2015 Lotus Exige S Roadster first review Automatic Drivetrain | Drive.Com.Au
Things ain t what they used to be is tinged chorus rose we are often guilty by PH true enough in electric power steering and other gadgets.
And fortunately also true regarding automatic transmissions in sports cars Remember the little sigh of dismay at the sight of a Tiptronic shifter in another 911 or desirable jerky, the heavy manual changes early gen automated in supercars not long ago.
Previously disguised behind euphemisms nickname IPS Intelligent Precision Shift on the Evora to slushmatic version of the Lotus Exige S is automatically come clean by nature, by automatic mark No trick, not behind abbreviated badging He automatic Sá the converter torque traditional option offered in 2000 and above the 53000 level input S. Exige S manual
Could have been worse if Vu cars May 3 V6 is used by Toyota is pleased with the Exige S is available with a six-speed Aisin slusher to the CVT and not many Japanese brands seem to focus on overseas markets small mercies and all that, but what's it like.
Mix and match to sit in the comfortable cabin of a hard core Lotus familiarly, to hear the sound commendably severe and resolved to a supercharged V6 creaking behind your head and push on an unattended wheel surprisingly heavy and hear the mumbled nerrrrrrrrr- nerrrr nerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-automatic gearbox as you pull away is frankly a little disturbing imagine such a thing in the more rounded Evora is not, in fact, quite so huge so apparently for buyers too, Version IPS is actually a little more half of sales worldwide since the introduction But in an Exige S.
Let's face facts though there's no transmission impromptu double clutch fit a large cross as Toyota V6 unit And even if there was the complexity, weight and the load would make untenable Lotus found a race sequence that'll work on spec GT4 Evoras using the same basic installation, but even for the Exige hardcore to wonder a bit much for the road, let alone the cost Nope, if it was going to build two pedals REQUIRED he would have preferred to use Toyota six-speeder and do the best with possible, including improving CO2 and mpg, a tenth of the 0-62 time, a minimum weight of 7 kg penalty weight manual vehicle acquired in the gearbox is offset by the loss of speed and Gubbins links clutch and Hethel tower that matches the manual.
Smoothly does early impressions on the road seem to confirm the worst expectations that the gap between the Exige wild appetite speed along the roads twist and B of the slow nature of the gearbox seems yawning, transmission apparently left panting and gasping in the wake of the car as a race matching three-legged Usain Bolt with the fat kid sports day this doesn t seem a natural partnership.
Sometimes it holds too long gear, others it Upshifts lazily two reports as you settled into the train you want Lotus says that the engineers went back to the drawing board to the calibration against IPS of the Evora but there is no escaping this is a car of the old school and not always up to speed with the Exige s s it mounted.
There is the salvation of all kinds with a twist dynamic management switch performance in sport This sharpens the throttle response, relaxes the stability control and gives you the possibility of a faster acting or automatic mode a comprehensive manual, ready to let you run in the rev limiter if you ignore the shift lights to three well-known steps Gears are held more in automatic mode and preemption demotions - accompanied by a crisp blip - when you want them to upshifts are still a little heavy in manual mode, but downshifts occur much faster and a hint of that famous flow returns Lotus road B.
Keep your good lord hats this is a very fast car, too, can be shared with 50 Toyota vehicles beige shades, but after the Lotus upgrades the 3-liter V6 5 is fleshy, charismatic and feels slightly too much for the in a car quite good means it will carry at low speed, a mid-range as below Brian Blessed stubbing his toe on a door frame and keeps pulling all the way to redline No four-cylinder ever felt the Exige S explosive.
The unassisted steering is heavy and settings fairly uncompromising chassis, making it a surprisingly physical car to hustle along But even on slush covered Norfolk country roads, there is tons of grip, turn-in super positive paired with impressive traction in corner exit All directed by a former good suspension setup and calibration work, not flattery electronic course always the wrong gearbox to follow if and you can not help but dream how would -it with PDK capacity similar to rattle by changes in demand.
Back at Hethel snow and ice on the track melted enough for a few laps from the southern half of the expansive test track and here the balance of the Exige S, adjustability and rhythm really shine in DPM race and the ability to drive press control intelligent learning traction, you can deep to left foot brake in the corners and even if the change comes later than expected, it is smooth enough not to destabilize the car and automatic mode - the odd premature upshift side - reads user gear enough most needs, several downshifts blatted through the hard stop at the right rear and in cutting through the wells.
Must be harder Lotus for defects of the transmission to the two clutches offered at many rivals, it seems difficult, especially for the obvious reason, it's no obvious alternative Lotus could choose and refuse an opportunity to sell to those who want a car would Daft Lotus needs to spend more cars, which is a relatively cost-effective way to expand the potential customer base, if not here then definitely in markets where cars with two pedals are the default choice.
Globally Lotus estimates up to a third could possibly be required automatics It might not be quite to our taste, but if it helps modest recent increases sales and helps a little bottom line, it would be churlish to complain too loudly.
Lotus S Requires AUTOMATIC V6 engine, Transmission supercharged six-speed automatic drive and the rear wheel torque 295 350 7,000rpm 4,500rpm 0-62mph 3 User Manual 9sec 4 0sec 162 mph Mode Maximum speed: 170 mph Weight 1176 kg MPG 29 4mpg manual 28mpg CO2 222g gkm manual 236g Price 55 000 km before the manual options 53000 Note - figures for cutting; photographed car is a version Roadster leads.
Lotus Exige automatic review PistonHeads, Lotus Exige, auto.