If you sold your EMIRA what’s next?

[hellasf1]

Just for fun. If you sold your EMIRA and bought another vehicle what would it be? (Around the same price or less than the EMIRA)

 

[hellasf1]

I never got my Emira - canceled my order as soon as I saw the (horrible, to me) digital interior. I now have a manual 2017 Aston Martin V8 Vantage S and it's all the superb, tactile, analog sports car I could ever want, and it sounds sublime. I have an Elise SC and a Ferrari 488 too, but I love my Aston, and drive it daily.

Yea I still prefer tactile too like the Bugatti Tourbillon!

 

[hellasf1]

As for the Emira, more power and less weight can be added, and for a lot less than a Ferrari or a new edition Emira. The less weight part can be added in phases, depending on how far you want to go, and what or if you're willing to sacrifice any comfort.

I'm not interested in making the car less comfortable to be in, but after next month mine will still be just over 100 lbs lighter than stock, with half of that reduction being unsprung rotating weight. Next up will be a Komo 430 tune if and when they bring it to the U.S. with decent support.

The weight to power ratio of the V6 FE stock is 8.17 lbs/hp. Depending on what Komo can deliver, my goal is to get mine down to 7.00 lbs/hp. Right now it's at 7.64. Getting it down to 7.00 should put me comfortably down in the 2's for 0-60 times, which will make it go much more like it looks. For a base starting point mod-wise, the V6 FE is really a pretty spectacular starting point.

The JUBU is available at the 440.

 

[seriously]

Honestly from a drivers perspective I think all the cars mentioned are downgrades. That said there are many reasons to own a special car. Maybe it’s owning a brand, an icon, a classic, or something expensive. In that regard many other options.

If you’re looking for the best drivers car I think you stick with the emira and save up for a used practical car. There are SO many good options for good practical cars. Would be a shame to compromise the prize for the practical. That said the best 911 you can afford is probably the best single car option that does all these things at a pretty high level.

 

[benjh1028]

I apologize for being overzealous.

Dominated, overshadowed, outshined or vanquished would have been a more appropriate way of phrasing the Emira's triumph over the 911.

We clearly didn’t read the same article.

 

[Lotus64]

We clearly didn’t read the same article.

1. “No Stuttgart sports car is going to outdo the little(ish) Lotus in the visual drama stakes”
2. “The 992 just isn’t anywhere near as arresting”
3. “The bare-knuckle feedback that defines the Emira experience from the first wheel revolution isn’t present in anything like the same quantity”
4. “Additionally, that easygoing nature and intangible flow to the Lotus experience - still a marker of the low-weight ethos - is not replicated in the 911.”
5. “The steering (with optional RWS) is super responsive by comparison and arguably better weighted, though it lacks the accuracy and the animation of the Emira.”
6. “Despite the missing rear seats, lightweight glass and driver-focused spec, the T is initially more distant than the Lotus. By a margin. “
7. “Even with the adaptive exhaust in its correct setting, the flat-six sound is not quite as stirring and the clutch bite vaguer.
8. “The sound is reasonably exciting, if nothing on the shrieking rasp of the V6. Every time the Emira’s heftier gearbox and clutch felt like the better option (certainly its ratios are preferable)”
9. “In the 911 there’s more angst about whether the auto-blip should be on, whether the damping control should be stricter and so on. It can be left well alone and still deliver convincingly, of course - agile, disciplined, tireless - yet it is harder to establish a rhythm with. The T feels like it wants maximum attack to show off its best, while the Lotus is as easy as a Sunday morning.”
10. Even scratching the surface of its ability, the Emira enthralls. The Porsche isn’t so immediately charming”
11. “This time, though, with the emphasis on driving pleasure, the Lotus must take the spoils. It’s a more demanding car to pedal, requiring more thought about weight distribution, entry speed and so on, yet because it is such a treat to engage with, that additional effort never seems like a chore.”

Decisive victory from my standpoint.

 

[Eagle7]

Sorry bro but that's delulu.

The only place you're going to get sub 3 0-60 is in a spreadsheet.

We'll see. When I get a Dragy and some decent weather, I'll give it a go.

 

[Speedy Emira]

Sorry bro but that's delulu.

