Emira vs McLaren 570S

[LotusB]

Hello everyone, I've been away due to some significant life changes and have the itch now that life has settled.

First of all, glad to see new colors in the configurator, I'm kind of digging the green/black pack. I've also read about a darker green being available to dealers and not public. It looks like the new Emira's, configured the way I'd like are around $125k. Are dealers selling at sticker or is that negotiable? Here's a build I like: https://www.lotuscars.com/short/en-US/HBYMN7?shortUrl=true

I've been going back/forth between an Emira and a 2018-2020 McLaren 570S. The McLaren is more money and used. If I get the Emira, I will lightly mod it (intake/exhaust/tune). McLaren will remain in whatever state I get it in, most likely. It doesn't need the power and plenty fast.

First, the numbers, based on Autotrader/CarGurus asking price/BaT:
2024 Emira with low mileage is ~$90k
2026 as Spec'd would be ~$125k
McLaren 570S $140-160k

McLaren Pros:
- More exotic/rare/"sense of occasion"
- Butterfly doors
- Mo powah/faster
- Spider is an option (which would be the one I get)
- Depreciation hit has already happened

McLaren Cons:
- Ab-used (typically multiple owners, who knows how the car was used/abused?)
- Questionable reliability/build quality
- Bespoke/expensive parts, higher running/maintenance costs
- Potential for serious expenses is very high
- Doesn't sound as nice IMO

Emira Pros:
- Looks beautiful!
- Option of V6 manual or AMG DCT (in theory I'm partial to the manual, but driving in traffic and tuning potential of the M139 are hard to ignore)
- Can option however I want if I go new
- V6 sounds amazing with exhaust mods (which I'd opt for)
- Newer, more reliable (and maintenance/parts/aftermarket are a lot more affordable)
- "Old school" recipe in a modern package (thinking about the epitome of car/tuning in the 90's)

Emira Cons:
- Underpowered
- Depreciation if going with new
- No Spider option

I've driven the pre-production Emira V6, since I was one of the original early deposit holders and recall it being pretty fun/nice/comfy, but didn't like certain things like automatic parking brake engagement (minor), power left much to be desired (can be fixed with some mods??), clutch felt muddy (hard to feel engagement compared to my previous manual cars - albeit with aftermarket mods/clutches/etc). This is just going based on memory.

I've never driven a McLaren 570S, however I can see myself being in it with the top down 90% of the time.

I have a daily driver, just looking for a "toy." It won't be raced/see the track, just a piece of art for my garage that I'll enjoy on a regular basis.

Did I miss anything? What are your thoughts? What would YOU go with and why? What's your recommendation for ME?

Thanks all!

 

[rzem6bay]

I recently moved from a McLaren 720S to Emira. I can give you a perspective.

But first of all, let me start by saying McLaren 570S is known to have a noticeable turbo lag. I suggest you consider this very carefully in case you're leaning to get the 570S.

McLaren 720S is absolutely a fantastic car, handling and suspension second to none. Fast as hell. I owned it for about two years but then I started to feel this car is just too much for the road. Sure I got a rush for acceleration, but that just wears out quickly. It felt like the car needed more than street roads to give me the driving pleasure I needed.
After a while I started driving it less and then for a McLaren you're advised to maintain expensive warranty. Insurance and registration is just at least double the Emira. I started to miss shifting gears.

My previous cars were Subaru BRZ, 718 Cayman, 718 Spyder, R8. Whenever a car became automatic, I couldn't stand it after a year. With Porsche (both manual) I started to get bored because the damn 2nd gear was just so tall that the car might as well had 2 gears.

So this whole journey brought me to one final decision: to get the Emira. Why?
1. The closest steering and suspension enjoyment there is to McLaren 720S with a third of the money
2. Not too fast, I can feel I'm doing something with the car before hitting the speed limit
3. Fantastic manual gearbox feel (to me)
4. The gearing is short enough that I find myself playing with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th very frequently
5. Supercharger sounds fantastic. Cat delete will undoubtably make the car sound even better (I yet need to do this)
6. The car is much much cheaper to maintain and to mod due to the core that is the Toyota engine. (in my opinion this is a blessing about this car)

I would personally after my car journey think everything has led me to Emira as the right balance I'm looking for. Is it perfect? No, can it be made perfect? Almost yes! with a few mods the car can become 5% more punchy and it'd become the perfect car in my book.

Hope this helps!

