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Junglehop
301 posts
57 months
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Raify
6,334 posts
117 months
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Article said: There are three settings, Touring, Sport and Race. .....
Track mode removes the understeer control.... So four settings then? What's the sport setting like?
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kambites
32,864 posts
90 months
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rhinochopig said: 6'5". Tried an S1 Elise, two S2 and an Exige and they all have the same problem. Knees too close to the steering wheel so that my hands catch, and top gear sits under my left knee. This was wearing driving boots too - well it was on the two S2s. I could drive one but I wouldn't want to have to apply any corrective lock in a hurry.
The steering column is just too low and/or the wheel too far away. IIRC it was one of Plato's criticisms of the Elise and he's not a tall chap.  Same problem I have and I'm only six foot - you can buy spacers to fit behind the wheel but it makes it harder to reach the stalks. My next job is to get some custom indicator stalks made so I can space the wheel out even further.
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The Pits
3,835 posts
109 months
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cathalm said: Great initial review, but my god Harris you are driving me nuts with the 911 love. Is it really necessary to talk about the 911 in every single review you ever do of any car? I accept in this case it makes sense with the GT3 but I've already worked up a bank of irritation so you'll have to lump it.
We all know you love the 911, we all know how wonderful it is and what a benchmark it is. But seriously? Every single review without exception. The Merc SL compares to the 911 on the following ways, The M600 in these ways, the Renault Twizy as follows. Next on PH, the Perodua Nippa doesn't steer like a 911, the Roewe 550 can't match a 911 in the twistys and SCANDAL! A Ginsters chicken and mushroom slice isn't as good at the ring as a 911!
I'm being harsh here I know but I really enjoy the mans insight into cars and it's just an irritation and makes the review bit monochrome. you forgot the Noble M600 and Ariel Atom V8 video, 'of course neither car is as well rounded at the 911 GT3' whilst driving with porsche branded gloves, though it was good to see the big porsche sticker on his visor has gone at last. I'm with you on this one. "For the money, I can’t see anything to touch this as road/track device" looking promising.... "other than a used 997 GT3." ... for the sweet love of...  Having said that it's refreshing to see such a porsche obsessed journalist who has done nothing to help the Evora (no doubt for daring to compare itself to the 911) actually write in glowing terms about a Lotus. I hope the porscheophiles out there who hang on chris harris's every word take notice (unlikely but they should, for CH to like it, it must be extraordinarily good).
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ikarl
925 posts
68 months
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kambites said: The problem isn't so much height as body structure. I'm six foot but can't comfortably drive a standard Elise simply because the steering wheel is too far away from the seat when the seat is all the way back. They desperately need to fit a telescopic steering column if they want to make the car available beyond the 90th percentile. mate, by the sounds of it, you are a Tyrannosaurus Rex and as such, you shouldn't be driving cars like this!! just kidding.... I guess the idea of adding more weight to allow the car to appeal to a very small percentage of potential owners (I would say more like the 99th percentile) is outweighed by the keep it as light as possible mantra
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kambites
32,864 posts
90 months
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ikarl said: mate, by the sounds of it, you are a Tyrannosaurus Rex and as such, you shouldn't be driving cars like this!!
just kidding.... I guess the idea of adding more weight to allow the car to appeal to a very small percentage of potential owners (I would say more like the 99th percentile) is outweighed by the keep it as light as possible mantra An awful lot of people have this same problem. I know at least two people who would have bought Elises if they could drive them (and one of them was looking to buy new) but didn't because they couldn't, and lots of others who bought them and subsequently modified them so they could. It's not like it's off by a bit - I'd like the wheel a good six inches closer to me than the standard position if it was possible (although if it was fixed at that position, it would make getting in and our even harder). My ultimate aim is to fit a removable wheel about six inches further in than the standard one and re-designed indicator stalks to bring them up to the new wheel position. I would have thought the extra sales would make enough money that they could find the extra 5kg of weight somewhere else.
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rhinochopig
16,050 posts
67 months
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ikarl said: kambites said: The problem isn't so much height as body structure. I'm six foot but can't comfortably drive a standard Elise simply because the steering wheel is too far away from the seat when the seat is all the way back. They desperately need to fit a telescopic steering column if they want to make the car available beyond the 90th percentile. mate, by the sounds of it, you are a Tyrannosaurus Rex and as such, you shouldn't be driving cars like this!! just kidding.... I guess the idea of adding more weight to allow the car to appeal to a very small percentage of potential owners (I would say more like the 99th percentile) is outweighed by the keep it as light as possible mantra My westy weighed 400kg dry and fitted perfectly with some simple mods. Lotus need to either raise the steering column a little and lengthen it. Everyone from 5'8" to 6'5" could drive my westy comfortably; in fact several of the Westy mechanics preferred the wheel position over standard as your arms weren't out-stretched - think touring car / WRC position with arms bent at ~ 90 degrees and the wheel in front of your knees, e.g. Lotus could easily do the same.
