The New Lotus EUROPA S

[Hairyarse]

http://www.pistonheads.com/lotus/default.asp?storyId=12635

Will anyone here be rushing to order one?

[silverfrost]

Looks the same as the elise with a hardtop fitted!

Though bet it handles fantastic! But cant say that i would be rushing to

the showroom to order one though!

regards dan

[Evil_Dr_Fish]

The styling has grown on me since I first saw it...

I'd really like to see one in the flesh

Have to say it is VERY keenly priced and bloody quick! Who is making the "200bhp, 2.0 Litre Turbocharged engine" Sounds remarkably like it could be the Vauxhall Turbo unit?

REALLY glad to see they are following the same 'TVR' course they did with the Elise and ignoring homologation until the car has proven / paid for itself and then do that further down the line Spend their money getting the car right then let the car pay itself for all the US regs.

I imagine this will also be the main focus at Hethel and not the Ethereal Esprit replacement - first things first... Perhaps this may well end up funding the future Esprit's development?

Hmm maybe that's a good name for it the "Etheriale" :D

[WayneB]

Looks a fair bit different to the Elise (to me)

Looks like it shares the same windshield.

Think its great

Probably wont be seeing them here for a few years

[Toua]

why didnt they stick this lotus engine in the new Elises instead of the Toyota GTS engine?

[Mikes2esprit1979]

Hmmmm! Not to bad but i also need to see it in the flesh.

Not interested in getting one unless Lotus come up with another 2+2:) Please!

Try this on the bottom of the 3rd page.

www.carspyshots.net/zerothread?id=13332&page=3

[B33 ENN]

I'm glad to see Lotus trying to continue to make a new product. Maybe one every ten years is a reasonable target.

I think this car is ugly and unimaginative. If some Far East marque had made it, people would say it is a poor attempt at European style sports car.

Both Elises had some character and were unique enough not to be easily confused with anything else.

The M250 prototype shape was a good styling concept, and would have looked stunning on the roads.

The engine in this car appears to be developing little power for the specification. Modern 4 pot turbo engines have moved on enough to be able to deliver much more than 200bhp with a turbo. Guess the owers will have to tune out the rest at their own cost. I assume the conservative output is for reliability.

If it were my money, a Honda S2000 is a much better looking car.

If the Esprit replacement looks anything like that effort in styling, then it will never be a popular car against competitors. It'll have to win by being cheap.

PS - The wheels are wicked tho, anyone know if they will fit an Esprit?

[Jonathan]

Hmmm leaning towards -dislike- atm

Looks squat like an Elise really - If you asked me what it was I'd say it was more Japanese or Vauxhall-ish. Dont care for the back end much or the face. Inside it's an S2 elise no doubt with coverings over the ali but it looks good.

Good for Lotus on bringing out new cars, I'd like to drive it and see where it fairs between the Esprit and Elise. I'll probably go and have a test once they release it.

[Evil_Dr_Fish]

Toua read the thread

[Evil_Dr_Fish]

Im leaning towards liking it....

It certainly pisses all over the Audi tiTTy and the 350Z imo and will invariably drive better than both combined...

[B33 ENN]

Possibly a Vauxhall under powered motor, Elise cockpit, poor exterior looks.

I hope Lotus go out of biz soon if this is all they can produce now. It marrs the heritage to make such rubbish when they used to build supercars.

Why was the M250 not viable? That was a car that would have taken Lotus back to the top of the game. It was the logical next step from the regeneration by the Elise.

What the hell is this thing to compare to that? It can't have taken more than a few months altering the Elise design on their CAD machines to make this. And they want 33 grand for it?

The least they could do is make it look desireable even if they couldn't put a V6 into it.

[WayneB]

Thought this was supposed to be the Europa?

Does it mean its the Esprit?

Like the Stratos greenhouse B)

[Jonathan]

Oh and wait for the series 2.

[Paul C]

I think this car is ugly and unimaginative. If some Far East marque had made it, people would say it is a poor attempt at European style sports car.

Exactly what i would have posted.

