Post by Stuntman on Jul 19, 2020 18:43:21 GMT
I haven't tested anything electric but instead, three Lotuses 
Yesterday I went down to Williams Lotus near Bristol to test drive an Exige Sport 350 and an Evora GT410 Sport, having arranged it over the phone on Friday. When I got there, they also had an Elise 220 Sport outside the showroom so I asked if I could have a go in that as well. I started off with the Exige, then the Elise, and finally the Evora, and covered the same test route in each car, which was about 15 miles out and back with a mixture of country lanes, A and B-roads.
This was the first time I had driven any Lotus since an S2 Exige Sprint in 2008.
Exige Sport 350
You forget how difficult it is to get in and out of these smaller Lotuses, even if you are of average height and also relatively slim and flexible. But it's just a technique you have to learn. Once in, the seat is more comfortable that you might imagine although the forward and sideways visibility isn't all that great, because the windscreen and side window area is quite small. Rearward visibility is compromised because the rear window is louvred, but it's better than a Series 2 Exige by some margin although poor by comparison to just about every other car.
The pedal weights are pretty light, certainly the clutch and brake. The brake pedal feels quite soft but there is plenty of stopping power available. The driving position is offset to the left but I think you would get used to it pretty quickly. There is space to rest your left foot. The gearshift is OK but not exceptional and the car has a manual handrake. Hurrah!
The interior finish of these cars is a lot better than it used to be but it still doesn't exude quality and solidity. The ergonomics for the indicator stalks aren't quite right and the steering wheel does not adjust for either reach or rake. It's set a little low in my opinion but again you don't really notice it after the first few minutes.
So, how does it go? Well, the first positive surprise is the ride, which is very well damped and not as crashy over poor surfaces as the GT4. The steering (unassisted) has the feel that you miss in most modern cars (GT4 very much included) although it's not as talkative as I might have expected. Still very good though, and the small, round steering wheel is nice to use. It's pretty heavy at parking speeds, which is a reminder of the 1990s. The turning circle is poor too - manoeuvring the car on full lock is hard work and I would definitely spec the (optional) aircon!
Engine noise is good - it's loud, but not too loud, and there's a lot going on. The supercharger whine becomes more noticeable above ~4500 rpm but it's quite muted and not unpleasant. I'm not generally a fan of supercharger noise but this is OK.
Handling? Again, unsurprisingly a strong suit. Goes where you point it, without drama (the roads were dry) and plenty of grip. And that combination of ride, steering feel and handling is effectively what sells the car to you.
Elise Sport 220
It's virtually the same inside as the Exige, although this particular example wasn't as plush inside as the Exige I tested and had less sound-deadening. Rear visibility is better (it actually has a rear window...) although the car is still difficult to reverse.
It's a little softer-riding, and it's easier to place on the road being a bit narrower. The engine sounds good on startup, and delivers its power in a nice linear fashion. Again, you hear the supercharger at higher revs but once again it's not unpleasant at all. However, I found the exhaust to be a bit boomy at low to middling revs which initially sounded great but was tiresome after about 30 secs. It's fine at higher revs, but it would put me off.
Being a four-pot, the noise isn't as tuneful, nor as complex, as the V6 in the Exige. And despite having 220 bhp and weighing only about 900 kg, after driving the Exige I missed its extra power.
The Elise was a bit softer on the road but still covered the ground rapidly. It didn't change direction quite as well as the Exige and I had to make a correction out of a tight left-hander that I hadn't needed to make with the Exige at similar speeds. Overall it was nice to have a go in it, but I found it easy to rule it out as a potential decision.
Evora GT410 Sport
Now the real reason why I wanted to test-drive some Lotuses was because of the recently-announced Evora GT410. This is essentially the same car as the one I tested, but with softer suspension, a plusher interior and a proper glass rear screen. The GT410 Sport has a louvred rear screen like the Exiges.
