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Corvette C8

4380r

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I just don’t understand wanting a rare car so you stand out. Hustling down a road standing out is counter intuitive to me (police) I also go into various cities at night (Baltimore Philly Brooklyn) and street park to see live music. It might be foolish to do this with an Emira. I LOVE C8s are becoming passé and invisible. I LOVED my test drives, def drive one. Whatever I buy will be my only car
If you’re driving into Baltimore, the squeegee kids are going to LOVE your car.
 

Captain.Kirk

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I have a V6 FE on order, was meant to be next month but have changed my spec to Nimbus / Tour from Verdant / Sport which means a delay of a few months.

So I started looking around at alternatives. Looked at the C8. Now delivery is 2 years away so not a viable replacement but they do look like epic value and great reviews. Plus will be very rare in the UK.

Anyone been in one?
Yes. The cockpit is amazing as is the performance and handling. More techy than the Emira and I love the PDR. I’ve been on a deposit list for a couple of years here in Canada. I’ve actually passed over my turn to order the C8 twice because when the Emira was revealed I actually decided I preferred it’s overall look. So here I wait to get an Emira but I have the option to order the C8 in my back pocket in case the Emira gets delayed too, too long.
 

switchlanez

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Emira beats C8 in terms of offering visceral driving features like hydraulic (vs electronic) steering, manual (vs DCT), a quarter ton less weight, and compact proportions easier to place on the road. Plus easier to get in/out of with the doors requiring a few inches less space to swing open without a gaping side vent. Not to say C8 is a slouch for driving enthusiasts. As magazine racers like to tout, C8 performance metrics destroy Emira on paper. But you drive the car, not numbers printed on paper.

Lotus's decades long reputation as Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious has improved to Lots Of Toyota Usually Solid. And they were more problematic when an American company (GM) owned them vs more recently under Asian/Chinese ownership. It has reliability where it counts (drivetrain/powertrain) by Toyota so you don't get stranded while the rest of the car is serviceable from sharing many Polestar and Volvo parts (owned by the same Chinese company). And carmakers historically contract Lotus for their engineering expertise, especially in suspension, if not try to emulate them. This includes Toyota and past Corvettes. A car built in-house by car industry skunk works experts porting experience over from their legendary days revolutionizing F1 (more like inventing tremendously unfair advantages and continuously forcing new rules) is a special occasion.

Emira praise aside, I've decided squarely on the C8 for a few key reasons: Driving dynamics may not be as exquisite but consensus seems it's still great for what you pay for. Same for styling which may not be as elegant but the 458 supercar proportions rather than Porsche proportions will be a novelty for me. More bang for buck performance is a very typical reason. But my main selling point is that performance being a better match for American roads which are significantly wider/straighter than in UK/Europe/Japan. If I lived in the UK where Emira is cheaper than C8, I'd err more toward Emira because its technical handling prowess is better tuned for and can be more greatly appreciated on UK roads. On US roads (with backroads being an infrequent excursion for me), much of the Emira's value prop gets lost where C8 shines. Finally, plentiful replacement parts available cheap and quick domestically (once supply chain crisis gets resolved) and abundant dealer network edge out a win for C8.

Basically boils down to C8 being ideally matched to the US vs Emira being ideally matched to the UK in terms of chassis setup for roads, value for price (both domestically priced better than imported), and ease of ownership (again, geographically dependent).
 
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Kentviking

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I suppose it depends where you live but here in So. Kalif I don't think I'd have an Emira as my only car. Much like I make my poor wife drive something less flashy than a Bentley Bentayga as we go to lowly places like Walmart where she could be followed home and robbed because of what she's driving. The world is too dangerous today sadly. Not trying to talk my old lion buddy out of buying his Emira though...:)
Haha, I can proudly state that I regularly took my Aston Martin to shop at Lidl for many a year. Thankfully, I guess even our most lowly considered supermarkets aren't quite as dangerous as yours. The Emira will be used for the same.
 
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Pops68

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Haha, I can proudly state that I regularly took my Aston Martin to shop at Lidl for many a year. Thankfully, I guess even our most lowly considered supermarkets are quite as dangerous as yours. The Emira will be used for the same.
You realize I was just joking about the "lowly" stores as we obviously go there too...:) Yeah I never worried about it as I drive whatever I want there. When it comes to the girls in my family I'm a bit more careful!
 

Nlsmith2123

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Emira beats C8 in terms of offering visceral driving features like hydraulic (vs electronic) steering, manual (vs DCT), a quarter ton less weight, and compact proportions easier to place on the road. Plus easier to get in/out of with the doors requiring a few inches less space to swing open without a gaping side vent. Not to say C8 is a slouch for driving enthusiasts. As magazine racers like to tout, C8 performance metrics destroy Emira on paper. But you drive the car, not numbers printed on paper.

