Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

The roads around here are spectacularly bad. Pot holes that seem to return echos, bad bodged patches breaking up already. Ridges, lumps and sunken drain covers. 40 miles outside London it is a disgrace!

One particular road has got the lot plus the usual load of poorly parked gargantuan SUVs. (Surely there must be a limit to their growth? I note some have ladders fitted allow access.)

Toad takes it all with remarkable aplomb. I realised how well it rode when I crashed and lept along the same stretch a few hours later in my wifes modern shopping trolley.

Hopefully, with the new rear end, it will be better still!

Similar roads are here in Tunbridge Wells, the local residents association want to put in speed cushions and reduce the speed to 20mph. The speed cushions will be the best part of the road and won?t slow down mummy delivering Fiona and Tristram in the family premium badged SUV, nor will it improve the parking or road manners.

I seem to recall commenting on the ride when I wrote my "review" of Toad.

If only mine was like that (as I said rather wistfully at the time).

Spyder fan wrote:Similar roads are here in Tunbridge Wells, the local residents association want to put in speed cushions and reduce the speed to 20mph. The speed cushions will be the best part of the road and won?t slow down mummy delivering Fiona and Tristram in the family premium badged SUV, nor will it improve the parking or road manners.

Speed cushion. Is that a Tunbridge euphemism? Nothing so coarse as a Speed Bump!

This is the type of thing they mean

speed cushions

Rather than this


speed hump

Most cars can just aim for the centre of a speed cushion and pass over with minimal fuss, but don't try doing it in an Elan or you will lose a few bits!

what cars like speed humps versus speed cushions versus neither has always intrigued me.

My Esprit can go over a speed cushion at 100 kmh and not notice it, where as the Elan, Plus 2 and Landcruiser dont like them at anywhere near that speed. On speed humps the Landcruiser just shrugs them off but none of the Lotus like them.

It is fun testing the limits though to see how the cars respond. You may not have a racetrack on the way to work each day but you can give your car a work out all the same and within the speed limit also.

cheers
Rohan

Hi Vince,
Here's another toad story that you might find amusing.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t3ENUqV5-bw
Cheers,
Colin.

vincereynard wrote:The roads around here are spectacularly bad. Pot holes that seem to return echos, bad bodged patches breaking up already. Ridges, lumps and sunken drain covers. 40 miles outside London it is a disgrace!

One particular road has got the lot plus the usual load of poorly parked gargantuan SUVs. (Surely there must be a limit to their growth? I note some have ladders fitted allow access.)

Toad takes it all with remarkable aplomb. I realised how well it rode when I crashed and lept along the same stretch a few hours later in my wifes modern shopping trolley.

Hopefully, with the new rear end, it will be better still!

rgh0 wrote:what cars like speed humps versus speed cushions versus neither has always intrigued me.

My Esprit can go over a speed cushion at 100 kmh and not notice it, where as the Elan, Plus 2 and Landcruiser dont like them at anywhere near that speed. On speed humps the Landcruiser just shrugs them off but none of the Lotus like them.

It is fun testing the limits though to see how the cars respond. You may not have a racetrack on the way to work each day but you can give your car a work out all the same and within the speed limit also.

cheers
Rohan

Probably the worse riding car I've driven recently was one of these tart's handbags -


19" wheels and tyres like rubber bands. Average owner must have specially attached toupes. Nice roof shame about the rest!

fatboyoz wrote:Hi Vince,
Here's another toad story that you might find amusing.
"https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t3ENUqV5-bw"
Cheers,
Colin.

That is excellent. Are there any sequels?

vincereynard wrote:
Probably the worse riding car I've driven recently was one of these tart's handbags -

562 Feb. 26 09.16.jpg

Elanfan1 (Steve) had one of those, can't comment on his handbag

You can hit speed bumps at insane speeds in a Peugeot 505 and hardly feel anything!

Spyder fan wrote:

vincereynard wrote:
Probably the worse riding car I've driven recently was one of these tart's handbags -

The attachment 562 Feb. 26 09.16.jpg is no longer available

Elanfan1 (Steve) had one of those, can't comment on his handbag

It?s National Bellend Awareness day tomorrow, thought I?d make you aware!

My SLK has 18? wheels so don?t think it has the same ride issues, I believe they were originally on 17? wheels so probably a better ride again. It?s a lovely car and currently on Pistonheads for sale 6 speed manual sub 22000 miles! Very rare colour.