NA Market Ordered: Sport or Touring suspension

[Lotustoronto]

Tested both and will give my two cents later today.

Question….
Is the Cup2s softer therefore smoother when riding on the road, meaning F1s would be harsher?

I tested sports with cup2 and tour with f1 back to back.

Wondering if sports with f1 would feel more bumpy.

Sport suspension F1 vs Cup 2 has a few differences in geometry. The F1 tire will be more "comfortable" setup on the road vs the Cup 2's.

 

[Adam Brouillard]

Tested both and will give my two cents later today.

Question….
Is the Cup2s softer therefore smoother when riding on the road, meaning F1s would be harsher?

I tested sports with cup2 and tour with f1 back to back.

Wondering if sports with f1 would feel more bumpy.

The cup 2s probably have a stiffer sidewall which would feel a bit stiffer when cruising, but tire pressures you run would probably make a bigger difference.

I wouldn't get the cup 2s unless you are getting the car for track days though. They are meant as a track day tire that you can drive to the track on and not worry about changing to race tires when you get there.

If you plan on doing track days as well as doing a decent amount of street driving, a good solution is just to get two sets of wheels. Put some cup 2s on your track wheels and then change them out at home before you go. That way you don't have to worry about figuring out a way to haul 4 extra tires with you.

The f1s would be fine for track days too though depending on your goals.

 

[Newguy1354]

The f1s would be fine for track days too though depending on your goals.

I think this is a good point that some may be missing.

 

[1stLotus]

You have all been intrumental to helping me change my decision to Sport w/F1

For context: I've watch all the videos on Youtube on the Emira and have been reading the threads here as well (tour vs suspension 27pager is great). My thoughts are subjective, with likes and dislikes personal to ME.

Yesterday, I test drove the Sports w/Cup2s and Tour w/ F1s back to back over the same route driving only about 10 minutes each here in the Bay Area. It was NOT an aggressive drive with canyon carving or anything like that, rather on-ramp, off-ramp, decent freeway pavement and some semi-rough patches on side streets. Here's what I found:

- The sports setup has a noticeable heightened steering feel. This gave me the sensation of what some journalists say "the Lotus is an extension of your body." The turning was precise and darty. It gave me drama, excitement and occassion on slow and fast speeds. The steering communicated more feeback. It continued to keep me engaged, which is what I want. While the steering is meant to be the same in the Touring, I felt less of those sensations. I noticed I had to rotate the steering ever-so-slighlty more on and off the freeway ramps. It's been said that Lotus is not overly concerned about it's numbers, it's how it makes you feel.

- There was no stiffness I experienced on the Sports suspension with Cup2s. It actually felt more compliant than my daily driver (Mach-E GT, non-MagneRide). The caveat is that this was a 10 min. drive compared to a long distrance drive over constant bumps on B-roads, from what I understand England has plenty of. One member who took delivery of their Sports w/F1s explained that their ride was stiff on the onset. After breaking the suspension in and lowering the tire pressure, the car felt much more comfortable.

- Yes, more body roll was evident on the Touring. One of the members pointed out to me body roll is not a bad thing becuase it can help the driver gauge the limits of the car. To that end, I vow to becoming a more skilled driver through courses and practice so I will know how far I can push the car without it suddenly going sideways, unless I want it to .

When watching videos to help you decide one needs to bear in mind that most of them did NOT have back to back sports/touring setups to compare. And we know that there is a give and take when choosing. Why this was almost a coin toss for me was becuase the steering feel was extremely important to me for the experience. Almost as equally, is the experience I get to share the joy of driving with a passenger. If the passenger starts to complain about rough rides, then I would feel bad and lack on that experience.

At the end...It's my time to enjoy sometime primarily for me. Go test yours if you can with both back to back and hopefully then you'll have the answer.

 

[Porter]

I've driven both Sports and Touring (both with the Goodyear F1) and honestly, for most drivers the performance will be extremely similar. Touring is slightly softer over bigger bumps and heaves in the road, it absorbs more of the motion.

The steering is more "direct" feeling in the Sports chassis as mentioned above, I think mainly due to the differences in alignment geometry and the difference in compression damping.

Personally, I didn't find the Sport to be harsh at all, in fact it was softer over bridge seams than my friend's Cadillac CTS-V which we drove to and from the dealer for the test drive.

