any Lotus owners ever driven a 350z ?
Discussion
yes, nice car, not really a "sportscar" as such, more of a GT, a bit heavy, bit soft, but a nice car, bit different, lots of fun (you can drive sideways everywhere) due to RWD front engine
Id look at it as a Z4 alternative, a lot more for your money (new and used) but its not quite in the same league as a used Boxster on the handling front, but not much is
Id look at it as a Z4 alternative, a lot more for your money (new and used) but its not quite in the same league as a used Boxster on the handling front, but not much is
I agree with comments made here. Never owned one but drove round the Bedford Autodrome track as part of a corporate day and with my experience in the S1, posted the fastest time of the day.
So yeah the rear wheel drive concept is familiar to any Lotus owner, but yes more power, perhaps a bit lardy, but good fun because I did manage to get the rear end to break away but recovered it quite easily, which much impressed the instructor!
Conversely... I was absolutely sh!te at the renault clio 172 cup that was left hand drive with a sequential box and front wheel drive.....
So yeah the rear wheel drive concept is familiar to any Lotus owner, but yes more power, perhaps a bit lardy, but good fun because I did manage to get the rear end to break away but recovered it quite easily, which much impressed the instructor!
Conversely... I was absolutely sh!te at the renault clio 172 cup that was left hand drive with a sequential box and front wheel drive.....
Thats the man you need, ran one for a while and has an arsenal of Liz experience.Sounds like S Works isn't the only one who could help out here!
I've got both a 111s and a Zed, had the 350 for about two years now and the Elise for around 5 months or so. My friends think I'm mad owning 2 two seaters but I think that they complement eachother extremely well. The Zed is definately the cruiser of the two and is, as has already been said, more of a GT than an out and out sports car - big, comparatively lazy engine with a 6 speed box and all the bells and whistles inside in 'GT' spec make it feel limo like compared to the stripped out buzz box 'Liz.
The Zed isn't the most economical of cars (I'm averaging around 24mpg without being too heavy on the loud pedal)and the boot has a strut brace through the middle of it but they're both, in my eyes, easily forgivable when you start the engine and pull away listening to the burble of the exhaust. I considered other cars before I bought it (M3, S2000, older 911 and others) but have no regrets in my choice what so ever, to the point that when one of them has to be sold on it'll be tough to choose between the two.... (awaits a flaming... )
Would I recomend one? Absolutely. In fact a friend of mine is a nats away from parking one up on his driveway himself!
I've got both a 111s and a Zed, had the 350 for about two years now and the Elise for around 5 months or so. My friends think I'm mad owning 2 two seaters but I think that they complement eachother extremely well. The Zed is definately the cruiser of the two and is, as has already been said, more of a GT than an out and out sports car - big, comparatively lazy engine with a 6 speed box and all the bells and whistles inside in 'GT' spec make it feel limo like compared to the stripped out buzz box 'Liz.
The Zed isn't the most economical of cars (I'm averaging around 24mpg without being too heavy on the loud pedal)and the boot has a strut brace through the middle of it but they're both, in my eyes, easily forgivable when you start the engine and pull away listening to the burble of the exhaust. I considered other cars before I bought it (M3, S2000, older 911 and others) but have no regrets in my choice what so ever, to the point that when one of them has to be sold on it'll be tough to choose between the two.... (awaits a flaming... )
Would I recomend one? Absolutely. In fact a friend of mine is a nats away from parking one up on his driveway himself!
The only car I bought from a review as Evo loved it so much
But I hated it, and sold it quick sharp
Never read reviews now, all they want to do is drift cars.
very very heavy tub of lard, nice GT car but then it fails there also as it drinks fuel.
so good for fook all done and said all lol.
But I hated it, and sold it quick sharp
Never read reviews now, all they want to do is drift cars.
very very heavy tub of lard, nice GT car but then it fails there also as it drinks fuel.
so good for fook all done and said all lol.
Agree 100% with all the comments above apart from Demong. We had a 313bhp Roadster for 18 months and I loved it. Ran it alongside an S1 Elise for 6 months and echo CardShark's comments.
The earlier engined ones are a bit lazy, but the late model V6 is a great engine. Bags of torque and really good fun to drive, but you do need to get it up over 2.5k rpm to get the best out of it. Clutch is pretty heavy, gearbox is excellent though can be notchy when cold. Nice purposeful short throw box. 3rd will do 20mph to license losing speeds with ease, 4th is excellent too. 6th is a proper overdrive which means you can get 28mpg on a motorway run (unless you're doing over 90 in which case you'll see mid 20's or lower). We gave ours back at 13.5k miles and the engine was loosening up nicely, feeling more powerful and giving better mpg. I reckon it was barely even run in.