I think the Evora looks great from the outside, and this dark silver and black combination really suited it in my opinion. The car feels a lot more grown-up and is much easier to get into and out of, the sills are slim and conventional, just like in a Cayman for example. Interior quality is OK, the switchgear is slightly better than in the Elise/Exige. This car had Sparco seats in it, which I didn't adjust properly before setting off so I didn't really get on with them on my brief drive.
The car covers ground very quickly and disguises its speed well ;-). Once again, the driving position is offset to the left, the pedal weights are similar to the Elise/Exige and the gearshift is the same. The steering wheel has a flat bottom - the more I used it, the less I liked it.
In terms of ride, handling, steering feel and noise - well, the ride is a bit more grown-up, it's firm but not harsh and definitely better than the GT4 down a bumpy road. Handling predictably precise. But in terms of steering feel, I thought it was pretty remote, and not really much (if any) better than the GT4 despite it being HPAS rather than EPAS. And noise? Well it's the same supercharged engine as the Exige and in a higher state of tune, but it was much more muted - sounding more like a turbo than a raucous supercharged engine. Overall, I found this one surprisingly easy to rule out as well.
I definitely preferred the Exige of the three and it would be the only one that would potentially replace the GT4. I would seriously consider one of the new GT410 20th Anniversary models (Laser Blue please).
What was equally revealing was the drive home in the GT4. I'd driven there mostly down the motorway, but I drove home cross-country on fast A-roads. That's the environment in which the GT4 is at its best. What struck me on the way home was that despite its relative lack of steering feel, spiky ride and general rubbishness when faced with even the slightest incline or drop to negotiate with its front splitter, it has a much better driving position than all these Lotuses, the gearshift is much better, the brake pedal feel is much better, it's much nicer inside, the engine makes a nicer noise and you can see out of it much better as well. No surprises really in any of the above!
So for me it would boil down to how much I would prize those ultimate driving thrills over a more rounded package. Given that I have another car, I can justify a weekend/silly car if I liked it enough. If the Cayman range didn't exist, I would be placing an order for an Exige. But as it stands, I think that the most likely replacement for the GT4 would be a 718 Cayman GTS 4.0.
That'll be next week's conversations with my local Porsche dealership
Yesterday I went down to Williams Lotus near Bristol to test drive an Exige Sport 350 and an Evora GT410 Sport, having arranged it over the phone on Friday. When I got there, they also had an Elise 220 Sport outside the showroom so I asked if I could have a go in that as well. I started off with the Exige, then the Elise, and finally the Evora, and covered the same test route in each car, which was about 15 miles out and back with a mixture of country lanes, A and B-roads.
This was the first time I had driven any Lotus since an S2 Exige Sprint in 2008.
Exige Sport 350
You forget how difficult it is to get in and out of these smaller Lotuses, even if you are of average height and also relatively slim and flexible. But it's just a technique you have to learn. Once in, the seat is more comfortable that you might imagine although the forward and sideways visibility isn't all that great, because the windscreen and side window area is quite small. Rearward visibility is compromised because the rear window is louvred, but it's better than a Series 2 Exige by some margin although poor by comparison to just about every other car.
The pedal weights are pretty light, certainly the clutch and brake. The brake pedal feels quite soft but there is plenty of stopping power available. The driving position is offset to the left but I think you would get used to it pretty quickly. There is space to rest your left foot. The gearshift is OK but not exceptional and the car has a manual handrake. Hurrah!
The interior finish of these cars is a lot better than it used to be but it still doesn't exude quality and solidity. The ergonomics for the indicator stalks aren't quite right and the steering wheel does not adjust for either reach or rake. It's set a little low in my opinion but again you don't really notice it after the first few minutes.
So, how does it go? Well, the first positive surprise is the ride, which is very well damped and not as crashy over poor surfaces as the GT4. The steering (unassisted) has the feel that you miss in most modern cars (GT4 very much included) although it's not as talkative as I might have expected. Still very good though, and the small, round steering wheel is nice to use. It's pretty heavy at parking speeds, which is a reminder of the 1990s
. The turning circle is poor too - manoeuvring the car on full lock is hard work and I would definitely spec the (optional) aircon!Engine noise is good - it's loud, but not too loud, and there's a lot going on. The supercharger whine becomes more noticeable above ~4500 rpm but it's quite muted and not unpleasant. I'm not generally a fan of supercharger noise but this is OK.
