• 2016 Audi RS7
• 2022 Tesla Model 3 Performance
• 2024 Tesla Model Y Performance
• Twelve… yes, 12 Mazda Miata’s (ranging from a 1990 all the way up to 3 of the ND’s, a 2016 soft top, a 2019 RF and a 2021 RF)

 

[Cwolf]

You have had a lot of interesting cars. Here is my list (not as good as yours!)

Emira 1st Edition
2023 M4 Comp Xdrive
2019 Porsche 911 S
2017 Range Rover Sport SVR
2016 Audi S8
2009 911 Carrera (hate I got rid of it)
2009 BMW 550i
2013 M3
1999 Mercedes C43 AMG (hate I got rid of it)
Subaru WRX (Cobb tuning modified)
1999 BMW M Coupe (another car I should have kept)
1994 BMW 328is
1990 Eagle Talon Tsi

 

[AK16]

You have had a lot of interesting cars. Here is my list (not as good as yours!)

Emira 1st Edition
2023 M4 Comp Xdrive
2019 Porsche 911 S
2017 Range Rover Sport SVR
2016 Audi S8
2009 911 Carrera (hate I got rid of it)
2009 BMW 550i
2013 M3
1999 Mercedes C43 AMG (hate I got rid of it)
Subaru WRX (Cobb tuning modified)
1999 BMW M Coupe (another car I should have kept)
1994 BMW 328is
1990 Eagle Talon Tsi

Quite a great list! Love a bunch from that list!

 

[seriously]

@AK16 monster post. really enjoyed your reviews, well done! nice selection of cars AND nicely modified. seems like you did well overall on trading cars at good values. I never concern myself with getting the absolute top of the market. A win is a win I say and if you do that consistently, you're doing alright.

I feel like the 4c is kind of the lotus proposition on steroids except that the pros don't outweigh the cons as well. Too many excuses for not enough return.

your takes on the Porsches make a lot of sense. I do think a car can be too perfect and like the R8 I do think a car can have too much power to not feel anything at sensible speeds. I imagine the Elise SC is the opposite of those experiences.

To that end I feel like the s2000 is strangely missing from your list. All the Miatas and the type R. You’ve driven so many similar platforms but I feel that it still comes together in a magical way in the S. Drive it top down on full tilt and enjoy ALL the sensations and feedback.

Btw, what do you think about the newer Type Rs? I was in the canyons and they were definitely outpacing me. They could move. I was not comfortable at those speeds.

I had no idea I could talk to my car to set the temp! will be trying that later today.

 

[Speedy Emira]

Blimey that is some list of cars you have had and I wonder how long you will keep the Emira.
Are you looking at doing any mods or have cars like your R8 put you off?

 

[Jinba ittai]

Blimey that is some list of cars you have had and I wonder how long you will keep the Emira.
Are you looking at doing any mods or have cars like your R8 put you off?

I think that was in the Emira review. “GRP to the rescue with the physical buttons mod. I feel the exhaust is a bit muffled. GRP 3rd Cat delete fixes that! I don’t like the valve control logic. Milltek valve control for the win! Wheel fitment isn’t ideal, needs to be pushed out a tiny bit… GRP 12mm spacers handles that like a champ!“

 

[Jinba ittai]

Great reviews. Surprised how much you like the emira given everything else you’ve owned. Feeling good about my decision. Cheers!

 

[Carig5A]

The posts above are in reverse chronological order starting with the Emira today and going backwards. Interspersed with those, there are a bunch of other notable cars I have owned that aren’t “reviewed” here. I would happy to help answer any questions anyone has on these or any car.

• 2016 Ford Shelby GT350
• 2017 Ford Shelby GT350R
• 2019 Ford Shelby GT350
• 2017-2019 Audi RS3 (I owned 4 different ones over the years….)
• 2018 Audi TTRS
• 2018 BMW M3 Competition
• 2019 BMW M2 Competition
• 2022 Hyundai Veloster N
• 2018 Honda Civic Type R
• 2023 Honda Civic Type R
• 2004 VW Golf R32
• 2014 Audi S4 (and later a 2016 Audi S4)
• 2020 BMW M340i
• 2016 Audi RS7
• 2022 Tesla Model 3 Performance
• 2024 Tesla Model Y Performance
• Twelve… yes, 12 Mazda Miata’s (ranging from a 1990 all the way up to 3 of the ND’s, a 2016 soft top, a 2019 RF and a 2021 RF)

Amazing list of cars! Quite eclectic too!

