Lotus

Ralph Brown, Ralph.Brown@fmr.com

I've had a soft spot in my heart for a long time for Loti, however, so far the softness hasn't extended to my head (in this respect anyway). I've several books on Lotus, and more than one ex-Lotus person said that Colin Chapman (RIP) always was a lot more interested in getting cars out than making them correctly. Apparently, racing was a much higher priority.

Several friends have bought different flavors (Elan, Europa, Elite) and all had ridiculous problems, the worst being the Europa which one cold winter night, sitting in his garage, cracked it's body about a third of the way from the bottom of the rear up to the rear deck!

Lotus Esprit Turbo (8 cyl)

Matthew Bookler, speedracer33@earthlink.net

All this Lotus bashing has inspired me to share my Lotus V8 test drive story. Warning: Other than a few comparisons, this has no NSX content.

I've always wanted to try driving an Esprit. I think they are as seductive as just about any car ever made. Needless to say, when I set up my test drive I was excited beyond words. My father and I went over to the dealership (we always test drive together) and arrived to find a gorgeous red Esprit V8 waiting for us. He got in it first (well, dropped into it) and cranked it over. It had a very nice sound. I've heard the turbocharged 4s before, and they don't compare to the new 8.

He put it in reverse and stalled it. I was laughing so hard I almost lost bladder control. He looked out of the car at me with a look of confusion. This is a person who has been driving stick for 40 years without a problem. He started it again, brought up the revs, and got it out of the dealership for his drive. When he got back he informed me that he stalled the car twice more on his drive.

He got out and I got in and stalled it. I have never in my entire life driven a car with absolutely no clutch feel before. I might as well have had my foot on the dead pedal. Leaving the dealership lot I stalled it again. The salesman told me that the only way to drive the car smoothly is to slip the clutch. (Very helpful). I figured: fine, it's not my car, I'll do what he says and ruin the clutch.

The car is like driving a rocket. Aim and shoot. As much as it pains me to say it, it is much faster than our stock 92 NSX. The car launches off the line and the tach goes soaring. When you get on the power, you feel like you are shifting about once a second. I don't know how long it really was, but it was fast. I missed winding out the gears like I do in the NSX. Another thing, when you are about 1000 RPMs short of red line, the stick starts to vibrate like you just dropped a quarter in it. When you are 500 RPMs short of red line, the whole damn car starts shaking and vibrating. Let me tell you, it's very confidence inspiring. I was looking in the mirror for parts that I might have to pick up on the way back to the
dealership.

The car draws attention like Pamela Anderson in a bikini, and I must admit, that I LOVE. Unfortunately, you have to guess if there are people looking at you, because you can't see a damn thing. Unless you are getting attention from somebody working on a roof, you won't know it. Speaking of visibility, only Lotus would place their spoiler directly in line with the gun slit rear window.

The handling was nice, but it didn't feel any better than the NSX. I didn't have the confidence in the car while whipping through turns like I do in mine. Don't say it's because I have the NSX and use it all the time, I have been comfortable driving that car since the first time I sat in it. In fairness to my father, I ended up stalling the car a third time, leaving us tied at three stalls each. Overall I was very disappointed with the car. The clutch sucked, it vibrated, you can't see out of it, and faster or not - the NSX is more fun (and nothing else matters). I told the salesman, "I'll keep the NSX, thank you for your time."

P.S. I was informed that the clutch in the early V8s was an overcompensation for the stiff clutch in the earlier generation Esprits. I was also told that this problem has since been fixed, however I'm not going to waste my time driving another one to find out.

Lotus Esprit Turbo (4 cyl)

[CS] - 31 Aug 1998

The Lotus Esprit was the first monster car I owned, way back in 1988 when they debuted with a totally new look. It was $72,000 back then, and it was an awesome car. It sucked horribly on the maintenance though.

The new V8 is much faster, and I am still in love with Lotus handling, which I consider the best in any car I've driven. I don't know about the maintenance on the new one, but my past experiences destroyed any desire to ever own a Lotus again. I just don't know aboput the British being able to make a reliable car. An old neighbor owns a Jag XJR and is having a miserable time keeping his car running. His worst problem are the brakes, which he is constantly replacing.

