Every single point in this post I agree with (and I live in England - the home of Lotus). I test drove a GTS, Emira i4, Emira v6, Alpine A110S.. I chose the Emira V6 manual for a reason. I can't drive this car with 1 hand on the wheel (sports suspension).. it demands 100% focus and that's what I want. It's the most analogue car I've ever owned.
Look Fast vs. Feel Alive: Porsche 718 Spyder PDK Takes On the Lotus Emira 2.0T
- Thread starter HankRS225
- Start date
Agreed. It's the most analogue car I've driven as well...and in an age where everything is going extremely digital and self-driving, I believe analogue cars like Lotus' will be special 20 years from now.
I've driven (on canyon and track) mostly stock: 718 Cayman S, GTS 2.5L, GTS 4.0L, GT4, and Spyder.
Comparing 718 Turbos.... not as exciting as Emira AMG i4 at all (and both have piped in sounds) but PDK is unmistakably superior to AMG DCT.
You need chassis upgrades to non GT 718's to match Emira's stock bits (for track).
Also no surprise, steering is better (just slighly) on Emira, and becomes noticeably better as you get more aggressive.
Note on GTS 4.0L vs GT4/Spyder: Engine and gearing is almost indistinguishable, and very similar on canyons.
On the track however when driving at 10/10, the stock "GT upgrades" differences become very apparent.
Speaking for the street/canyon driving... the NA 4.0L engine reving to 8k is just... so much more emotion as it just builds and pulls and pulls. Emotion is amplified with the top down on the Spyder (or GTS Boxster).
Emira V6 you get to have some fun rowing through the gears, but it's a different "emotion" than the 4.0L. I'd say it's the analog feel and makes you feel like you're actually working with the car as opposed to being taken for a ride.
The 4.0L feels like a muscle car in comparison to the V6.
Imo, a fairer comparison would have been if 718 GTS 2.5L engine in a GT4 body would = Emira i4.
GTS 4.0L with GT4 upgrades would = Emira V6.
Emira just has a better stock setup for "aggressive driving" than the 718 turbo and non-GT variants (but I must put a disclaimer: better does not mean more reliable
).
Creature comfort wise, GT4/Spyder is lacking compared to what the non-GT variants has.
Plus the interior is from 2016... literally quite dated, but still has its appeal for its simplicity.
The 18-ways sofas > Emira seats though.
That being said, I have both a Spyder and a v6 Emira in my garage. I have a ton of fun in the Emira (when it's problem free). Just with the decat it makes the sound on pulls almost as exciting as the 4.0L howl (with over-axle pipes).
The post is already long enough and I have way more opinions on the Emira, but at the end of the day for me: Spyder is a forever car, Emira is gone after warranty runs out. It'd be a tougher choice vs GT4 but the Spyder is just that much more special
P.S. I'm unreasonly annoyed at the incorrectly Ai-generated front end of the Spyder in the OP. It has the base 718 nose in the last two pictures. Emira is no doubt prettier and a head turner. The Spyder is a future classic with them humps.
Comparing 718 Turbos.... not as exciting as Emira AMG i4 at all (and both have piped in sounds) but PDK is unmistakably superior to AMG DCT.
You need chassis upgrades to non GT 718's to match Emira's stock bits (for track).
Also no surprise, steering is better (just slighly) on Emira, and becomes noticeably better as you get more aggressive.
Note on GTS 4.0L vs GT4/Spyder: Engine and gearing is almost indistinguishable, and very similar on canyons.
On the track however when driving at 10/10, the stock "GT upgrades" differences become very apparent.
Speaking for the street/canyon driving... the NA 4.0L engine reving to 8k is just... so much more emotion as it just builds and pulls and pulls. Emotion is amplified with the top down on the Spyder (or GTS Boxster).
Emira V6 you get to have some fun rowing through the gears, but it's a different "emotion" than the 4.0L. I'd say it's the analog feel and makes you feel like you're actually working with the car as opposed to being taken for a ride.
The 4.0L feels like a muscle car in comparison to the V6.
Imo, a fairer comparison would have been if 718 GTS 2.5L engine in a GT4 body would = Emira i4.
