So I finally got to drive one of my favorite cars a few days ago. As the title states, the car in question was the original Lotus Europa Twin-Cam with a Renault 5-speed gearbox and the famous exposed gear linkage in the rear.
First of all, the looks of the car won't appeal to everyone, actually it will only appeal to a few. For me, the unusual looks of the car make it stand apart from most other sports cars. The Lotus Europa was one of the first mid-engined sports cars created and was the first British mid-engined sports car. The chassis is of a backbone design, this design was also used in the original Lotus Elan and the earlier Lotus Esprits'.
The ingress and egress were a lot better than any other Lotus that i've tried, it was definitely a lot better than the Elise/Exige. Getting in and out was also surprisingly easier than in the new Evora and Esprit.
The Lotus Twin-Cam motor produces 126-hp stock but the car that I drove had headers and a rorty sport exhaust. The carburetion was handled by twin SU's, although I would've preferred Webers. To start the car just pull the center console mounted choke and twist the key, the engine comes to life with a nice burble. Let the engine warm up for a few minutes and release the choke. The engine sounds pretty healthy with a proper air/fuel mixture making its way into the combustion chambers.
The pedal layout in the Europa is pretty odd and requires small feet. The tiny gas pedal is set high and the clutch pedal is twisted towards left so that the brake isn't accidentally pressed. The weighting of the gas pedal was pretty good and the clutch was progressive. The brake pedal was another story, it was very stiff and the braking force wasn't nearly half as good as I expected. I can't even imagine what the brakes would be like if the car was much heavier. The seats were adjustable and allowed for a decent driving position. The steering wheel was tilted a bit towards the center of the car. The whole driving position and control layout reminded me of some of the Lamborghinis. The Renault 5-speed gearbox lacks feel and takes some getting used to. I was just glad to see that there was no dog-leg first gear. First and second gears aren't too bad but third and forth especially can be tricky. The O/D or fifth is way over to the right.
One of the quirky features of the Europa is the twin fuel tanks. The fuel drains from one tank into the other and the fuel gauge takes a little while to show the correct reading, depending on which fuel tank has the sending unit. The horn isn't located on the steering wheel but is located on a steering column mounted stalk.
The driving experience is what the Europa is all about. I was expecting a slow car with mediocre performance. I was pleasantly surprised by the performance, the car felt like a lightweight Lotus Esprit. First off, the legenday Lotus ride and handling are present right from the start. The ride is very smooth and never jarring, even over rough pavement. At the same time the steering is very direct but never feels darty. The rear end seems to follow the front in a nice tight arc. Over fast corners the rear end sticks amazingly well and only in tight turns with a heavy foot does the tail come out. The sound of the Lotus Twin-Cam makes the driving experience even more entertaining. Heel and toe downshifting was tough because of the pedal placement but rev-matching on downshifts was satisfying.
The Lotus Europa is a nice classic alternative to the Lotus Esprit. Although not as fast as the Esprit, the Europa is just as modern. I think the Europa is the perfect car for someone looking for a classic sports car and wants decent performance and amazing ride and handling. The Lotus Europa is a sports car that can easily be used on a daily basis.
I will load the pics as soon as the servers allow me to.