Super TestCar reviews - Lotus - Europa - S coupeOverviewLotus moves away from its track origins with the new Europa S28 Feb 2007 By CHRIS HARRIS LOTUS built its reputation in motor racing and its recent road cars have followed founder Colin Chapman’s principles of light weight and racing-style dynamics. But the demand for a more user-friendly sports car than the track-ready Elise and Exige models has led to the development of the Europa. Though based on the Elise platform, the Europa coupe is more user-friendly for daily use, but is still a challenging ownership proposition. With a GM turbocharged 2.0-litre engine developing 147kW/272Nm, it has plenty of power but does not possess the refinement of its German rivals, the Porsche Cayman and BMW Z4 Coupe. Model release date: 1 February 2007 to 1 April 2012 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen Previous modelTHE Europa name was previously used on a mid-engine two-seater between 1966 and 1974. The Lotus Europa S1 used a modest Renault-sourced 62kW 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine installed in a mid-engine configuration. This engine was later replaced with a lively 1.6-litre Lotus/Ford twin-cam unit. The car’s windows and seats were fixed, with adjustable pedals. The bonded plastic body was built on to a sturdy backbone chassis. About 9300 were built between 1966 and 1974. |
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