Emotional vs Capability/Ability

[akhbhaat]

Agree that we need more reviews through a strictly emotional lens (I think Harry's Garage is the closest I've seen of those so far), but just as a primer...for people like us, an actual test drive (ideally on track) is the final word. I'm eccentric and know it, so I can't trust many reviews.

I index very heavily on steering feel and sound, and to a lesser extent gearbox. Chassis dynamics also matter but if the first three aren't right, I'm not interested. Power just needs to match the chassis for balance and not overpower it or be noticeably lacking. Couldn't care less about storage space or infotainment or comfort.

Morbid curiosity: which generation of the GT4 did you drive? They aren't terribly different, but I found the (slower!) 981 version more entertaining on the whole, mainly because the controls are heavier and less filtered. Regardless, I owned one for two years and in the end wasn't terribly sad to see it go. Much better on track than street--I actually appreciated the clinical personality it had on track--but it's not the transcendent experience all the reviews make it out to be.

 

[Jonhklee]

Ha., yeah.
Take her out in an Exige first....

She will then think she is in a Rolls Royce Emira

Good idea…. Took her out in St Andrew’s in a Caterham 7 once, she will never do that ever again….

 

[GetawayDriving]

Speaking of emotion, I found myself standing next to a Ferrari 308 today and now I think I realize why, when I sat in the Emira originally, it felt very 80s inspired to me.

I'm starting to think that perhaps the Emira is a love letter to this era of supercar (including Esprit) similar to how the Miata is a love letter to 60s/70s British roadsters. Maybe looking at it through that lens will help better understand what they were going for here. Still a swan song, but a B-side.

 

[Jonhklee]

Speaking of emotion, I found myself standing next to a Ferrari 308 today and now I think I realize why, when I sat in the Emira originally, it felt very 80s inspired to me.

View attachment 6565

I'm starting to think that perhaps the Emira is a love letter to this era of supercar (including Esprit) similar to how the Miata is a love letter to 60s/70s British roadsters. Maybe looking at it through that lens will help better understand what they were going for here. Still a swan song, but a B-side.

Definitely Esprit inspired…..

 

[TomE]

Yes, here's the design sketch for the interior with the S1 Esprit cues:

 

[Hapkin]

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)

We must have similar tastes and wants. I found my old 997.2 Targa 4S too sterile and clinical though good at the track and a bit too stiff on the road. My M2 CS I love due to the fun to drive factor and sweet engine. My r56 mini Cooper S is probably my favorite car to just jump into and have fun though it has Ohlins R&T, big brakes and rear sway. Such a sweet set up.

I have loved the GT350 to drive but agree, it's fragile. Sounds ridiculously amazing. I wish C8 came with manual and the rear end wasn't so strangely styled. Would consider. Supra manual is intriguing but too diluted in character.

So Emira is my engagement car. FE 6Spd Manual, magma, sport chassis with Cup 2. I am betting on more reliability than the Exige/Elise/Evora ,all of which I have driven and loved but can't own based on build quality. Emira should scratch my visceral Lotus engagement bogie. Hope to get it in NOVEMBER!

 

[switchlanez]

@d15b7 barring the C8's lack of a manual transmission, how does the rest of its driving feel and visceral engagement rank among those other cars?

 

[switchlanez]

Another Esprit (and Bond) Easter egg:

 

[TomE]

And the number plate for VP007 too

 

[Honeywell]

Porsche/VAG are massive industry players. The motoring press go on their launches all the time and need to write about their products and special models.

Lotus? Not so much. I take the opinions of Harry Metcalfe, 69, retired, multi millionaire, car enthusiast for decades who FOUNDED EVO magazine with considerably more weight than jobbing journalists who give the final nod to Porsche/VAG. Its an industry thing. Hell Porsche employ 20 times the number of people Lotus do. Just imagine how much bigger again their advertising spend is? What funds car magazines?

The Emira looks as good as a Ferrari, goes fast enough to scare anyone, rides poor road surfaces like a magic carpet, has great quality and interior finish, and isn't that expensive nor will it depreciate quickly nor is it that expensive to service.

Win Win.

I've a mate with a Mercedes AMG GT with 500+ horsepower and a hard ride. Its friggin awful. Un-useable hopping and skipping around on British roads. Silly power you can only deploy for a few seconds. Bland steering.

The Emira is a car for people who know not people who enjoy pub bragging rights.

 

[Dabjbr]

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.

 

[eclat2emira]

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)

Agree 100%, why do we buy anything non-essential? To make us feel good, look good, feel like a superhero driver, get an adrenaline hit - all the fun feel-good stuff

 

[Eagle7]

Agree 100%, why do we buy anything non-essential? Too makes us feel good, look good, feel like a superhero driver, get an adrenaline hit - all the fun feel-good stuff

There's also the simple attraction of something beautiful. If it looks beautiful, rides beautifully, handles beautifully, sounds beautiful... what's not to like? I think Harry's reaction pretty much says it all for me. This should be a very enjoyable car to be in and drive.