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So I'm driving my Lotus Turbo Esprit tonight up I-25, north out of Denver. The sun is beginning to set and the air is a little cooler (instead of our usual blazing heat). This helps the boost and the car is feeling great. I look in my rear view mirror and there's a Saab 9000 behind me. I change lanes, let him glide by. He doesn't know I have a car almost identical to his sitting in my driveway.
This is a moment to reflect on the differences in these two cars, exotic and well ... not so exotic. As I leave the city I shift the Lotus into top gear. I'm a family man, responsible, but the whine of the turbo tempts me to push my right foot a little more. I know I could have it up to 120 in a matter of seconds, but I back off and bring it down to just above the 75 mph speed limit.
The easy shifting of my Saab makes this shifter feel like a tractor's - it's a long way back to the linkage of a French-made gearbox behind the rear wheels. There's no power sunroof, like the Saab, so I crack the windows and begin to get a whiff of something. "I love the smell of burning fibreglass in the morning ..." Something is hot - either catalytic converter or the turbo itself.
Don't get me wrong; the Esprit is a fantastic car, and like no other. Only 440 were made in 1984, and only about 210 of those were brought to this side of the Atlantic; mine was one. It's an incredible looking car, fast and light and even a little loud. But you get tired of the little ricer boys pulling up next to you and revving their engines. Turbo lag in the Lotus is prodigious, and remember, I'm the responsible family man. I'm not tempted. I'd rather cruise the open road, as I am now, or at least in recent memory; I can still hear the engine behind my head, and the vibration in my fingers as I type this. The Lotus takes concentration. It's twitchy, high-strung, dangerous like a beautiful woman.
I bought the 9000 as drive-to-work car. It wasn't that special. Then it began to get driven more, began to spoil me. It's great to drive, handles lovely, plus it's fast and easy to work on (with the Lotus you have to remove three components to get to the one you're try to fix).
The Saab makes about 12-14 pounds of boost. The Lotus maxes at 7 point 5. But the Lotus redlines at 7000 rpm. I'm spinning at 3500 rpm and going about 78 mph - do the math. But for all it's exotic lines and racing heritage it sits in the garage a little too much. The Saab is just as much fun to drive (true) and pushes me back in my seat as much as I need. The Lotus has no APC, steers hard at low speed, starts with difficulty. The Saab is rock-solid reliable and I don't worry where I park it. I paid less for it than any car I've purchased and yet, it is one of the best cars I've ever owned (and I've owned a few).
It's a dark night and the pop up headlights are brightly reflecting on the passing signs. What tunes are playing in the deck? Boston (yeah, the old stuff). What to do with too many cars?
The point of this post/rant/story? The Lotus just makes me appreciate the Saab all the more. Who'da thunk it.
Happy Trails,
Peter
88 9000T
PS: Maybe the last big drive. The Lotus goes up for sale this weekend. And I start looking for a really good Aero.
posted by 205.188.11...
, Wed, 28 Jul 2004 14:20:53
, Wed, 28 Jul 2004 21:11:13
, Wed, 28 Jul 2004 13:06:58
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