Lotus Reviews

Porsche Cayman S and Lotus Evora S go head-to-head in this comparative review.

When you're the sort of carmaker that goes 15 years without a fresh model line, then the wheels you eventually roll out are going to get a lot of scrutiny. So it is the Lotus Evora, which went on sale here in January. The Evora moves Lotus away from sole reliance on the Elise in all its guises, and means the British brand has something up-market and comfortable to offer.Unlike the tiny track-focused Elise (and hardtop Exige variant), the Evora is sufficiently civilised for the daily commute: a rival for the class benchmark, the Porsche 911, only more exclusive. Or at least that's the theory. The reality is a bit more complicated.The good news about the Evora is that it feels utterly like a Lotus. Unfortunately, the bad news is also that it feels utterly like a Lotus. The Evora is Lotus's first proper crack at a luxury model since the Esprit was finally deleted nearly a decade ago.I have never so much as sat in an Esprit, so I've no idea what the Lotus track record is like at the elite end of the market. However, it's immediately obvious that the Evora has the same non-mainstream feel that distinguishes the Elise. There are compromises here that volume carmakers have long since left behind.For example, in supercharged versions of the Elise and Exige, rear vision is almost nonexistent thanks to the engine plumbing. It can make life awkward, but oddly it's also part of the charm.I didn't expect to find a similar problem in the Evora, in which half the tiny rear window is obscured by the engine. At this level, that doesn't feel good enough. It adds a layer of difficulty to the usual problems of seeing out of a coupe which here, as usual, involve reflections off the dashboard on to the front glass.To solve the rear vision problem, the Evora can be fitted with a rear camera and parking sensors. These come bundled into one of the three options packs, and the test car -- in common with the first 1000 Launch Edition cars -- was fitted with the lot.On a normal Evora, that would nudge the price up to almost $200,000, where the alternatives for buyers get really interesting. Desirable performance cars from all the German brands would leave you with change.Of course, you could buy the Evora without all the trimmings. A stripped-out Elise is still an appealing prospect because it's essentially a toy. However, I couldn't imagine buying an Evora without most of the goodies. And then the problem becomes that some of the goodies aren't very good.Chief among them is the premium Alpine satnav and audio system, which looks after-market and has poorly resolved graphics, screen-saver aside. It's part touchscreen, part button-operated and simple things -- adjusting volume, for example -- are a pain. The buttons are minuscule and the system logic inscrutable. This $8200 option is bundled with cruise control, parking sensors and Bluetooth for the phone, all of which would be difficult to do without.Something I could probably do without are the rear seats, which cost another $7000. They are useless for adults or children larger than infants, and even then I wouldn't want the job of installing them. They work for luggage, although cargo space is what you get anyway if you don't tick the box.It's certainly handy to have space behind the seats because other storage options, boot included, are small. Supposedly, the boot has aircon channelled through it to prevent the engine cooking your shopping. Unfortunately, it doesn't work.The luxury option pack adds more leather to the cabin and it's offset by good-looking metal dash trim plus one or two classy ingredients, such as the gearstick. But many other bits, such as the pedals and vents, appear to have been carried over from the Elise and the quality of finish still trails the mainstream, with a poorly fitting passenger airbag cover in the car I drove.Unique to the Evora is a steering wheel that adjusts in two directions and aircon with settings other than hurricane and off. The seats adjust only for distance and backrest angle, but these Recaros are comfortable all day.The main driving position problem involves the pedals, which are offset towards the centre of the car in a way most makers can avoid these days. The clutch has a fairly strong spring, the gearshift action is mechanical and the brake pedal has extremely short travel. But they are nicely grouped and pleasing to use with a little familiarity.The steering wheel is suitably small and hydraulic assistance means that, unlike the Elise, the Evora doesn't have to be wrestled into a parking spot.However, the instruments are awkward to read, with speedo increments at 30km/h, 60km/h and so on, then a halfway mark between. Does this indicate 45km/h? Tiny red display panels on either side of the dials are difficult to see in any light conditions and the trip computer functions they display are rudimentary. Also irritating are windows that don't drop all the way into the doors, or auto-up.Getting into an Elise is impossible for many and, although the Evora sills are narrower, ingress will still be a challenge for some because it's so low to the ground.One big lift over the smaller Lotus cars involves interior refinement, with much less engine noise in the cabin. There's tyre roar and thump and occasional metallic thunks, but fewer of them and they're less noticeable.Ride is another advance, with a sophisticated feel that's on the acceptable side of brittle for a sports car.  