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I always default to the Ferrari 308 GTB… so simple with perfect proportions. But yes, the Emira is a close second… easily the best looking car on the market today.

Coming up to two years old now, no problems to report. Mind you, I've only done about 1200kms... I take it out every few weeks as an "event". Always puts a huge grin on my face. I've had a couple of interesting questions: would I daily drive the car, and would I (in hindsight) buy it again...

That looks fantastic — suits the Defender perfectly. I’d be reluctant to matte a sportscar (in my mind, sportscars are swoopy and shiny). Then again, I was very close to buying a Jaguar F-type in matte white… very pretty indeed.

Terrific overview of the recent Shanghai Motor Show. I’d always known the Chinese would follow the success of the South Korean motor industry… but I think this demonstrates they’re going to eclipse that sooner than expected. The ability to bring concept to reality so quickly is a game changer.

Looks a wee bit familiar? https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/byd-previews-electric-porsche-911-rival-with-denza-z-concept

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/lotus-technology-acquire-51-equity-123000265.html So if I understand this correctly, Geely is taking ownership of Lotus UK under the “Lotus Technology” banner. Does that mean Lotus as a UK brand no longer exists?

Very interesting. What parts are you getting that are from US/Canada? And there’s obviously a lot of Chinese parts from the Geely bin (switchgear etc). Are they doctoring the stickers?

I bought big containers of P&S Bead Maker and Dream Maker, then mixed them together to get the internet-named “Clean Maker”. Frankly, the finish was just okay, and the way it collected dust was insane. I was lucky enough to win some Adam’s Finishing spray, so gave that a go. To my eyes it gives...

They look terrific. I’d love to get some once the issues are sorted — being in Australia makes it tricky to sort things out if they arrive faulty.

My pleasure buddy. And I'm glad us two oldies can discuss this with smiles on our faces. For me this whole trade mess is a bit personal. Years ago I worked for the US State Department (as a foreign national) in Canberra while the two countries were dismantling decades of artificial trade...

Agreed. I was given a little Makita blower when I bought my latest drop saw, and it does wonders to blow the droplets off before they can mineralise. Then a quick coat of Adam’s finishing spray and the surface keeps its hydrophobicity.

Desperately trying not to pick on you @Eagle7, but you should be aware that Trump isn’t playing nicely (or rationally) at all. Australia has zero tariffs on US imports, but Trump has implemented a 25% tariff on our aluminium and steel exports to the US. And he’s looking to add other tariffs to...

Chuckle… you need to move here to Tasmania. *Any* sports car is rare (apart from Porsches), so when I drive downtown people react like they’ve seen a spaceship. I’ve had people pointing, running after me… one girl broke out in a huge grin and waved frantically. I try to be effusive about it but...

This is why trade impediments are poor substitutes for domestic business support or revenue raising. Trump’s backward policies will see China take over as the world’s locomotive economy, and his burnt bridges with traditional partners will be hard to mend.

“Level the playing field”? More like ploughing the whole field into the ground. Raising the cost of alternative goods for your population is poor business, and ineffectual business support. In the 1970s, Australia had high tariffs on TVs to support our single domestic manufacturer. For years...

Affects all vehicle imports, so spare parts etc. Looks like no one is immune to the price hike.

VAT is applied to (almost) everything in the UK, so not relevant to the tariff discussion. It’s an internal tax, not a trade-related one. I’m still a bit baffled how Trump — someone who obviously has no understanding of simple economics — is allowed to single-handedly set new taxes without...

Incredible photo! Is that Lumon in the background?

Two Aussies with some good thoughts (fast forward to the Lotus bit):

https://www.news.com.au/technology/motoring/motoring-news/safety-requirements-end-production-for-popular-cars/news-story/129e10943e4defec9e210529210a940d More stringent rules for new cars in Australia are seeing a bunch of models being removed from the market. Apparently autonomous emergency...

@BWAK sorry if I missed it, but do you know what colour the underside of the bumper was before respray? I’m intrigued how Lotus could miss something so obvious, particularly if the undercoat was a grey colour…

Applies to any form of technology really — the more complex, the greater the amenity… but the more there is to go wrong. E.g. I love being able to control my smartlights with voice or phone, but when the power goes out (a regular occurrence) my house lights up like a Christmas tree. I’m happy...

I noticed this yesterday. I just wanted fresh air but it felt like the AC was on, despite the button being off. It’s like the air conditioner thinks it can do things better than my puny human ways. FYI it received an ECU update just last week with the first service.

Same spec as mine — excellent taste!

I bought the car for the styling. It was either that or a Ferrari 308 GTB. Which says it all really. (Funny to see they picked the absolute worst colour combination for the article — undercoat with dirty wheels :P)

In the news here yesterday: the 2025 i4 Turbo SE. https://www.drive.com.au/news/2025-lotus-emira-update-revealed/

They need to scrap that rectangular/open design language for the rear end. Doesn’t finish the car well, and makes it hard for the eye to consolidate the shape.

Some interesting potential here for the Emira infotainment:

I had a similar issue. Before you start up, hold the “start” button down for ten seconds — then engage the clutch and brake and start normally. No idea why this works — perhaps it primes the fuel pump?

Interesting read about your oil additive. It’s not really a thing here in Australia (do we have different quality oils to you, like our fuels?). What does an additive “add” compared to a good synthetic? Also, I haven’t gone through all your posts, but did you end up installing the sound...

https://www.drive.com.au/news/porsche-718-petrol-boxster-cayman-dead/

Cold start this morning after having the car sit for a couple of months in the garage. Initially it was fine, followed by the lumpiest idle I've ever heard (like some of the cylinders weren't firing, possible valve clatter). Then it recovered and warm-idled easily. Should I be concerned?

Chuckle — must be American thinking. In Australia this would be a very costly “safety” method.

I want the S2000 screen. Hilarious how the Corvette petrol gauge is so big!

I don’t think we have Damplifier in Australia. I lined the entire tub of my MX-5 with Dynamat… just because I was curious. Probably a bit silly to sound-deaden a convertible, but it did quite drastically change the sound dynamics of the car. No more road noise, easier to hear the stereo… but...

You had WATER in your sub?? Yikes.

He’s fast becoming my favourite reviewer. Totally agree that the drone on the highway is quite wearing, especially combined with the (worrying) gravel-grumble from the gearbox at sub-2000rpm. But the gear change, the look, and the overall theatre of the car are epic.

That certainly revived an old thread! Okay, so is the noise we hear when we unlock the car the intercooler water pump? I’d thought it might have been the fuel pump, but it does seem quite loud…