A Lotus Exige, Porsche GT3, And Miata Are Your Dailies? Respect. : Members’ Rides

Welcome back to Members’ Rides! Thanks for tuning in again. I’m here getting buried in snow in Virginia, which is probably why I have been on such a Miata kick the last few weeks. Last week, we were talking with Matt and enjoying his Polestar and Miata combo. This week, in an attempt to keep warm, we go to sunny Northern California for a look at an amazing dream car collection.

Members’ Rides is where we share the cars and stories of Autopian Members. The potential to be featured here is a perk for Autopian Members of every level, from the ultra-affordable “Cloth” tier all the way up to “Rich Corinthian Leather.” Click that link and join today!

Meet Lester. Lester is a technology guy living in the mountains above Santa Cruz who has built one of the most drool-inducing collections of automobiles I have had the pleasure of featuring here. Oddly, it’s not the first time we’ve looked at an AMG wagon alongside a Ferrari FF.

What’s currently in the garage?

• 2007 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG
• 2008 Lotus Exige S240
• 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
• 2003 Chevrolet S-10
• 1994 Mazda Miata
• 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring
• 2012 Ferrari FF

Wow, that’s a lot of amazing cars. We’ll take them in the above order, which is in the same order in which Lester acquired them.

How did you end up with the AMG?

In 2009, we had a young family and decided we needed a one-car practical solution. We both liked wagons, so after careful research, the E63 wagon was the clear choice. I knew they were rare as hen’s teeth, so as soon as one showed up for sale, I bought it sight unseen from a dealer in Atlanta. (I’d actually never driven any AMG … it’s still the only one I’ve ever driven).

Through the magic of a recession and AMG depreciation, we got this for less than half MSRP. It’s been my wife’s daily ever since. The M156 engine, a 6.2L NA V8, is so wonderful that I have never felt tempted by the newer versions. Or perhaps, at 150k miles, I’m just hostage to the irrational amount of sunk cost in repairs (head bolts, cam adjusters, all parts of the airmatic, valve body, you name it). The front rotors make nice side tables, too.

Sounds like a lot of repairs. Has it ever left you or your wife stranded?

The car has only stranded us for failed tires; all the other failures were graceful enough to see them coming. The Airmatic struts blew dramatically, but in the garage randomly. There’s something about the rear tires on this; they can be on cords on the inner edge and have plenty on the outer edge, so I’ve been caught out a couple of times by tread separation. Yes, I have tried alignments … it may be some weird camber thing.

Anything you don’t like about it?

I have to say I can’t think of anything really bad about this car… when it was our only car, it did everything right, and it still does. It’s a big car and not a particularly stiff chassis, but that’s not its job.

Now what’s the story behind the Exige?

The one-car solution failed to meet some needs, so in 2011, we decided we needed a second car. Given the requirements being minimal (I biked to work at the time), we needed something small and economical, like a city car. After careful research, the Lotus Exige was the clear choice. It’s a strikingly similar purchase process to the AMG, having bought this Persian Blue Exige sight unseen from an Atlanta dealer, and having never actually driven a Lotus before.

What do you love about the Lotus?

This car is by far the most engaging car I have ever driven; the experience evokes a Droog driving a Durango. Or maybe it just brings out the antisocial driver in me. For five years, it was my daily, until I decided I should stop showing up to work looking like Bill the Cat. The car is completely stock (I never modify cars) and has never been tracked.

Five years! Any issues over that time?

It actually hasn’t fallen apart that badly. I mean, there are plenty of trim pieces sort of rattling around in the cabin where I put them when they fall off, the reverse light bulbs won’t stay in the sockets, the cabin and center console lights don’t work, the gauge cluster goes out every now and then but that’s sort of expected right?

Today I took it to the shop because the SRS ECU seems to think the airbags don’t exist anymore. It has almost 30k miles. The only mechanical issues it has had are a busted radiator and cam lobe wear, both expected in this car. I gave it to the local mechanic, and he had it sorted six months later (finding a mechanic for these cars is a whole other conversation). And that’s perhaps my favorite thing: this car is dirt simple and reliable when you get into it. Cars are too complex these days, and that removes them from the real job they have: connecting your butt to the road.

Any fun stories of your time driving this?