DOUGLAS KOTT

Envision, for a moment, a special heaven created just for automotive engineers. They'd pass through some pearly-looking gates, perhaps pluck a few chords on oversize, gilded harps, then maybe recline for a few moments on a
comfortable, puffy cloud. Before long, I'd venture, they'd carefully place their halos and wings aside, roll up their sleeves and set about designing the perfect exotic car.

These chosen-from-above gearheads would be given free rein and many clean sheets of paper for the task; after all, this heaven would be recompense for cruel earthly toil involving the design of power-steering pumps and license-plate brackets. Before the first sketch was rendered, though, an essential prerequisite would have to be met: careful study of the Acura NSX and Lotus Esprit Turbo, two benchmarks in the evolution of the exotic car.

Ground-scrapingly low slung. Room for two. Mid-mounted engines. Largely handcrafted from lightweight materials. Possessing enough forward thrust to keep one's backside pressed firmly into the seat, enough deceleration under braking to suspend driver from seatbelt like a bottomed-out bungee jumper, and enough mechanical stamina to repeat the process over and over again without breaking a sweat. They attract small crowds when parked, and even when driven--they're sort of the Pied Pipers of the automotive world.

While both the Acura and Lotus are fascinating means to the same end, their origins are decades apart and their approaches, a study in contrasts.

The Lotus has been in production since 1975, and the sharp-edged Giorgio Giugiaro-designed prototype dates back to 1971. Through the years, it has been significantly updated mechanically and had its edges softened visually, but it remains true to the original inspiration of Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman and his tightly knit, intensely focused band of engineers. Its structure follows traditional Lotus practice, with a galvanized steel backbone chassis whose tubular aft structure cradles what's currently the highest-specific-output production car engine sold in the U.S.--a 2.2-liter twincam inline-4 that, with help from a turbocharger and water-to-air intercooler, makes 264 bhp. Its shape, crafted of fiberglass composite panels and made famous through the years in James Bond films (and more recently at the gearbox-gnashing hands of Richard Gere's character in Pretty Woman), continues to grab its share of admiring glances from even the car-callous denizens of Newport Beach.

The NSX is a computer-engineered child of the Nineties, brought into this world screaming at the top of its lungs. Its aluminum 3.0-liter dohc V-6 develops its 270 bhp through ingenious valvetrain technology and expensive bits such as titanium connecting rods, which enable it not only to spin to 8000 rpm, but to make usable power at those revs as well. Its structure? While the unit-body method of the NSX's construction is nothing new, the material itself is unconventional--aluminum stampings and extrusions are used for body panels and all major load-bearing members, with the exception of a steel tube that runs the width of the car to support the steering column. And the NSX is thoroughly modern in its approach to occupant comfort--the car's generous interior dimensions were carved in stone first, then the mechanicals designed around them, a rarity in a class where providing adequate space for people can seem like an afterthought.

The NSX lists for $68,600. The Esprit, pegged last year at $86,750, is now $67,345, within a whisker of the NSX's price tag; the nearly $20,000 reduction is Lotus' response to the high-end sports-car market that's recently sagged like the jowls of a Saint Bernard. With the playing field of price nearly level, we thought it was high time to see how England's Old Guard exotic stacks up against Japan's only mass-produced mid-engine supercar, on both the Streets of Willow race track near Lancaster, California, and in that acid test of low-speed temperament, the daily commute.

On entering the Esprit, the scent of leather overwhelms. no wonder with what seems like acres of the supple tan stuff covering just about every exposed surface, stitched with just enough imperfection to suggest it's been done by hand. You face a battery of thick-bezeled round gauges, all too small with rather crowded markings, set in a panel sheathed with polished wood veneer. The nonadjustable steering wheel is--aaargh!--pulled straight from the Firebird/Camaro parts bin, replete with bulbous airbag and rubbery covering, but at least its rim is thick and leather-wrapped. The seating position is low, semi-reclined and cozy, and now there's enough room for six-footers to be comfortable, thanks to a newly revised firewall bulkhead and stretched footbox. It's real work to see out, with the base of the almost flat, steeply raked windshield seeming very far away. And the view straight back is neatly bisected (and heavily compromised) by a large wing, restyled for 1993. Rear-quarter outward vision? Slim to none, making lane changes and reversing maneuvers exercises in neck craning...and faith.

