Emira VS My Past Cars

[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.

I’ll write up a piece about the Type R as well. I can comfortably and confidently say that the FL5 Type R is a very close second to the Emira in my list of cars. More on that shortly.

 

[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.

Ford Mustang Shelby GT350/R
Pros
The motor… oh my! Linear power, revs forever, flat-plane crank coupled with careful exhaust tuning from Ford gives it a signature sound unlink any others. Sure the C8 Z06 has a flat-plane crank motor and sure other Mustangs and GM products have the good ol’ America V8 rumble but the blending of those two creates a distinctly different noise… and I love it! Also, love how it makes power all the way to redline and it’s a bit underrated too. Clearly makes more than the stated numbers.

The magnetorheological dampers in the suspension are tremendous! Calm and supple when needed but can be racetrack firm at the push of a button! Steering feel is very good but you always feel the fact that a big V8 is sitting on the front axles. No hiding that! It does a great job in staying sharp despite that weight but it’s always there. Coupling the weight with MONSTROUS 295 width front tires… yes… FRONT tires… (305 in the GT350R), tram lining is a real problem. The car will dart and chase every road surface undulation and rut. You better be prepared and aware at all times!

The shifter… I don’t know. I can’t really knock it because it does the job well. I could shift fast, I could hustle it pretty easily but it’s not a fantastic gear box. I’m spoiled by some Porsche boxes, and the Miata’s and the Type R’s so that certainly plays a part in my lack of excitement about the shifter. But it’s just good… that’s all. The shifter could just as easily fit in the “Cons” category as it can the “Pros”.

The brakes… excellent stock brakes. No ceramics, no shenanigans. Just fade-resistant, consistently strong brakes everytime. The technology is great. CarPlay and Android Auto, heated and ventilated seats (if you get the non-Recaro lazyboy sofa seats), adjustable dampers, valved exhaust, good sound system. For a $50-$70K car with such track pedigree, there is quite a lot of bells and whistles here. The exterior design is good. Eye-catching in good colors with the racing stripes. Muscular bulges, great factory wheel/tire fitment and features lend to a very aggressive stance.

The GT350R ups the ante in all these departments. The subtle steering tweaks help hide the weight. The lighter unsprung weight from the carbon fiber wheels make the car feel lighter on its feet and transition better. The carbon wheels and bigger rear wing add to the sex appeal of the car. The lack of a central resonator in the “R” model also uncorks that banshee scream from that motor. The “R” is a perfect set of chances that enhance all elements of the car!

Cons
Heel-toe downshifting (since there is no auto rev-match feature) finds itself on the con list but only for street driving. At the race track, you’ll find yourself brakes VERY hard from high rates of speed as you approach a turn. But on the street, you are moving along at anywhere from 4/10ths to 8/10ths most of the time. In those instances, the brakes are entirely TOO touchy and aggressive. Trying to apply braking pressure while jabbing the throttle results in a massive decrease in speed to where you’ve really missed the rpm’s of the gear you were trying to go down to. Despite great pedal placement, a quick-revving motor and a good-enough shifter, heel-toe shifting became a chore on the street.

The weight… can’t get away from the weight. At race track pace, it hides the weight very well. If I were to purely track these cars, I would adore this car but, when getting back on the road and off the track, the weight comes right back into focus. The seating position and relatively high hood just add more difficulting in street driving these cars. It just always felt difficult to drive on the street.

Regarding the GT350R model, again, those positives mentioned above have immediate drawbacks on the street. Sure, the carbon fiber wheels reduce unsprung weight but they are STUPID expensive. Curbing ONE of these wheels will set you back the price of a good SET of forged wheels from a premium brand. I had a slow leak in one of the tires and NO ONE would touch them because of the risk in damaging the carbon fiber. Not even Ford themselves would investigate without me waiving all rights in the event of damage. Further, the resonator delete means that the Jekyll and Hyde nature of the car (being able to quiet down with valves closed) is less impactful and dramatic. Also, the interior is ugly. That’s all. Just plain unattractive with poor materials.

