So I got to take a test drive.... :)

[kratedisease]

Anyone know where or what dealer this demo car is going to next ?

Is there a posted schedule ?

 

[kratedisease]

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Shyatic, BTW, you have excellent teeth !! good for you !!

 

[Shyatic]

Man, this is bad - though I still have a deposit, I'm just not as excited as I was.

Sorry to hear!

 

[Shyatic]

Anyone know where or what dealer this demo car is going to next ?

Is there a posted schedule ?

My guess is Austin, based on the test drive dates folks are posting.

 

[erich]

Does anyone know how long they will be in Dallas? I know all the demo slots are filled but I'd be interested in just seeing it in person.

 

[kratedisease]

Man, this is bad - though I still have a deposit, I'm just not as excited as I was.

I kinda feel the same, but depends on the day.

The EMIRA is one of the few cars that I am Carpolar about ( Carploar= bipolar feelings about a car)

The review is excellent but some of the comments or opinions are a bit disheartening.

No deep base/Bass with this "excellent high end KEF" sound system ?

Power that does not push you back into your seat ?- not what I wanted to hear.
I would hope at least just the "false" sensation or Perception of glorious power. Lots of other cars that are not fast still "feel" super fast anyway due to gearing and engine response. The Polaris Slingshot is probably the best example of that.

long shifter throws ?

I am feeling Carpolar now.

 

[Dabjbr]

Yeah, great review but not great car review imho. The three things that really seems to bother me are…
1) power or apparent lack thereof
2) cramped and angled pedals
3) wonky steering wheel. video really shows how much it moves up and down. eek

still have a deposit tho. If nothing else, I’m hanging in there for beauty and feel.

 

[Pops68]

Just came back from the test drive! I have a video (which my face is half blocking, sorry) that I'll upload later.
Early impressions -- phenomenal. Power is where I expected it to be, does not throw you back in the seat like other cars but the delivery is linear and solid. Handling, which I got only a taste of given the roads and structure is solid, no tire slip, no jitters, just glued to the road. Interior cabin noise is also pretty good -- I mean, it's a sports car so I don't have a huge amount of hope for that.

Driving position, visibility, stellar. Sports mode vs touring makes a huge difference in throttle response. Honestly I don't ever see myself driving it in touring. Gearing ratios are pretty close, so there's a lot of engagement for the driver.

This car was the sports suspension, and I found it perfectly suitable for me. Touring may be a bit quieter, not sure, but given for me it's a weekend and evening toy, I don't personally care. Interior quality was superb, I sat and felt all the materials, everything felt Germanic in quality -- a compliment! This car had the alcantara seats which I'm not sure I'd go for -- they are comfortable, but I think I'd prefer something easier to clean and maintain. Plus not sure how they hold up longer term.

Any complaints? Trunk is smaller than I thought -- might fit some stuff but not a big deal. Pedal placement is a little weird as I got into the car, but I got it sorted after a minute. Shifts are a little longer throw -- not a big deal, but something to note. Stereo sounded a little flat, the clarity was good but no bass -- that may just have been a setting I didn't bother to play with. I only had 20 minutes so wanted to spend the majority of that driving. Hope this helps, happy to answer any Qs.

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Nice job! I figured street driving would be as boring as it looked. Too bad you couldn't get on some twisties. And if that's the green I'm happy I decided to go with Nimbus!
Call me old but I think I'm gunna opt for the touring setup as I plan on spending much more time on the street than the track. I did enjoy the supercharger whine but I might have to investigate opening up that exhaust somehow. I was happy to see the mesh grills on the tunnel for the shift mechanism and a cargo net on that shelf is a nice touch. I'm with you on the alcantra for the seats, think I'll go leather too. Can't wait to drive one and thanks for posting your drive.

 

[Pops68]

I currently own a manual GT4 and it's brilliant, but the only complain I have is the long gearing (especially for a high revving NA engine which has no gut under 5000rpm), so that's great to hear!

Yep that's the main reason I'm not looking at the GT4. Who wants a shifter they can't use much?!!

 

[kitkat]

I kinda feel the same, but depends on the day.

The EMIRA is one of the few cars that I am Carpolar about ( Carploar= bipolar feelings about a car)

The review is excellent but some of the comments or opinions are a bit disheartening.

No deep base/Bass with this "excellent high end KEF" sound system ?

Power that does not push you back into your seat ?- not what I wanted to hear.
I would hope at least just the "false" sensation or Perception of glorious power. Lots of other cars that are not fast still "feel" super fast anyway due to gearing and engine response. The Polaris Slingshot is probably the best example of that.

long shifter throws ?

I am feeling Carpolar now.

How are these initial impressions from normal people any different than what’s been said in the dozen or so reviews?

 

[Mangoose]

Excited to see more firsthand user reviews - thanks for posting this.

I recall that earlier on, there were concerns regarding the touchscreen's brightness particularly on sunny days with the glare. Any observations on your part? It's a little hard to judge screen visibility through a camera.