Despite this, the Evora would be frustrating to live with day-to-day and the difference between it and an Elise is a matter of degree, rather than kind.Of course, that's also the good news. Take the Evora on a long country drive and you won't want to get out. On the right road at around the legal limit, the Evora comes alive.The chassis is gorgeous and seems to respond intuitively to small inputs from the throttle and steering. It quickly adopts a balanced stance for fizzing around bends without any effort from the driver.There's a delicacy to its movements that's every bit as engaging as an Elise, only the Evora has more poise and feels less frenetic.  The Evora is also less inclined to transfer kickback through the steering wheel or get bumped off line.The Evora's aluminium chassis is derived from the one developed for the Elise, and it also has double wishbone suspension all round.  The Evora is heavy by Lotus standards, at 1380kg, but light by the standards of everyone else, thanks to aluminium panels and a composite roof.The Evora continues Lotus's association with Toyota engines, only this time it's the 3.5-litre V6 from the Aurion and Kluger. It lacks the feistiness of the four-cylinder units supercharged by Lotus for the Elise/Exige, as well as some of their pace, with a 5.1 second time to 100km/h against low fours.However, the engine sounds really sweet when given its head and pulls in a nice linear fashion to a maximum speed of 261km/h, according to the company.  Opt for the sport pack, and there's a switchable sports mode that sharpens the throttle response, increases the rev limit and sets higher thresholds for the electronic intervention systems. It also brings sports tailpipes and an engine oil cooler, plus cross-drilled discs for the four-piston AP Racing calipers.The exterior design is pure Lotus, with Coke-bottle sides and a wraparound look to the glass. The rear is wide and houses 19-inch alloys against 18s at the front, giving the car a great road stance. It's unmistakeable. It will be much rarer than most of its rivals with a production run of 2000 a year and just 40 destined for Australia.  The Evora is too desirable to fail, but as a grand tourer it makes a great sportscar. Even by elite standards, it's a bit rich putting things such as power mirrors on the options list and some of the compromises, and letdowns, are unavoidable. Which makes a 911 the sensible choice. Only now, having driven the Evora, I'd have to have one of each.

Only 40-odd lucky Australian buyers will get the chance to slide into Lotus's most ambitious new model in years, the Evora 2+2.  Globally it will be the company's most desirable car, with just 2000 being built this year.Some cars already have names to them and Lotus Cars Australia general manager sales and marketing, Jonathan Stretton, says anyone ordering now will have a six-month wait.The newest Lotus, which flew by the codename of Project Eagle during its development, is the company's break-through car.  Its brief is to go head-to-head against some fancied German rivals, particularly the benchmark Porsche Cayman.Stretton wants the Evora to attract new customers to the brand.  "We're hoping to lure buyers across from other premium brands," he says.  The car's small production number is a key component important for the car's image, he says.  "It is a low-volume car so it is something that will stand out from the crowd," he says.  The cost of that exclusivity is $149,990 for the two-seater and $156,990 for the 2+2.Although the Evora is more than sum of its parts, some the pieces that go into the mid-engine sportscar are not so exclusive.  The engine is a Japanese 3.5-litre V6 that will be familiar to Toyota Aurion drivers.However, Lotus has tweaked the V6 so it now pumps out 206kW/350Nm with the help of a remapped engine management system, freer flowing exhaust and Lotus designed racing flywheel and AP Racing clutch.  Unlike the Aurion, the car gets a six-speed manual gearbox from a UK-model Toyota Avensis diesel.  A six-speed sequential automatic with paddle shifters is not due to arrive until later this year.Sourcing a well respected drivetrain has its advantages.  The car's light weight and composite bonded body panels helps deliver a combined fuel economy figure of 8.7 litres/100km from the V6.  Even the flat bottom steering wheel is made from forged magnesium to reduce weight and the interia of the wheel.As expected of a sportscar the suspension uses light-weight forged double wishbone suspension, Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers tuned by Lotus.  Engineers have also stuck with a hydraulically assisted power steering setup in favour of an electric system.Stretton says the Evora will also allow existing Lotus owners to upgrade into a bigger, more refined car.  "It will also help broaden the audience," he says.  