Nobody needs a luxury or fine automobile. Reason has nothing to do with it.
I cannot give you a reason to be in love with a somewhat classic/analog-inspired new sports car than I could give you a reason to love roses more than rhododendrons.
If a Cybertruck appeared in my driveway with a title in my name, I'd be listing that shit no reserve, 7 days (and probably parking it at whatever friends who would allow it at their house in the meantime). Proceeds would go into an IRA or something- I already have my Lotus (and an EV daily). For me- mashing my foot to the floor in the electric car for no "experience" but uncomfortable pressure in my retinas and putting myself in mild danger got old in a few days.
But that's not reason, that's just like, my opinion and my feelings.
Agreed the CyberTruck is trash. I just threw in a reservation at unveiling day (3-4 years ago now?) and think the final product is meh… and the issues they’re having is a “run, run quickly away from that”
So I own an Emira. But currently I’m house sitting for a buddy who owns an Exige and a Model 3 Performance. I’ve been driving both all week (and I’ve previously owned a Model 3 Performance). My take? The Model 3 isn’t exciting enough for me anymore. It’s a fantastic all-rounder, but doesn’t offer the engagement that I crave. The Exige is incredible, but it’s too extreme for daily running. I find myself taking the Tesla for the grocery runs because the Exige is an assault on the senses. That’s a pro sometimes, and a con sometimes. The Emira is the perfect middle ground. It drives like a car around town but wakes way up when you want it to play. It’s an absolute delight. The transmission is amazing, the noise is sublime, the interior is a super nice place to be.
It’s ok if you don’t love it. You might, if you lived with it. Or you might not. Maybe you’re just a Taycan guy. That’s also a cool car. Drive what speaks to you, and if you still find yourself craving some engagement maybe a Miata is enough.
I think this issue is that I like my cars just like I like my alcohol… it needs to hurt a little. Exige sounds like the perfect fit for me. I just wish it looked like the Emira 😂
I get it, I daily drove an Elise for a while. I also enjoy the pain. I think the point of Emira is, there’s less pain but it still delivers. If you want the pain, the Exige has more than Elise. Have you driven an Exige?
Also, Lotus has never been about straight line speed so if EVs have you craving that you may not be satisfied by anything short of Emeya (which, currently, you’ll end up paying a 102% tariff on).
I just picked up an Emira this week and my daily is a Tesla model s plaid. The Emira sounds amazing, I love the manual, corners like it’s on rails, and looks sexy as hell. I am a huge fan of my Tesla, but different in every respect.
Yea I have an OG Model 3 LR RWD. It’s a little heavier than the Emira, but a LOT lighter than the S. I can get it to do some fun slides when it’s wet out.
I think I just want something more differentiated… a true go-kart experience like an Elise or Exige is likely in my future. It’s almost always my favorite toy in games like GranTurismo as well.
If straight line speed is your thing, you were never going to like any Lotus.
You buy a Lotus because of how it feels through the corner.
Taycan is a great choice. Or go try an ICE car made for speed, like an R8 or GTR.
Yea Taycan with 20k miles for half of the price new is pretty tempting. It’s really not just straight line…. As I said in another reply - I think I just need the straight up gokart feel of an exige or elise
What he's getting at is pretty much any EV is not going to give you that feeling.
You could potentially wait for the Caterham EV, but who knows how long that is going to take, if it even comes stateside. It's probably exactly what you want tbh. There is a big gap for lighter small EV sports cars that the market hasn't filled yet, but I'm sure it's coming... eventually. There is definitely a lacking of zippy EV weekend drivers that only realistically need 100 or so miles of range.
Edit: I will add that an Elise's cost of ownership is extremely low if you go that route. Get an Elise for $40k, sell an Elise for $40k. Half the reason I got mine is because the cost of longer term ownership is about as cheap as a camry or similar would be.
The Emira is a great car to complement your Model 3. I relatively recently bought an NB2 Miata to complement my Model 3 Performance. The 3P is a fantastic daily driver but I missed rowing my own gears and driving a car that required more driver input.
I can also see myself buying a used Emira in the future. I don't think I would stray from having an EV as my daily since the qualify of life upgrades with it aren't something I want to give up but I will always have a manual transmission to complement it.
What EV do you drive? Most ICE is not going to come close EV in a straight line drag. Given, I test drove Emira and also came to conclusion that it isn’t the car for me. But, I do think it will be a lot more fun in a canyon drive with a Emira than most EV. Also, the sound and high rev, the feedback, etc.
