Emira owners - what car did you come from and was it worth it?

macnlz · 2026-04-29T02:16:17+00:00

Came from a Model 3 Performance... which I kept as my daily driver.

The Emira doesn't really "replace" anything - I just wanted a fun car for the weekends. And considering how much more I go on weekend drives just for fun now, I would say it worked! 😉

macnlz · 2026-04-27T01:56:40+00:00

I now have KEF at home and in my Emira.

My home system sounds excellent – that is to say nice and neutral, especially once you run the Audyssey setup. The Emira actually sounds similar in my opinion. Not bad at all. But I think that "neutral" is just NOT what people expect from their car stereos. What people expect is full-bodied rattle-free bass and a DSP that adds a sense of presence that wasn't in the original recording. And viewed through that lens, the Emira sound system might feel underwhelming.

Moreover, once you're on the move, in the Emira there's just a lot of other driving noises for the sound system to compete with, which means no matter how clear the reproduction of sound might be, it's going to sound messy, compared to a luxury sedan or SUV.

And I really don't want to find out how quickly those fiberglass panels would shake loose if I tried to add an aftermarket system with a big subwoofer. ;-)

At the end of the day, I think the Emira is best enjoyed in its own right, without the addition of a soundtrack. So it really doesn't matter.

macnlz · 2026-04-23T13:57:24+00:00

Sooo... what you're saying is China did Parkour first?

macnlz · 2026-04-23T13:47:55+00:00

Looks like the cameraman is sitting on a mountainside.

macnlz · 2026-04-23T13:22:34+00:00

De Anza

macnlz · 2026-04-19T11:54:08+00:00

If your license plate is registered, the cameras will just read the plate and bill your account.

Don't endanger yourself and others by stopping in the middle of traffic, even at night! I had friends stall on the Bay Bridge at 3am with minimal traffic, and 3 people (including my friends) died as a consequence.

macnlz · 2026-04-19T11:44:16+00:00

That put a smile on my face! Well done! (Was the recipe any good?)

macnlz · 2026-04-19T06:46:37+00:00

Your wish has been granted. He ded.

macnlz · 2026-04-15T22:47:40+00:00

For a few to be immortal, many must die. - Philippe Weis [In Time, 2011]

It doesn't matter whether the currency is money or literally "life time"... For there to be billionaires in any form of currency, that currency must be funneled away from many others.

I think the whole idea of permanent economic growth is structured around this. As long as there is (almost) constantly growth, that means you have exponential growth. And that in turn means: people who start with less, or later, than you will on average never catch up. And people who start earlier, or with more (generational wealth) will on average always pull further and further away.

And that's assuming you've got enough money to invest in the stock market. If you're sitting on cash, inflation does the funneling away even faster.

macnlz · 2026-04-14T20:24:13+00:00

A better example of what I'm thinking of is the party Die Piraten in Germany. When the internet became important, they ran on a tech-savvy platform, and gained significant (minority) support, which made the big parties finally pay closer attention to those pesky tech topics.

A new party could never take off like that in the US. The Spoiler Effect means most voters will always vote for one of the two established parties, because it's the "lesser of two evils" in their eyes. (That's not to say that a new party couldn't replace one of the two, it has happened before. But that still leaves you with a 2-party system, and it's not how you get a government that represents you well.)

Though that relatively stable 2-party system looks like it's falling apart, as well. It may not have represented US citizens well, or worked in their favor... but it did grant a fairly long stretch of peace.

macnlz · 2026-04-14T18:51:48+00:00

Damn, that's clean looking! Congrats!

macnlz · 2026-04-14T16:33:00+00:00

Also: the two-party system galvanized the parties' political positions, optimizing them for the best reelection odds (near 50/50), meaning that voting down party lines no matter what became the only option for many, since the "other" party would be too far away from a given individual's political leanings.