Where the NSX gives away some of the warmth and the fussed-over look of the Esprit's cabin, it gives back in day-to-day livability. The dash and  the instrument panel, done up in imitation leather and dark gray plastic, feel as though they've been poured in around your knees, so low is the cowl and so good the forward vision. Tach and speedometer are huge and clearly marked, offer information without study, and are visible through a three-spoke wheel with tiny airbag and what's possibly the most supple leather ever to encircle a steering-wheel rim. Footwells are generously wide, with a proper dead pedal and room for even big, clumsy feet--in the Esprit, there's no room to the left of the clutch pedal, leaving your left foot to flop against the sizable wheel arch when it's not helping change gears. Seat
facings are genuine bovine skin, as are the door panel inserts, and the seats themselves are either vastly more supportive or somewhat more confining than the Esprit's rather flat-cushioned devices, depending on the way your own particular chassis is put together.

Fire up the engines, blip the throttles, and you'll see why variety is said to be the spice of life. Our test Lotus, after two or three twists of the ignition key, settled into a slightly thumpy idle. Once underway, accomplished with a light, easily modulated clutch action, whine from the toothed timing belt just inches behind your head ascends in concert with the
tach needle scurrying around to the Esprit's 7400-rpm redline. At each shift, the turbo's wastegate titters just a little, keeping that little compressor ready to deliver its full 12.5-psi wrath for the next gear--which it does with just a half-beat of lag. And those gears are served up through the most mechanically exact shift linkage Lotus has offered yet, though its throws seem long when compared with the economical wristy motions required to select the NSX's different cogs. Whether puttering down Main Street or going all-out for acceleration runs, there's always a certain amount of mechanical ruckus competing with the noises made by your passenger and/or the excellent JVC sound system. And equally satisfying lunges of acceleration are at the command of your right foot.

The NSX's V-6 leads a double life--it's the engine of a sophisticated, refined GT when cruising or at small throttle openings; but crack the throttle wider and the monster within awakens. Induction sound segues from a subdued purr to a series of sharp, honking pulses, which meld into one of the most mellifluous mechanical symphonies of all time--almost as if someone slipped in the soundtrack of a recent German Grand Prix into the NSX's commendable Acura/Bose stereo/cassette system and turned it up full blast. At between 5800 and 6000 rpm, Acura's Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) comes into play and hydraulically shifts valve actuation to a second set of camshaft lobes with higher lift and longer duration, and voila!--instant top-end charge without sacrificing low- to mid-rpm smoothness and punch. For passing, you'll still want to drop from 5th to 4th, or even 3rd just for the sheer exhilaration of spinning the engine to its 8000-rpm redline--even though the NSX serves up one of the broadest, tastiest platters
of torque anywhere.

With the 5th wheel fitted, both cars get off the mark like a Fred Couples tee shot; the Esprit shows just a little more Boom Boom, reaching 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, versus 5.8 for the NSX. Hethel's finest holds most of its advantage
through the quarter mile, posting a fleet 13.7 sec. in the face of the Acura's 14.0-sec. time. The odds shift in braking, where the NSX's big 11.1-in. vented discs and ABS give it easily reproducible, incredibly short stops from 60 and 80 mph of 120 and 200 ft., edging out the still amazing 121- and 225-ft. efforts of the smaller-rotored, ABS-equipped Esprit.

With test equipment stowed and all fluids up to operating temperatures, Streets of Willow awaited. Time to brush up on the old heel-and-toe technique, brush off any preconceived notions and find out what these cars really do when pushed hard in a safe, controlled race-track environment.

First, the NSX. In a word? Precise. In three words? Precise, predictable, stable. This is a ridiculously easy car to drive quickly, a car that doesn't require you to put forth the skills of a Fangio to rattle off some pretty impressive laps. Grip is excellent, as is the feel through the brake pedal that allows you to threshold brake and just barely invoke the ABS, time and time again. Steering is precise, with a nice linear increase in effort as more lock is used, and isn't darty at all under hard braking. With its traction control switched off, the rear tires are willing partners  in pointing the fronts, either through very subtle, catchable drop-throttle- induced oversteer, or squeezing the throttle on--in 2nd gear. With taller
ratios and less torque multiplication, options disappear and the NSX reverts to steady-state mild understeer. Lap after lap, you think of the line you'd like to take around a particular corner. You brake, steer and accelerate, and the NSX just flat executes it, with lots of g-force and a bare minimum of heart palpitation.

