The Dealership Experience in 2021
So, I'm Pretty Impatient
I have an allocation for an Emira deposit, as I've mentioned before. But still, I was curious. Were there any other cars that I could go look into purchasing that I could get new, instead of waiting for the Emira to be released, built, and shipped? I began shopping around, looking for cars that fit the bill for things I wanted from a vehicle: sport coupe, solid build quality, enough space for at least a single full size suitcase and a duffel bag, and either a manual or dual-clutch transmission. After some researching and reviews, I settled on test-driving two vehicles - a Porsche 718 Cayman GTS, and a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 - and oh boy... was I in for a surprise.
Continue reading →First Road Trip in the Evora
A hard dose of reality
Well, the honeymoon phase is over. For the Labor Day weekend, I decided to travel to Los Angeles to go to Disneyland. I figured this would be the perfect time to test out the road-tripping capabilities of the Evora, and I have to say... it could have gone better. A number of factors came into play that ultimately led to one of my worst road trip experiences ever, some of which are no fault of anyone's, and others that were absolutely due to the nature of the vehicle. So, let's talk about some issues, and what happened as a result of those issues during the 900 mile trip.
Continue reading →Lotus Emira: The Deposit Process
How do you pre-order a car?
The Lotus Emira reveal was something I was excited about - so much so, in fact, that I actually watched the livestream on one monitor while I got some work done on another. It's not the greatest car ever made, but I am absolutely in love with it. I'm still going to go test-drive one of those new Corvette's, as I've heard a lot about them - but so far, I'm pretty sold on the Emira. Only one thing - Lotus mentioned deposits, but there was no clear indication of what that process would look like. I emailed the nearest major Lotus dealership, but after two days, I hadn't heard anything concrete. Checking Reddit, r/lotus also didn't have a lot of information, since multiple users had conflicting information. So, when Saturday rolled around, I decided to drive to the dealership and ask in person instead.
Continue reading →Impracticality for the Uninitiated
Pre-existing Knowledge? What is that?
I cannot stress this enough: I knew (well, know) very little about cars. I could drive stick - which is rare enough these days, but if you had asked me the difference between a v6 or a flat-6, I'd look at you like you're speaking a different language. I'd driven a base model '00 Ford Mustang, a '96 Isuzu Rodeo, a '00 Ford F150, and some generic Kia - and then, on a whim, I bought a Lotus Evora. I didn't know anything about it other than that it looked nice, and I wanted it. I'll have to write up my actual experience buying it, but essentially: I woke up one day with no thought in my mind that I'd own one, and went to bed with one in the garage.
Continue reading →My First Car
The War: Ford vs Chevy
I grew up in the southern United States - north-central Florida, nothing but swamps, farmland, and Publixes. There was a culture war being waged in my area as I grew up over who the best manufacturer of vehicles was: Chevy or Ford? Depending on your social circle, your choice of brand could elevate your status, or make you the butt of a number of jokes around the bonfire. Much like sports teams, the side you chose was purely arbitrary; my Grandfather drove a late 90's Ford F150, and so my choice was made based on that. Terms like "reliability," "performance," and "options" were almost four-letter words - as long as it could haul a trailer and drive through mud, the only things that mattered was the badge on the front, and the ego behind the wheel.
Continue reading →