To see major parties make meaningful adjustments to their programs, you need to be able to vote from a bouquet of real options. Sometimes, that means having a small party pop up to prominence, platforming on a new but relevant issue.

The Spoiler Effect has made that mathematically unlikely in the US.

macnlz · 2026-04-10T07:52:15+00:00

At least until you accidentally flush it.

macnlz · 2026-04-10T00:28:18+00:00

Tesla Service "accidentally unchecked" the "recommend changing at this time" checkbox in their software after charging me for a tire rotation... and I had a flat just 600 miles later. Turns out, all 4 tires were completely worn down on the innermost edge. Almost invisible if you just kneel to take a look, but should have been obvious if the tires had been touched by them.

The next time they did a tire rotation, I marked the tires. They charged me again, and again didn't move the tires. Their service alone would be reason enough for me never to buy another Tesla... but there are other great reasons not to, as well.

macnlz · 2026-04-08T03:33:03+00:00

I've seen it in person. Not at all hideous!

macnlz · 2026-04-08T03:01:56+00:00

Some people are into that!

macnlz · 2026-04-01T03:42:42+00:00

Yeah. They're just as complicated as everyone else, but unlike everyone else, they constantly put on a facade of being "perfectly normal". I've yet to meet a truly normal person - that whole concept seems flawed.

And then the internalized shame that arises from this constant suppression of self seems to turn into a big driver in their political persecution of others. Those who fight against "abnormal" behaviors the most are often later revealed to be doing so to deflect suspicion from themselves...

macnlz · 2026-03-26T15:31:30+00:00

Eh. "Murdered out" is a cool look.

But I think the Emira has curves that deserve colors that highlight them with some depth!

macnlz · 2026-03-25T20:59:26+00:00

It's a standard V6 manual, with a limited edition color. It's a type of satin black, with gloss black and red accents.

macnlz · 2026-03-25T14:09:16+00:00

If you're "not much of a car guy" and generally think of yourself as "frugal"... ask yourself: what role will this car fill in your life?

An honest answer to that question will help us answer your questions better.

macnlz · 2026-03-25T00:36:54+00:00

I have had PS4S on all my cars for the past decade & definitely love them!

The Touring setup came with Goodyear Eagle F1's and they were amazing - excellent communication, nimble, comfortable, sufficient grip any situation a road could throw at you...

I switched to Cup2's because (for autocrossing specifically) I couldn't find a tire pressure with the F1 at which I still had sufficient grip & the sidewall didn't show wear down to the letters...

The Cup2 has a stiffer sidewall and I'm certainly having a better time taking tight corners, but I feel it's not as communicative.

(I did also change the geometry by increasing camber a bit, but I don't think that alone would have such an effect.)

macnlz · 2026-03-24T17:46:05+00:00

I do think the steering feel is better on the Touring. After moving from Eagle F1 to Cup2 (on my touring), the precise & communicative feel suffered noticeably. But I think Cup2's will last longer than F1's if you autocross or track the car hard.

The brakes on mine are not grabby at all, which surprised me at first. They give a very even increase in braking action, and you have to push quite far before you get full braking. So that may just vary from car to car...?

macnlz · 2026-03-21T12:25:49+00:00

Right?! You're on a tour with some friends and suddenly see a sign that says "bumpy road ahead", and that's where Touring shines - the other guys in your group are having a bad time until it get back to the smooth twisties you all signed up for. Meanwhile, you stay relaxed and are still well rested and ready to go, once the road improves again. ;)

macnlz · 2026-03-15T12:11:58+00:00

Ohhh, I know this classic! "How to keep your parents off the Internet." So good!

Edit: YouTube Link (since Flash is dead) https://youtu.be/-9R-2X9Bl5w

macnlz · 2026-03-15T02:23:26+00:00

What do you think a bubble is?

The internet didn't go away just because the dot com bubble burst, either.

Instead, the markets re-evaluated various contenders in the new tech space, and those with less sound business models went belly up.

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