Europa SE
No matter in terms of sales figures or reputation, Lotus Europa S has been disappointing. Now its position is being replaced by Europa SE, a more powerful and more capable car. First of all, its 2-liter turbo engine has been tweaked to produce a more competitive 225 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque. Lotus claims very minor improvement in performance – 5.5 seconds instead of 5.6 seconds for 0-60 mph, 13.0 seconds instead of 13.8 sec for 0-100 mph, while top speed is even unchanged at 143 mph – but in reality it feels noticeably stronger.
The chassis is basically unchanged, but it employs wider tires, new lightweight alloy wheels (now the rear ones grown to 18-inch) and larger, 308mm AP disc brakes. Its handling is more capable. It shows less understeer in corners than the old car, while keeping the compliant ride unchanged. The extra torque makes overtaking more effortless.
The interior is now thoroughly leather wrapped, so no more complaints for nasty plastics. The leather seats look terrific. However, Europa is still a basic driving tool compare with most other coupes from mass manufacturers. Its cockpit is narrow, noise insulation is poor, build quality is inconsistent and access to the cabin across the wide sills is not easy. Moreover, you have to put up with the uninspiring noise of the turbocharged Ecotec engine. As a GT, it is still too compromised.