The only place you're going to get sub 3 0-60 is in a spreadsheet.

Sadly I have to agree with you on this one. My RS3 was AWD and did 3.8 with 400hp. to drop to 2.8 took and extra 250hp, serious chassis mods, diff etc and costs a fortune without even costing the built engine.

With a manual box 3 seconds will not be possible at 500hp on a RWD Emira and that is the max for the box and for the rods. Its going to take at least 600hp, a built engine and launch facility to have any chance at all. Think of a 600hp RWD 488 which is supposed to do 2.9 and in reality is more like high 3.2s.

 

[kitkat]

We'll see. When I get a Dragy and some decent weather, I'll give it a go.

I like the light weighting you’re doing — I’ve got my own going on. But if I want a sub 3 0-60 I’m gonna have to add like a 30 foot rollout to get there.

Onward to adding more lightness!

 

[dgrace]

For reference, a LP580-2 does 0-60 in 2.9, and has the advantages of +180hp, -200lbs, and a DCT. (this is also my answer for "what did you replace your Emira with", though in my case it was less about specs and more about never wanting to deal with Lotus again)

 

[Carig5A]

I apologize for being overzealous.

Dominated, overshadowed, outshined or vanquished would have been a more appropriate way of phrasing the Emira's triumph over the 911.

Worn porn

 

[NicolasB]

We'll see. When I get a Dragy and some decent weather, I'll give it a go.

And a steep downhill

 

[MrClean]

Other cars I’ve considered …

1) 2019 911 T
2) 2025 M2
3) 2020-24 Boxster Spyder
4) 2014-15 R8 V8

—
All are great cars but the Emira is the best overall for me at this point in time.

For 1) Hard to find the low mileage spec car I’d want for a reasonable price, not to mention possible risks/costs of buying used.
For 2) Really impressive car after driving on track and on street but don’t think of it as an Emira replacement.
For 3) besides the same used car risks, I already own a 981B with several enthusiast options and upgrades that make it just right for me. So until I feel the need to consolidate, I’ll keep the Emira and Boxster and hold off on the spyder.
For 4) its used car risks and finding the low mileage spec car I’d want and buying it from a reputable dealer. Plus, the R8 would not be the same visceral sports car experience as the Emira.

 

[jamesbxxx]

I constantly trawl Autotrader ogling at Porsche GT products but never feel tht close to pulling the trigger. Engineering excellence, definitely but there is so much more pleasure owning a relatively rare Lotus that has so many positive points. 911, Cayman, just so bands/clinical. I love the community feel and genuine enthusiasm for the Emira. I challenge you to get the same response when pulling up in a 911, even if it is a GT3 touring...
If the Emira went, I'd go hunting for an E39 M5...

 

[Type131]

Depreciated 2021+ 720s (auto).

Gallardo (manual)

 

[Eagle7]

Sadly I have to agree with you on this one. My RS3 was AWD and did 3.8 with 400hp. to drop to 2.8 took and extra 250hp, serious chassis mods, diff etc and costs a fortune without even costing the built engine.

With a manual box 3 seconds will not be possible at 500hp on a RWD Emira and that is the max for the box and for the rods. Its going to take at least 600hp, a built engine and launch facility to have any chance at all. Think of a 600hp RWD 488 which is supposed to do 2.9 and in reality is more like high 3.2s.

When seeking to improved performance, most people think of adding horsepower which is the obvious choice. It's the quickest way, but as you know when you do that, you have to beef up other areas. That's basically the brute force method for increasing performance in a straight line.

The real focus shouldn't just be horsepower; it should be the weight to horsepower ratio. What most people don't think of, and it's certainly not intentional, is when they start having to beef up other parts of the car to cope with the power increase, they're subtly working against that ratio by adding weight against their power increase.

Colin Chapman's philosophy of adding lightness to achieve performance isn't as dramatic or glamorous, and it has to be done in many small steps, so you don't get that big jump in performance all at once like you do with a big power upgrade. Visually and audibly it tends to be in the sleeper category because it's not immediately obvious.

