Suspension: Touring and Sports options

[Leonard]

From today's Top Gear online review:

"So, the powertrain is fine, but not a headline. As ever with Lotus, what you’re really here for is the steering and chassis balance.

Unusually, Lotus has come close to spoiling its efforts with hydraulically-assisted steering by fitting an oblong steering wheel that’s too thick and mounted too eccentrically, so it becomes a barrier between you and the information it should be feeding back into your palms. Blame the marketing department for insisting the Emira nodded to the Evija hypercar inside – we bet the dynamics team would’ve much sooner fitted a less tarty round steering wheel.

Still, there’s better feedback than anything in the class, though some of the grainy, noisier feedback has been filtered out, which suits the Emira’s more grown-up brief.

Lotus always sets up cars very consciously for road or track, and the Emira is very much a road car. So, though the steering is quick and pointy you sense it’ll understeer before the back lets go, and there’s dive as you turn in from the long-travel suspension. This is a car designed to breathe with a road rather than attack it with sky-high spring rates or massive downforce, and that’s because Lotus sets up its cars on UK roads which are invariably falling to bits.

If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere where infrastructure isn’t crumbling before your very eyes, then you might be tempted by the Sport chassis, instead of the Touring chassis we’ve been testing. This brings stiffer suspension and stickier Michelin tyres instead of the Goodyears on our test car, and will be popular with track day goers.

We’ll report back when we’ve driven a Sport, but the Touring chassis doesn’t want for grip or composure on UK roads. It isn’t as flighty as the far lighter Alpine A110, and there’s less sense of the car moving about beneath you, but neither is it so locked down and humourless that the car seems po-faced. It’s just a different compromise to what we’re used to in a Lotus. "

And back I go to being none the wiser to what I'm actually getting
The aftermarket tuners are going to love this car

 

[robrmon]

My order was locked mid March 22 (I understand this was the first batch of US orders).

Previously ordered Sport, and following Harry’s review requested to switch to Touring. Got a note from my dealer Lotus agreed to allow me to switch with no delay to my delivery.

I’m happy they allowed me to switch conditional on the basis of no delay.

I understand from my dealer he had a handful of identical requests from other deposit holders (within 24hrs of the reviews).

 

[TomE]

And look how the Touring + Goodyears car handled on track in the Top Gear TV review.

 

[Leonard]

And look how the Touring + Goodyears car handled on track in the Top Gear TV review.

If you objectively looked at all of the current reviews available to us, you would be forgiven for thinking that the Touring set up is literally the best all round choice and that Sports is compromised on both road and Track and working at odds with the lsd!

 

[JXJ]

My take from the multiple reviews I have read and watched.
Sport suspension compromise, low speed around town firmer ride than touring setup, advantage on open road with speed, sport setup flows and provides better sharper steering, less front end push (under steer) and better body control.

 

[Leonard]

My take from the multiple reviews I have read and watched.
Sport suspension compromise, low speed around town firmer ride than touring setup, advantage on open road with speed, sport setup flows and provides better sharper steering, less front end push (under steer) and better body control.

You say that, but all the Sports reviews I've seen mention understeer as well. I think the car has just been set up safe for the masses.

 

[JXJ]

I am doing the Lotus Academy half day next month, if it doesn’t get cancelled l’ll feedback my thoughts

 

[DrD]

You say that, but all the Sports reviews I've seen mention understeer as well. I think the car has just been set up safe for the masses.

The understeer should be easy to tune out with a good alignment set up. My 911 was awful with understeering at the limit, especially in the wet when on the edge. A quick trip to the suspension specialist and all understeer was entirely gone, just with an alignment change - all within Porsche OE spec too.

 

[ksegg]

Great write-up as always, @TomE !

I wanted Sports from Day 1, so sticking with that. The Emira will be a strictly weekend toy, and I live in an area that has buttery smooth roads, so it's a no brainer for me.

Plus, my daily is already buttery smooth, so I want the weekend toy to have a stiffer suspension.

 

[MCS]

Great write-up as always, @TomE !

I wanted Sports from Day 1, so sticking with that. The Emira will be strictly weekend toy, and I live in an area that has buttery smooth roads, so it's a no brainer for me.

Plus, my daily is already buttery smooth, so I want the weekend toy to have a stiffer suspension.

Very jealous. I must have driven over at least 20 pot holes in my 30 min drive this morning. In between those was wavey tarmac and dodgy cambers and a couple of trees sticking partly into the road. Blinking uk roads

I’m definitely sticking with touring

 

[Evotion]

No change in my understanding.

Touring - best for most people, more comfort, better as a daily or GT car

Sports - Weekend warrior, more feel, less comfort.

 

[MCS]

Based on my previous experience with my lovely wife:

Sports - “ I hate your bumpy car”

 

[eclat2emira]

Based on my previous experience with my lovely wife:

Sports - “ I hate your bumpy car”

Sounds eerily familiar despite nature endowing our better halves with more "padding"!

 

[eclat2emira]

No change in my understanding.

Touring - best for most people, more comfort, better as a daily or GT car

Sports - Weekend warrior, more feel, less comfort.

Yep, keep it simple, this was Gav Kershaw's call way back (and many others) nothing has changed that and Chris Harris's review cements it.

Like others have said, that decision can be affected by road quality where you do your driving.

 

[First Lotus]

I'm going sports and a Gold Standard Dental Plan!

 

[digilotus]

Sports and Cup2s for me!

I'm undertaking a specific workout plan in preparation.

 

[MCS]

I can manage corpse pose at the moment

 

[mjw930]

If you objectively looked at all of the current reviews available to us, you would be forgiven for thinking that the Touring set up is literally the best all round choice and that Sports is compromised on both road and Track and working at odds with the lsd!

I think I’ll reserve judgement until someone with a proper Sport package with Cup2’s drives one in anger.

Having come from a 981 with X73 and a 982 with GT4 / Cup2 suspensions I’m thinking Lotus spec Sport will feel like a luxury car.

 

[ksegg]

Very jealous. I must have driven over at least 20 pot holes in my 30 min drive this morning. In between those was wavey tarmac and dodgy cambers and a couple of trees sticking partly into the road. Blinking uk roads

I’m definitely sticking with touring

Yikes! That doesn't sound pleasant at all. But I'm sure you have much nicer scenery!

I live in the northeast suburbs of Atlanta (which includes Alpharetta, Milton, Johns Creek, and Suwanee) and the roads are very well maintained here. I often just stay within the suburbs (I work from home, and visit the shops/town centers on weekends), so it makes weekend driving enjoyable.

That said..............if I want to go into the greater Atlanta area (Downtown, Midtown, Decatur, Buckhead, etc) then I leave the weekend toy at home and take the daily driver, because the roads in those areas have far more cracks, potholes, etc.

 

[MCS]

Driving through the green and pleasant land of England so yes it’s lovely