700 miles of the west coast in a Europa
With the weather and all the hillclimbing going on I hadn't seen ellopa for a few weeks. I suspect that most of you will know what happens next
That's right. It's a true Lotus
there was a complete lack of led on the dash. Flat bat in extremis. I connected the racers power pack to the battery and spun the motor over and it started immediately then put it on charge over night. We had all kinds of weather on the trip and the car with full fuel (only 36 litres), 2 full occupants and full boot is ever so heavy and solid at the back end. When the fuel is gone the balance is much nicer but at 200 miles to the tank at the last check I seldom put in only half a tank. When it was dry the steering loads up really well and lets you feel the grip but there's always more at the back. In the rain and the really bad standing water the car is rock solid but again understeer can be found but only when you go looking for it otherwise it's just fast wet or dry. At 100 tuts it's underdamped all the rest of the time it's very smooth and relatively quiet. The engine is strange, I spent ages yesterday trying to figure it out and missed more than a good few passing opportunities in doing so. I wondered if I'm still capable of driving full on for more than a grand prix distance these days. It's the 40 crowd that do my head in, 40 in the 30, 40 in the 40, 40 in the NSL and all bunched together. What is the current technique for this style of making progress, I always used to look through their windows and under their cars to see ahead but now even the Honda Jazz and the Renault Clio brigade have skirted bumpers and huge curved rear screens that prevent forward vision. Anyhoo this engine, it's a turbo 2.0 200 geegees, but the geegees as always are up the top. 4th and 5th are great gears, 6th is overdrive and 100 tuts are there in all bar the 1st three.In the NSL, in 4th the car has the turbo spinning and 3.5k will see it go past most traffic wit ease, 4.5k and there's a nice ramp up to the full stampede and when you lift off it just keeps going, I use the brakes on this car more than I usually do and that's not relaxing for me. The brakes are good tho' and I haven't triggered the abs yet (other than proving it works) So the engine is fine at 60, but at 40 it's dead unless I'm in 3rd on even better probably 2nd with boost on. Otherwise when a small gap appears, I press throttle but nothing seems to happen, turbo spins up and reasonable power available to pass, hit 4.5k and brake very hard to slow down to prevent running in the back of someone. By the end of the day I was getting there but it's like having 2 powerbands and with that extra weight to accelerate, it just dampens my progress, I only had the flashing lights and the toot toot once tho', and one tuttut from the pax seat. I think I still need a wee bit more experience in all types of conditions to get the best from it then. Very big thanks to both Stu and FD for showing me the lines up the west coast and keeping me honest One or two stone chips at last, and I'm getting more and more at home with it. Roll on the next one. Oh! and in answer to the question it's a great car, that can make huge progress in relative comfort and quiet and especially on an empty road
But it's not a nutters car A better weather forecast and you may have been reading a different car reportIt sounds better too if I leave the drivers door on the first catch
but that's possibly why the interior light could have flattened the battery ps I've never seen one on the road either
an informative write up Lawrence and by the way what cracking form you were in the other night 
