In A Perfect World...
Discussion
So here I am this morning re-reading the July 2010 Car and Driver featuring on the cover SPORTS CAR FACE OFF: LOTUS EVORA vrs PORSCHE CAYMAN S vrs CORVETTE GS (grand sport). Now before I am ridiculed for having read Car and Driver, 
, let it be known I only bought it for thew Evora road test and in no way subscribe to the magazine annually. That is better left to my favorite, Automobile and European Car. Nevertheless, with all the complaints listed for each car, but more particularly the Evora, it got me thinking; what if sports car manufacturers actually decided to take testers and drivers opinions into real consideration, especially after REPEATED criticisms (some lasting decades, see Lotus' list of complaints) and actually newly designed or updated their existing design to appease everyone. Would it finally be a time where criticisms fail to exist, and we all get a sports car that is dare I say, PERFECT?!?
I want this to be a list of "fixes" where in the sport cars mentioned, with their respective faults, are faults which have been "repeated" and "mentioned" over and over again.
I'll start:
For the Lotus Evora, here is the following list of complaints and an exact quote from the article, the one which sparked this thread:
- Agricultural shifter
- Suspect build quality
- Cramped interior
- Lack of dead pedal
- Dissapointing sound track
followed by this quote, "The Evora is the most liveable day-to-day Lotus yet, but there are still sacrifices to be made for its brilliant handling. The car is proudly old school in its approach. A little too old school as it turns out..."
That quote right there, along with the list of faults is the VERY same thing testers have complained about since the beginning of road going Loti in general, but more specifically the Esprit which obviously spanned more than 2 decades worth. I get out of that quote this; 'That although the Evora is reskinned, which is evident and obvious with the new shell but more specifically the 2011 interior, aluminum trim, in dash monitor, and wrapped and stitched leather everywhere, it is a beautiful interior. BUT, it seems that the faults remain and therefore one will conclude that it is the same old Lotus from ANY other year just with new clothes. It is a 60 year old man wearing Abercrombie and Fitch. What if Lotus finally took attention to the criticisms and changed the car to have a real supercar growl to it. A proper transmission, maybe link up with Borg Warner or Tremec like the American Muscle cars use, I remember reading an article where they fitted a Tremec to a competition Esprit and it was the best thing to ever happen to an Esprit, producing almost 600hp reliably!! What if they finally made an interior where in the person getting in and out didnt have to do yoga before attempting. You get the point. Would Lotus FINALLY come in first place for once FFS amongst these road tests!!?!! (It was placed 3rd among the other two)
And lastly, they mentioned about the Corvette, "Now if Chevy would just finally address that interior!" What if Chevy finally did?
One last thing, I do understand and realize that these faults over tiem become the personality of the said sports car and actually work FOR the image of the brand. For example, a Lotus isnt a Lotus unless it is cramped and plagued with problems. I wonder if Bahars plans will finally bring Lotus to light, will they FINALLY address the issues? I'm not so sure we wont just be getting another newly skinned Lotus model.
Over to you fellas!!
, let it be known I only bought it for thew Evora road test and in no way subscribe to the magazine annually. That is better left to my favorite, Automobile and European Car. Nevertheless, with all the complaints listed for each car, but more particularly the Evora, it got me thinking; what if sports car manufacturers actually decided to take testers and drivers opinions into real consideration, especially after REPEATED criticisms (some lasting decades, see Lotus' list of complaints) and actually newly designed or updated their existing design to appease everyone. Would it finally be a time where criticisms fail to exist, and we all get a sports car that is dare I say, PERFECT?!? I want this to be a list of "fixes" where in the sport cars mentioned, with their respective faults, are faults which have been "repeated" and "mentioned" over and over again.
I'll start:
For the Lotus Evora, here is the following list of complaints and an exact quote from the article, the one which sparked this thread:
- Agricultural shifter
- Suspect build quality
- Cramped interior
- Lack of dead pedal
- Dissapointing sound track
followed by this quote, "The Evora is the most liveable day-to-day Lotus yet, but there are still sacrifices to be made for its brilliant handling. The car is proudly old school in its approach. A little too old school as it turns out..."
That quote right there, along with the list of faults is the VERY same thing testers have complained about since the beginning of road going Loti in general, but more specifically the Esprit which obviously spanned more than 2 decades worth. I get out of that quote this; 'That although the Evora is reskinned, which is evident and obvious with the new shell but more specifically the 2011 interior, aluminum trim, in dash monitor, and wrapped and stitched leather everywhere, it is a beautiful interior. BUT, it seems that the faults remain and therefore one will conclude that it is the same old Lotus from ANY other year just with new clothes. It is a 60 year old man wearing Abercrombie and Fitch. What if Lotus finally took attention to the criticisms and changed the car to have a real supercar growl to it. A proper transmission, maybe link up with Borg Warner or Tremec like the American Muscle cars use, I remember reading an article where they fitted a Tremec to a competition Esprit and it was the best thing to ever happen to an Esprit, producing almost 600hp reliably!! What if they finally made an interior where in the person getting in and out didnt have to do yoga before attempting. You get the point. Would Lotus FINALLY come in first place for once FFS amongst these road tests!!?!! (It was placed 3rd among the other two)
And lastly, they mentioned about the Corvette, "Now if Chevy would just finally address that interior!" What if Chevy finally did?
One last thing, I do understand and realize that these faults over tiem become the personality of the said sports car and actually work FOR the image of the brand. For example, a Lotus isnt a Lotus unless it is cramped and plagued with problems. I wonder if Bahars plans will finally bring Lotus to light, will they FINALLY address the issues? I'm not so sure we wont just be getting another newly skinned Lotus model.
Over to you fellas!!
Edited by ESOG on Saturday 25th June 14:31
Depends on what the downside is - if Germanic perceived built quality can be achieved without Germanic weight, excellent. If not, well, you pays yer money and takes yer choice. If it's a choice of a light car that rattles like my Lotus, or a rattle free car infested with VAG-bloat, I'll take mine, thanks.
For what it's worth, I do think that Lotus could and should improve the perceived build quality without making the cars heavier, but I am not an engineer. I do remember a discussion about torsional rigidity where somebody claimed that control of NVH was more of a driver for ever increasing stiffness than the demands of handling precision - so if making Lotus cars feel better built and less rattly means making them stiffer and heavier than they would otherwise need to be, my assumption that it can be done at no cost to dynamics may be wrong.
For what it's worth, I do think that Lotus could and should improve the perceived build quality without making the cars heavier, but I am not an engineer. I do remember a discussion about torsional rigidity where somebody claimed that control of NVH was more of a driver for ever increasing stiffness than the demands of handling precision - so if making Lotus cars feel better built and less rattly means making them stiffer and heavier than they would otherwise need to be, my assumption that it can be done at no cost to dynamics may be wrong.
Lusifer - That is actually a very nice interior shot
GKP - I am NOT bashing Lotus. I am the all defender if all things Lotus. I follow Lotus since I was 14 years old. I was mad about the article and how EVERY article criticises Lotus.
to be clear, I AM NOT BASHING LOTUS by any means.
I want them to succeed more than anything in the world. And I know that they will.
GKP - I am NOT bashing Lotus. I am the all defender if all things Lotus. I follow Lotus since I was 14 years old. I was mad about the article and how EVERY article criticises Lotus.
to be clear, I AM NOT BASHING LOTUS by any means.
I want them to succeed more than anything in the world. And I know that they will.
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