Lotus's decades long reputation as Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious has improved to Lots Of Toyota Usually Solid. And they were more problematic when an American company (GM) owned them vs more recently under Asian/Chinese ownership. It has reliability where it counts (drivetrain/powertrain) by Toyota so you don't get stranded while the rest of the car is serviceable from sharing many Polestar and Volvo parts (owned by the same Chinese company). And carmakers historically contract Lotus for their engineering expertise, especially in suspension, if not try to emulate them. This includes Toyota and past Corvettes. A car built in-house by car industry skunk works experts porting experience over from their legendary days revolutionizing F1 (more like inventing tremendously unfair advantages and continuously forcing new rules) is a special occasion.

Emira praise aside, I've decided squarely on the C8 for a few key reasons: Driving dynamics may not be as exquisite but consensus seems it's still great for what you pay for. Same for styling which may not be as elegant but the 458 supercar proportions rather than Porsche proportions will be a novelty for me. More bang for buck performance is a very typical reason. But my main selling point is that performance being a better match for American roads which are significantly wider/straighter than in UK/Europe/Japan. If I lived in the UK where Emira is cheaper than C8, I'd err more toward Emira where its technical handling prowess can be more greatly appreciated. On US roads (with backroads being in infrequent excursion for me), much of the Emira's value prop gets lost where C8 shines. Finally, plentiful replacement parts available cheap and quick domestically (once supply chain crisis gets resolved) and abundant dealer network edge out a win for C8.

Basically boils down to C8 being ideally matched to the US vs Emira being ideally matched to the UK in terms of chassis setup for roads, value for price, and ease of ownership.
This is what scares me the most. I am getting an FE emira from Naples. The wife and I recently moved to el paso and the closest lotus dealer is 8 hours in Dallas. I am not very mechanically inclined besides changing tires and air filters lol so I'm nervous on what to do if an issue arrises. I have contemplated lexus, bmw and Jag as an alternative but I really want the lotus lol. It sucks their dealer network is so small and parts are so rare.
 

lion shf

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This is what scares me the most. I am getting an FE emira from Naples. The wife and I recently moved to el paso and the closest lotus dealer is 8 hours in Dallas. I am not very mechanically inclined besides changing tires and air filters lol so I'm nervous on what to do if an issue arrises. I have contemplated lexus, bmw and Jag as an alternative but I really want the lotus lol. It sucks their dealer network is so small and parts are so rare.
8 hours away is insane, just sayin
im not a math savant but that’s like 8 grand
 

Johnson

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I’m in the US on holidays and saw my first red C8 a few days ago. Monster looking car, big, wide and aggressive. But certainly not pretty, nor is it well proportioned. Those pointy headlights and the odd rear is going to age badly.
 

Nlsmith2123

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8 hours away is insane, just sayin
im not a math savant but that’s like 8 grand
Ya I think about it all the time. That's why I went with the V6 I feel like most shops could work on the Toyota engine, but I'm worried about any other major issues. I will only be driving it once a week. I work from home. I won't be doing any track days so probably 2k miles a year. I figure worst case is I can sell it and recoup most of my money if find it to be a mechanical headache.
 

lion shf

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Ya I think about it all the time. That's why I went with the V6 I feel like most shops could work on the Toyota engine, but I'm worried about any other major issues. I will only be driving it once a week. I work from home. I won't be doing any track days so probably 2k miles a year. I figure worst case is I can sell it and recoup most of my money if find it to be a mechanical headache.
I’m def rooting for you. I have people in Bourne, I dig TX the most.
 

lion shf

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I’m in the US on holidays and saw my first red C8 a few days ago. Monster looking car, big, wide and aggressive. But certainly not pretty, nor is it well proportioned. Those pointy headlights and the odd rear is going to age badly.
If you buy an Emira you’ll get use to the bum :cool:
zcQod4B.jpg
 

Pegasi

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I really really wanted to love the new C8. But it's like that girl on the Seinfeld episode, sometimes you look at her and she is beautiful, then you catch her in another light and you cringe.
 

lion shf

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I really really wanted to love the new C8. But it's like that girl on the Seinfeld episode, sometimes you look at her and she is beautiful, then you catch her in another light and you cringe.
You haters are gonna make me buy one out of spite.:)
 

dgrace

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The C8 lost me at “asymmetric side mirrors”. Once you see, you cannot unsee…
 

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