Do understand your position. EVs are fun as well. The Exige could be an better option for you. For me it is the Elise. Both are even lighter and rawer and thus even more different than a fast EV. In an Elise you can feel fast even without being fast especially when driving it open. Very speeding ticket friendly where in a Taycan you can be fast but don't feel fast at all as it's too perfect. This being said in my view Elise & Exige are fun for corners and mountains for straight line performance -> get the Taycan.
If you like electric cars maybe look at a hybrid. The new 911 has both electric and a flat 6. In all honesty though if you don’t like the lotus and you do like teslas, maybe sports cars aren’t for you, not being rude, everyone has their preferences.
I have a vag hybrid and I love it, turbo charge naturally aspirated engine and electric motors, it works very well for a daily driver. In terms of smiles per mile my 15 old hydraulic steering cayman is unrivalled, but I enjoy driving, the sound, the feedback, the g forces etc. it’s an A to A car, as in I’ll go out purely for a fun drive and come home.
Electric/hybrids are just A to B cars.
I think my problem is the opposite… I have owned sports cars and I like the karting feeling too much (I used to race karts semi competitively).
Based on all the feedback here, I’m thinking used $40k Elise + used $70k Taycan > new $110k Emira. It’s a shame because I LOVE the looks of that thing.
If you bought the Emira on looks alone and based on how fast you expect it to be, and your corrupted by EV’s you bought the wrong car. There is a lot more a Lotus than how fast they are.
I owned an Evora GT from new for two years, and sold it when it was at the peak of the market back in 2021-2022. However I was driving a model 3 performance while I owned the lotus. Once I test drove a Taycan it immediately made me want it because the ride quality and the steering feel was very similar to the Lotus.
I had test driven an RS6 thinking that if I wanted a fast wagon, the RS6 was the obvious choice, and on paper loved it. But like you felt with the Emira, I walked away not impressed enough to buy one, which was surprising to me. Though the Taycan stuck around in my head.
Long story short. I now have a GTS Sport Turismo I ordered and absolutely freaking love it. It’s literally the perfect daily driver.
However, I do miss the rawness of a proper sports car. So I have a Caterham Superlight R on its way over from the UK that I’m importing for that fun weekend ripper. EV won’t replace that anytime soon.
I don't own an Emira and at one time was interested enough to put a deposit down. Between the certification delays and reviews being mixed, I backed out. If lotus had given the Emira more power, the price would have been easier to justify, and the reviews may have been more positive. The leap from some of the dealer pricing on Emira's to a 570s is pretty close (within 10-15k on the bottom 570 market).
While not a mid engine platform, I bought a 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio after backing out of the Emira. Don't regret it as it has tremendous speed when you want it, great handling and solid steering feel. I also think it is gorgeous but a different type of pretty.
At the end of the day, I think the Emira's biggest problem is it was too expensive for what it delivers. At 80-90k I think it would have been more atteactive. Once you step over 100k, there are a lot of options out there.
Good luck and perhaps take some time not driving to renew the feeling of specialness that first pulled you in. Otherwise, you've got a lot of choices out there that might deliver more fun for your dollar.
lol buy a 1995 NSX. It’s perfect. Easy, reliable, quick, sticky, fun, easy, goes to the grocery as easily/readily as it carves canyons. And it’s NOT filled with Lotus foibles. It. Just. Works. Sorry Lotus faithful. And it will likely go up in value a bit.
You ain’t wrong. I have those, too, and a fast EV, but the NSX is the only grand tourer and it’s the best of those there ever was. And it simply never gives any trouble. And I drive it everywhere.
Also I guess mainly what I’m saying is (to OP) if you don’t love it when you buy it, you’ll eventually hate it. And that’s a big chunk of change to feel lukewarm about a car. Lots of other types of car him to be had for $100k. For instance, one could buy a decent F-150 (with AC) for that kind of money! (sarcasm)
I feel you, I sold my c6 Corvette after picking up a model x plaid.
Still excited for the Emira though, and I do miss the Vette.
Even driving my 6 speed manual Jeep makes me miss a manual sports car.
