New Lotus Europa
Discussion
It's quite simply a re-bodied VX220 ie thrown together bits left over from the parts stock, in the shape of an aborted Proton model. Harsh, but true.
It won't appeal to existing Elise or Exige owners (Lotus didn't plan it too, anyway), & I'd be surprised if it appeals to the "target audience" of 350Z/TT/Boxster buyers.
If the present management of Lotus had been in place when the idea was mooted, it would never have been signed off for production.
At least they plan to only make 600 of them.
I sincerely hope every single one of them sells, they need the cash to fund proper Lotus models. However, dealers are, at present, awash with new stock (incl Exige S), which they are having difficulty selling, so the omens aren't good for the Europa.
It won't appeal to existing Elise or Exige owners (Lotus didn't plan it too, anyway), & I'd be surprised if it appeals to the "target audience" of 350Z/TT/Boxster buyers.
If the present management of Lotus had been in place when the idea was mooted, it would never have been signed off for production.
At least they plan to only make 600 of them.
I sincerely hope every single one of them sells, they need the cash to fund proper Lotus models. However, dealers are, at present, awash with new stock (incl Exige S), which they are having difficulty selling, so the omens aren't good for the Europa.
Looks much, much better 'in the metal' than the early piccies. I thought the sales target was 400 a year and I don't see them having much problem hitting that. I know of one Elise/Exige owner that ordered one after seeing a completed caqr at Hethel (It was plastered with signs saying 'press car' - be very careful etc).
Saw one in the flesh today, actually quite pretty, but it is only a tiny bit bigger than an elise, and there seems to be no more room inside... dont really get it.. at least the original elan+2 was significantly bigger than the baby.. is it just for fatties who cant get in an elise??
Also got panned on the 4Car website.
4Car said:
Verdict:
Compromised as a sports car, laughable as tourer, Lotus's most disappointing effort in ages.
Compromised as a sports car, laughable as tourer, Lotus's most disappointing effort in ages.
www.channel4.com/4car/road-tests/road-test.jsp?id=922
Went for my testdrive on Saturday morning and here's my quick verdict...
Looks: In the flesh, I personally love it.
Space: Marginally more space inside than an elise, and easier to get into (I'm 6ft and big-boned) Access to the "boot" is bigger than the elise but the boot itself is no bigger.
Handling: It was a Motorway/Dual carriageway blast but it felt solid and never felt on the edge. I think Lotus are aiming it at people who want a sports car, but not the feeling of life/death everyting they get into the pilots seat.
Engine: I've not driven an Elise, only sat in a few, but contrary to the reviews, I found the engine very responsive and very easy to play with. The gearbox is tight and quick shifts from 4th to 2nd were no problem at all. The turbo can only be an added bonus for those that are rev-happy.
All in all, I loved it and would sell kidneys, except for one thing... The price. I think £28k would be on the high end, so £34k is a little too much for me especially when an Exige S is only £1k more. Maybe in a few years when somebody else has paid for the depreciation.
Looks: In the flesh, I personally love it.
Space: Marginally more space inside than an elise, and easier to get into (I'm 6ft and big-boned) Access to the "boot" is bigger than the elise but the boot itself is no bigger.
Handling: It was a Motorway/Dual carriageway blast but it felt solid and never felt on the edge. I think Lotus are aiming it at people who want a sports car, but not the feeling of life/death everyting they get into the pilots seat.
Engine: I've not driven an Elise, only sat in a few, but contrary to the reviews, I found the engine very responsive and very easy to play with. The gearbox is tight and quick shifts from 4th to 2nd were no problem at all. The turbo can only be an added bonus for those that are rev-happy.
All in all, I loved it and would sell kidneys, except for one thing... The price. I think £28k would be on the high end, so £34k is a little too much for me especially when an Exige S is only £1k more. Maybe in a few years when somebody else has paid for the depreciation.
size13 said:
Access to the "boot" is bigger than the elise but the boot itself is no bigger.
Ask Martin @ Merritts to send you the pic of his golf clubs in the boot of the Europa.
The bigger aperture makes the space a whole lot more usable.
There'll be 2 europas at Ace Cafe this Thursday if any of the London crowd fancy a shufty.
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=307778&f=14&h=0
Edited by paul_c on Monday 18th September 23:57
Evo arrived today, with pride of place on the unnadorned front cover, a purple Europa with an extensive roads/track write up inside. Guess what, the doyen of sports car mags concludes the article thus;
"More liveable, better equipped and more refined than any previous modern Lotus, the Europa remains true to brand by displaying excellent dynamics and spirited performance. Lotus only expects to sell around 500 Europas per year, a level at which it still has financial viability. From our experience, such modest expectations undersell what is a refresingly mature and desirable sports car"
They even like the look (from the right angle) and don't really question who or what it is aimed at. Yes the cheap plastics and thin leather get a mention, but overall they are impressed.
BTW, Lotus get a lengthy mention in the editorial, about how they don't seem to have done that much beyond the Elise variations over the past decade. They call for the Esprit sooner rather than later to get Lotus back on song. Unfortunately they probably went to press before last week's announcement of a years delay so may have something even less flattering to say in next months edition.....
"More liveable, better equipped and more refined than any previous modern Lotus, the Europa remains true to brand by displaying excellent dynamics and spirited performance. Lotus only expects to sell around 500 Europas per year, a level at which it still has financial viability. From our experience, such modest expectations undersell what is a refresingly mature and desirable sports car"
They even like the look (from the right angle) and don't really question who or what it is aimed at. Yes the cheap plastics and thin leather get a mention, but overall they are impressed.
BTW, Lotus get a lengthy mention in the editorial, about how they don't seem to have done that much beyond the Elise variations over the past decade. They call for the Esprit sooner rather than later to get Lotus back on song. Unfortunately they probably went to press before last week's announcement of a years delay so may have something even less flattering to say in next months edition.....
Edited by hedgerley on Monday 25th September 15:58
Stuff 'im as well !!!
Almost line for line from Chris Harris in Autocar Today
bobthemonkey said:
hedgerley said:
Andrew Frankel trashed it in the Sunday Times. Not different enough, to expensive, not as 'involved' as the Elise, no idea who Lotus is aiming at etc.etc. Two stars out of five. Oh dear....
Almost line for line from Chris Harris in Autocar Today
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