Kids love this car, and I drove my children to daycare and school regularly in this car and when we got there all the kids would stare and smile. Enthusiast ambassador duties start early, folks! The only brand of car chair that fit in this thing was a Porsche-branded one I found, but it served well, and having the kid in the car got me out of a couple of traffic stops for… spirited driving. These days it’s been parked in by a Porsche so doesn’t see as many drives.

And what made you want to add the STI to the fleet?

In 2015, we decided to move to the Santa Cruz mountains. There is an unspoken rule that you must own a Subaru to be accepted into that community; this is a compliance car. I had always been hot-hatch curious though, so I took this opportunity to try it out.

And how is it?

Having all-wheel drive and heavy-duty suspension can be a godsend there (and the car can still handle the canyons reasonably well), so it actually serves a real use case. Aside from the exhaust and intake, it’s stock. This car is my wet-weather daily now. And sometimes, perhaps, I put the car in its most aggressive throttle map, hoon it around the mountains, and make all those boxer grrrrrr and turbo wastegate whoooosh sounds.

That being said … this is my least favorite car to drive (I mean relative to these other cars). Some cumulative effect of weird shift feel, turbo lag, and exhaust note doesn’t work for me. Given that most of my other cars struggle to clear a pebble in the road, this car is great for the occasional apocalyptic weather the Santa Cruz mountains get.

Do you ever consider selling this or anything if it’s your least favorite?

Buying cars is easy. Selling cars is hard. But this car definitely has a purpose, so we keep it. (see: compliance car). And if the weather or roads are sketchy, this is the go-to car. I live down a mile on a partially paved one-laner in a dense redwood forest, so sketchy is whenever anything besides beautiful and sunny happens.

Now how does the S10 fit in with the rest of these?

The move to the mountains required moving a lot of stuff. So, along with the Subaru, a truck was in the plan. Choosing a good truck is a challenge. I knew I wanted a small, manual transmission truck with a six-foot bed and seating for myself and one dog. There are surprisingly few of those, and all are twenty-year-old options at this point.

If one refuses the Taco tax, the S-10 is a truly excellent truck. It is both my most reliable and (ironically) fuel-efficient vehicle. I’ve had to fight squirrels who seem determined to collect acorns in the engine bay (the truck still started and ran after he chewed through two of the plug wires), and trees trying to crush it, but it has proven indestructible so far. The poor thing is relegated to feed/lumber hauling and airport parking duties these days. I actually love driving it, and there’s the disjoint feeling of getting out of a Ferrari and into this truck, and having your driver world-view pivot. It’s like tuning a TV from Jim Cramer to Bob Ross.

How good of shape is this in?

The truck is, sadly, best described as a beater. I keep it in good mechanical shape, but it’s a 20+ year old Chevy. The interior plastics crumble if you look at them wrong. It has electrical gremlins aplenty.

What do you love so much about driving this?

It’s probably the contrast with the other cars we have. Getting into it, knowing it will start, and, in time, will get you where you’re going — without any drama — is nice. It’s the mindset of truck, let’s say.

So what made you add the Miata?

After one year in the mountains, with a commute that involved an excellent canyon road, I realized I needed to stop daily-driving the Lotus. I really tried to spread a wide net this time: s2000, NSX, FiST, FoST, etc. After researching this, the inevitable happened and I ended up with a Miata.

How good is its condition for its age?

The world is full of fright-pig Miatas, and I was lucky enough to find this one, which had been meticulously cared for and modified into a very capable autocross setup. It is an R-model (read: factory manual steering), with the usual mods: chassis stiffening, coilovers, 225/45 tires, intake/exhaust, and lots of interior and exterior customizations. The list is simply too long, the result of the previous owner running a Mazda dealership parts desk.

Where did you find it?

I found this on Craigslist. Which, incidentally, is also where I got the Ferrari (why would someone put it there? I have no idea). A local enthusiast was deciding to embark on a Fox-body obsession and was getting out of his Japanese collection. I had never driven a Miata before this one, but loved it immediately. It is lucky that I ended up with such a well-cared for example.

What’s the best thing about driving the Miata?

This car is my favorite to drive. It represents the best combination of engagement and relaxation. It has also never demanded much to keep running despite having 230k miles. The only downside is how this car attracts the most brazen thieves.

Thieves? Oh no, sounds like there’s a not-so-good story here.

I’ve had attempts in daylight in my work’s parking lot. They either try to remove the top (I now have tamper-resistant Torx for it), or just break the lock. So far, they have failed but have left with a broken ignition. I started to put an interlock on the cam position sensor power, but ended up not connecting it.

