Pininfarina Enjoy
Finally! Pininfarina has fired up the sensational two-seat Enjoy and invited Auto Express to be first to drive it. It's a great moment, but one that very nearly didn't happen. Although the car had a dramatic unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, it was less fortunate when it travelled to the Far East.
With its sensational styling and innovative bodywork, the Pininfarina Enjoy is one of the most interesting cars we've driven this year. Offering the comparative practicality of the Lotus Elise and the thrills of a Caterham, it truly is unique. It could well become an enthusiasts' favourite when it arrives in 2005.
Finally! Pininfarina has fired up the sensational two-seat Enjoy and invited Auto Express to be first to drive it. It's a great moment, but one that very nearly didn't happen. Although the car had a dramatic unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, it was less fortunate when it travelled to the Far East.
First it was trapped in Shanghai af-ter the motor show there due to the SARS epidemic, then on its return it was quarantined by customs officials in Genoa. As its release was being negotiated, the Italian firm got sidetracked buying former Renault Avantime builder Matra, and our drive was delayed again.
The wait was well worth it though, since the Matra buy-out included a test track at Mortefontaine outside Paris, which Pininfarina chose as the perfect location to hand the keys to us. Based on the Lotus Elise's chassis and powered by its 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine, the Enjoy is built for road and track use. And to ensure the performance matches this promise, the unit has the Norfolk firm's 135bhp upgrade, as seen on the Elise 135R. The newcomer's track is wider fore and aft, while moving the front axle forward has lengthened the wheelbase by 75mm.
This rearrangement has caused
the Lotus's near-perfect centre of balance to shift rearwards to help improve turn-in. Formula One-style in-board suspension is also used, and it is clear from the outset that these modifications have worked wonders.
Sitting on beefy 17-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels, the roadster offers a seriously involving drive, pin-sharp steering and a responsive throttle. The ride is taut and the car feels stiffer than the standard Elise, which improves high-speed stability.
Through sweeping corners you feel every inch the race ace. At speed, the small deflectors in front of the cockpit don't channel the wind fully, so your helmeted head is pushed down. But the fun doesn't stop there. Lift the bonnet, and you can quickly remove the four wing panels by pulling two cotter pins from each. This creates a true open-wheel sports car designed purely for the track, and in doing so goes one better than the Elise.
The interior is colourful and comfortable, with its few gauges in a centre display and steering wheel-mounted controls. If driving solo, you can tug a carbon fibre panel from the dash to shut off the passenger side, adding even more of a racing sensation. A second screen covers the driver's side to protect the car from thieves and the weather. Pininfarina and Lotus both say that the Enjoy will make production, with a limited run of less than 100 cars arriving by 2005. And with the Lotus factory under capacity, the Enjoy could well be built there. What isn't so obvious is whose name it will wear, as it is neither a Lotus nor a Pininfarina. The price is likely to be around £35,000.