Am feeling like a bit of a luddite for not liking any of the conceptual

sketches (Lotus designed or otherwise) that have been discussed on

the various forums each time one is spotted. I promise i'm not totally

against new designs really...

I think the original Elise could have worn the Europa badge far better

than this car, at least there are styling nods to the original Europa?

This car does not look like it came from a company that made the

Exige. If i had the dosh, i'd have to give myself a REALLY good reason

to buy this instead of an Exige, but thats just me...

[EspritMiltonKeynes]

gut reaction: i don't like it. Just my humble opinion however...

However I personally don't really like roadsters anyway - which is what I class this as... it's kind of llike an Audi TT / BMW Z3 / MG TF cross, with a bit of Vaxhaull VX220 thown in.

Edited December 7, 2005 by EspritMiltonKeynes

[Evil_Dr_Fish]

I can't help feeling it will look better in the flesh and in context.

It certainly isn't setting my pulse racing but I do think it pisses on the gAudi

What it does make me fear is what I have feared all along, that the new Esprit will be YET ANOTHER modified Elise exercise.

UNLESS.... They're going to use the new Esprit as the opportunity / time to move on from the last (what will then be) 15 years and strike the new corporate image / styling ethos for the company?

God I hope so!

[wolf]

.. hope the new Esprit will look better

Lotus should immediately call Giugiaro's Italdesign

[Guest teigan]

that design looks like a modded japanese sedan. it's got a few elise elements hastily slapped onto the current template of a mass appeal bodybubble. i think lotus must be in trouble, if they're hedgeing their bets that thinly.

[slade]

That looks awful. Makes me look forward to TR7 ownership.

Continues the tradition of Europas being ugly, but at least the old ones were ugly in a good way. This one is ugly in a completely boring way. Where's Giugiaro?

I really don't see the point to tell you the truth. It's a bloated Elise. Maybe it's just me, but it looks neither practical/posh enough to stand out with people looking for comfort, Audi TTs and BMW Z4s would probably be the better choice in that category. And if you're not looking for comfort then... buy an Elise.

Does the Vauxhall engine mean we won't get it in the US?

I REALLY hope the new Esprit is WAY better than that. Sorry, looking at that makes me sad.

slade

[Guest teigan]

picture hasselhoff driving it off a cliff, and jumping out just in time; hair unmussed.

[neuron]

that design looks like a modded japanese sedan.  it's got a few elise elements hastily slapped onto the current template of a mass appeal bodybubble.  i think lotus must be in trouble, if they're hedgeing their bets that thinly.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That is maybe a bit harsh but from what I gather there isn't a massive amount of support for the car within the factory, be it engineers or Techs. Don't get me wrong, it drives well and is pretty damn quick and does give you a little more comfort than an elise but forget it being a copacious and comfortable continent-crossing GT. Feels nice with the GM Turbo unit in the back, and the 140mph quoted in the press release is a little on the conservative side. Personally speaking it's nice not having to rev the knackers off it to get some grunt (but that's just personal preference). According to 'a source' the fit and finish certainly ain't high-end but then it's rumoured that the first batch of cars were built in Malaysia, so hopefully UK cars will be better (fingers crossed).

Just my sixpenneth worth on the matter.

[Evil_Dr_Fish]

I can't believe they are going to knowingly allow the world to slate them for "Fit and Finish" as that is the first thing every hackneyed old motoring journo will wheel out of their "Lotus Cliche" arsenal!

[hovgaard]

It seems to me that Lotus has made a very nice commuter car, with the turbo engine I wish was available in the Elise.

I would buy one as an everyday runabout if I was loaded, but it would never be my sense-of-occasion primary sportscar.

Main competitor could be the Opel Speedster/VX220, though I don't think that is made anymore.

[Toua]

isnt the speedster the same thing as a elise?

[Splashout]

I dont think it is to bad.

Yes as a sports car it is a little lacking but as an everyday car that you could use in a resonable way, it kicks the arse out of the jelly mould tt and alike.

I do however feel that they should have made it a 2+2 to stand it apart from the elise.

As it is i personally think it is a little to close to the elise to have a big enough difference for people to say they will have that over an elise!