More observations - 348 vs Esprit

OK, I've been a 348 owner now for 3 days (I've posted pictures in the recent post "My New 348 Has Arrived !!")

A few people have asked, so now that I've had a chance to drive it a bit, I thought I'd give a few more comparison points between my 1994 348 and my 1987 Lotus Esprit: )

- The Ferrari doesn't need to wait for a turbo to spool, so it feels faster from the lights (unless you slip the clutch on the Lotus, then it'd have to go to the Lotus at the lights).

- Full acceleration at highway speeds, they both feel about the same until you get above 90mph. At that point the Lotus really starts to feel out of power.

- The transmission in the Lotus is much easier to shift "IF" you DON'T know what you're doing. The Ferrari really needs to be shifted with rev-matching, double-clutch, double-shift, etc.... and I LOVE that!!! It does make for real trouble when someone wants to drive it though. (one of my rules is that I will let friends drive it if they ask, it's too special not to share)

- The Ferrari exudes quality with every little piece. The Lotus really feels slapped together by comparison. It's tough to describe, but every time I've adjusted, disassembled, reassembled anything on the Ferrari, I'm struck by the high-quality materials, the machining, and how well things fit together. Nothing in the Lotus ever became sticky though....... got to give them credit for that one.

- The idle on the Lotus is something akin to a souped-up mid-60's muscle car with a long cam duration, so there's no such thing as a smooth idle; it bounces all over the place. The Ferrari, by contrast is smooth as glass.

- The Lotus is easier to start. Occasionally, the Ferrari puts up a bit of a fuss when it's hot (especially if I touch the accelerator during the start...... it's a habit, from the Lotus that I've got to break). The Lotus just fires instantly, hot or cold.

- Driving at highway speeds, the Ferrari is a pure pleasure. It's smooth, not fidgety and at 100 mph + it feels as though there's plenty of thrust left for much much more. The Lotus is twitchy and nervous on the highway and at speeds over 90 mph it really feels like it's running out of thrust. The Lotus doesn't make you want to go faster up there (unlike the 348).

- The gauges in the Ferrari are actually readable! The Lotus offers dim green gauges that can't be seen at night and the needles on the speedometer AND the tachometer bounce all over the place as if the needles are loose.

- The targa roof in the 348 is SO much nicer than the giant sunroof in the Lotus. I really love NOT having the side bars up there!

- And the BIG ONE that I'd be interested to hear your impressions about........ The Lotus actually feels more confident in the twisties. I think it's because the Lotus takes bumps better than the 348. Hitting a bump during a high speed turn in the Lotus is never a problem. In the 348 though, the car lifts up to fly over the bump and the wheels lift up with the car instead of staying pressed against the pavement. The result can be a bit of a hop, hop, hop as it regains its footing. It's as though there's not enough suspension travel to keep the wheels on the ground. That's going to take a bit of getting used to.....

- I absolutely LOVE both of them! I love coming home and opening the garage doors, just to see what's behind them. It's like Christmas every day

 

Any Ferrari is an ENGINE first --- everything else is secondary....

Any Lotus is a SUSPENSION / CHASSIS first --- everything else is secondary....

BTW, I realize you are using the 4-cylinder '87 Esprit for comparison only because that is your point of reference and the model with which you have direct experience. But, it's really a poor comparison --- generations of technology apart and no where close in power. The later V8 Esprit is a much more accurate match for the 348 in every meaningful way. And, you won't have any of the power complaints with that one as you will with the '87

 

I've only had my V8 Esprit for a few months, but I'm liking it so much so far that starting to consider a change of heart.

This fall I was going to add either a Gallardo, an R8, or a 430 to my fleet, but I'm finding myself looking very hard at the Evora, instead

 

I got a kick out of your Ferrari=Engine / Lotus=Chassis formula. It definitely fits

That V8 Esprit is a monster for sure. I've never driven one on the highway, but it's good to hear it's not out of thrust in the upper ranges! With a twin turbo V8, I guess you'd have to expect it. The 4 cylinder turbo is a power house in the lower speeds though, I wouldn't underestimate it if you're down in its' territory

I understand what you mean about the Evora. There's nothing like it anywhere, and it's bound to be an amazing driving car. But I'd have to tilt in favor of the Gallardo. There's something so menacing about that car, you've just got to have one! Then I'd love to hear your impressions about how they all compare! Let us know which way you go, anything on that list will leave you smiling, no doubt.

 

Huh? Really? Maybe your opinion will change after a few months...

DF

 

With the proper mods ---- factory ECU upgrade, slightly bigger turbos, and beefed up gear sets....the V8 Esprit will eat an F40's lunch

 

Yeah but who cares

 

Jetfixr on here had a 2003 with just those mods, it was a beast.
Not real powerful under 30 mph, but once the turbos started spinning, it would haze the tires, get slightly sideways and mash you in the seat....and pull for as long as you wanted to go.

Now the crazy a$$ has a new Z06 Vette that's getting a Lingenfelter 660 hp mod package- 0-200 mph in 29 seconds. I haven't driven it yet, but he said it's way faster than the Lotus was.

 

The Esprit is a more nimble car in the twists and the V8 is fast.

 

OMG..... best say goodbye now.

 

Dude...swap out your tranny oil to Redline. I promise you your shift issue's will COMPLETELY disappear.

 

The description of the 348 indicates that it is not sitting at the correct ride height. That is, the car is setup wrong, or has (over time) simply sagged out of tollerance. So, after having someone look at teh suspension bushings for servicibility, get the thing ride height adjusted, corner weighted, and then aligned.

 

+348, made a huge difference.

 

I just made a VERY INTERESTING DISCOVERY........ I just checked my tire pressure all around. Every tire was at 39-lbs COLD. I have a feeling that's the issue right there. The dealer way overfilled them! Looking forward to my next drive (with rain, that'll probably be Friday).

 

Will do. Thanks for the bump in the right direction.

 

look at the 458 top gear video....

Clarkson says the 348 tires were made out of wood....

Check that, maybe that is the problem

 

I believe tires and the suspension set-up are key to having a good riding and handling 348. My 348 handled very well when I first got it, but I was never satisfied with the over-all ride. When it was due for tires I switched from the OEM Pirelli's to Continental Extreme DW's and found a world of difference in the ride quality. It also improved the light steering feel at high speed. Tire pressure seems to also have a huge impact on stability, low 30 psi's give a solid confident feel. My car had the ride height and alignment set perfectly before I purchased it and I have always been impressed with its handling. The 348 is the most sensitive car I have ever owned. Little changes seem to make a big difference when it comes to drive-ability. Just my .02

--Mike

 

Mike, Everything I've been reading suggests that you're right about the 348 being very sensitive and I'm almost positive I'll see a HUGE difference now that I've backed the tire pressure down from 39 to 32 pounds.

At 39, they were WAY too hard and I've got to believe that the extra pressure severely compromised their ability to hold on. Hence their tendency to feel "wooden" and lose grip in a hard turn "with" bumps. Would you agree????

Not sure why the dealer pumped them that high..... must have been the lot boy

 

If I had to guess they did that because they did not know how long they would have the car and did not want to flat spot the tires or they just have no idea what they are doing lol.

--Mike

 

With the right wheels & tires the 348 will feel more confident. The skinny rims & horrid offsets of the stock wheels are what led to the bad rep of the 348.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFatyz8w6s4

 

Very True. But this one is a later model (1994) and a Speciale (Series II), so it's got the Spider Upgrades, including the wider rear track. I'm hoping my handling issue was entirely related to the ridiculous tire pressure the dealer used.