Quite a great list! Love a bunch from that list!

You have had a lot of interesting cars. Here is my list (not as good as yours!)

Emira 1st Edition
2023 M4 Comp Xdrive
2019 Porsche 911 S
2017 Range Rover Sport SVR
2016 Audi S8
2009 911 Carrera (hate I got rid of it)
2009 BMW 550i
2013 M3
1999 Mercedes C43 AMG (hate I got rid of it)
Subaru WRX (Cobb tuning modified)
1999 BMW M Coupe (another car I should have kept)
1994 BMW 328is
1990 Eagle Talon Tsi

You have had a lot of interesting cars. Here is my list (not as good as yours!)

Emira 1st Edition
2023 M4 Comp Xdrive
2019 Porsche 911 S
2017 Range Rover Sport SVR
2016 Audi S8
2009 911 Carrera (hate I got rid of it)
2009 BMW 550i
2013 M3
1999 Mercedes C43 AMG (hate I got rid of it)
Subaru WRX (Cobb tuning modified)
1999 BMW M Coupe (another car I should have kept)
1994 BMW 328is
1990 Eagle Talon Tsi

Great list too !
mine not as impressive haha not sure what year I had them from Toyotas and MBs Ford bimmers including Saturn ( my 1st car) but these are my fave
2006 Corvette
2012 GTR ( regret giving it away)
2015 Civic Si
2015 M3 ( same as GTR)
2016 STI
2020 Tesla Model Y Perf ( did not like it)

Still have :
2014 LP560-4 Gallardo
2018 Z06
2020 911 4S
2023 Impreza RS ( fan of Subies read : snow )
2023 M340Xi
& now the Emira

Do have plenty of SUVs if that counts haha
Still have 2017X5M and 2024 Macan S
2016 GLC 300 and 2024 Crosstrek

 

[cyanmauve]

Thank you for taking the time to do this. Very enjoyable reading!

Would you mind doing a write up for either or both of the GT350R / GT350? I feel like that car is a kindred spirit to the Emira in a strange way.

 

[NicolasB]

Amazing list of cars! Quite eclectic too!





Great list too !
mine not as impressive haha not sure what year I had them from Toyotas and MBs Ford bimmers including Saturn ( my 1st car) but these are my fave
2006 Corvette
2012 GTR ( regret giving it away)
2015 Civic Si
2015 M3 ( same as GTR)
2016 STI
2020 Tesla Model Y Perf ( did not like it)

Still have :
2014 LP560-4 Gallardo
2018 Z06
2020 911 4S
2023 Impreza RS ( fan of Subies read : snow )
2023 M340Xi
& now the Emira

Do have plenty of SUVs if that counts haha
Still have 2017X5M and 2024 Macan S
2016 GLC 300 and 2024 Crosstrek

How do you find time to drive all of these cars? I can barely find time to drive my Evora GT!


Thank you for the extensive posts above, I don't feel so alone in all of the cars I've gone through in the last 2 to 3 years. I am slowing down my automotive speed dating and trying to be more committed!

 

[AK16]

Thank you for taking the time to do this. Very enjoyable reading!

Would you mind doing a write up for either or both of the GT350R / GT350? I feel like that car is a kindred spirit to the Emira in a strange way.

Sure thing. I’ll write that up in his weekend and post it here.

 

[AK16]

@AK16 monster post. really enjoyed your reviews, well done! nice selection of cars AND nicely modified. seems like you did well overall on trading cars at good values. I never concern myself with getting the absolute top of the market. A win is a win I say and if you do that consistently, you're doing alright.

I feel like the 4c is kind of the lotus proposition on steroids except that the pros don't outweigh the cons as well. Too many excuses for not enough return.

your takes on the Porsches make a lot of sense. I do think a car can be too perfect and like the R8 I do think a car can have too much power to not feel anything at sensible speeds. I imagine the Elise SC is the opposite of those experiences.

To that end I feel like the s2000 is strangely missing from your list. All the Miatas and the type R. You’ve driven so many similar platforms but I feel that it still comes together in a magical way in the S. Drive it top down on full tilt and enjoy ALL the sensations and feedback.

Btw, what do you think about the newer Type Rs? I was in the canyons and they were definitely outpacing me. They could move. I was not comfortable at those speeds.

I had no idea I could talk to my car to set the temp! will be trying that later today.

The S2000 was one of those I forgot. I had a silverstone gray with red seats AP1. I’ll write up a piece on that as well. You’ll see why I wasn’t as keen on that car as, well, EVERYONE else.