 

[Thirdgen89gta]

Also consider cost of insurance. I haven't quoted one before, never got that serious. But I did have a 2019 Aston Martin Vantage quoted, and it was 2x the cost. The McLaren is probably more than that.

 

[netsinah]

Thanks rzem6bay for another review comparing a "supercar" to the Emira. If nothing else, it helps establish that the Emira, while lacking the speed/torque of a supercar, excels in the "bang-for-your-buck-driving-fun" sports car scale. And as pointed out by Thirdgen89gta, you must consider not only the purchase price and maintenance costs, but other expenses like insurance, to assess the over-all ownership experience. I look at friends with more than double my income who own ++ high-end sports cars and 99% of them put next to no mileage on them, compared to me daily driving my Emira, except during the winter months when, like today where I live, the snow can build up between tire tracks and contact the lower front bumper on my higher all-wheel drive car, justifying my wait until spring to once more drive the Emira.

 

[David s]

Miltek, coldd air, decat, and JB4 fixes the power problem. A lot.

 

[EmirOfDenmark]

These things are always personal choices, but the 570s felt bigger and heavier than the Emira when I drove it. I loved the 570s when it came out, but now it somehow looks dated... not sure why. See my update on the two cars:

Emira vs McLaren 570s

Yesterday I took my Emira (V6, manual, sports) to the dealer for the annual service. It had to have the seatbelts replaced, so I had to wait some time. The dealer sells all sorts of exotic cars. There was a 570s sitting there ready to be driven out. So, they asked me if I wanted to drive it, so...

www.emiraforum.com

I echo the post above on speed. If you're looking for a road car, you wanna be active with it, playing through gears. Emira feels like the right balance of enough power and not too much to do that and have fun.

 

[bshads]

Currently own a 570s (but the GT4 variant, which is detuned from the street car), and still have the Emira.

Order of decision making I'd use:
1. Do you want a manual - if yes, get the Emira
2. Is the top down required - if yes, get the 570s
3. Is carplay a required feature - if yes, are you willing to install a KKS kit on the Mclaren? If no to aftermarket, get the Emira.
Dealbreakers... because you should assume both cars are going to need health checks and parts break on both.
4. Do you have a nearby Mclaren service center... if not, pass on the Mclaren
5. Do you have a nearby Lotus service center... if not, pass on the Emira

Now all that said... the Mclaren is a better driving, handling, and dynamic car. But it depends how you'll use it, and the Emira does look better.

 

[Cutting42]

I have a 2015 McLaren 650s that I purchased a couple of year ago when I cancelled my new Emira order after 3 years of being messed about by Lotus. I have no regrets, the 650S is cheaper to insure (UK £350 yearly) and was a similar purchase cost (Emira was £84k ish and the Mac was £87k). The 650 is a Super series so has the sophisticated air suspension that the 570 does not have and it makes a difference in normal mode if you have some rough road surfacing for sure and then sports and track settings for smooth tarmac. I would pick the 650s or a 720s again. The handling is sublime, and the best steering feel I have ever had in a car even over the Emira.

It definitely has the ability to hand you big bills but there is a growing independent dealer network in the UK now with Thorney and V Engineering making spares and repairs more affordable. I self warranty and touch wood have had nothing happen in two years. I drive regularly but it is a toy car not a daily doing approx 2-3k miles per year. It has just hit 40k and coming up to its 10th service which cost around £700 a year. They do suffer body panel corrosion (like all Macs, Ferrari's and others) so check carefully, buy a car that has been fully serviced by main dealer or reputable independent and ideally done a few thousand miles every year - they like to be used. 570/600lt door hinges can crack if not aligned correctly, this does not affect 650 and 720 cars. Engines are fine to about 750bhp, after that they need stronger rods if you look at tuned cars.

You need to drive one before you decide IMO, it is a full on supercar whereas the Emira is a sportcar with supercar looks. Macs are mostly reliable now, the early MP4 12C cars were sorted by dealers and the early 570's likewise.

Good luck, a fun position to be in.

 

[me73]

I think it's funny that a car that does 185mph and 0-60 in 4 seconds is not considered fast enough by some. Where are you driving? Who are you drag racing? Are you only using 4000 RPM? 400hp is a fast car, 600hp is ridiculous and pretty much unusable on a public road.

My Elise is more fun than my Emira with 2/3 the power to weight ratio.