GTS 4.0L with GT4 upgrades would = Emira V6.
Emira just has a better stock setup for "aggressive driving" than the 718 turbo and non-GT variants (but I must put a disclaimer: better does not mean more reliable
).Creature comfort wise, GT4/Spyder is lacking compared to what the non-GT variants has.
Plus the interior is from 2016... literally quite dated, but still has its appeal for its simplicity.
The 18-ways sofas > Emira seats though.
That being said, I have both a Spyder and a v6 Emira in my garage. I have a ton of fun in the Emira (when it's problem free). Just with the decat it makes the sound on pulls almost as exciting as the 4.0L howl (with over-axle pipes).
The post is already long enough and I have way more opinions on the Emira, but at the end of the day for me: Spyder is a forever car, Emira is gone after warranty runs out. It'd be a tougher choice vs GT4 but the Spyder is just that much more special
P.S. I'm unreasonly annoyed at the incorrectly Ai-generated front end of the Spyder in the OP. It has the base 718 nose in the last two pictures. Emira is no doubt prettier and a head turner. The Spyder is a future classic with them humps.
The spyder is considered appropriately so one of the best sportscars ever made. Long gearing being the biggest issue.
The emira v6 manual is an unmatched experience of an exotic manual car you can buy new. The low redline ironically makes rowing gears that much better.
For all of the Emira’s benefits I believe the spyder is the better handling car for a number of reasons. Not by a huge margin.
These are both amazing cars. No need to say one is better than another.
When you start comparing the emira i4 DCT this gets more problematic as I think you have to compare to the corvette DCT which from a performance and dynamics perspective is amazing.
The emira v6 manual is an unmatched experience of an exotic manual car you can buy new. The low redline ironically makes rowing gears that much better.
For all of the Emira’s benefits I believe the spyder is the better handling car for a number of reasons. Not by a huge margin.
These are both amazing cars. No need to say one is better than another.
When you start comparing the emira i4 DCT this gets more problematic as I think you have to compare to the corvette DCT which from a performance and dynamics perspective is amazing.
Or even a Porsche with hydraulic steering.Sounds like you need to test drive an Elise too
A lot of people conflate body roll and poor handling, incorrectly I would argue. A suspension setup that allows controlled and well damped body roll will have higher levels of ultimate grip (up to the point of touching on bump stops) all else being equal. It also reduces the car's likelihood of loosing tire contact, especially valuable while cornering. I personally like to feel the movement of the suspension as another of the many valuable inputs of grip level. The need for a stiff suspension just isn't there in the Emira, given it's already stellar turn-in response.
No modern Porsche will come close to the steering feel of an Elise
I know, I own oneNo modern Porsche will come close to the steering feel of an Elise
. The air cooled cars with unpowered steering are comparable though. But even the 9x6 and 9x7 would be better than the modern cars.
You have to respect the OP's opinion and take it for what it is: his opinion. Kudos for him taking the time to write up his review, even if Ai helped with the translation since we likely wouldn't have seen his review w/o the help of Ai. Others may not share his thoughts, but that's OK and we all like what we like.
I don't have the i4 Emira. I love a manual transmission so that pushed me over the edge, to order my V6. And I've still had NO PROBLEMS with my Emira, despite some track driving, about 17,000km (over 10,000 miles) on the odometer, 2 years and one month of ownership, and daily driving it (rain or shine) when there's not too much snow on my roads.
I don't have the i4 Emira. I love a manual transmission so that pushed me over the edge, to order my V6. And I've still had NO PROBLEMS with my Emira, despite some track driving, about 17,000km (over 10,000 miles) on the odometer, 2 years and one month of ownership, and daily driving it (rain or shine) when there's not too much snow on my roads.
Yes, jail time at 2nd gear is silly.
If only the Emira didn't cut power so harshly right at redline I'd recon it would be twice as satisfying.
Your chasis comparison is flipped. The Emira (factory racer) has a rear weight biased, aluminum extruded chasis with double wishbones. The Cayman (street upgrade) has a more evenly balanced, steel/aluminum unibody with macpherson struts. Race car tech vs. street tech.
