So is the Europa really the Lotus with fewer day-to-day compromises? The biggest obstacle to everyday Elise ownership is the gymnastic suppleness needed to get in or out with the roof on, a function of the low seating position, high and broad sill and low roofline. The Europa is just 3mm taller than an Elise, but by reshaping the sill and extending the doors, there’s a 55mm taller aperture through which to clamber. It’s an improvement on the Elise, but comfortable and graceful it is not. It’s a shame, because the Europa has legroom for a 6ft-plus driver. However, as with the Elise, the cabin’s shortcoming is not length but breadth.
With added sound deadening, motorway refinement is better than in the Elise, but still leagues behind that of even the most rough-edged competitor. Similarly, the boot, although 42 litres bigger than the Elise’s, is at least 100 litres smaller than that of a Cayman, TT or 350Z.
Then there's the £32,995 price. For this you get air-con, twin airbags, leather and Blaupunkt sat-nav. But you also get hard plastics, loose window seals and poor stitching. For £3300 more you could have a Cayman, a car that’ll match the Lotus's handling, trounce it on quality and comfort, return better residuals and can be used every day. For £6650 less you could have a 350Z.
Despite Lotus’s efforts at civility and composure, so restrictive are the Elise/Exige hard points and so focused the drive that you end up concluding that the Europa has neither the credentials nor the desire to really compete with the Cayman or 350Z. Which leaves the Elise. The way we see it, if anyone was prepared to sacrifice their comforts to the extent they’d have to in order to consider a Europa, they'd go 10 per cent further and buy an Elise, with its more engaging chassis and spine-tingling engine. They'd also save four grand in the process.