I opted for Sports (long before ever being able to test drive) and expect it to be 100% livable on the East Coast streets and mountain back roads on which I will primarily be driving. It's a sports car and I expect it to feel sporty. No regrets about my choice after the confirmation test drives.

The closest analogy that I can make that is non-automotive is that the Touring chassis feels like a well-fitting brand new set of cross trainer shoes, and the Sports chassis feels like a well-fitting brand new set of high end running shoes. Both are good. The Sports is a little more purposeful and gives a little additional feedback, while sacrificing just a small amount of comfort.

 

[Speedy Emira]

My car was 8 months old with 2k miles when I bought it so I had no choice on the set up. It has the sports chassis with Goodyear tyres and not the Cup 2s I expected it to have.
The last 9 years of driving I’ve always had Pilot Sport 4S or Cup 2 tyres and suffered the lack of longevity for the best grip. I’ve only driven 300 miles so far but can say the Goodyear tyres on Sports chassis is really good and have made me wonder how much better the Cup 2s are on the road. It would be good to hear from owners in the next year who have changed brands and can report their findings.

 

[Stiffarm]

Did not have the opportunity to try either set up. Ordered touring with Goodyear F1s for me--I do street driving exclusively. Age 72-- my back needs a rest.

 

[brainf18]

I have driven both back to back. I agonized over the decision but ended up going with touring, and here's why...

Quick bonafides: I have a competition racing licence, and raced both Porsches and BMW's 'with NASA. I've instructed with the NASA supercomp racing school and have instructed HPDE with PCA and Ferrari club. I've owned multiple 911's, BMW M2C and a few lesser known Porsches, 968 and modified 914.

For me, (others milage might vary) It boils down to how I intend to use the car. I intent do drive the car 95% on the street, daily it regularly on sunny days, and mix in a few HPDE track weekends each year.

I think where Emira buyers are getting hung up is with how Lotus describes the two suspension options. IMHO, the terms "sports" and "touring" are misleading. For example, it seems counterintuitive to get anything OTHER than the "sports" suspension. After all we are buying a sports car...Right?! Also when they use the term "touring" it elicits thoughts of an ND miata's soft set up with huge amounts of body roll.

Lotus should have labeled the suspension options as "Track Focused" or "Road Focused". The reality is each suspension set up can do both but each is suited for one more than the other.

The Track focused or "Sports" suspension is ideally suited for a track. Of course it can be driven on the road and it does a great job of soaking up most roadway imperfections. Find a smooth well paved road in good condition and the Sports Suspension is AWESOME! That said, when road conditions are less than perfect, it doesn't do as well and the ride can become quite harsh. Expansion gaps, small pot holes etc, (normal road conditions in most places) really unsettle the car and the "sports" alignment settings compound the effect. Larger bumps really send some alarming jolts through the steering making the car feel squirmy.

The Road Focused or "Touring" suspension with slightly less aggressive alignment settings is much better suited for daily use on public roads. The touring suspension is engineered to handle all sorts of road conditions and makes for a much more settled predictable handling car when the road conditions are not ideal. So would the touring suspension be suitable for an HPDE weekend? The answer is absolutely YES. The car won't have the knife edge feel of the sports suspension and the touring set up is designed to have a very small amount of body roll. This said, for 95% of drivers who aren't driving a 9/10 or 10/10ths will never know the difference. Also its important to keep in mind that not all track days are in ideal conditions. Sometimes it rains! When the track is wet, a softer setup with a bit of body roll is exactly what a driver wants. The differences in lap times between the two suspension set ups (assuming same tire) would be negligible and down to driver skill much more than Lotus' suspension setup differences.

The choice is yours...But I'd recommend considering your "mission profile" before ticking the suspension option box. If your a track rat who trailers every weekend to the local road course and drives on the street occasionally, absolutely get the Sport (track) suspension. If you plan on driving the car predominately on the road and only doing a few track days each year, get the Touring (road) suspension.

For me...I wanted the most amount of flexibility. Touring (street) is a much better, more comfortable choice for regular road use and more than good enough to hustle around a race track if the need arrises.

 

[LA Kimball]

I have driven both back to back. I agonized over the decision but ended up going with touring, and here's why...