Initial cars will come fully loaded in "launch edition" specification which includes tech pack, sports pack, bi-xenon headlights, premium audio system, reversing camera and electric mirrors.The tech pack is normally $8200 and the sports pack $3095.  Despite its compact dimensions - it's 559mm longer than an Elise - the mid-engine 3.5-litre V6 is a true 2+2, with rear seats large enough to accommodate smaller folk in the back and soft luggage in a 160 litre boot.  "It also has a proper boot and is more accommodating that some of its competitors," Stretton says.Visually the Evora takes some design cues from the Elise but at the front has a more modern take on the Lotus grille and headights.  Lotus executive engineer, Matthew Becker, admits there are elements of the famous Lancia Stratos rally cars in the Evora's design."One of the key elements was not to make the car too big," he says.  To ensure it has enough room for four, the Evora is 559mm longer, slightly wider and higher and sits on a 275mm longer wheelbase than the Elise.  The chassis uses the same structure as the Elise, which is extruded aluminium but is longer, wider stiffer and safer."The Elise chassis was designed 15 years ago," Becker says.  "So we've taken the good bits of that chassis and developed it."  The car is the first example to use Lotus's low volume versatile vehicle architecture and is expected to support more models in coming years.It uses removable front and rear subframes so they can be replace and repaired easily after an accident.  Three other new Lotus models, including the 2011 Esprit, are expected to use a similar platform over the next five years.Lotus has always held aspirations beyond just being a small niche sportscar carmaker. And while we love driving the Elise and Exige they will never crossover into the mainstream.  They are pure sportscars for hard-core enthusiasts. Weekend warriors.The Evora is a very different proposition.  It has been designed with comfort in mind without sacrificing the Lotus pedigree for performance and handling.  Every aspect that marks the Elise and Exige down for occupants has been addressed in the Evora.  The sills are lower and slimmer and the doors are taller and open wider, making entry and exits less of a contortionist's nightmare.It looks like a serious sportscar but Lotus recognises that to compete against the likes of a Porsche Boxster, it has to be more user friendly.  They have succeeded.  Slipping into the Evora is like putting on a well-tailored Armani suit. It fits very well yet in a snug, reassuring way.Once seated in the hip-hugging sports seats there is still plenty of leg and headroom without any sense of claustrophobia.  That's the first hurdle overcome.  The second hurdle is the hugely variable quality of past Lotuses and their "kit-car" reputation.  The Evora goes a long way to dispel such preconceptions.Design-wise it feels different to a thoroughly efficient and Germanic Boxster. Probably our only gripe about the interior is that some of the minor switchgear still feels as if it's come for a Toyota parts-bin.  But the quality is the best we've seen from the British carmaker for ages, from the headlining to the well-crafted leather seats.All is forgiven though when you turn the key and hit the road.  The steering is sharp, there is a good balance between ride and handling and the mid-engine V6 has a sweet note.  Like some of its rivals, the Evora gets a "sports" setting, which heightens driver involvement by limiting some of the in-built safety nannies.Lotus has wisely stuck with a hydraulic steering rack, rather than an electric system, for better feel and feedback.  Like the Elise, the Evora benefits from lightweight high-tech manufacturing technology, which is the key to the car's sparkling performance.At 1380kg the low-slung sportscar is on a par with average Japanese hatch, yet the worked over Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre six provides plenty of grunt.  The six is efficient and smooth, delivering seamless power and plenty of low-down urge that builds quickly once the revs go beyond 4000 revs.On full song, the engine has a wonderful note yet at highway speeds it is composed and quiet.  For some enthusiasts, the V6 might not have a big enough soundtrack to identify it as a car that hits 100km/h in 5.1 seconds or reach 261km/h but the crispness and urgency of the six's delivery is still impressive.Equally impressive are the massive brakes - 350mm front and 330mm rear - and grip from the Pirelli P-Zero tyres.  The V6 is mated to a Lotus-tweaked Toyota-sourced six-speed manual gearbox.  At first the gearshift feels a little notchy between first and second but familiarity helps smooths the changes.Once mastered, you can confidently push the Evora well beyond normal handling threshholds.  We didn't get anywhere near the car's very high dynamic limits.  Yet even without sports mode activated, it remains utterly entertaining.There is no doubt the Evora feels like a more grown up Elise.  It might just have enough cache to lure some performance buyers across from the more established German brands.  It is an every day Lotus you can finally live with.

