The Lotus Europa S is a 2-door coupé from Lotus, built from 2006 to 2010, in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids. Under the bonnet: 2.0 L GM Z20LER Ecotec turbo I4. Russell Carr drew it.
How it came about
The Lotus Europa S (Type 121) is a sports car built by the British company Lotus Cars from 2006 until 2010. It has a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and was designed to be a more comfortable variant of the driver-focused Lotus Elise and its derivative, the Exige. The Europa S revived the Europa nameplate previously used in the 1960s and 1970s.
The Europa S features a larger boot (trunk), greater sound-proofing and easier cabin access due to the lower chassis sides and higher roof line. The Europa S includes creature comforts such as air conditioning, a sound system, leather interior and interior carpeting as standard equipment reflecting its grand touring nature.
The hardware
Power comes from 2.0 L GM Z20LER Ecotec turbo I4. It weighs 995 kg. It shifts through a 6-speed Getrag M32 manual. The layout matters: the engine sits behind the driver and ahead of the rear axle, which puts the mass in the middle of the car and is why mid-engined cars change direction the way they do. The wheelbase is 2330 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Family and rivals
Its family tree is legible: assembly was at Hethel, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom. Its contemporaries in the catalogue — the Nissan Qashqai, the Audi R8, the Aston Martin Vantage — show what else the money bought that year. Its Lotus stablemates include the Lotus 100T and the Lotus 101.