Handling? Again, unsurprisingly a strong suit. Goes where you point it, without drama (the roads were dry) and plenty of grip. And that combination of ride, steering feel and handling is effectively what sells the car to you.
Elise Sport 220
It's virtually the same inside as the Exige, although this particular example wasn't as plush inside as the Exige I tested and had less sound-deadening. Rear visibility is better (it actually has a rear window...) although the car is still difficult to reverse.
It's a little softer-riding, and it's easier to place on the road being a bit narrower. The engine sounds good on startup, and delivers its power in a nice linear fashion. Again, you hear the supercharger at higher revs but once again it's not unpleasant at all. However, I found the exhaust to be a bit boomy at low to middling revs which initially sounded great but was tiresome after about 30 secs. It's fine at higher revs, but it would put me off.
Being a four-pot, the noise isn't as tuneful, nor as complex, as the V6 in the Exige. And despite having 220 bhp and weighing only about 900 kg, after driving the Exige I missed its extra power.
The Elise was a bit softer on the road but still covered the ground rapidly. It didn't change direction quite as well as the Exige and I had to make a correction out of a tight left-hander that I hadn't needed to make with the Exige at similar speeds. Overall it was nice to have a go in it, but I found it easy to rule it out as a potential decision.
Evora GT410 Sport
Now the real reason why I wanted to test-drive some Lotuses was because of the recently-announced Evora GT410. This is essentially the same car as the one I tested, but with softer suspension, a plusher interior and a proper glass rear screen. The GT410 Sport has a louvred rear screen like the Exiges.
I think the Evora looks great from the outside, and this dark silver and black combination really suited it in my opinion. The car feels a lot more grown-up and is much easier to get into and out of, the sills are slim and conventional, just like in a Cayman for example. Interior quality is OK, the switchgear is slightly better than in the Elise/Exige. This car had Sparco seats in it, which I didn't adjust properly before setting off so I didn't really get on with them on my brief drive.
The car covers ground very quickly and disguises its speed well ;-). Once again, the driving position is offset to the left, the pedal weights are similar to the Elise/Exige and the gearshift is the same. The steering wheel has a flat bottom - the more I used it, the less I liked it.
In terms of ride, handling, steering feel and noise - well, the ride is a bit more grown-up, it's firm but not harsh and definitely better than the GT4 down a bumpy road. Handling predictably precise. But in terms of steering feel, I thought it was pretty remote, and not really much (if any) better than the GT4 despite it being HPAS rather than EPAS. And noise? Well it's the same supercharged engine as the Exige and in a higher state of tune, but it was much more muted - sounding more like a turbo than a raucous supercharged engine. Overall, I found this one surprisingly easy to rule out as well.
I definitely preferred the Exige of the three and it would be the only one that would potentially replace the GT4. I would seriously consider one of the new GT410 20th Anniversary models (Laser Blue please).
What was equally revealing was the drive home in the GT4. I'd driven there mostly down the motorway, but I drove home cross-country on fast A-roads. That's the environment in which the GT4 is at its best. What struck me on the way home was that despite its relative lack of steering feel, spiky ride and general rubbishness when faced with even the slightest incline or drop to negotiate with its front splitter, it has a much better driving position than all these Lotuses, the gearshift is much better, the brake pedal feel is much better, it's much nicer inside, the engine makes a nicer noise and you can see out of it much better as well. No surprises really in any of the above!
So for me it would boil down to how much I would prize those ultimate driving thrills over a more rounded package. Given that I have another car, I can justify a weekend/silly car if I liked it enough. If the Cayman range didn't exist, I would be placing an order for an Exige. But as it stands, I think that the most likely replacement for the GT4 would be a 718 Cayman GTS 4.0.
That'll be next week's conversations with my local Porsche dealership