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The Pits
3,835 posts
109 months
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I'm 6'2" and the Elise fits me like a glove.
One of the reasons I'm so excited about this new Exige as it retains much of what I really like about the Elise. I'm particularly thrilled that the steering remains unassisted.
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MagicalTrevor
4,801 posts
98 months
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Raify said: Article said: There are three settings, Touring, Sport and Race. .....
Track mode removes the understeer control.... So four settings then? What's the sport setting like? No, pretty much three like the article says   They've even provided a photo to help with the counting, which is nice.
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tommy vercetti
3,303 posts
32 months
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Looks great, hope it sells and works out well for Lotus.
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Captain Muppet
5,954 posts
134 months
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MagicalTrevor said: Raify said: Article said: There are three settings, Touring, Sport and Race. .....
Track mode removes the understeer control.... So four settings then? What's the sport setting like? No, pretty much three like the article says They've even provided a photo to help with the counting, which is nice. Read the quoted part: "There are three settings, Touring, Sport and Race" and also, later "Track mode" 3+1=4. So the article is confusing.
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Draexin
97 posts
39 months
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GroundEffect said: Draexin said: ticedtwice said: Looks like a Noble does it not?! Exactly what I was thining when I saw it. Not that it's a bad thing, all Noble cars look stunning. Apart from the light assembly, it does have a similar "kit-car-esque" feel to it, which I really love. Noble's look stunning?! What are you smoking? I'm from the Netherlands, what do you think I'm smoking?  No, I'm kidding, but I just love cars that are a bit rough around the edges. This new Exige (and Noble's for that matter) look purposeful, form follows function and all that.
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JCB123
2,090 posts
65 months
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Doesn't light any fires for me....the previous Exiges looked the part - they looked mean - this just looks a bit soft....shame.
I'm sure it goes well, and is light etc. etc. - but 9/10th of a car to me is how it looks.....
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Foodfocus
19 posts
15 months
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I agree with the height issue in an Elise, im 6 ft 5 and have an unusually long upper body, spent a trip to the Nurburg in a 111R and whilst it was fine to be a passenger I sat so high up that all I could see was the bar at the top of the windscreen. Also if you have a long upper body there's plenty of cars (elise included) you fit in fine but put a Helmet on and there's no chance, having an Elise and not being able to track it would be like dating a model on the condition you didnt sleep with her.
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kambites
32,864 posts
90 months
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JCB123 said: ... but 9/10th of a car to me is how it looks..... Nothing particularly wrong with that as such, but you're about as far from Lotus's target market as it's possible to get. 
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pilchardthecat
5,921 posts
48 months
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I'll be watching used prices with interest over the next year or so.
Not paying £50k for one though!
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sunsurfer
211 posts
50 months
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Is it just me? I like the simplicity (crudity?) of this switch surrounded by what is (or looks like) grey plastic. On other Loti (Evora, Esprit...) because they are primarily road cars this needs to look better (stainless steel or polished aluminium) to properly compete with Porsche/Aston Martin/Ferrari et al.
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Dan Trent
543 posts
37 months
PH Editor Bloke
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Raify said: Article said: There are three settings, Touring, Sport and Race. .....
Track mode removes the understeer control.... So four settings then? What's the sport setting like? Fourth setting is all off! Becker says he's quicker in Race than when he's on his own, which is saying something. When Chris says 'Track mode' he means Sport; edited now to tidy up the confusion. Cheers, Dan
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suffolk009
723 posts
34 months
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Fabulous, hope they sell all they can make.
A beautiful car.
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The Wookie
9,330 posts
97 months
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All the comments about fitting in an Elise/Exige, I'm 6'5" and powerfully built and I drive a variety of them frequently. Must say when I first started I thought it would be a pain, particularly hands against knees, but I've actually got used to them.
Whether that's through subconsciously shifting myself around to finally find a suitable position or just familiarity I don't know, but while it's not the most natural position, it's not uncomfortable despite my back being dodgy. The only problem I still have really is heel and toe being hit and miss.
As a tall driver it would be nicer if the wheel were closer and higher, but it's not the end of the world IMHO.
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