Then you added the GT3?

I suppose if this collection has a progression, this car is logical. Or perhaps I lost some sanity during COVID. But driving a GT3 was always a hazy, aspirational dream floating around in my head. The reality of GT3 prices always kept it at bay. But life happens, and in 2022, a local friend of a friend decided to sell (for an NSX Type-R? Perhaps he had some COVID-induced issues too). The dream was actually a 997, but dreams can adapt.

So what did you end up with?

This is a 991.2 GT3 Touring in Graphite Blue with the approved Porsche spec of carbon ceramic brakes (PCCB) the amazing bucket seats (LWBS). These were only available in manual, and the only difference from a regular GT3 is the lack of a wing.

Yours is pretty customized, right?

Oh yes. What makes this one unique is the previous owner put a half cage, a full Akrapovic titanium exhaust (center muffler delete), and a Manthey Racing package on it. It is likely the only Touring out there with an MR setup. It’s only been tracked once, and since the car has just turned 40k miles, I have no worries about enjoying this car.

How is it?

When I got it, it was so loud that you could not hold a conversation around it at idle. After putting a proper Akrapovic muffler on it, I have been dailying this almost as much as the Miata. As for the driving experience, the car’s reputation speaks for itself. There is simply no sports car that is more holistically satisfying to drive (even with minimal skill like myself).

What’s the best thing about the GT3?

The shifting, the sound, the ergonomics, the road feel, the chassis just cohere into something amazing. A nice feature is the (relatively) subtle looks; most people just see a 911. Should I have then sold the Exige? Yes. Did I? No. Why have two sports cars when you can have three?

And all of the previous cars culminated in the addition of the Ferrari?

I never felt tempted by newer versions of the AMG station wagon (or the RS6 Avant, for that matter), but a colleague of my wife got a newer (w213) version. Jealousy may or may not have ensued. Our E63 was getting old, and I felt it was time for a backup version (it is probably telling that I never considered selling or upgrading what we have).

This one stumped me until I remembered the hatchback Ferrari that had intrigued me when it came out. It’s practical (four seats! hatchback!), good for the mountains (all-wheel drive!), and depreciated like crazy. If you ignore the Damocletian repair costs, the logic is impeccable.

We bought this in September of 2024. Funny story with getting this one, I bought one in July on BaT, but the owner hydrolocked the engine in a deluge before I could finish the purchase. It took a while to unravel that transaction. The wife now splits driving duties between this and the AMG, and I use it for weekend grocery runs.

How do you like it?

The car itself is a puzzle. It is not a sports car; it is an extremely competent and comfortable GT built for being ensconced in luxury while bombing down the freeway. But push the go pedal a little further, on a canyon road, it is unforgettable. The engine, a 6.3L naturally aspirated V12, is clearly the hero here, and the car is just something to house it.

Anything you don’t like about it?

The downside of this car is the interior. The build quality of the Porsche makes this car look like amateur hour (in spite of the acres of high-quality leather in there).

With all these, what’s your parking situation look like?

Ah storage. You would think nine acres would afford some options but there is literally no place I can build more garage. So I rely on the Harbor Freight portable garage to house several of these.

I do have a two-car garage, but none of these cars (except for the S-10) can make the approach angle without scraping. So far, it has worked: a liberal sprinkling of ultrasonic rodent repellants and battery tenders to help is the solution.

The Miata and the S-10 live outside, sadly. One da,y one of the redwoods above may prove this a lie and drop a limb; they have branches the size of small trees that can fall like an arrow from over 100 feet up. They can punch through any structure, so a real garage may not change that. So for now, I have them all at the house; I am lucky enough to get to decide which to drive as I walk out.

It seems like each car was carefully chosen for a specific purpose here. What comes next?

Frankly, this is peak car for me. I am going to have to simplify this at some point. Keeping seven cars registered, running, and driven is getting to be a challenge. Sometimes I fantasize that I just have the Porsche. That car is the one here that truly fits the description of a “dead man’s car”. But–since you ask–I’d love to have a CTS-V wagon with a manual.

Thanks, Lester!

Are you an Autopian Member? Don’t miss out, we have a lot of fun, and you could be world famous and see your cars plastered all over the best car site on Earth! Click Here to learn more and become a Member today!