With all the frustration on the delays out there, I thought I would remind us of this quote from Andrew's review...
There is a road about five minutes from the Lotus factory in Norfolk which in 20 miles will tell you perhaps 80 per cent of what you need to know about a new car’s chassis.
I take it out onto the aforementioned road which forms part of the test route used by all Lotus chassis engineers. And you can see why: it’s quick and challenging, usually smooth but with enough bumps to pull the veil from any shortcomings hidden within the suspension set-up. It’s quiet and a place where you can put some proper loads through the car without taking silly risks in public.
And here, the Emira is outstanding. The steering is still hydraulically assisted and communicates beautifully. Its weighting and gearing are near perfect. The passively sprung and damped suspension is a little firmer than I’d expected of the Touring specification, but its secondary ride is good enough for this kind of car, and its primary body control just blissful: it’s not tied down on its springs, but moves gently, just enough to let the car breathe with the road.