 

[cyanmauve]

I think it's funny that a car that does 185mph and 0-60 in 4 seconds is not considered fast enough by some. Where are you driving? Who are you drag racing? Are you only using 4000 RPM? 400hp is a fast car, 600hp is ridiculous and pretty much unusable on a public road.

Sometimes I think to myself my Emira could use more power. And then I try to mentally walk through where and how I would actually use the additional power. I have done track days before, but not with my Emira (yet). Those are few and far between for me, so largely irrelevant. I don’t play fast and loose on public roads (1) for my own safety (2) for the safety of others (3) I don’t want a ticket or to have to go before a judge to plead my case.

I wouldn’t corner faster than I do now with more power- the car already has more grip than I have guts to find the limits of on public roads.

I don’t stoplight drag race, because I grew out of that about 15 years ago. See above reasons. Also, a clutch job on the Emira is expensive.

So the extra power would be mostly for the occasional WOT blast to a speed that frankly wouldn’t impress a lot of people on this forum.

All that said, extra power sounds great in theory, but in practice, I’m not sure I’d really take advantage of it.

 

[cyanmauve]

Nobody remind me of this post when I have JUBU get my car to 600 hp…..

 

[LotusB]

Thank you all for the thoughtful responses so far!

Currently own a 570s (but the GT4 variant, which is detuned from the street car), and still have the Emira.

Order of decision making I'd use:
1. Do you want a manual - if yes, get the Emira
2. Is the top down required - if yes, get the 570s
3. Is carplay a required feature - if yes, are you willing to install a KKS kit on the Mclaren? If no to aftermarket, get the Emira.
Dealbreakers... because you should assume both cars are going to need health checks and parts break on both.
4. Do you have a nearby Mclaren service center... if not, pass on the Mclaren
5. Do you have a nearby Lotus service center... if not, pass on the Emira

Now all that said... the Mclaren is a better driving, handling, and dynamic car. But it depends how you'll use it, and the Emira does look better.

1. Not sure, at times I do like the engagement, other times I just want to get in and not worry about it
2. Not required, but definitely a nice perk
3. Haven't really thought about this. I just assumed all "modern" cars have good infotainment and all I need is some streaming music (SiriusXM would work) and my phone can serve as navigation in a pinch. Will research, thanks for bringing this up!
4 & 5. I have service centers nearby for every car under the sun. I'm in South Florida. I'm also pretty handy, I've rebuilt engines, designed custom turbo kits, etc. I trust me over a dealer, but having said that, I'm no longer a kid I once was and may prefer to pay someone else to do the work. I don't think the Emira is easier to wrench on than the McLaren (?). Especially for bolt-ons/basics... but maybe I'm wrong? The things that scare me are electrical problems, not as much mechanical.

I guess overall the problem with a decision like this is that I ultimately have no "use/utility" for this car, so there isn't a specific differentiator (e.g. manual/convertible/etc) that tilts the scales. It's just a toy to go to the gym or other local places. There are no "twisties" in SFL, so ultimate handling is moot, although I have a sensitive butt-dyno (used to race) and can feel differences in handling even in day to day driving. Used to drive a 2018 M2 and the steering felt like crap, stock suspension was crap, etc. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio that replaced it felt worlds better in both regards. Speaking of QV, the transmission in that is so nice, I'm worried that the I4 DCT with its delays would be annoying. Hopefully the 2026 car and/or software updates will fix that, otherwise manual V6 Emira may be the only option.

Thanks for the thought provoking response!

 

[LotusB]

I think it's funny that a car that does 185mph and 0-60 in 4 seconds is not considered fast enough by some. Where are you driving? Who are you drag racing? Are you only using 4000 RPM? 400hp is a fast car, 600hp is ridiculous and pretty much unusable on a public road.

My Elise is more fun than my Emira with 2/3 the power to weight ratio.

I don't race (anymore), so it's not about the 0-60, 1/4-mile, high speed runs or lap times. It's more about having as much power as I want when I press the accelerator pedal. Tesla's spoiled me. When I drove the V6 Emira it just felt underpowered for what it is. That's all. I'm confident that bolt-ons/tune would do the trick. Will try and find a local Emira group/gathering and see if anyone has their car modded to check it out.

 

[bshads]

I guess overall the problem with a decision like this is that I ultimately have no "use/utility" for this car, so there isn't a specific differentiator (e.g. manual/convertible/etc) that tilts the scales. It's just a toy to go to the gym or other local places.

You're overthinking a toy. Get the one that gets you to giggle, and that when you walk away you look back.

