Miracle of miracles the sun is out, the roads are quiet, and the V6 is buzzing on its way round from the valet bay. Not a bad start to the day
Brandon & Craig in fine form also, and just superb to see a product that everyone can be proud of.
Love the colour, love the styling, and the getting in to the car, you are aware of the increase in track of the car, the swollen wheel acrches really do step out a good bit from the tub of the old car. Drop in through the gap, and everything seems "similar" but the level of the fit has come on somewhat. Everything feels like it has been properly put together, not being disrespectful to the Exiges/Elises of the past, but after 7k miles of getting cained round the country, roasted on track, there was not a single rattle. Everything still "as new". Hugely impressive.
The rear hatch no longer feels like an after thought. You can see out of the rear. The Aluminium arms for the rear wing are gorgeously attached, and the struts are actually up to the job of raising it - there is no clatter when it shuts....properly engineered.
Immediately from the pax seat (as we nipped off for fuel) you are aware of the increase in the length of the car, the vast improvement in damping, the increase in the track - and it feels solid, contact patches are larger. The nervousness over road imperfactions, surface changes has all but gone compared to the previous models, the steering as perfect as ever, the wheel properly heavy at parking speeds. On the verge of what is considered acceptable I'm told. You get the sense even from the first few metres that the bar has been raised, and really to compare this car to the Exiges that have gone before is simply not fair to either car.
I dont count myself as overly sensitive to changes in car set-up so dont underestimate how wholesale these changes are and what a different proposition the Exige now is. Its grown up, evolved, and become better than ever. More thoroughly engineered & developed & enhanced than you'd believe possible.
I've never been a huge fan of the gear change in the S1, S2, Exige, 340R,211, Evora, and its fair to say they havent nailed it yet. However, Graeme tells me that this pre-production car has the older style linkages, and they have a new version to be fitted to customer cars - it will be more notchy, and more evident when the gear has engaged.
Boring stuff over, foot down for the first time. It moves.
Actually expected it to be more manic, like N3, but the power delivery is relatively linear, pushing you back a bit, and feels strong the whole way to the shift up point, which must be on the other side of 7k. I suspect that this is solely down to the weight of it. Speed is well disguised (it does 100 in 8.5 seconds), wind roar is reduced, and the engine note is simply the best to have come out of hethel from a production car - easily. I might be doing the car an injustice here, as I've been driving some pacey stuff of late. Its properly Gt3 quick, but the nature of the delivery is not as increasingly frantic as it revs out.
There no question, if they could have dropped that engine in to a 800kg car, it would be properly manic. Too manic I suspect for all but the most track focused of customers. I'd love to try one! (i suspect I'd also need to keep the tow rope in the rangie to pull the unsuspecting back out of hedges)
This car will flatter, pamper, and then show you what it can do. Its mood will mirror yours. Its properly sorted. Its something hehtel can really shout about, and who'd have thought it would appear just as the company has come through another brutal 6 weeks!
On the road the handling is fantastic. Wider track equals more grip, hardly any kickback from the wheel regardless of surface. Staggeringly good.
Power delivery is never spikey, so you can easily start to plant the throttle and not worry about instantly invoking understeer or oversteer - just sensational cornering pace, and building speed rapidly. Much more friendly in this respect that my Gt3. Feedback through the wheel as un-molested as ever, and making you question why other manufacturers can rarely ever get close to this.
At this point, I'm thinking about the track. Wondering just how it will behave when properly launching it about. However, this isnt something that I'm going to try coming in to the next roundabout, I suspect, much to Graemes relief!
On to the back roads, and the essense of this car is apparent. It move with a subtly and grace that defy its trackcar routes. Its floats along the road, refusing to get unsettled by the potholes, cracks, stones etc that have become such a feature of our roads in the last 5 years - and that gives you the confidence to carry more and more pace. Havent got anywhere near properly troubling the TC control which is in sport.
Over one sequence the confidence the car installs is becoming apparrent as we really pick up pace through a series of bends, before being clear sighted through a couple of long sweepers, and the car simply massacres the road. St Marys Loch is calling my name, but i susepct that even if i could tempt G to a cheeky trip to the borders, I'd incur a lifelong ban from the other SE'ers waiting to drive it today!! (Mass his would be ideal for you neck of the woods)
Brakes feel pretty sweet also, but we're not really trying to put them through their paces properly....another burning desire to ignore Graeme and head KH-wards! They do impress, and you arent aware of the increase in wieght braking hard on the road, at all. Car stays on line, unlike the Gt3 & Gtr which will stray a bit if you take liberties.
On the way back, we have traffic, take a quick swing round the bypass, and the car reveals its cruising ability and comfort, after snapping past the sleeping chutneys that seem to spend their lufe dwelling on the bypass. Well GT3-esk comfort, its not GT car afterall. An easy way to make the trip to the ring & spa.Then go scalping......
Reflecting on the way back to MMC, its apparent why this car is so appealing.
It is longer, wider, slightly heavier and more expensive, but for the roads that we are lucky to have in Scotland, ones that are too narrow for the Lambos and Fezza, this car has the best of both worlds. Massive pace,cracking noise with stunning agility, and perfectly packaged in a compact, single track friendly way. You can see the external influence having some of the best people in the game have brought to this car, and the grip poise and balance it has, have simply elevated it beyond every model I've driven so far. (well non-racing ones!)
The roadster will offer another dilema...which one to go for , or simply get a soft top for the coupe......as a half price Gt3, they've done an awesome job, and identified a cracking niche for the product, with a "proper" engine.
Thanks to Lotus, Graeme, Brandon, Craig & MMC for making this happen - SO gutted I cancelled my order, but I couldnt wait.
2013, well thats a different story, and there's another frolic on the cards also..........I'll have one, just got to decide whats making way for it now....
Currently offshore so won't make it down for the test drive unfortunately.
and for me this car is definitely as fast as you'll ever need, I very much doubt anyone is going to breach the limits of its grip when dry. To me it felt very fast and we seen very high numbers on the speedo regularly without even trying 
and I've had plenty experience with M3s, RS4/5, Nissan GT-R etc etc so I don't say it's fast lightly.