EVs are great but they don't quite scratch the same itch for me
Nobody needs a luxury or fine automobile. Reason has nothing to do with it. I cannot give you a reason to be in love with a somewhat classic/analog-inspired new sports car than I could give you a reason to love roses more than rhododendrons. If a Cybertruck appeared in my driveway with a title in my name, I'd be listing that shit no reserve, 7 days (and probably parking it at whatever friends who would allow it at their house in the meantime). Proceeds would go into an IRA or something- I already have my Lotus (and an EV daily). For me- mashing my foot to the floor in the electric car for no "experience" but uncomfortable pressure in my retinas and putting myself in mild danger got old in a few days. But that's not reason, that's just like, my opinion and my feelings.
Agreed the CyberTruck is trash. I just threw in a reservation at unveiling day (3-4 years ago now?) and think the final product is meh… and the issues they’re having is a “run, run quickly away from that”
So I own an Emira. But currently I’m house sitting for a buddy who owns an Exige and a Model 3 Performance. I’ve been driving both all week (and I’ve previously owned a Model 3 Performance). My take? The Model 3 isn’t exciting enough for me anymore. It’s a fantastic all-rounder, but doesn’t offer the engagement that I crave. The Exige is incredible, but it’s too extreme for daily running. I find myself taking the Tesla for the grocery runs because the Exige is an assault on the senses. That’s a pro sometimes, and a con sometimes. The Emira is the perfect middle ground. It drives like a car around town but wakes way up when you want it to play. It’s an absolute delight. The transmission is amazing, the noise is sublime, the interior is a super nice place to be. It’s ok if you don’t love it. You might, if you lived with it. Or you might not. Maybe you’re just a Taycan guy. That’s also a cool car. Drive what speaks to you, and if you still find yourself craving some engagement maybe a Miata is enough.
I think this issue is that I like my cars just like I like my alcohol… it needs to hurt a little. Exige sounds like the perfect fit for me. I just wish it looked like the Emira 😂
I get it, I daily drove an Elise for a while. I also enjoy the pain. I think the point of Emira is, there’s less pain but it still delivers. If you want the pain, the Exige has more than Elise. Have you driven an Exige? Also, Lotus has never been about straight line speed so if EVs have you craving that you may not be satisfied by anything short of Emeya (which, currently, you’ll end up paying a 102% tariff on).
I just picked up an Emira this week and my daily is a Tesla model s plaid. The Emira sounds amazing, I love the manual, corners like it’s on rails, and looks sexy as hell. I am a huge fan of my Tesla, but different in every respect.
Yea I have an OG Model 3 LR RWD. It’s a little heavier than the Emira, but a LOT lighter than the S. I can get it to do some fun slides when it’s wet out. I think I just want something more differentiated… a true go-kart experience like an Elise or Exige is likely in my future. It’s almost always my favorite toy in games like GranTurismo as well.
If straight line speed is your thing, you were never going to like any Lotus. You buy a Lotus because of how it feels through the corner. Taycan is a great choice. Or go try an ICE car made for speed, like an R8 or GTR.
Good call on the GTR for op if he didn’t enjoy driving lotus, it does all the driving for you but is extremely fast and full of cheap gadgets
Yea Taycan with 20k miles for half of the price new is pretty tempting. It’s really not just straight line…. As I said in another reply - I think I just need the straight up gokart feel of an exige or elise
What he's getting at is pretty much any EV is not going to give you that feeling. You could potentially wait for the Caterham EV, but who knows how long that is going to take, if it even comes stateside. It's probably exactly what you want tbh. There is a big gap for lighter small EV sports cars that the market hasn't filled yet, but I'm sure it's coming... eventually. There is definitely a lacking of zippy EV weekend drivers that only realistically need 100 or so miles of range. Edit: I will add that an Elise's cost of ownership is extremely low if you go that route. Get an Elise for $40k, sell an Elise for $40k. Half the reason I got mine is because the cost of longer term ownership is about as cheap as a camry or similar would be.
The Emira is a great car to complement your Model 3. I relatively recently bought an NB2 Miata to complement my Model 3 Performance. The 3P is a fantastic daily driver but I missed rowing my own gears and driving a car that required more driver input. I can also see myself buying a used Emira in the future. I don't think I would stray from having an EV as my daily since the qualify of life upgrades with it aren't something I want to give up but I will always have a manual transmission to complement it.
What EV do you drive? Most ICE is not going to come close EV in a straight line drag. Given, I test drove Emira and also came to conclusion that it isn’t the car for me. But, I do think it will be a lot more fun in a canyon drive with a Emira than most EV. Also, the sound and high rev, the feedback, etc.
