Good company, good drive; Lotus convoy to its new Singapore showroom.
With the recent opening of the new Lotus showroom, the Singapore Lotus owners group planned a celebratory convoy to drive from Decathlon Kallang to the showroom at Leng Kee. It was a collective effort that saw several owners take the time to get up early on a Saturday morning to drive down – one of life’s hardest battles..
That was the only difficulty for the event.. and here I was camping the meeting location thirty minutes in advance waiting for any sign of a familar pint-sized two-seater sports car.. I was answered, incorrectly, by a yellow MG Cyberster.
Sure enough, the cars began trickling in one by one.
This was most certainly an eye-catching lineup, not just for the general public but for us owners alike. Its humbling to see a Europa S, one of two in Singapore, and for the others an old Elan. I might be right in assuming that the other Elan M100s in Singapore are not that active in events, so seeing one is a rare occurance.
You could spot a colorway from the lineup, leaning on a red-ish theme from yellow to red..
And all else a shade of grey (or a blank white canvas, but the canvas top is red).
After a quick breakfast and some chats, the group set off to Leng Kee in convoy.
The pace was definitely quicker than expected – quite a full small and necessary pulls to keep up with the front!
Over at the Lotus showroom, much more Elise and Exige were present in support of the brand and convoy. Though there were no S1 Elise present, S2 and S3s were plentiful.
Overall, there were five total model names (Elise, Exige, Europa, Elan, Esprit) present at the gathering. Not so bad!
Only two pre-2000s Lotus were present; the Elan and a Turbo Esprit!
The Turbo Esprit tells a fascinating tale by its owner. One of a single-digit count Singapore-market Esprit Turbos, it took him ten years to restore it back into the stunning condition it is now.
Most that would normally perish in a car of its age remains to be in original condition, the steering wheel one of only a handful that needed a reupholster. The seats are the original material, which is jaw-dropping.
One aspect that sets the Turbo Esprit and this particular unit apart is the factory-optioned roof-mounted stereo. I cannot quote on the price for local units, but domestically in the UK, these were a £1000 back in the day. Talk about 1980s excess!
It is verified to be an original Singapore-market car, proven by the now discontinued Certificate of Provenance service that Lotus was providing up until the end of the year, with the closure of the Archives department within Lotus. I never put money down for it, and am deeply regretting it now. Here’s hoping with a slither of hope that it is brought back by a third-party in the near future!
The rear wheels are not the OEM piece – more a usability choice than a cosmetic one. The original size for the rear wheels are impossible to get locally, so the rears are swapped to get a better hold of available tyres. Nevertheless, its fantastic.
Truly, I am as awestruck with this beautiful piece of automotive perfection as the first time I laid my eyes on it, and the other time I’d spotted it at the Lotus Emira SE launch.
Speaking of Emira, the AMG-powered Emira First Edition sits in the new Lotus showroom. With all options ticked and a sizeable discount in the price compared to self-configurating one from the factory, its a plenty clean example and worth looking for driving enthusiasts – whoever has the pockets for it!
Instead of the original Toyota-derived 3.5-litre supercharged 2GR-FE V6, the AMG-powered Emira uses a 2.0-litre four-pot M139 engine making identical power figures with the V6. The 2.0-litre Emiras are available only with an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, a night and day differentiator compared to the manual offered with the V6.
The question stands for prospective buyers: all-out speed with the AMG, or engagement and fun distraction with the Toyota?
Included in the showroom is also the brand’s other more “usable” options: the electric Eletre SUV and Emeya sedan. Going purely by association of body style, I think of the Emeya as a successor to the Lotus Carlton..
Included in the showroom are memorabillia such as official clothes and brand items, most notably that Certificate of Provenance seen below.
It has been more than a week since the drive, but I still think of it now..
it was a great event to meet and rendezvous with the other Lotus owners about their cars and relevant history behind them. its a small community, but a bright and social one. Thanks for having me!
~Linus
Gallery:
Read more: NewCar: Lotus Emira Turbo SE
Keep posting kid! Good contents