Open the door of the
Lotus Europa S, and the first thing you notice is the wide, low sill, which makes it easier to get into than the Elise or Exige. Then, your eye catches the way the trim goes over the sill and round the corner in a rather ungainly shape, leaving some bare metal. It seems out of place in a smart GT like this. Bit on the budget side.
Yes, the car is easier to get into, partly because of the low sill, and partly because of the slightly higher doors compared with the Exige. Slide into the snug ProBax seat, and it feels pretty good. The instruments and controls are the familiar ones from the Elise, but the overall impression is quite good. On the other hand the controls for the radio and air conditioning – both need to be very shallow to fit into the fascia – look a bit primitive, but practical enough.
Incidentally, Lotus now offers a luxury interior pack, which is shown in the picture of the cockpit, but the instruments, controls, radio and so on are the same.
If you look around you you will see that you are sitting nearer the center of the car than in other sports cars, as there is hardly any tunnel in the middle. This gives you plenty of elbow room.
Turbo engine thrums into life
Start the engine – with the key, not a fashionable button – and it thrums into life, quite noisy, but no vibration. The Lotus people tell me that although they quote 200 bhp, the engines develop more like 220 bhp, and more to the point have masses of torque from 2,500 to 5,500 rpm.
As I pulled out of the factory onto the road into a 50-mph speed limit zone, I wafted through the bends without slowing, just like in any other Lotus. Out on the open road, I gave the throttle a prod, and the engine rasped its reply, shooting the revs up to 5,500 rpm when I shifted up, noting that the performance was excellent.
Five minutes later, and it started to rain – not the stuff you usually get in England, but a torrential downpour, with which the single wiper coped well, and not a drop came into the car. I know rain should not come in, but you need to check these things.
The road was soon awash, so I pressed on fairly carefully until the rain subsided, and then was able to get going again. I drove the car on both wet and dry roads, motorways and country roads, wondering as I started to push hard whether the Europa S had lost anything of the Lotus handling.
Ride not bad on motorways
On the motorway, the ride was fine, the car was not too noisy, and it gave the impression of being a good cruiser. When you want to change lane or go round a gentle curve at speed, you don't really steer the car as think where you want to go. Your arms move a fraction and you have made the manoevre.
The brakes, which are the same as on other models, work well in all conditions. There is ABS, but you need to stamp very heavily on the brakes on a wet road to make it work. It will help when needed, though.
Joggly ride, wheels glued to the road
Out on the country roads the Europa S is fun to drive, as you wold expect. True, the ride seems a bit on the joggly side on poor surfaces, but the four wheel remain glued to the road. The handling is neutral, and you go round as if on rails, pouring the power on early as you come out of the corner – not thinking too much which gear you are in – then shift up when the revs get to around 5,000 rpm. That puts you right back into the torque band when you have shifted up.
The gear shift lacks the slickness of the Toyota box in the Elise, but works well enough, whatever shift you are making. With that wide band of torque you don't need to shift much at all, and you don't get rewarded with that glorious scream as the revs build up to 8,000 rpm.
Turbo wallop
Instead, you get a good wallop in the back as the engine rasps its power at you. When overtaking, you squirt the throttle, and are past in no time. Then ease off if there is more traffic, or you are getting well into the speed range which might cost you your licence.
The mid-range acceleration is amazing for such a small car, say from 40 to 70 mph, and is far quicker than the 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds suggests. If it is real power in a compact package you want, then this is it.
The GM 2.0 liter engine, heavily modified by Lotus, has quite a pleasant sound for a turbo, and makes it clear there is some power coming.
Direct, light steering, good feel
The steering of the Europa S is all you would expect from a Lotus. It is direct, light, but giving plenty of feedback over what is happening, and the geometry is such that the car just goes where it is pointed – whatever the bumps in the road, straight or bendy.
Unusually, these days there is no power assistance for the steering! Do you need it? No you don't. Even with that tiny steering wheel – another example of simple but efficient design with an air bag in the middle - very little effort is needed even at parking speeds.
As I said earlier, the handling is neutral most of the time, and the Europa S corners very fast indeed, holding its line. At the same time, the Europa S retains the chuckability of the Elise and Exige in slower corners. Ideal.
A GT for Lotuseers only?
But should you buy one? At the start I said this was a GT for Lotuseers. What I mean is this: if you are used to an Elise or something similar, but want an everyday GT without getting a mass-produced car, then this is the car for you.
You will also enjoy the car if you want something different. However, although the Europa S has quite a high specification, with ABS, air conditioning, electric windows and a navigation system, and even some luggage space, there is a price to pay in the lack of an appearance of quality inside.
Equally, if you are thinking of this in the same context as an Audi TT, Porsche Boxster or Cayman, then it will probably not suit. You will find the interior too spartan, the ride too hard, and think the trim looks too cheap in some places.
You will also think the radio fiddly and fuel gauge difficult to read. In other words, you will get GT performance with the Lotus Europa S, but not the frills and comfort you get with these other sports cars.
These are not problems on a sports car/trackday car, but you are likely to find these lacking in a GT coupe. But not if you are a Lotuseer or just love fast, compact sportscars.
For full details and technical specification of the car go to the
Lotus Europa S page.