Summary
I know I sound like I am bashing the GT350/R but I genuinely loved this (these) car(s). I bought a 2016, then upgraded to a 2017 GT350R and later, purchased a 2019 GT350. I kept thinking and feeling that I would be able to modify the areas of disappointment and make it be a perfect sports car but always would come back to the same problem. It’s just too heavy! And no, I don’t think 3700lbs is too heavy. It’s that THIS particular car doesn’t feel 3700lbs despite what scales say. It feels easily 500lbs over that on backroads. No amount of tweaks and mods could hide that so I gave up on the platform.

 

[sendmeows]

Love your perspective as you’ve had experience with many of the greatest hits. What’s in your current garage?

 

[AK16]

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.

2000 Honda S2000 (AP1)
Pros
A 4-cylinder naturally aspirated motor that makes 240hp and revs to 9000rpm with seductive motor and induction noise. Sounds like a recipe for a dream motor, right? Yes, it definitely is. Sure, it makes less torque than a riding lawn mower when below 6000rpm. Sure, it isn’t actually fast. Yes, the fuel economy is not great for a 4-cylinder. But none of that matters when “VTEC kicks in, yo” and you surge to 9000rpm. That never gets old.

The shifter… what a great piece of hardware. It’s sensational. Shift action, feel, engagement, all the elements of a good shifter are here. Just fantastic! 2700lbs but feels lighter. Gorgeous timeless design with that long nose, wedge profile, clean lines that have not aged at all. An interior that was rattle free due to Honda using as few pieces as possible in the dash. Clean, simple, driver-focused cabin that looks minimalistic by hiding all the non-driver tech stuff. The focus is on the key touch points… the steering wheel, the pedals and the shifter. Everything else falls to the wayside.

Cons
Sadly, that’s kinda where the pros end for me. The steering should be amazing. Light car, small, narrow front tires… recipe for sublime steering, right? Sadly, no. It felt like there was a barrier or delay between input and action. Maybe it was just because it was an early electronic power steering system. Maybe I just never got the alignment right. But I tried everything and every tweak to no avail. The steering felt oddly abysmal. Future hurting its case, as the car was pushed harder, it got noticeably worse. That’s never a good thing for an enthusiast-focused performance car.

The brakes had great feel and solid stopping power until they got hot. Fade came in really early. Suspension damping was good enough but not great. Bumps would horribly upset the chassis mid-turn. Snap oversteer was constantly on my mind, too. The back end seemed to come out whenever it felt like. And with the poor steering feel, the front end didn’t help predict what the back end might do moments later. This led to a complete lack of confidence in the car. What a shame.

Another con is that the interior is unexplainably narrow. The car isn’t that narrow… but the wide door panels/cards encroach on cabin space and end up making the interior feel cramped and crowded. Coupling that feeling with the absolutely tiny amount of trunk space and storage in the cabin kills any practicality one might want.

Summary
I owned this S2000 a LONG time ago, nearly two decades ago. A few years ago, I felt that I must have been wrong about my feelings about the S2000. I began searching for another one to reevaluate the car. I found a gorgeous 2003 AP1 model, also finished in Silverstone with red interior. This one was completely bone stock with only 27K miles in Kansas City. I took a flight there with cash in hand to buy it and drive it home. However, I got there, took a test drive and ALL of this negative memories and sentiments flooded back in. That is just what the S2000 is. Flawed steering, nervous grip, peaky motor, cramped cabin. What a shame. I hear the AP2 models resolve a lot of these issues but you lose the 9000rpm magic. Sure, 8000rpm is still great but… it’s not 9000rpm.

 

[AK16]

Love your perspective as you’ve had experience with many of the greatest hits. What’s in your current garage?

Thank you! Currently, I have tried to keep it simple. Wifey (and sons) drive a 2023 Hyundai Palisade. I daily a 2024 Tesla Model Y Performance and drive me 2024 Lotus Emira for pure bliss and joy!