To improve the weight to power ratio (W/P) there's 2 types of weight you can focus on. The obvious one is just static weight, and you have to remove a lot of it to make small differences. The second type which is by far the most beneficial is rotating weight, with unsprung rotating weight being the most beneficial of all.

There are many different claims about the benefit ratio, with anywhere from 4-to-1 to 20-to-1 of the amount of static weight you'd have to remove to equal the benefit of unsprung rotating weight, but going with the most conservative of 4-to-1, after I upgrade the brakes to CCB, I'll have removed a total of 53 lbs of unsprung rotating weight from the wheels. That would be the equivalent of 212 lbs of static weight removed. I'll also have an additional 60 lbs of straight static weight removed, so the total benefit would put me at about 2,995 lbs of performance weight for the car.

Right now I have an estimated 418 bhp, which would give me a W/P of 2995 ÷ 418 = 7.16. A 2020 C8 Z51 stock has a W/P of 7.37 and a 0-60 time of 3.0 according to the factory stats. Even though my W/P will be slightly better, I don't have the 470 ft lbs. of torque the Z51 has which gives it a huge advantage off the line (as well as an automatic). The advantage I'll have is I'll be over 600 lbs lighter. I'm figuring I'll be somewhere in the mid 3's. A Komo tune taking into account the Eventuri, would hopefully put me close to 445-ish power-wise, and according to them another 22 ft lbs of torque. According to the dyno runs I had, I have 318 ft lbs of torque right now, so the Komo tune should put me somewhere around 340 ft lbs. That would drop my performance W/P to 6.73. That's significant.

Right now this is calculations and estimates, but once I get the Dragy and can do some measured runs, I'll have actual performance data to post.

If nothing else, this will be at least interesting.

 

[NicolasB]

There's also this thing called gearing differences.

Also, don't forget power curves, or power under the curve.

Just because you have the same power to weight ratio doesn't mean you will accelerate the same way, not at all.

Emiras and fast 0-60 times don't go together. Transmission shifting is way too slow to be a contender.

 

[seriously]

the spyder and GT4 products are criminally issued with long gears. An absolute non-starter. Who wants to drive in 2nd gear all the time? Or downshift to 1st regularly? Insanity and I feel bad for owners who know it can and should be better. If the gears were shorter it would be without a doubt one of the best options for drivers car.

 

[Steve24]

As I said before, the gearchange is the problem.
You only have to look at the table posted in another thread to see that the difference between PDK and manual on otherwise pretty much the same car is 0.5 seconds.

So in order to get into the 2s with the manual Emira you’d need to have a car that would do 2.4 if it had a DCT.

It just isn’t going to happen.

Is there any manual car of any make / model that has a time in the 2s?
I doubt it.

If times in the mid to high 3 second range could be achieved (and I believe it could with the mods Eagle7 is doing) I’d consider that a very impressive result and would make the Emira a very rapid car indeed.

 

[Rcktmn]

As I said before, the gearchange is the problem.
You only have to look at the table posted in another thread to see that the difference between PDK and manual on otherwise pretty much the same car is 0.5 seconds.

So in order to get into the 2s with the manual Emira you’d need to have a car that would do 2.4 if it had a DCT.

It just isn’t going to happen.

Is there any manual car of any make / model that has a time in the 2s?
I doubt it.

If times in the mid to high 3 second range could be achieved (and I believe it could with the mods Eagle7 is doing) I’d consider that a very impressive result and would make the Emira a very rapid car indeed.

Never looked this up before but found this site where you can sort by transmission and 2 second range lol. Although, never driven any of these and I’m not sure if any are sequential

2 Second Cars 0-60 Times | Find Cars with 0 to 60 Times from 2-2.99 Seconds | Two Second Club

Find Cars with Two Second 0 to 60 Times Find cars that accelerate to 60 miles per hour between 2-2.99 seconds. These extremely fast automobiles referred to as “2 second cars” are typically expensive, exotic supercars and hypercars. Beyond factory stock two second cars, many race cars and highly...

www.zeroto60times.com

 

[seriously]

Getting into the sub 3s is so much about traction and transmission. I think you can build a car that feels as fast as a sub 3 second car (power to weight) but can’t achieve it because of its inherent limitations. In reality I think that would be totally ok.