Derek Ogden has been behind the wheel of two in the space of a week. ELISEWith the rag top on, getting in and out of the Lotus Elise is a pain in the bum . . . and arms, legs and head if you're not careful.The secret is to push the driver's seat back as far as it will go, slide the left leg under the steering column, and slide in to the seat, keeping your head down. Getting out is the same in reverse.The easy part is to take the cloth top off - just two clips, roll it up and store it in the boot with its two metal supports.With the roof off it's a piece of cake by comparison. Step over the threshold, stand and, while holding the wheel, slowly drop in to the seat and adjust it for reach. You don't so much as sit in a Lotus as wear it.Once inside the little roadster it's time to turn on the fun (er, sorry, engine). The car is powered by a 1.8-litre variable valve-timing Toyota motor, situated behind the two-seater cabin, which from 100kW can shoot the vehicle from zero to 100km/h in a tidy 6.1 seconds on the way to a top speed of 205km/h.How can 100kW come up with such performance? It's all down to weight. At only 860kg, the Elise S has an aluminium chassis that tips the scales at just 68kg. Lightweight steel is also used.Steering and braking is extremely responsive and so is the suspension which can be a teeth rattler on uneven surfaces.This can be forgiven in a car that is out to capture the essence of sports-car driving. In fact, at $69,990 it's the perfect introduction to the genre.An $8000 Touring Pack adds things like leather trim, iPod connection and sound-insulation panelling - not that the noise should bother the sports-car fan.A Sport Pack at $7000 ups the ante with Bilstein sports suspension dampers, switchable traction control and sport seats. EXIGE SNow, if the Elise is the equivalent of a Lotus on training wheels, the Exige S is quite a different matter. In fact, it's the closest you can get to a track car legally on the road.While the standard Exige pumps out 163kW of power, the 2008 Exige S is now available with an optional Performance Pack, pushing power to 179kW at 8000rpm - the same as the limited-edition Sport 240 - courtesy of a Magnuson/Eaton M62 supercharger, faster flowing injectors, plus a higher torque clutch system and an upsized roof scoop.This power lift, with an increase in torque from the standard 215Nm to 230Nm at 5500rpm, helps rocket the Performance Pack Exige S from zero to 100km/h in 4.16 seconds to the accompaniment of a glorious bellow from the engine situated behind the cabin, while fuel economy is claimed by the maker to be a frugal 9.1 litres/100km (31 miles per gallon) on the combined urban/highway cycle.Again, the old enemy, weight, has taken a beating with a power-to-weight ratio of 191kW per tonne putting the Exige S at supercar levels. It drives like a go-kart (or should that be `gone-kart', so quick is the Exige S off the mark).Lotus Sport has had a hand in the pack, providing Formula One-style launch control in which the driver selects revs by means of a dial on the side of the steering column for optimum standing starts.The driver is encouraged to floor the accelerator pedal and quickly release the clutch, in most situations a recipe for drivetrain damage and power-sapping wheelspin.Not with this baby. A damper cushions the severity of the clutch/transmission engagement to minimise the stresses to the drivetrain and also wheelspin until 10km/h, after which the traction control takes over.As with launch control, the amount of traction control can be adjusted from the driver's seat, altering on the move to suit the characteristics of corners.It can be varied in 30 increments - a new instrument pack displays what degree of traction control is dialled in - from 7 per cent tyre slip to completely disabled.The brakes get the Performance Pack treatment too with thicker, 308mm diameter cross-drilled and vented discs at the front operated on by AP Racing four-piston calipers, while standard brake pads are up-rated and there are braided brake hoses.Direct steering offers maximum feedback to the driver