|
Extract
from... |
|
We were given the opportunity to put one of the country's top cars through its paces, a 1966 example owned by Derek Dean, who has been specialising in Lotuses for more than 20 years. Derek has completely rebuilt the car from a bare shell, using only original parts, sourced from Australia and the US as well as Britain. This quest for originality even extends to the fanbelt, and the car is as immaculate underneath as it is on top. First impressions at the wheel were not what I was expecting. I was amazed at how comfortable the car was. The black vinyl of the rather upright seats almost feels like the soft leather so loved by modern luxury car makers. The instruments are on a piece of plain aluminium, but well-positioned and straightforward to read. Turn the key and the engine turns over in typical Mk 1 Cortina way, before jolting into life. Actually, the unit in this original-spec car sounds more like that in a standard car than some howling twin-cam amplified by a big-bore exhaust, though it's ticking over at around 1500 revs! The clutch is extremely light and progressive; in fact much less of a handful than the Mk 2 Escort I learned to drive in! Braking, thanks to front discs and a servo, is equally refined; the driver of any ABS-less Sierra wouldn't feel ruffled using them. The all-synchromesh gearchange is again light and pleasant to use, if anything more so than on the standard car. A badge on the centre console reminds you of Lotus' success in the '65 Indianapolis. Power, and there's plenty of it, is delivered smoothly and cleanly, the car picking up well from low revs. It's easy to get the engine on to its 6500rpm red line without even trying to drive the car in anger. By today's standards, the Lotus may not be blisteringly fast, but it delivers its performance in a controllable, almost friendly way. The ride isn't soft and soppy by any means, but it's definitely on the comfortable side of back-breakingly hard. Just try an XR3 by comparison. Handling is astonishingly neutral and responsive on corners, though if you really want to play rally drivers, a bit of unnecessary throttle going into bends can 'hang the tail out'. Again, the car is easy to get back in line, unless you are stupid. The Lotus-Cortina surprised in many ways, not only by its performance but also through its pure ease of use. It can give the best entertainment this side of a Mini Cooper, but if you're tired and just want to get home, the car will almost cosset you. This is no twitchy, tempermental devil!
|