Quick bonafides: I have a competition racing licence, and raced both Porsches and BMW's 'with NASA. I've instructed with the NASA supercomp racing school and have instructed HPDE with PCA and Ferrari club. I've owned multiple 911's, BMW M2C and a few lesser known Porsches, 968 and modified 914.

For me, (others milage might vary) It boils down to how I intend to use the car. I intent do drive the car 95% on the street, daily it regularly on sunny days, and mix in a few HPDE track weekends each year.

I think where Emira buyers are getting hung up is with how Lotus describes the two suspension options. IMHO, the terms "sports" and "touring" are misleading. For example, it seems counterintuitive to get anything OTHER than the "sports" suspension. After all we are buying a sports car...Right?! Also when they use the term "touring" it elicits thoughts of an ND miata's soft set up with huge amounts of body roll.

Lotus should have labeled the suspension options as "Track Focused" or "Road Focused". The reality is each suspension set up can do both but each is suited for one more than the other.

The Track focused or "Sports" suspension is ideally suited for a track. Of course it can be driven on the road and it does a great job of soaking up most roadway imperfections. Find a smooth well paved road in good condition and the Sports Suspension is AWESOME! That said, when road conditions are less than perfect, it doesn't do as well and the ride can become quite harsh. Expansion gaps, small pot holes etc, (normal road conditions in most places) really unsettle the car and the "sports" alignment settings compound the effect. Larger bumps really send some alarming jolts through the steering making the car feel squirmy.

The Road Focused or "Touring" suspension with slightly less aggressive alignment settings is much better suited for daily use on public roads. The touring suspension is engineered to handle all sorts of road conditions and makes for a much more settled predictable handling car when the road conditions are not ideal. So would the touring suspension be suitable for an HPDE weekend? The answer is absolutely YES. The car won't have the knife edge feel of the sports suspension and the touring set up is designed to have a very small amount of body roll. This said, for 95% of drivers who aren't driving a 9/10 or 10/10ths will never know the difference. Also its important to keep in mind that not all track days are in ideal conditions. Sometimes it rains! When the track is wet, a softer setup with a bit of body roll is exactly what a driver wants. The differences in lap times between the two suspension set ups (assuming same tire) would be negligible and down to driver skill much more than Lotus' suspension setup differences.

The choice is yours...But I'd recommend considering your "mission profile" before ticking the suspension option box. If your a track rat who trailers every weekend to the local road course and drives on the street occasionally, absolutely get the Sport (track) suspension. If you plan on driving the car predominately on the road and only doing a few track days each year, get the Touring (road) suspension.

For me...I wanted the most amount of flexibility. Touring (street) is a much better, more comfortable choice for regular road use and more than good enough to hustle around a race track if the need arrises.

Thanks for the good perspective. I have yet have to submit my build but this decision is probably the most difficult for me having been a former Exige S240 and now a Vantage V8S driver. Uggghhh!!

 

[Adam Brouillard]

What are the different alignment specs for touring vs sport? I haven't seen that.

 

[brainf18]

What are the different alignment specs for touring vs sport? I haven't seen that.

I was told by the dealer and during the factory tour in Hethel the sports and touring suspensions will have slightly different settings. Here's the spec sheet I have for the sports suspension. I don't have the touring specs but the dealer should.

Emira Alignment Specifications



Sport Alignment:

Front Camber: -0.9 to -0.7 degrees

Front Caster: 4.90 to 5.10 degrees

Front Toe: -0.01 to +0.03 degrees

Rear Camber: -1.9 to -1.7 degrees

Rear Toe: 0.18 to 0.22 degrees

 

[GrahamClark_60-68]

I have driven both back to back. I agonized over the decision but ended up going with touring, and here's why...

Quick bonafides: I have a competition racing licence, and raced both Porsches and BMW's 'with NASA. I've instructed with the NASA supercomp racing school and have instructed HPDE with PCA and Ferrari club. I've owned multiple 911's, BMW M2C and a few lesser known Porsches, 968 and modified 914.

For me, (others milage might vary) It boils down to how I intend to use the car. I intent do drive the car 95% on the street, daily it regularly on sunny days, and mix in a few HPDE track weekends each year.

I think where Emira buyers are getting hung up is with how Lotus describes the two suspension options. IMHO, the terms "sports" and "touring" are misleading. For example, it seems counterintuitive to get anything OTHER than the "sports" suspension. After all we are buying a sports car...Right?! Also when they use the term "touring" it elicits thoughts of an ND miata's soft set up with huge amounts of body roll.