with nothing, including power steering, between the wheel and the road to interfere.Parking and manoeuvring at slow speed can be a toil, only compounded by the lack of vision from the cab.The interior rear-view mirror is as useful as a hip pocket in a singlet, giving a clear view of nothing but the turbo intercooler which fills the whole of the back window.It's left to the external mirrors to come to the reversing rescue.The 2008 Lotus Elise and Exige ranges sport new instruments with an easy-to-read white-on-black design. Along with a speedo topping out at 300km/h, the indicator lights now flash on the dash to signal left or right, as opposed to a single light previously.The shift light also changes from a single LED to three sequential red lights during the final 500rpm before the rev-limiter cut-out.The dash also features a new high-definition LCD message panel that can display a scrolling message with vehicle systeminformation. The red on black helps legibility in direct sunlight.The new instruments constantly display fuel, engine temperature and odometer. However, it can also display the time, trip distance or a digital speed readout in mp/h or km/h.Warning symbols are out of sight until activated, keeping the instrumentation free from visual clutter and distraction and airbags are standard.There's a new one-piece alarm/immobiliser and key with lock, unlock and panic alarm buttons. The Lotus Exige S sells for $114,990, plus on-road costs, the Performance Pack adding $11,000.Stand-alone options include Bilstein one-way adjustable dampers and ride height, split-type seven-spoke ultra lightweight forged wheels, Lotus switchable traction control and a limited-slip differential.LOTUS HISTORYThe stamp of Lotus founder Colin Chapman, with his mastery of leading-edge technology and adoption of race-bred features, can be found all over the Elise S and Exige S.Lotus is credited with making the mid-engined layout popular for Indycars, developing the first monocoque Formula One chassis, and the integration of the engine and transaxle as chassis components.Lotus was also among the pioneers in F1 in adding wings and shaping the under-surface of the car to create down-force, as well as the first to move radiators to the sides in the car to aid in aerodynamic performance, and inventing active suspension.Chapman rode on the back of Lotus from a penurious London University undergraduate to multi-millionaire.The company encouraged its customers to race its cars, and itself entered F1 as a team in 1958, a Lotus 18 entered by privateer Rob Walker and driven by Stirling Moss, winning the marque's first Grand Prix two years later at Monaco.Major success came in 1963 with the Lotus 25, which, with Jim Clark driving, won Lotus its first F1 World Constructors Championship.Clark's untimely death - he crashed a Formula Two Lotus 48 in April, 1968, after his rear tyre failed at Hockenheim - was a severe blow to the team and to F1.He was the dominant driver in the dominant car and remains an inseparable part of Lotus' early years. The 1968 championship was won by Clark's teammate, Graham Hill. Other drivers to claim success with the marque were Jochen Rindt (1970), Emerson Fittipaldi (1972) and Mario Andretti (1978).The boss was no slouch behind the wheel either. It is said Chapman lapped circuits within seconds of his F1 drivers.After Chapman's death, until the late 1980s, Lotus continued to be a major player in F1. Ayrton Senna drove for the team from 1985 to 1987, winning twice in each year and achieving 17 pole positions.However, by the company's last Formula One race in 1994, the cars were no longer competitive.Lotus won a total of 79 Grand Prix races and Chapman saw Lotus beat Ferrari as the first team to achieve 50 GP victories, despite Ferrari having won its first nine years sooner.Moss, Clark, Hill, Rindt, Fittipaldi, Andretti . . . it was a pleasure and a privilege to share a seat with them all. 

Ever wondered what it would be like to be fired from a slingshot?

It was just as well we tasted the Elise S before having the chance to drive the Exige S.

