Tall Driver/Tall Body
Discussion
I'm seriously considering moving into the world of Lotus Esprit ownership. I've read the fact file fairly completely and I'm not scared yet. I've owned Triumph TR7's for the past 10 years so tempermental British cars are nothing new.
My concern is whether I will actually fit in the car comfortably. I'm 6'3" and unlike those posting in the FAQ forum, I'm more torso than legs. I have just adequate headroom in a TR7 coupe and driving my wife's Spitfire with the top up is almost impossible.
So, before I invest any more time in this process, can anybody provide me with some feedback on whether driving an Esprit is practical for someone of my size? I'm not looking for a regular long term tourer. I drive to work and take it on the occasional spirited mountain drive. Any weekend trips would be an hour or two in length and I can tolerate some discomfort for driving fun.
Thanks in advance
Dan
My concern is whether I will actually fit in the car comfortably. I'm 6'3" and unlike those posting in the FAQ forum, I'm more torso than legs. I have just adequate headroom in a TR7 coupe and driving my wife's Spitfire with the top up is almost impossible.
So, before I invest any more time in this process, can anybody provide me with some feedback on whether driving an Esprit is practical for someone of my size? I'm not looking for a regular long term tourer. I drive to work and take it on the occasional spirited mountain drive. Any weekend trips would be an hour or two in length and I can tolerate some discomfort for driving fun.
Thanks in advance
Dan
Hi Dan. I'm 6'1' and fit okay. I am however about even between legs and body... If you tilt the roof pannel up you get about 3 more inches. Also, driving with a thin soled shoe may help - even if you hight is not your legs! I do this as I find it easier to manuver my feet around the peddals... I think big feet could be a harder thing to overcome than hight! Anyway, tilt the roof and go! I think you could be okay...?
Drive topless!!!
Cameron
Drive topless!!!
Cameron
Driveawedge:
With your ahem, dimensions, I'd suggest you look at an S4 or newer. They give you a wee little more room all around to shift your body. The glass sunroof would help you as well as it adds and inch or so.
Obviously you'd need to try one on for size before taking the plunge. Before I made my purchase I did try one on and remember thinking "how in the *ell am I ever going to get in this, let alone out?". It took awhile, especially keeping in mind to not use the A pillar as a grabhold. I am 6'2" but have a 34" inseam. Pedals are a bit of a problem with a 10 1/2 foot.
Thing is, the Esprit is a great car for the money, but if at the end of the day it gives you aches and pains from driving (or can't be driven to its full potential), perhaps another car would better serve your needs.
Steve
(one wheel emblem short of a full set)
With your ahem, dimensions, I'd suggest you look at an S4 or newer. They give you a wee little more room all around to shift your body. The glass sunroof would help you as well as it adds and inch or so.
Obviously you'd need to try one on for size before taking the plunge. Before I made my purchase I did try one on and remember thinking "how in the *ell am I ever going to get in this, let alone out?". It took awhile, especially keeping in mind to not use the A pillar as a grabhold. I am 6'2" but have a 34" inseam. Pedals are a bit of a problem with a 10 1/2 foot.
Thing is, the Esprit is a great car for the money, but if at the end of the day it gives you aches and pains from driving (or can't be driven to its full potential), perhaps another car would better serve your needs.
Steve
(one wheel emblem short of a full set)
there is a good section on www.lotusespritworld.com for tall drivers which I had some involvement with.
Iam 6'-3" and used to drive a 90 turbo. I installed GT3 bucket seats which gave me a huge amount of headroom and legroom.
Go for as later model as you can afford, post 93 will give you more legroom. GT3 models have bucket seats which give you more headroom.
On an extreme modification if you buy an older model, the floor where the seat is mounted rises by about an inch or 25mm. Because the shell is GRP you could cut the driver's section of floor out and lower it.
The less extreme way is to bolt the seat directly to the floor which gains you an inch or so.
Cheers,
Dave Walters
Iam 6'-3" and used to drive a 90 turbo. I installed GT3 bucket seats which gave me a huge amount of headroom and legroom.
Go for as later model as you can afford, post 93 will give you more legroom. GT3 models have bucket seats which give you more headroom.
On an extreme modification if you buy an older model, the floor where the seat is mounted rises by about an inch or 25mm. Because the shell is GRP you could cut the driver's section of floor out and lower it.
The less extreme way is to bolt the seat directly to the floor which gains you an inch or so.
Cheers,
Dave Walters
Hi Dan,
I'm 6ft 5 and fit into 1988 Turbo with no alterations to the car. The seats are deep enough on the Steven's model and there was slightly more leg room in the Steven's than the Giugario. You will need to keep the sunroof though.
Mark
88 Turbo
www.lotusespritturbo.com
I'm 6ft 5 and fit into 1988 Turbo with no alterations to the car. The seats are deep enough on the Steven's model and there was slightly more leg room in the Steven's than the Giugario. You will need to keep the sunroof though.