Lotus should have labeled the suspension options as "Track Focused" or "Road Focused". The reality is each suspension set up can do both but each is suited for one more than the other.

The Track focused or "Sports" suspension is ideally suited for a track. Of course it can be driven on the road and it does a great job of soaking up most roadway imperfections. Find a smooth well paved road in good condition and the Sports Suspension is AWESOME! That said, when road conditions are less than perfect, it doesn't do as well and the ride can become quite harsh. Expansion gaps, small pot holes etc, (normal road conditions in most places) really unsettle the car and the "sports" alignment settings compound the effect. Larger bumps really send some alarming jolts through the steering making the car feel squirmy.

The Road Focused or "Touring" suspension with slightly less aggressive alignment settings is much better suited for daily use on public roads. The touring suspension is engineered to handle all sorts of road conditions and makes for a much more settled predictable handling car when the road conditions are not ideal. So would the touring suspension be suitable for an HPDE weekend? The answer is absolutely YES. The car won't have the knife edge feel of the sports suspension and the touring set up is designed to have a very small amount of body roll. This said, for 95% of drivers who aren't driving a 9/10 or 10/10ths will never know the difference. Also its important to keep in mind that not all track days are in ideal conditions. Sometimes it rains! When the track is wet, a softer setup with a bit of body roll is exactly what a driver wants. The differences in lap times between the two suspension set ups (assuming same tire) would be negligible and down to driver skill much more than Lotus' suspension setup differences.

The choice is yours...But I'd recommend considering your "mission profile" before ticking the suspension option box. If your a track rat who trailers every weekend to the local road course and drives on the street occasionally, absolutely get the Sport (track) suspension. If you plan on driving the car predominately on the road and only doing a few track days each year, get the Touring (road) suspension.

For me...I wanted the most amount of flexibility. Touring (street) is a much better, more comfortable choice for regular road use and more than good enough to hustle around a race track if the need arrises.

I ordered touring, for many of the same considerations as you mentioned but reading all the great feedback on this forum about sport/F1, I started thinking that I may have made a mistake, and considered calling my dealer back to see if there was still time to change my choice. Well you've talked my back down from that ledge with your well-articulated observations. Touring/F1 it remains for me. Thanks, very much appreciate your post!

 

[Climber]

I have driven both back to back. I agonized over the decision but ended up going with touring, and here's why...

Quick bonafides: I have a competition racing licence, and raced both Porsches and BMW's 'with NASA. I've instructed with the NASA supercomp racing school and have instructed HPDE with PCA and Ferrari club. I've owned multiple 911's, BMW M2C and a few lesser known Porsches, 968 and modified 914.

For me, (others milage might vary) It boils down to how I intend to use the car. I intent do drive the car 95% on the street, daily it regularly on sunny days, and mix in a few HPDE track weekends each year.

I think where Emira buyers are getting hung up is with how Lotus describes the two suspension options. IMHO, the terms "sports" and "touring" are misleading. For example, it seems counterintuitive to get anything OTHER than the "sports" suspension. After all we are buying a sports car...Right?! Also when they use the term "touring" it elicits thoughts of an ND miata's soft set up with huge amounts of body roll.

Lotus should have labeled the suspension options as "Track Focused" or "Road Focused". The reality is each suspension set up can do both but each is suited for one more than the other.

The Track focused or "Sports" suspension is ideally suited for a track. Of course it can be driven on the road and it does a great job of soaking up most roadway imperfections. Find a smooth well paved road in good condition and the Sports Suspension is AWESOME! That said, when road conditions are less than perfect, it doesn't do as well and the ride can become quite harsh. Expansion gaps, small pot holes etc, (normal road conditions in most places) really unsettle the car and the "sports" alignment settings compound the effect. Larger bumps really send some alarming jolts through the steering making the car feel squirmy.

The Road Focused or "Touring" suspension with slightly less aggressive alignment settings is much better suited for daily use on public roads. The touring suspension is engineered to handle all sorts of road conditions and makes for a much more settled predictable handling car when the road conditions are not ideal. So would the touring suspension be suitable for an HPDE weekend? The answer is absolutely YES. The car won't have the knife edge feel of the sports suspension and the touring set up is designed to have a very small amount of body roll. This said, for 95% of drivers who aren't driving a 9/10 or 10/10ths will never know the difference. Also its important to keep in mind that not all track days are in ideal conditions. Sometimes it rains! When the track is wet, a softer setup with a bit of body roll is exactly what a driver wants. The differences in lap times between the two suspension set ups (assuming same tire) would be negligible and down to driver skill much more than Lotus' suspension setup differences.

