I made a better clip for those inclined to listen to my droning!
Sham - I won't compare anything to the f other than handling which is just epic. Other then that they are such different cars any comparison would be a bit useless. Main things for me are as follows:
- it had to be a 2012 MY for me due to the 140 odd quality improvements made. Also, I wanted all the packs not only for me but also come resale. The sports racer is where the smart money is at being all of these things.
- the seats really are amazing and 2-3 hour trips have been no issue at all.
- build quality is far better than I expected with all you hear about lotus build quality. It's not up to Porsche or Lexus with fit and finish but isn't far off.
- the interior is a lovely place to be. The suede and leather combo really makes it feel special. The inside door handles are the only item they should have done differently in my view with them being plastic
- since buying a group 2/3 child seat the car is a lot more roomy and doing this released another 5-6 inches of passenger (front/rear) leg room so it is now very comfy for my wife and daughter.
- as we only have one child the storage is ample. The boot fits out baby buggy and a rucksack and the space next to my daughter in the rear works well as a shelf with the rear seats out.
- mpg is ok. I can get 27 on the motorway going 70mph but mixed driving will have you at late teens or early twenties.
- very long doors makes choosing parking spaces a bit of s chore! You need to be on an end spot to make it easy to get on and out but winding the window down does make it easier in tight spaces.
- the nav unit is great. It's an aftermarket alpine unit and it a touch laggy but functionally very rich. Bluetooth streaming of music and calls is a breeze and the nav unit is brilliant.
- I still have heated seats! Oh how I love heated seat!
- I miss keyless entry and start as well as auto wipers and knew I would.
- with clutch replacement being the exception (3k) maintenance costs look to be identical to the Isf so that's great.
- my daughter loves it and always want to go in the 'white car'.
- there are no cup holders, very little storage inside with the indents in the arm rests and the tiny glove box being all you have.
- it looks stunning and like the Isf pictures just don't do it justice.
- my lord it turns heads! Heads of all ages as well. I get let out at junctions and lots of smiles and thumbs up.
- the cabin noise is really good, as in not much of it unless you press on. It is a lot quieter than I expecred.
- most importantly it makes me want to just drove it, for no reason. It revs to 7.2k rpm in sport mode, handles like nothing I have ever driven, steering feedback is unreal (and unsettling at first) and enables you to feel exactly what the car is doing. Back end movement is very predictable.
- the sports car feel of a low car with the cockpit wrapped around you is great and as soon as you sit in the car you are ready to drive.
- the big surprise to me is now well it handles being a sports car when you want it to be and a comfy tourer when you want it to do that.
In summary - some compromises have to be made coming from a car like an Isf. It is far more capable than i ever imagined. It NEVER fails to put a smile on my face from the time I open the garage door until I tuck it up again.