Sweetening the experience is--I've mentioned this before, but it merits repeating--the excellent outward vision. Confidence can't help increasing when you can clearly see the outlines of the front fenders (and thus the car's position relative to the road) and the immediacy of the asphalt ahead. And pedals are ideally spaced for second-nature throttle blips when braking.

On to the Esprit, which will lap Streets of Willow about as quickly as the NSX, but it's more of a wrestling match than a dance. The culprit? Lots of understeer, which calls for careful planning in the early stages of a corner so that pavement remains at its exit. Sudden drop-throttle will pivot the car briefly, but as power is reapplied, strong understeer resumes, predictable as sunrise. Classic Nuvolari power-on drifts are entirely out of the question. The steering, normally jabbering with feedback, goes strangely silent when the front tires start scrubbing; and the braking system, though possessing nice, firm pedal feel, shows a hint of fade and doesn't quite spawn the confidence that the Acura's system does.

There's a likable lightness in the way the Esprit changes direction, but that dreaded understeer, not-insignificant body roll and a relatively less precise handling feel tarnish its overall entertainment value when pushed to the limits at the track. Driven at aggressive speeds on the street, though, the Esprit returns more of a race-car feel than the NSX, by virtue of its more high-strung engine and steering that reacts more quickly just off center.

For 1994, Lotus will be offering the S4 Esprit, claimed to be a tauter, crisper-handling car with 17-in. wheels and tires, stiffer springs and significant styling revisions inside and out. Said Roger Becker, Lotus' director of vehicle engineering, in Britain's Autocar & Motor: "We engineered understeer into the old Esprit to keep its handling safe but, to be honest, we overstepped the mark. For the S4, we wanted quicker responses, a neutral to oversteer handling balance, less roll and more grip." That's music to our ears, inner and otherwise.

And much like people's taste in music, taste in exotic cars is a highly subjective thing, having no completely rational explanation. On one hand there's the NSX, dynamically superb, exceedingly well mannered and civil to a fault. If a fault is to be isolated, it's that the car is a little too ordered and antiseptic, with styling that takes few risks. On the other hand
there's the Esprit, certainly a little rougher around the edges but thoroughly saturated with personality, style and heritage. Observers who didn't give the Acura a second look have been known to trip all over the Esprit parked adjacent to it; evidently the essence of Giugiaro's original design has weathered the test of time.

Christopher Anders, nsx@flash.net

.....and anyone over 5'-10" has a very hard time getting comfortable at all, I had a Esprit S4 for a week, fun to drive, but ergonomics *SUCKED* for a lack of better descriptives....I am 6-1 and would not, could not drive this car for very long...I fit in the NSX well, maybe not with a helmet, but for the most part I can drive across country easily!  Reliability is another factor I take seriously, this leaves anything British built at the dealer. Sure its fast, so is a ZR-1 and Viper....I ll take the NSX over all of them.

'91 Dodge Stealth R/T Twin Turbo and '91 Lotus Esprit SE

Richard A. Relph, richard@rare.org

Sure - with the proviso that these are my impressions. I'm not going to defend them based on published numbers or others experiences to the contrary.

I bought a 1991 Dodge Stealth R/T Twin Turbo in October of 1990. I'd owned Z's pretty much continuously from 1978 until then, with a brief 3 month stint with a Pontiac Trans Am SE (the KIT car - a piece of junk, even new).

I'd been following it's progression in Autoweek for at least 18 months and knew I had to have one when it became available. The car was great in a fullback sort of way. Nothing graceful, but it moved well. I couldn't spin the tires. The car REALLY gripped well. But what would you expect from a heavy car with 4 driven wheels? It was fast - - once you got above 2500 RPM and the turbos kicked in. You could definitely feel them. It was a real kick in the pants. It cornered
fairly well, relative to the 1985 ZX I owned. And it stopped very well for such a heavy car. I liked it's balance of luxury features and performance, too. And I must not forget that it could actual be configured to move things by dropping the seats down.