Mark
88 Turbo
www.lotusespritturbo.com
I'm 6'2" with size 11 feet. I have very little head room in my '85 S3 turbo, and the foot room is tight with the pedals being very close. I tried driving in bare feet, but couldn't get on with it, so I bought a pair of Kart racers boots, which work fine. My heater works ok, which is a blessing as I find coats to be a problem.
I knew one day that being short would have advantages, I'm 5'6" and my 00 V8 is a lot more comfortable than the 04 VW R32 I traded for it. But I do have to agree wearing bulky shoes might hamper working the pedals it might make you hit the brake instead of the clutch as I've already done this acouple of times.
Mike
Mike
Dan;
I'm 6'5" and own a '77 S1 and fit pretty comfortably as far as head room goes. I don't know where I'm at demographically but I have a 34" inseam and 35" sleeve. I have to be careful getting in and out not to knock my head. Once inside I have adequate vertical headroom. However there is not much room to tilt my head towards the outside of the car (to the left in my LHD car). Bopping my head from side-to-side with the stereo is not a good idea!
The footwell is another story. I can hit all three pedals with one foor if I'm not careful (I have size 13 feet). My wife bought me a pair of Adidas shoes for Christmas that make all of the difference. The Adidas style name for the shoes is "Tuscany". They look like black leather athletic shoes but they were actually designed for Mario Andretti back in the '70's as driving shoes. They're very narrow (by my standards anyway) and the sole wraps around the heel which is very nice for driving.
I'm in the process of making a spacer for the steering wheel to give me a little more knee room. Now that my feet can negotiate the footwell I could use a little more knee room around the steering wheel.
I've sat in a selection of the later model cars and and didn't find a significantly greater amount of room in them (at least for my size). However all of the little things add up. There are differences in the seat shapes and seat padding over the 27 year production run. The later cars seem to offer a little flatter than my early car. This would definitely be important if you're at all broad of beam. The Stevens cars interior roof was the biggest difference that I noticed. I didn't find significantly more vertical clearance but I can move my head a little more from side to side in them.
There's a pretty complete run-down on the differences somewhere here on the web site.
I'm 6'5" and own a '77 S1 and fit pretty comfortably as far as head room goes. I don't know where I'm at demographically but I have a 34" inseam and 35" sleeve. I have to be careful getting in and out not to knock my head. Once inside I have adequate vertical headroom. However there is not much room to tilt my head towards the outside of the car (to the left in my LHD car). Bopping my head from side-to-side with the stereo is not a good idea!
The footwell is another story. I can hit all three pedals with one foor if I'm not careful (I have size 13 feet). My wife bought me a pair of Adidas shoes for Christmas that make all of the difference. The Adidas style name for the shoes is "Tuscany". They look like black leather athletic shoes but they were actually designed for Mario Andretti back in the '70's as driving shoes. They're very narrow (by my standards anyway) and the sole wraps around the heel which is very nice for driving.
I'm in the process of making a spacer for the steering wheel to give me a little more knee room. Now that my feet can negotiate the footwell I could use a little more knee room around the steering wheel.
I've sat in a selection of the later model cars and and didn't find a significantly greater amount of room in them (at least for my size). However all of the little things add up. There are differences in the seat shapes and seat padding over the 27 year production run. The later cars seem to offer a little flatter than my early car. This would definitely be important if you're at all broad of beam. The Stevens cars interior roof was the biggest difference that I noticed. I didn't find significantly more vertical clearance but I can move my head a little more from side to side in them.
There's a pretty complete run-down on the differences somewhere here on the web site.
I had problems with my 88. I'm 6'2", and mostly leg (34" inseem and 30" around thighs). My biggest problem wasn't leg room, rather the steering wheel. I couldn't lift off the gas pedal and roll over to the brake, my knee would catch the bottom of the steering wheel just enough to prevent me from making it all the way over. I could drive w/o shoes on to gain that extra room and it was fine. I ended up making a custom 1" offset spacer and a 12.4" wheel. Cleared my issues right up, no need to worry about driving shoes 
It also looked nicer with the aftermarket wheel in there. Different seats would have also helped. The esprit's "mobile couch" seats aren't exactly the greatest thing for big guys searching for usable space.
It also looked nicer with the aftermarket wheel in there. Different seats would have also helped. The esprit's "mobile couch" seats aren't exactly the greatest thing for big guys searching for usable space. Gazboy said:
I knew one day that being short would have advantages, I'm 5'6"
I'm a freak - I'm 5'7" but all in the body (30inch inside), had to have the glass raised, but cos of y cartoonishly short legs, had to have the bucket seat so far foward I was almost ontop of the wheel (granny style). Van Der Graff haircut didn't help.
Car was a 91SE, I'd definately need reclining seats to drive another Esprit.
Good luck.
That's odd Gaz, 'cos I'm 5'8" with 29" inside leg, and I have the seat a fair way back! Maybe the difference is that I have a G-car.
I tend to use the straight-arm position in most cars anyway.
What gets me with the Esprit is that there actually is enough room to have the pedals a bit further left and apart, but they didn't do it.
Anyone modified in this area?
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