Do understand your position. EVs are fun as well. The Exige could be an better option for you. For me it is the Elise. Both are even lighter and rawer and thus even more different than a fast EV. In an Elise you can feel fast even without being fast especially when driving it open. Very speeding ticket friendly where in a Taycan you can be fast but don't feel fast at all as it's too perfect. This being said in my view Elise & Exige are fun for corners and mountains for straight line performance -> get the Taycan.
If you like electric cars maybe look at a hybrid. The new 911 has both electric and a flat 6. In all honesty though if you don’t like the lotus and you do like teslas, maybe sports cars aren’t for you, not being rude, everyone has their preferences. I have a vag hybrid and I love it, turbo charge naturally aspirated engine and electric motors, it works very well for a daily driver. In terms of smiles per mile my 15 old hydraulic steering cayman is unrivalled, but I enjoy driving, the sound, the feedback, the g forces etc. it’s an A to A car, as in I’ll go out purely for a fun drive and come home. Electric/hybrids are just A to B cars.
*911 **GTS** is a hybrid FTFY
I think my problem is the opposite… I have owned sports cars and I like the karting feeling too much (I used to race karts semi competitively). Based on all the feedback here, I’m thinking used $40k Elise + used $70k Taycan > new $110k Emira. It’s a shame because I LOVE the looks of that thing.
If you bought the Emira on looks alone and based on how fast you expect it to be, and your corrupted by EV’s you bought the wrong car. There is a lot more a Lotus than how fast they are.
I owned an Evora GT from new for two years, and sold it when it was at the peak of the market back in 2021-2022. However I was driving a model 3 performance while I owned the lotus. Once I test drove a Taycan it immediately made me want it because the ride quality and the steering feel was very similar to the Lotus. I had test driven an RS6 thinking that if I wanted a fast wagon, the RS6 was the obvious choice, and on paper loved it. But like you felt with the Emira, I walked away not impressed enough to buy one, which was surprising to me. Though the Taycan stuck around in my head. Long story short. I now have a GTS Sport Turismo I ordered and absolutely freaking love it. It’s literally the perfect daily driver. However, I do miss the rawness of a proper sports car. So I have a Caterham Superlight R on its way over from the UK that I’m importing for that fun weekend ripper. EV won’t replace that anytime soon.
I don't own an Emira and at one time was interested enough to put a deposit down. Between the certification delays and reviews being mixed, I backed out. If lotus had given the Emira more power, the price would have been easier to justify, and the reviews may have been more positive. The leap from some of the dealer pricing on Emira's to a 570s is pretty close (within 10-15k on the bottom 570 market). While not a mid engine platform, I bought a 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio after backing out of the Emira. Don't regret it as it has tremendous speed when you want it, great handling and solid steering feel. I also think it is gorgeous but a different type of pretty. At the end of the day, I think the Emira's biggest problem is it was too expensive for what it delivers. At 80-90k I think it would have been more atteactive. Once you step over 100k, there are a lot of options out there. Good luck and perhaps take some time not driving to renew the feeling of specialness that first pulled you in. Otherwise, you've got a lot of choices out there that might deliver more fun for your dollar.
Agreed. I liked it, but not $100k liked it.
lol buy a 1995 NSX. It’s perfect. Easy, reliable, quick, sticky, fun, easy, goes to the grocery as easily/readily as it carves canyons. And it’s NOT filled with Lotus foibles. It. Just. Works. Sorry Lotus faithful. And it will likely go up in value a bit.
A stock NSX really feels underpowered especially once you’ve been in any modern sports car though.
You ain’t wrong. I have those, too, and a fast EV, but the NSX is the only grand tourer and it’s the best of those there ever was. And it simply never gives any trouble. And I drive it everywhere.
Also I guess mainly what I’m saying is (to OP) if you don’t love it when you buy it, you’ll eventually hate it. And that’s a big chunk of change to feel lukewarm about a car. Lots of other types of car him to be had for $100k. For instance, one could buy a decent F-150 (with AC) for that kind of money! (sarcasm)
911
I feel you, I sold my c6 Corvette after picking up a model x plaid. Still excited for the Emira though, and I do miss the Vette. Even driving my 6 speed manual Jeep makes me miss a manual sports car. EVs are great but they don't quite scratch the same itch for me