Fine if you are a ``Bogan.''It will also buy you a sleek, lightweight, 1.8-litre, Lotus Elise S two-seater with race-bred dynamics, a removable soft top and enough poke to see off most of the boofy V8s. Come to a set of curves and it's definitely all over.Weighing in at 860kg gives the Elise S an impressive power to weight ratio which explains why the naturally aspirated, 100kW/173Nm, 1.8-litre Toyota engine pushes it from 0-100km/h in a scant 6.1 seconds.But we are just scratching the surface of what this delightful little car has to offer. It is tiny even compared to most other sports cars and is spartan inside though better than before.The startling looks are designed to scythe through the air while the flat undertray with rear diffusers further aids aerodynamics. Large vents funnel air to the engine's radiators in the rear quarters and the entire car stands barely more than a metre high.The Elise S is more of an everyday car than its hard-top stablemate  the supercharged Exige S. Though still challenging to get into with the roof on, the Elise S will happily trundle along in city traffic with the aircon cooling its occupants and the Alpine audio blazing away.On weekends, it will relish a dose of club track day activity rewarding the driver with race-car handling and performance at a controllable cost. Fuel, brake pads, tyres won't be a critical issue.This is the latest version of the Elise that has been around for quite a few years now, starting life with an awful Rover K-Series engine but moving on up since Toyota power was bolted amidships. Interior enhancements include splashes of pukka carbon fibre texture leather and a new instrument pod. It has key remote central locking and dual airbags along with ABS, aircon and Alpine sound.The soft top is easily removed and stowed in the "boot'' behind the engine. You can actually see out the rear view mirror and though manually adjusted, the side mirrors are well positioned and relatively easy to move.This is Lotus's entry-level model but is available with two option packs, not that you would need them. There are also some new colours.On our test drive we were stirred by the raunchy exhaust note and feel of the direct steering. The five-speed gear change is like a rifle bolt action and the brakes are super strong. We have always been impressed by the chassis strength of the Elise and Exige which remains the same as before, even with the roof off. But pedal placement is problematic being offset to the centre and too close together. Despite the diminuitive dimensions, drivers of 183cm can find a comfy driving position. All necessary information is housed in the compact instrument pod including a gear change warning light as the engine nears redline.This car is all about pushing hard through turns. It sits flat and grabs the tarmac with grippy Yokohama tyres to the point where you will end up with a sore neck from the G-forces. When you go home like that, you know you've been having fun.

Nosing into a city street someone volubly denounces me with the word that rhymes with “banker.”Harsh ... must be the collar and tie.“I'd rather have a car in this colour,” I tell the sturdy yeoman with the loud shirt and mouth to match, “than have to be wearing it to work.”If it's not easy being this shade of green, it works on the Lotus for the same reason as old mate's clobber. This low-slung projectile is in constant danger of becoming a mobile speed hump for a bargee in an SUV. It pays to be visible.If this hue is not for shy and retiring types, then neither is is the 2008 Exige S, least of all with the $11,000 optional Performance Pack.This is good for 179kW/230Nm, equalling the limited edition Sport 240. There's new instruments and alarm/immobiliser. The power hike comes via a Magnuson/Eaton M62 supercharger, faster flowing injectors, higher torque clutch system and an upsized roof scoop. So the Exige S PP can achieve 100km/h from standing in 4.16 seconds.The 245km/h top speed is barely short of the track-only 2-Eleven that recently made carsguide gibber. As always with Lotus, the key is found in the power to (light) weight equation; 191kW per tonne. At 935kg, this is a pocket supercar for a mere fraction of the ask.The hero feature combines the launch control and variable traction control function from the 2-Eleven. A dial on the steering column selects starting revs for