I traded that in in 1994 for a 1991 Lotus Esprit SE (Turbo is redundant in 1991). Now THAT was fast! Acceleration was incredible. And it cornered very well, with it's very low center of gravity. But it's brakes left a lot to be desired. And it was always leaving me little messages in the garage. The only one I fully comprehended was the clutch slave cylinder leak, though the car provided an extra hint in that case - - you couldn't fully engage the clutch. I loved the full leather
interior of the '91 and was very disappointed by the interior of a '94. But the A/C system was a joke (and in Austin, Texas, it was NOT a laughing matter). The Lotus is the most purpose-built of the cars - getting there is the purpose, and nothing else mattered - like driver comfort or convienence. But it sure turned heads! In football terms, this would be the Dexter Carter of the bunch. Not exactly reliable, but very worthwhile otherwise.

The NSX is the Jerry Rice of the trio. I bought my '94 just a couple of weeks ago. Refined performance. Balanced. Nothing to extremes, but nothing average. No weak points. I LOVE the handling (though I dread the frequent stops at the shoe store). The feel is superb - even better than the Esprit, though the Esprit had fully manual steering. The shifter is amazing for it's brevity. Short strokes, never missed. A real joy after the Lotus' hunting. The creature comforts are exceptional (though I could use someplace to put my wallet and sunglasses). This is a car that realizes it needs a driver, and is designed accordingly. I haven't really been on the brakes yet, so I can't say much there. As for the power, I've gotten used to a turbo kick and kinda miss that. The car is still fast, and the power is really smooth, but as you've all observed, there are quite a few cars out there that can out accelerate the NSX. There are no 'quirks', which defines it's character to me.

My neighbor says this lack of quirks is why it has NO character. My NSX is black, while the Stealth and Esprit were both red. The NSX gets noticed, but not as frequently as the Lotus did. I attribute at least part of that to it's lack of an in-your-face color. The rest is probably due to the move from Texas to silicon valley, where unusual cars aren't all that unusual. Of course, the NSX is the most expensive of the bunch, but in my opinion, worth it. As my wife observed, this is the longest I've owned a 'new to me' car without suffering buyer's remorse. And that says something...

Lotus Elan

Robert Larson, bobl@speedstix.eng.xpedite.com

My $.02 on the Elan: I seriously considered buying one before it came out. Then I needed a car quick when my lease was up, the Elan was late, and I bought an Eclipse 4WD turbo instead.

Later, I had the chance to take an Elan to lunch with a friend of mine who worked at the Lotus dealership. It's a neat car but the body structure feels pretty shaky-- downright scary at 80MPH on a bumpy road, the top of the windshield A-pillar feels poised to put your eye out with the top down and seems right in the main line of vision. Motor is nothing spectacular, finish and materials seemed more like a $25K car than a $40K one. In fact, I think the Lotus made the Corvette convertible look like the bargain of the century. Still, I think it looks terrific and is certainly a rare sight. Probably on the used car market it's an interesting choice. Used NSX's are still all pretty pricey, but honestly there is no comparison between an NSX and an Elan-- they're like from two different planets.

I have a (motorcycle) riding friend (Bill) who has an Elan, and he likes it a lot. He also has an Audi A4 Quattro and a Ducati 916, so I don't know what he'd think about it if it were his only vehicle. I'm sure he wouldn't mind you asking him about his impressions if you email him: bill "at" tibco.com and explain that I put you in touch with him.

Lotus Elan

Kenneth Sax, nsxtasy@mcs.com

Anyway, I test-drove one of these this past August. (Hey, it was sitting on the dealer's lot, and it looks great, and this one had all kinds of mods to it, so what the heck?) I didn't post anything to the list at the time, thinking, hey, it's an NSX list, what do they care? But since you asked... Fortunately, I did record my comments in a private e-mail (remember,  Andy?) so what follows were my impressions at the time. Enjoy...

It was a '91 Lotus Elan, the convertible with the Isuzu motor. This one has 17k miles and is in great condition. It's been loaded with mods, supposedly some $20K worth - beefed up suspension, aftermarket turbo, alarm, $6K stereo, Momo wheels, welded roll bar, etc etc. It's taxicab yellow. They're selling it for $24K, which is substantially more than a stock Elan would go for. I had seen this car last year at Road Atlanta and now it's here in town. It's really quite eye-catching.

I took it for a drive and was disappointed, especially in comparison with the NSX but even with the FWD GS-R. The power kicks in only at the very top of the rev band, so it doesn't feel like it just wants to spin the way the VTEC cars do. The shifter was rubbery. And the suspension bottomed out when I took a couple of sharp turns at slow speed.

I was just so surprised that a car with so many mods could seem so inferior to a stock GS-R.