Suspension is very compliant - great ride on all surfaces, although the back does get a little jittery on very nadgety B-road tarmac. Doesn't ruin the drive at all. The chassis is great and gives good feedback front and rear, you always know what it's doing if you keep the tyres in good shape and at the correct pressures.
Brakes are excellent, more than you'll ever need on road. Never took it on track but a mate who had a Coupe did the GP @ Bedford and got them groaning after a couple of laps... but he was giving it stick all the way round.
Cabin is generally well put together, the only thing that annoyed me was a squeaky enclosure around the Bose sub behind the drivers seat. Boot is a reasonable size for what it is, and was good for 2 of us with a week away to the South of France. Seats are excellent, satnav is OK but a bit fiddly to operate on the move, and the junction maps are a pain in the arse to read. Aircon is great, Bose stereo on the GT pack is fantastic. Easy to hear with the roof down at 100mph+. Canvas roof was totally leakproof and fine in winter.
I have a heavy right foot and enjoyed the fact that you could slide it around easily, so did a set of rears in 9k miles. I think they're about £150 a corner. Fronts were good to another service at least. At its first service it needed nothing doing, not even an oil change. In 18 months it literally needed nothing but petrol, tax and insurance. Brilliant car. I'd have one again in a heartbeat.
The earlier engined ones are a bit lazy, but the late model V6 is a great engine. Bags of torque and really good fun to drive, but you do need to get it up over 2.5k rpm to get the best out of it. Clutch is pretty heavy, gearbox is excellent though can be notchy when cold. Nice purposeful short throw box. 3rd will do 20mph to license losing speeds with ease, 4th is excellent too. 6th is a proper overdrive which means you can get 28mpg on a motorway run (unless you're doing over 90 in which case you'll see mid 20's or lower). We gave ours back at 13.5k miles and the engine was loosening up nicely, feeling more powerful and giving better mpg. I reckon it was barely even run in.
Suspension is very compliant - great ride on all surfaces, although the back does get a little jittery on very nadgety B-road tarmac. Doesn't ruin the drive at all. The chassis is great and gives good feedback front and rear, you always know what it's doing if you keep the tyres in good shape and at the correct pressures.
Brakes are excellent, more than you'll ever need on road. Never took it on track but a mate who had a Coupe did the GP @ Bedford and got them groaning after a couple of laps... but he was giving it stick all the way round.
Cabin is generally well put together, the only thing that annoyed me was a squeaky enclosure around the Bose sub behind the drivers seat. Boot is a reasonable size for what it is, and was good for 2 of us with a week away to the South of France. Seats are excellent, satnav is OK but a bit fiddly to operate on the move, and the junction maps are a pain in the arse to read. Aircon is great, Bose stereo on the GT pack is fantastic. Easy to hear with the roof down at 100mph+. Canvas roof was totally leakproof and fine in winter.
I have a heavy right foot and enjoyed the fact that you could slide it around easily, so did a set of rears in 9k miles. I think they're about £150 a corner. Fronts were good to another service at least. At its first service it needed nothing doing, not even an oil change. In 18 months it literally needed nothing but petrol, tax and insurance. Brilliant car. I'd have one again in a heartbeat.
Yes. Although not on the road. I was fortunate enough to demonstrate 350Zs on track at a press event.
An Elise is nimble and adjustable. The Z isn't.
But they both have one thing in common: Fun, and driver involvement, as priorities.
The Z feels meaty. If you are neat into the corners and lean on the back of the car through and out of the corners it has a really rewarding, muscular and very forgiving feel to it.
It is a very heavy car, and its standard brakes struggle after less than 5 laps on track. A 'Z Clubsport' would be a great car if they could find a way of knocking 150+ kgs off it.
I really like the Z. But it is in a very different market to the Lotus.
An Elise is nimble and adjustable. The Z isn't.
But they both have one thing in common: Fun, and driver involvement, as priorities.
The Z feels meaty. If you are neat into the corners and lean on the back of the car through and out of the corners it has a really rewarding, muscular and very forgiving feel to it.
It is a very heavy car, and its standard brakes struggle after less than 5 laps on track. A 'Z Clubsport' would be a great car if they could find a way of knocking 150+ kgs off it.
I really like the Z. But it is in a very different market to the Lotus.
Gassing Station | Elise/Exige/Europa/340R | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff