VHPD fun - liven up the drive to work
Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 11:06 am
So decided that Friday morning meant time for a Loti ride to work, after a dark dreary week.
Actually the first time I've driven anything S1 based in an age, I'm ashamed to admit, on the road anyway.
Its noisy, small (forgot how small compared to other cars), crashes, I can hardly hear the radio (where are my Shures?) but bloody hell that steering is just epic, handling even with a geo needed superb. Mated to a lump of turnip bred VHPD, pointed down a wet coast road, foot down (once warmed Mr M) and off I went.
What a great laugh - drove the same road in the GT3 Wednesday night, and just made the jump to lightspeed/rough love in a cell/Tut speed SO easily. There was bugger all chance of that happening in this. In a era of truck like torque, supercar fast diseasals, get back in to an na 1.8 turnip special was such a laugh....and I'm ashamed to say the first car I've driven that I could heel and toe in since I sold the Atom (although with my nerve/back issues that hasn't been missed quite so much).
To illustrate the point, Clarky and I followed the boys up to Abz from Pitlochry the other week in the Gt3, mostly in 7th gear, bored..........with occasional attempts to flog it waking us up, for the split second we could use full power.
Theres a little stretch of this road, past the turning for Longniddry and along to Port Seton, where it is SO twisty, undulating, and utterly devoid of straights, that anything big and floaty (F430 for instance) makes no sense. They will ground and generally try to leave the scene........my trusty S1 shed product, glued to the road, changing direction like a ferret on speed, more manual gear changes in 3 miles than I've done in 3 months!
There a part of me thinking that older cars make increasing sense in todays world of ever decreasing road speeds, frowned upon overtaking, flappy paddles, and fly by wire steering for the petrol head. This morning did a lot to persuade me I'm right. I wouldn't have seen which way the 991 Gt3 had gone let alone kept up, but surely that's missing the point, and forgetting the fun & connection Lotus gives you.
Overtakes meant pushing that engine to its redline, which sounds like throwing some nuts in a blender, but you are in no doubt the engine is working, and despite it feeling like its not doing a huge amount, the lack of mass makes up for it allowing brisk acceleration. Other road users start to look like their cars need to go to fat camp.
And as for the steering...................................if you can't feel whats going on through that, do the world a favour and f*** off and get the bus.
Next time you see that new F car, McLaren etc and think "i wish" - just remember you are quite likely having more fun for 1/5 of the price.
Xmas is coming, and I see myself using the Lotus more and more, especially in the wet, and now my back is fixed
Actually the first time I've driven anything S1 based in an age, I'm ashamed to admit, on the road anyway.
Its noisy, small (forgot how small compared to other cars), crashes, I can hardly hear the radio (where are my Shures?) but bloody hell that steering is just epic, handling even with a geo needed superb. Mated to a lump of turnip bred VHPD, pointed down a wet coast road, foot down (once warmed Mr M) and off I went.
What a great laugh - drove the same road in the GT3 Wednesday night, and just made the jump to lightspeed/rough love in a cell/Tut speed SO easily. There was bugger all chance of that happening in this. In a era of truck like torque, supercar fast diseasals, get back in to an na 1.8 turnip special was such a laugh....and I'm ashamed to say the first car I've driven that I could heel and toe in since I sold the Atom (although with my nerve/back issues that hasn't been missed quite so much).
To illustrate the point, Clarky and I followed the boys up to Abz from Pitlochry the other week in the Gt3, mostly in 7th gear, bored..........with occasional attempts to flog it waking us up, for the split second we could use full power.
Theres a little stretch of this road, past the turning for Longniddry and along to Port Seton, where it is SO twisty, undulating, and utterly devoid of straights, that anything big and floaty (F430 for instance) makes no sense. They will ground and generally try to leave the scene........my trusty S1 shed product, glued to the road, changing direction like a ferret on speed, more manual gear changes in 3 miles than I've done in 3 months!
There a part of me thinking that older cars make increasing sense in todays world of ever decreasing road speeds, frowned upon overtaking, flappy paddles, and fly by wire steering for the petrol head. This morning did a lot to persuade me I'm right. I wouldn't have seen which way the 991 Gt3 had gone let alone kept up, but surely that's missing the point, and forgetting the fun & connection Lotus gives you.
Overtakes meant pushing that engine to its redline, which sounds like throwing some nuts in a blender, but you are in no doubt the engine is working, and despite it feeling like its not doing a huge amount, the lack of mass makes up for it allowing brisk acceleration. Other road users start to look like their cars need to go to fat camp.
And as for the steering...................................if you can't feel whats going on through that, do the world a favour and f*** off and get the bus.
Next time you see that new F car, McLaren etc and think "i wish" - just remember you are quite likely having more fun for 1/5 of the price.
Xmas is coming, and I see myself using the Lotus more and more, especially in the wet, and now my back is fixed
Greta investment an S1 Exige too, best looking car Lotus have ever made to my eye! 
