Lotus Exige S roadster 2014 review

A row of candy-colored cars move along the assembly line, as if a sequence of colors had been chosen for maximum effect. You wouldn't have guessed it from the production line, but the factory is in the middle of a field in a flat and predominantly agricultural area of ​​eastern England.

I'm in Hethel, Norfolk, where Lotus lives and the factory, part of an amazingly large complex, lives in an unremarkable country lane. In addition to this building and offices, there is a paint shop, engine test benches, emission and anechoic chambers, and extensive engineering facilities. The 1000 employees on site are split between automotive manufacturing and Lotus Engineering, a consulting company specializing in electronics, performance, driving dynamics and lightweight construction.

Design technology

As the automotive world takes another big step towards aluminum with Ford's decision to build its F-series pickups from metal, Lotus' years of experience in shaping and bonding the material is invaluable. All of his cars - Elise, Exige and Evora - are made of aluminum. using the same basic structure. The aluminum chassis are transported to Hethel from Lotus Lightweight Structures in the Midlands, a subsidiary that also makes parts for Jaguar and Aston Martin, among others.

At Hethel, chassis are combined with bodies made from various composites - materials that used to be grouped together under the name fiberglass - painted and assembled into finished cars. Lotus has fallen on hard times, but the mood at Hethel is optimistic. Assembly lines are running again (despite no visible movement) at 44 vehicles a week. And the Lotus range is expanding.

The newest addition is the Exige S Roadster, due in Australian showrooms this month. It is larger than the Elise and over 200 kg heavier. It's still lightweight by today's standards, at just 1166kg, and, unusually, it's 10kg lighter than a coupe.

Behind the cab is a 257kW supercharged 3.5-litre V6 rather than a supercharged four-cylinder. Accelerating to 100 km / h in four seconds, this is the fastest convertible ever created by Lotus. With this car, Lotus has two convertibles to maximize the potential of its vehicles. The Exige is the grown-up brother of the now on sale Lotus Elise S, but more rounded and refined.

Driving

However, after a quick run through the Norfolk countryside with the roof down, its resemblance to a coupe - and even Eliza - which stand out. I drove an Exige coupe last year and it showcases the brand's strengths: a fast, capable sports car that eschews many modern conveniences but offers a pure driving experience unlike anything else on the market.

Lotus is best known among the many small manufacturers that feed enthusiasts around the world. Mainstream brands don't make those rough and loud anymore. However, the Exige S Roadster is an attempt by Lotus to expand its audience.

It is easier to get in and out and has more amenities. While the Elise retains hard plastics, bare aluminum and cloth seats, the Exige has quilted leather. In fact, it's softer than any previous Lotus I've ever seen. Just in case, some stiffness was removed from the suspension.

This is a Lotus, Exige cocktail with a twizzle stick, an olive and an umbrella. However, it is inevitably limited by its starting point. The interior architecture is recognizably the same in both the Exige roadster and the Elise, as the leather follows the contours of what would normally be plastic. There are the same wide sills and tiny cargo space.

A return home to Sydney and the chance to try the Elise S Roadster highlight the differences. The roof remains a Boy Scout project, the side mirrors are manually adjustable, and the speedometer is too small to save a license. There is practically nowhere to put anything and nowhere to hide valuables.

You will never doubt the road surface, and it is so hard that the car can be thrown on a rough road, and the wheel twitches in response. It rocks on its heels when accelerating, but otherwise the body barely moves. In corners, the chassis communicates nuance to the driver like few other cars.

Despite the Elise's 95kW power deficit, with less weight to move, the four-cylinder feels responsive and agile. It's not as fast as the Exige convertible, but the difference is small.

In many ways, the Elise feels like a more honest car, not trying to hide its sharp corners. It's light and uncompromising, just like you'd expect. On the outside, he is also the prettier of the two, drawing smiles wherever he goes. This solves it for me.

Despite the extra charm of the Exige cocktail, if I'm going to be a hardcore Lotus, I'll take mine neat.