The Emira makes the Cayman chasis feel inert in comparison, due to a lack of steering feel and a heavy front end that resists turn in. I've observed this personally and so have the guys from everyday driver, who own both the 718 GT4 and Emira and summed it up best when they said the Emira makes the GT4 feel dead.
I've even spent considerable time in the magnificent 991.1 GT3 and it's not even as communicative as the Emira with its rear steer, torque vectoring and electronic steering assisting you through every corner and correcting your mistakes. It is absolutely ready for combat as you stated, yet you're the colonel whereas you're the frontline soldier in the Emira.
It appears you prefer the fact that the Porsche's electronics correct your inputs whereas the Emira amplifies them, which you characterize as tense and unsettled. You even clearly say it. "you have to correct the car's dynamics with a heavy dose of driving skill, which is exhausting." BINGO!! The Emira demands respect and driving skill. That's the exact reason driving enthusiasts love it while others prefer an easier, more passive driving experience, and that's ok! The Emira does exactly what you tell it and rewards good driving while the Porsches treats your inputs as suggestions.
Many valid points, but I resent the overall thesis - that the Porsche is for enthusiasts and the Lotus is for posers. I don’t think that rings true.
I find it strangely suspicious that a resounding opinion piece, stating that Porsche is better than Lotus, complete with a few gimmes to simulate objectivity, has been posted on a Lotus site. I challenge us lotus owners to post an entirely reversed article (switch Lotus for Porsche in the above post) on a Porsche forum and see what happens. I propose that Lotus respondents are significantly more civilized and kind in their response.
Secondly, What is his point? More or less meaningless in so far as objective data is concerned. All these performance cars have subjective strengths and weaknesses. I like Tea and Toad-in-the-hole, but maybe you like altbier and braunschweiger. Silly!
Bad analogy, that's not subjective as anyone that does not love Toad-in-the-Hole is just categorically wrong.
Agree with most of the above. The Emira allows you to feel things the way few modern sports cars do. While it’s certainly not analog, it’s probably the most analog car made in 2026 other than maybe a Miata, which I do not fit in.
- Aug 4, 2025
- 23
- 14
For what its worth, I couldn't recognize the text being AI. Normal AI slop doesn't have substance behind what it's trying to say -- it's usually just empty platitudes. This had actual articulated points as to why you would feel a certain way. I found it very helpful, thanks!
Well, I’m a bit biased given I recently bought a Spyder, but I do agree that steering feel is better in the Emira. I think it’s sexy as hell too. There was just something about the Emira that didn’t do it for me, no matter how hard I tried to like it. One can’t go wrong with either though. I just preferred the Spyder more and it checks more boxes for me vs Emira. Both are special cars.
Really? That's weird, it seems to stick out to me and it's quite obvious when AI has been used. That said, I do use AI myself to improve my writing but have to edit it extensively afterwards to remove that uncanny feel AI writing seems to have (maybe I should do some double blind tests on myself to see if I really can tell though).
I read every review before I bought mine, and they all pretty much said the the same thing as the OP post, AI or not.
In reality the emira FAR surpassed my expectations. I absolutely love it despite its quirks and faults. I think the shifter action and feel plays a big part. I rarely drive my cayman 981 gts 6mt anymore, and it was objectively an outstanding car. There is no question which is the more enjoyable and exciting car for me. I pretty much drive the cayman out of duty to keep the battery charged up at this point. It makes a great cold weather car with a winter tire set
In reality the emira FAR surpassed my expectations. I absolutely love it despite its quirks and faults. I think the shifter action and feel plays a big part. I rarely drive my cayman 981 gts 6mt anymore, and it was objectively an outstanding car. There is no question which is the more enjoyable and exciting car for me. I pretty much drive the cayman out of duty to keep the battery charged up at this point. It makes a great cold weather car with a winter tire set
- Aug 4, 2025
- 23
- 14
Yeah, it felt like it was written for a different language and the formatting is pretty easy to spot as AI, but the underlying text felt..different. But again that's just because the AI models people use to reply to me often try to analogize / embellish weak facts in a way that I don't think people ever would. Though that being said, it does concern me that it had me guessing in any case haha.
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