Emira VS My Past Cars

[dpgfunk]

this is a great post

 

[JRitt]

AK16,
You've had quite the impressive collection, and thank you very much for spending so much time writing all those comparisons! I really enjoyed them, and found that your feelings closely echo mine in some cases. Based on what you've written, I have a couple cars you might enjoy if you haven't already owned them:

• 987.1 Porsche Boxster or Cayman 2.7L with 5-speed (make sure it has a good exhaust system on it)- This is one of my all-time favorites. Excellent hydraulic steering, good 5 speed with nice short gears for the road (so you spend a ton of time in the 4k-redline zone), only enough power to have fun but not go silly speeds, excellently balanced chassis, relatively lightweight, engine sounds fantastic with a good exhaust. I've also owned a 3.4L S/6-speed variant of the 987, and I much prefer the 2.7L with the 5 speed. The 987 Boxster Spyder is also an incredible machine, and I definitely prefer all the 987 cars to the 981 an 718 variants.
• 2016-2019 Ford Fiesta ST- I just sold mine and I desperately wish I could go back and gift one of these to my 16 year-old self. A classic hot hatch that crams about as much fun and practicality into a cheap car that one could imagine. I like it far more than the Focus RS, GR Corolla, STI hatch, etc. The Fiesta ST rotates insanely well for FWD. The engine is a punchy little thing and it will scoot with only 2700 lbs. to propel. Gearing is super short (2nd doesn't even reach 60 mph), so you're constantly rowing gears on tight roads. A clean, unmolested one can be had for $15k...incredible bargain for so much fun! Make sure to get 2016+ with a slick top and the Recaro seat package. With all that said, FWD will never be as fun to me as RWD!
• C5 Z06- Good 'ole Murican' V8 fun. I drove this one extensively on both the road and track. I'd really only recommend it for the track. These are like a super-powered Miata...super easy to drive and mega predictable. Endless modification potential, cheap power, sounds amazing with a Corsa exhaust and long tubes, but Fisher Price interior.
• DC2 Integra Type R (1997-2001 in the USA)- This was my gateway drug into sportscars 30 years ago. Super light, engine revs to the moon, great steering, possibly best handling FWD car ever (although again, IMO still not as fun as a good RWD platform), indestructible...just put oil in it and thrash the heck out of it. With that said, these are IMO not worth anywherre close to the prices they are trading at today (unless you are a collector, not a driver). It would be better to pick up a JDM import version to play around with for $20k.

I've owned six Miatas (3 NA, 2 NB, 1 30th anniversary ND currently...which is wonderful), an S2000 and MR2 Spyder, have driven the Elise/Exige many times. I tend to prefer small cars for the road. I've owned numerous others as well...a couple BMWs, CTS-V, Mercedes,
I'm just about to collect my first Lotus, a 2020 Evora GT manual. It is replacing a 1991 Acura NSX in my fleet. The Evora reminds me a lot of the NSX in many ways. The Evora is a much stiffer and faster car. I only wish the Evora sat as low as the NSX and had the same driving position/view of the road as the NSX (which is super unique). Driving either of those always feels like an event. I strongly considered the Emira, but the Evora is only going to be a 3rd 'fun' car and don't care at all about practicality. I preferred the rawness, traditional gauges, and extremely limited production of the Evora over the Emira, so I went with the Evora. I don't think the Evora is nearly as pretty as the Emira, but I won't see much of it when I'm driving. I can't wait to get some wheel time in it!

I couldn't recommend the early NSX unless you changed the gearing. Second gear was insanely tall, similar to the recent Porsche Cayman/Boxster. I think it went to 84 mph, and the V6 in that car doesn't really do anything until 6k+ rpms. As such, I just didn't find it that much fun on back roads.

 

[daSchtick]

Haha! True love. View attachment 53629

I like your taste in cars and garages!

 

[Tracked Emira]

I don't think the Evora is nearly as pretty as the Emira, but I won't see much of it when I'm driving. I can't wait to get some wheel time in it!

That’s like saying I can’t wait to make love to my lady, but I’ll put a bag over her head so it’ll be okay. I don’t even have to drive my cars because I can enjoy just looking at them as works of sculpted art. But I’m also fortunate that I can drive them hard!
To each his own

 

[NorCalEmira]

Keep playing KEF system. I’m at 8000 miles, not using stereo much of the time. It sounds much better now, than new.

The KEF system will always have rolled off bass like nearly all car systems but sounds quite musical for a car stereo overall. I have a high end system at home for serious listening but still find that I enjoy well recorded music at reasonable volumes in the Emira. It's definitely worth looking at the settings in the car and on your phone to ensure everything is optimized.