optimum standing starts. Shove down the loud pedal (seldom is that term for the accelerator more apt than with Lotus), let go the clutch and almost immediately the horizon has become the foreground.The traction control's degree of intervention is similarly adjustable, to the extent of 30 increments, from 7 per cent tyre slip to all bets off. The launch function, which we sampled on the 2-Eleven, was not set up on our car. That might be as well, because while the Exige S is a track-day rapier we perversely did some 500km on the goat-tracks that pass for public roads in NSW. On the more isolated of these, the Exige shakes a few rubes from their reverie.Torque surges on smoothly from about 3500rpm, the power 1500rpm later, and crescendos massively until eight grand. If you tire of this visceral rush, then you're tired of life. The accelerative thrill is matched aurally with a supercharged whine that — mere centimetres from the back of your head — sounds otherworldly. Steering that's unadulterated by assistance completes the Lotus equation.Ride is, of course, awful on all but the state's ever rarer expanses of smooth tarmac. Yet the fact we went out for a bit of a steer and just sort of kept going for 500 clicks, says everything. SnapshotLotus Exige SPrice: $114,990 (Performance Pack $11,000)Engine: 1.8L/4-cylinder supercharged; 179kW/230NmEconomy: 9.1L/100kmTransmission: 6-speed manual; RWD 

And lack of the latter makes for a truly formidable amount of the former. With a power-to-weight ratio of 3.9kg per kilowatt and performance to do over supercars with price tags to make the Lotus's $127,500 seem modest.At 3.9 seconds from standing to 100km/h and 8.9 seconds to 160km/h, it'd be faster than all of them here at Oran Park.Ripping down its straight last week, even this most tentative track-day pilot felt what it was to easily exceed that speed. The bare numbers tell the story but can't begin to convey the sensation of experiencing them in this windowless open topper. Fabulously agile, instantly responsive and completely, utterly, involving; the 2-Eleven is everything you love about Lotus, only more.It takes someone of the calibre of our host, Dean Evans, to demonstrate the car's dynamic potency.Yet even for a comparative novice, one who hadn't previously enjoyed Oran in its full openness, the Lotus is a total joy toy, thoroughly accessible and exhilarating.Even an impromptu spin, the result of fat headedness and ham- footedness, serves only to emphasise the 2-Eleven's general tolerance of driver dopiness.Settling into something approaching the correct lines, the variable traction control set for indulgence, we stay in the third cog of the six-speed gearbox all the way round, using the supercharged 1.8's tractability.Fourth is snicked only as the rev warning light flashes, the tacho approaching 8000rpm and the speedo 180km/h.If you've never sampled a Lotus you must, if only for the steering. Most manufacturers treat turning the wheel as an onerous chore and in relieving the effort, they will invariably diminish sensation.The 2-Eleven's steering is bursting with feel. Unadulterated by assistance, it is sabre sharp and almost disconcertingly direct but an utter joy.If only you could drive it to the shops. Sorry, but you'll have to keep a Europa on the side, because the 2-Eleven's cleared for track use only (and a full face helmet is an entirely necessary accessory). The 2-Eleven, first seen by most at the Australian International Motor Show, is the fastest production car in the marque's rich history.With only 100 to be built annually, head-turning is guaranteed on track days. Based on modified Exige S running gear, the 2-Eleven runs a Toyota-derived 1.8-litre supercharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder with variable valve timing and lift.Tuned to develop 188kW at 8000rpm, it's 16 per cent more powerful than the street-legal Exige S — and 20 per cent lighter. It's also more tractable, with an enhanced torque figure of 242Nm, so urge comes hot and strong and in linear fashion. The launch and traction controls are manipulated via the same system, the former providing starts of varying explosiveness, the latter a choice of 18 levels of electronic intervention from dictatorial to do and be damned.We've said it before (and the odds are short that we'll say it again) there just ain't nothing like a Lotus.