The choice is yours...But I'd recommend considering your "mission profile" before ticking the suspension option box. If your a track rat who trailers every weekend to the local road course and drives on the street occasionally, absolutely get the Sport (track) suspension. If you plan on driving the car predominately on the road and only doing a few track days each year, get the Touring (road) suspension.

For me...I wanted the most amount of flexibility. Touring (street) is a much better, more comfortable choice for regular road use and more than good enough to hustle around a race track if the need arrises.

Wish I had read this before making a choice + 2 years ago…
Thanks for your Precise and accurate description of the suspension choices…
Amazing !

 

[pec]

I have driven both back to back. I agonized over the decision but ended up going with touring, and here's why...

Quick bonafides: I have a competition racing licence, and raced both Porsches and BMW's 'with NASA. I've instructed with the NASA supercomp racing school and have instructed HPDE with PCA and Ferrari club. I've owned multiple 911's, BMW M2C and a few lesser known Porsches, 968 and modified 914.

For me, (others milage might vary) It boils down to how I intend to use the car. I intent do drive the car 95% on the street, daily it regularly on sunny days, and mix in a few HPDE track weekends each year.

I think where Emira buyers are getting hung up is with how Lotus describes the two suspension options. IMHO, the terms "sports" and "touring" are misleading. For example, it seems counterintuitive to get anything OTHER than the "sports" suspension. After all we are buying a sports car...Right?! Also when they use the term "touring" it elicits thoughts of an ND miata's soft set up with huge amounts of body roll.

Lotus should have labeled the suspension options as "Track Focused" or "Road Focused". The reality is each suspension set up can do both but each is suited for one more than the other.

The Track focused or "Sports" suspension is ideally suited for a track. Of course it can be driven on the road and it does a great job of soaking up most roadway imperfections. Find a smooth well paved road in good condition and the Sports Suspension is AWESOME! That said, when road conditions are less than perfect, it doesn't do as well and the ride can become quite harsh. Expansion gaps, small pot holes etc, (normal road conditions in most places) really unsettle the car and the "sports" alignment settings compound the effect. Larger bumps really send some alarming jolts through the steering making the car feel squirmy.

The Road Focused or "Touring" suspension with slightly less aggressive alignment settings is much better suited for daily use on public roads. The touring suspension is engineered to handle all sorts of road conditions and makes for a much more settled predictable handling car when the road conditions are not ideal. So would the touring suspension be suitable for an HPDE weekend? The answer is absolutely YES. The car won't have the knife edge feel of the sports suspension and the touring set up is designed to have a very small amount of body roll. This said, for 95% of drivers who aren't driving a 9/10 or 10/10ths will never know the difference. Also its important to keep in mind that not all track days are in ideal conditions. Sometimes it rains! When the track is wet, a softer setup with a bit of body roll is exactly what a driver wants. The differences in lap times between the two suspension set ups (assuming same tire) would be negligible and down to driver skill much more than Lotus' suspension setup differences.

The choice is yours...But I'd recommend considering your "mission profile" before ticking the suspension option box. If your a track rat who trailers every weekend to the local road course and drives on the street occasionally, absolutely get the Sport (track) suspension. If you plan on driving the car predominately on the road and only doing a few track days each year, get the Touring (road) suspension.

For me...I wanted the most amount of flexibility. Touring (street) is a much better, more comfortable choice for regular road use and more than good enough to hustle around a race track if the need arrises.

Thank you for taking the time to share!!

 

[Newguy1354]

I'm glad I made this Thread. I am quite surprised so many got the Touring setup. Thanks to everyone who voted.
And apparently we'll know real soon if we made the right choices!

 

[Time2Fly]

So far Sport leads by 9 over Touring, and F1 leafs the Cup 2 by 69.

 

[RoryBellows]

I think it will be easier to switch to a more performance oriented shock/spring than switching to a more comfortable one in the future so I think the safer choice is the touring spec. That said my heart is leaning me towards sport with the cup 2s.