 

[Beachbum]

You're overthinking a toy. Get the one that gets you to giggle, and that when you walk away you look back.

This !!!
If you just want straight line acceleration then get just about any electric car. The 570 & Emira are more about the emotion than the logic.

 

[geoffbland]

If you plan on getting the 570S - I would recommend watching some of the YouTube videos by Thorney Motorsport if you haven't already. I know these are a UK McLaren independent not US but they are well respected and the videos seem down-to-earth, honest and useful, at least to me. They state the average service cost of a McLaren as £4000 a year - so a fair bit more than a Lotus but you are getting a much more exotic engine and suspension.

 

[Cutting42]

If you plan on getting the 570S - I would recommend watching some of the YouTube videos by Thorney Motorsport if you haven't already. I know these are a UK McLaren independent not US but they are well respected and the videos seem down-to-earth, honest and useful, at least to me. They state the average service cost of a McLaren as £4000 a year - so a fair bit more than a Lotus but you are getting a much more exotic engine and suspension.

I bought my 650 from Thorney and John is very down to earth. He also has some USA affiliated garages.

 

[OppositeLock]

When I was buying my Emira, my two finalists were a 600LT and the Emira V6 6MT, and I drove a 600LT that I borrowed from a friend for a while.

Since I own the Emira, you can see how that went. The 600LT is faster than the 570, and the power was addictive, however, it was unusable on the street, just as the Emira is also not fully usable on the street, so in most situations, other than some opportunity for a hard pull, the power difference doesn't matter.

The Mac has better performance, throttle response due to turbo spoolup is nowhere near as satisfying, but the absolute power is nuts. It's lighter than the Emira and shifts a lot faster. The cost of consumables is very, very high, so I found all kinds of alternatives for brakes and wheels/tires that were cheaper, but still a lot more than the Emira.

My main decision was due to the interior. I really didn't like the Mac's interior, nasty old Alcantara. The one I was looking at had the carbon racing seats and harnesses, which were very good! The car was heavily used, previously tracked, and still cost $200k and needed about $20k of repairs (new radiators, cracked door hinges, tired suspension). The Emira was just much more value per dollar, and looks beautiful. The inside is much more "airy" versus feeling confined in the Mac. Some people love the McLarnen doors, but i happen to hate them.

 

[LotusB]

When I was buying my Emira, my two finalists were a 600LT and the Emira V6 6MT, and I drove a 600LT that I borrowed from a friend for a while.

Since I own the Emira, you can see how that went. The 600LT is faster than the 570, and the power was addictive, however, it was unusable on the street, just as the Emira is also not fully usable on the street, so in most situations, other than some opportunity for a hard pull, the power difference doesn't matter.

The Mac has better performance, throttle response due to turbo spoolup is nowhere near as satisfying, but the absolute power is nuts. It's lighter than the Emira and shifts a lot faster. The cost of consumables is very, very high, so I found all kinds of alternatives for brakes and wheels/tires that were cheaper, but still a lot more than the Emira.

My main decision was due to the interior. I really didn't like the Mac's interior, nasty old Alcantara. The one I was looking at had the carbon racing seats and harnesses, which were very good! The car was heavily used, previously tracked, and still cost $200k and needed about $20k of repairs (new radiators, cracked door hinges, tired suspension). The Emira was just much more value per dollar, and looks beautiful. The inside is much more "airy" versus feeling confined in the Mac. Some people love the McLarnen doors, but i happen to hate them.

Thank you, appreciate the input, but the 600LT is basically a track car, with bucket seats, harsher ride and much higher price tag. I feel like they're for a completely different audience.

Practicality always wins over, which is why most of us go in that direction. If I stick to spreadsheet comparisons, the Emira is the clear winner - especially a used one. That's what I'm wrestling with internally. Be rational or just say eff it?

Logic vs. Emotion

 

[Jinba ittai]

Thank you, appreciate the input, but the 600LT is basically a track car, with bucket seats, harsher ride and much higher price tag. I feel like they're for a completely different audience.

Practicality always wins over, which is why most of us go in that direction. If I stick to spreadsheet comparisons, the Emira is the clear winner - especially a used one. That's what I'm wrestling with internally. Be rational or just say eff it?

Logic vs. Emotion

We’re all Emira fans here, but I think you should get the McLaren if that’s the choice that excites you. Echoing comments above, that’s what these cars are for. Your primary vehicle can be practical and pass the spreadsheet comparison.