But what are hats and sunscreen for?Besides most of today's roadsters can get their fabric or folding metal lids up at the push of a button within half a minute. These are Carsguide's favourites: Affordable fun Mazda MX-5 Price: from $42,870Engine: 2L/4-cylinder; 118kW/188NmEconomy: 8.5L/100kmTransmission: 6-speed manual or autoIf there was an annual award in this category it would reside perpetually in Mazda's trophy cabinet. The original MX-5 reinvented the classic Brit roadster adding such novel notions as performance and reliability.The third generation retains the 1989 model's exhilarating dynamics and sheer fluidity. If you don't find pleasure in the way an MX-5 drives you've probably ceased breathing.Purists might decry such modern innovations as air-con, power steering, ESP, a folding composite roof and (egad!) an auto transmission, but it hasn't been 1957 for some time now. Still others would rather it went quicker, but they're missing the point.The MX-5 is the affordable roadster. Track marqueLotus Elise SPrice: $69,990Engine: 1.8L/4-cylinder; 100kW/172NmEconomy: 8.3L/100kmTransmission: 5-speed manualThe salient figure here is 860 that's the number of kgs the entry-level Lotus weighs, or about 500 less than a Toyota Corolla whose engine this spartan roadster uses to get from standing to 100km/h in 6.1 seconds.While it's absolutely one for the enthusiast - or the fanatic - even if you've not the least wish to drive something so uncompromised (though a good deal more civilised than the Exige) you should at least be driven in a Lotus once. It'll open your eyes. Wide.At its best at track speeds, where the Lotus's wonderfully unassisted steering comes into its own and where it doesn't matter that it takes ages to assemble to roof, you can smilingly drive one every day. But beware barging SUVs. Zed's not dead Nissan 350Z RoadsterPrice: $73,990Engine: 3.5L/V6; 230kW/358NmEconomy: 12L/100kmTransmission: 6-speed manual or 5-speed autoThe Roadster version of the still outstanding 350Z gives very little away to the coupe model and while the same-priced auto is a cog short of the manual's six, it's easy to live with in city traffic.Though we've yet to try the Roadster with the substantially new the faster V6 that causes the bonnet to bulge so priapically, our recent week in the revised Coupe suggests that it too will be more of an already good thing.It's almost impossible to believe that same company is responsible for the Tiida ... Gay tidingsAudi TT Roadster V6 quattroPrice: $92,900Engine: 3.2L/v6; 184kW/320NmEconomy: 9.6L/100kmTransmission: 6-speed DSGLike the coupe, the lighter front-wheel-drive with the GTI's turbo four pot is a better bet most of the time than the heftier all-wheel-drive, though it's not really a sports car there'll be moments when you'll love yourself for the latter's extra go and grip.Dispensing with the coupe's comedy back seat, there's ample room behind when with the fabric roof's folded. Some find the ride a bit terse; I don't but would still take the optional magnetic suspension.With performance and handling that are both entertaining and accessible while wrapped in such an aesthetically bell-ringing package, the TT is fairly loveable. If only ...Porsche Boxster SPrice: from $135,100Engine: 3.4L/6-cylinder; 217kW/340NmEconomy: 10.4 or 11L/100kmTransmission: 6-speed manual or 5-speed autoIn our rare idle moments hereabouts, certain of us scan the classifieds trying rather pathetically to convince ourselves that a used Boxster is almost within our reach. Almost. Well, maybe one day ...That's the problem with spending any amount of time in a Boxster, particularly, the top whack S. There's nothing wrong with it, you see. Well, maybe the ride on bigger tyres is just a bit savage, but so what when all else is perfect. It even sounds wonderful.At it's worst, the Boxster will make you hate yourself for not being a better driver. So sublimely intuitive is the handling, so poised and balanced does it feel even in extremis, it almost always feels capable of more. Even if you're not. Two plus twosAffordability aside, floating the open top proposition can founder on the fatal shores of practicality. Society frowns upon selling one's children, though surely financing a Boxster should be cause for sympathy.Still, Volkswagen's Eos (from $49,990) cabriolet/coupe comes is a practical, stylish and - with the drivetrain of the Golf GTI - tolerably rapid 2+2. It retains adequate bootage with the sophisticated folding metal lid, which can be configured five different way, folded down. Uniquely there's also a diesel option (from $48K), so you needn't use much juice.And there are further options afoot.With BMW's glorious twin-turbo 3-litre petrol six, the 135i cabriolet (due in June) will be by far the sharpest 2+2. Audi's A3 cabrio, likely to feature the 1.8-litre TFSI, follows in July.And if fortune smiles upon you to the tune of $1.19 there's the sensuous land yacht that is Rolls-Royce's Drophead coupe. Plenty of room in the back for the kids in this baby.