Favourite "modern" Lotus?

[Jack Blag]

I know there are many more variants to choose from, but which would be your choice from the list above?

[cyberface]

There's a hell of a lot of difference between the supercharged and nasp S2 Exiges in their 'feel' - I reckon they'd be worth splitting out in the poll. Likewise the new Elise SC.

[kambites]

Definitely the S2 111S for me. I drove all the variants that were within my price bracket (that's everything except the supercharged cars) and it was by far my favourite.

[fatwomble]

S1 Exige every time. Couldn't live with one as my daily drive, therefore I will have to keep the S1 Elise

[S Works]

Meh, wot no Sport 135 and Sport 160 option?

[RobM77]

Gotta be an S2 having compared them back to back and spoken to engineers about the differences. It's also gotta be one of the pokier models, but without servo brakes. That'll be an S2 111S then It's horses for courses though, and in an ideal world I'd have an S2 111S and a 2-11 in my garage

[elle]

Has to be the S1

But no room for two toys so it had to go

[Gooby]

111R,
Best all rounder.
Use it every day (in the last 5 months I have done over 12k miles), it is reliable, dependable and cheap to run. It is a damn fast road car and a damn fast track day tool that will not embarass you. It is georgeous with the top down and stick a hard top on and it will melt your heart. If you are crazy enough to want more speed you can supercharge the wench but a good suspension mod will embarass anything with wheels.

It is the prettiest of the bunch.

Perfect.

[Saied]

S Works said:

Meh, wot no Sport 135 and Sport 160 option?

That's what I was thinking.

I had to choose the S1 Exige from the available list.

[Hollywood Wheels]

WHERE'S THE SPORT 160??????!!!!!

[Esprit]

S1 Exige without a doubt... I even gave up my S1 Elise (the best car I've ever or probably ever will own) to get one.... a hugely irrational decision, but one made on the strength of desire I have to possess an S1 Exige

[jondude]

They all look bloody marvellous, but there is always something iconic and peaceful about the first design, the S1 in this case.

You tend to know this is the most thought out one, the one the engineers lost sleep over, the one the engineers and designers originally chose as THE Lotus.

So it has to be the S1.

Edited by jondude on Monday 29th December 12:56

[S Works]

Esprit said:

S1 Exige without a doubt... I even gave up my S1 Elise (the best car I've ever or probably ever will own) to get one.... a hugely irrational decision, but one made on the strength of desire I have to possess an S1 Exige

How quickly desire turns to obsession, eh?

[Jack Blag]

There are only 10 slots available in the Poll topics, therefore I had to drop a couple of variants (Sport 135, 160, 190, Exige S, Exige 240, Elise SC, etc.)

[tom_burnley]

Hollywood Wheels said:

WHERE'S THE SPORT 160??????!!!!!

Wot That Man said........

[Cotty]

Sorry but I still like the Europa. As an only car though. I just think it would be a bit easier to live with day to day.

[RonnieP]

I love my S1 111s but I saw an S1 Exige last weekend in Brighton, looked an Orange colour, very nice.

[RobM77]

RonnieP said:

an Orange colour, very nice.

[Esprit]

S Works said:

Esprit said:

S1 Exige without a doubt... I even gave up my S1 Elise (the best car I've ever or probably ever will own) to get one.... a hugely irrational decision, but one made on the strength of desire I have to possess an S1 Exige

How quickly desire turns to obsession, eh?

Exactly... if my Elise had been as difficult to live with and problematic as my Exige has been I would have walked away from the Lotus brand in disgust, the fact that I tolerate this all in my Exige with a smile goes to show exactly how far the Exige has gotten under my skin

[Redlake27]

What a tough one......can I vote for them all?

Having owned an Elise 135 S1 and Europa 225, and been fortunate to do a lot of track miles in Elise R, Exige S and a VXR-T I love the way Lotus have been able to get subtle variations on the same theme from a range of different engine and set-up combinations.

I guess the vote depends on how you use the car. If I was a regular track day'er, the Exige S would be my choice. As a weekend car I think an Elise R with wider front tyres to give it S1/Exige-style handling characteristics would get my vote. However, everytime I drive my Europa I'm more and more impressed by it. For sheer cross country pace, with the combination of supple suspension and a fantastic torque to weight ratio, I can't think of many cars that would be as effective. Then, slap on a set of track day tyres and it is Exige-quick on the track. This combination of talents, coupled with the fact I like to support the underdog, means it gets my vote.....


....but I'd take any of them over almost any other new car on sale today.