My experience and remedy:
I have owned a new 2026 since May, and over time started noticing the same noise under moderate to high engine load around 2-3k rpm (mostly audible only in 1/2/3 gear). Car definitely didn't make this noise when new, even up to 1000mi, so I assume this is something that develops over time. First noticed it around 1200-1500mi, and car right now has ~2100mi. The "putting lateral load on the shifter" trick sometimes works, but inconsistent in my experience.
First I did remove the shift boot trim and drove around while trying to touch different parts of the shifter assembly, to see if the noise could be stopped by holding a certain component - no luck. I even tried disconneting and reconnecting all the parts that can be disconnected, but everything seems to be solidly attached. Some kind of vibrations that is synced to the noise can be felt on several points (e.g.
https://www.emiraforum.com/threads/...ng-noise-during-acceleration.4357/post-158911), but exerting force on them doesn't change the noise at all.
Then I read about similar buzzing/vibration on the Elise forums, and decided to poke around the shifter arms on the transmission itself. The airbox needs to be removed to gain access. Getting the airbox out is fairly straightforward, which is explained well in the service manual, just be careful not to drop the nut when unscrewing the rear airbox bolt. The airbox itself can remain closed. There are also a few factory zipties holding wiring around the airbox that need to be cut and removing the left side engine cover trim helps with clearence.
Initially I suspected the rattling comes from either the cable attachment points to the transmission or the black bushing between the crossgate arm and the main shifting shaft, but all these points don't appear to have play. Then I inspected both shift cables, and found the intermediate metal sleeve (a short section between inner cable and the actual outer shell) can make metallic contact noises if I rock the inner shift cable with some amplitude. This sleeve interfaces the inner and outer cable on both ends with some rubber tubes from the factory to limit sleeve movement, but they seemed to have shifted (pun intended) slightly from their initial position over time, allowing some play.
Suspecting this was the cause to my ticking noise, I fully disengaged all 4 rubber tubing and went for a test drive. The noise did get worse! I could now hear the same noise in all 6 gears without those rubbers, even at fairly light load. Issue found, although it is unclear which cable was the noisier one.
(TLDR starts here)
So it turns out the "ticking" happens on the transmission side of the cable(s), and the noise is being transmitted through the cable housing into the cabin. Hence the illusion of ticking in the shifter area, and this might as well explain why it sometimes feels like the noise is coming from "behind".
I reattached the rubber tubes as tightly as possible and fixated them with zipties (on both cables, picture only showing how I did the gearshift cable). Now the ticking noise is gone! Hopefully the zipties can hold the tubes in place over time. I have driven the car ~200mi since, and they seem to have held up fine. It would be nice if someone can play with this a little more and come up with a better and more permanent solution.
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On a (probably) unrelated note, I also noticed the gearshift cable bushing had some vertical play under the cotter pin, so I have put a piece of rubber grommet in between. I think this doesn't have anything to do with the ticking, but it does make me sleep better
:D