 

[Shyatic]

Yeah, great review but not great car review imho. The three things that really seems to bother me are…
1) power or apparent lack thereof
2) cramped and angled pedals
3) wonky steering wheel. video really shows how much it moves up and down. eek

still have a deposit tho. If nothing else, I’m hanging in there for beauty and feel.

The issue of power is twofold — one, my comparison is from what my other car is, a Tesla Model X which has instantaneous power delivery, and also — I wasn’t trying to rev out the car to launch harder. As I said, I was testing the car for available power through the band, not launch power. Any time I needed power the downshift provided it and I got what I expected. It’s not a Ferrari, nor a Corvette so I have measured expectations on that. And plus — I don’t care for the power aspect, the feel through the steering and contact with the road was superb.

As for the pedals yes, a little weird setup, the throw on the gearshift a little long, and the steering wheel a little weird. All things that are minor adjustments as you take ownership of a car, I think.

And for perspective again, I have the Model X with that stupid yoke so I can get used to a lot of idiotic things. Though, I’m getting rid of the X in a few days

 

[Shyatic]

Excited to see more firsthand user reviews - thanks for posting this.

I recall that earlier on, there were concerns regarding the touchscreen's brightness particularly on sunny days with the glare. Any observations on your part? It's a little hard to judge screen visibility through a camera.

No issue that I can tell, though admittedly i wasn’t looking at it much.

 

[kratedisease]

How are these initial impressions from normal people any different than what’s been said in the dozen or so reviews?

Car reviewers tend to be more critical and demanding since they have experienced a wider and larger spectrum of other cars to compare the EMIRA to, therefore I expect more critical reviews. Just like Movie critics tend to be more critical and demanding than the general movie viewing audience.

When a non journalist says the car power does not push you back into the seat and says the shifts are long and the KEF sound has no base, that is concerning because the general public is usually more forgiving and easy to please.

 

[Callabrator]

Does anyone know how long they will be in Dallas? I know all the demo slots are filled but I'd be interested in just seeing it in person.

The person on the phone (who said he’d call me back and give me more information “in a minute”, but never did) said it would be there until Friday. What time on Friday though? I have no idea.

 

[BeHappy]

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Shyatic, BTW, you have excellent teeth !! good for you !!

I second that and a lovely well kept beard

 

[kitkat]

Car reviewers tend to be more critical and demanding since they have experienced a wider and larger spectrum of other cars to compare the EMIRA to, therefore I expect more critical reviews. Just like Movie critics tend to be more critical and demanding than the general movie viewing audience.

When a non journalist says the car power does not push you back into the seat and says the shifts are long and the KEF sound has no base, that is concerning because the general public is usually more forgiving and easy to please.

Honestly I don’t really agree. The reviews are usually spot on, their job is to write relatable reviews. Also, they were all spot on. We’ve also had a number of reviews from driving event participants which all stated the same things.

It feels like everyone is still in denial and hoping that these things will all change last second for production cars.

 

[Shyatic]

Honestly I don’t really agree. The reviews are usually spot on, their job is to write relatable reviews. Also, they were all spot on. We’ve also had a number of reviews from driving event participants which all stated the same things.

It feels like everyone is still in denial and hoping that these things will all change last second for production cars.

In fairness, I didn't play with the KEF system at all... it could have been turned down all the way, who knows? Plus this was a car that was a demo in Europe, not a fully built production model. My presumption is that the driving dynamics and power are probably well set in, the things like the speakers/stereo are probably later on the list. In either case, it's not like other cars similar to this have amazing sound systems and quiet cabins either.

From the power perspective -- I wasn't dropping the hammer from a standstill either, or revving out to get a launch. I was noticing that throughout the band, I had available power when I wanted it on a downshift. Power was plenty for my expectations. Ultimately, I am happy and not dissuaded by my choice, though other folks mileage may vary.

 

[Leonard]

Honestly I don’t really agree. The reviews are usually spot on, their job is to write relatable reviews. Also, they were all spot on. We’ve also had a number of reviews from driving event participants which all stated the same things.

It feels like everyone is still in denial and hoping that these things will all change last second for production cars.

I thought most people had accepted these 'deficiencies' now. But were waiting for their own test drive to see if they could personally live with them to justify going ahead with the purchase.
I think the majority on here will be positive about the experience, but we will of course see some drop out also.

 

[Shyatic]

I thought most people had accepted these 'deficiencies' now. But were waiting for their own test drive to see if they could personally live with them to justify going ahead with the purchase.
I think the majority on here will be positive about the experience, but we will of course see some drop out also.

I remember watching the Emira vs Cayman video where the Cayman came out on top -- and it's a great car. But while on paper it does a lot of things better -- I'd never really get out of 2nd or 3rd gear based on the ratios they set.

I wanted an engaging car, the Emira is geared tighter and lets me row the gears. Can I give up some things to have some exclusivity, better steering feedback, stunning looks and a more engaging car? Sure I can. That's what my test drive told me.