Feature: Driver's Notebook: Battle of Britain

Basem Wasef

10/01/2006

The British motoring experience has always been defined by charismatic style and zealous handling capability. Part and parcel to the ownership experience, however, was the reputation for dubious build quality and spotty reliability.

Bucking the current trend of high-volume, high-horsepower hot rods, a car—the Lotus Sport Elise—and a motorcycle—the Triumph Daytona 675—can be considered ambassadors of a newly reinvented British sporting tradition. They are well constructed, aggressively tuned, and lithely balanced track toys that also happen to be street legal.

The Sport Elise is a variant of the pint-size roadster that so effectively embodies Lotus founder Colin Chapman’s mantra, "weight is the enemy." Tweaked by Lotus’ Sport division and limited to 50 units, the latest Elise maximizes its extruded aluminum chassis, enabling a level of responsiveness absent in supercars costing several times more.

Triumph’s Daytona 675 boasts a clean sheet design and a dry weight of only 363 pounds. Rather than incorporating a typical 4-cylinder powerplant, the Daytona features an inline 3-cylinder that contributes to the bike’s light weight and compact dimensions. From its aluminum frame to its well-integrated components, the Daytona represents a complete vision of how a middleweight bike can be optimized for speed. In keeping with the theme of exclusivity, Triumph will build only 4,000 Daytona 675s this year.

These machines represent the cutting edge of performance, but because spec sheets tell only half the story, we spent an afternoon at Road Atlanta’s 2.54-mile course exploring and contrasting their capabilities.

On the track, and particularly at the challenging "esses" section, the Sport Elise feels firmer and more focused than the standard model. As with other Elise variations, a minimum of steering input produces dramatic changes in direction. However, the Sport version provides better feedback, and the suspension is more compliant during high-grip transitions. Öhlins dampers with threaded spring perches allow 60 rebound and 22 compression settings, and an adjustable front sway bar enables the Sport Elise to make itself at home on a variety of track configurations. (Click image to enlarge)

Though the Lotus is agile and communicative, the experience of driving at high speed is less physically demanding than covering the same ground on the Triumph. The biker’s boots, gloves, and armored leathers seem gladiatorial in comparison to a seat belt and helmet. A great deal of physical skill is required for maneuvering a sportbike. Not only does the ground rush past mere inches away, but the rider’s body becomes an integral part of the machinery, leaning and positioning itself to alter the riding dynamics. On the Daytona, this experience is more apparent than on most motorcycles, thanks to its lightweight, aggressive steering geometry and narrow body. Swing your hips off the small seat, and the bike responds immediately, translating your intentions directly to the pavement. More extreme input is rewarded with appropriately radical lean angles. The Daytona does not hesitate to drop as it banks into a turn, and its behavior is consistently predictable, progressive, and smooth.

While the Triumph’s aluminum underpinnings are similar in philosophy to those of the Lotus, its power-to-weight ratio is dramatically higher. Hyper-fast liter bikes may offer Formula One levels of acceleration, but the 675 cc Triumph Daytona trades outlandish speed for manageable power. Its 3-cylinder engine produces 123 hp at 12,500 rpm, and considering that the Triumph is more than five times lighter than the Lotus (and has only 67 less horsepower), the Daytona is the clear winner at the drag strip. During track laps, the Triumph’s triple offered significantly more flexibility than the Lotus’ inline-4; flick your wrist, and the engine responds with strong, low-end torque, revving easily across the power band while producing the triple’s signature exhaust roar. The Triumph’s power is prodigious and addictive, and its tremendous flexibility allows for fewer gearshifts from the slick, 6-speed transmission and easily modulated clutch.In contrast to the Triumph, the Lotus’ powerplant is rarely in danger of eclipsing the car’s handling capabilities. On the contrary, the 190 hp Toyota-sourced 4-cylinder doesn’t hit its stride until 6,200 rpm, the point at which its variable valve timing shifts cam phases. Above that engine speed, thrust becomes more urgent, and the tachometer’s newfound attraction to the 8,000 rpm redline is encouragement enough to keep the revs high. Because of the engine’s high-strung nature, the Sport Elise—despite its curb weight of less than 2,000 pounds—does not feel capable of its claimed zero-to-60 time of 4.7 seconds unless its competition clutch is dumped while the engine spins precariously fast. Rather than offering tire-shredding, muscle-car power, the Elise’s main attractions are its agility and handling prowess.

One inherent benefit of four wheels over two is a considerable load-bearing advantage. With 225 mm of rubber at each rear tire and 195 mm at the front, the Sport Elise is capable of pulling in excess of 1 g of lateral acceleration, facilitating corner speeds that will beat the most balls-out, knee-scraping motorcyclist riding a Triumph—or virtually any bike, for that matter. (Click image to enlarge)

Both the Triumph and the Lotus possess unusually high performance capabilities that require a deft touch. They invite the exploration of their limits and can be dangerously responsive, although the Triumph is not as sharply unforgiving as other sportbikes, and the Lotus benefits from an F/1-style traction control system (which can be disabled). Not all sins, however, can be amended by engineering or technology.

On the topic of control, they both boast superlative brakes. The Sport Elise features high-temperature brake fluid contained within steel lines, and its binders are strong and well equipped for stopping the lightweight two-seater. However, the Daytona’s brakes offer powerful stops with remarkable feel, and are designed with a front rotor that reduces unswept area, minimizing unnecessary rotating weight and resulting in even better feedback than the Lotus. Approaching Road Atlanta’s Turn 10 at high speeds, the Triumph offers dramatic deceleration that sets the bike up well for the ensuing turns. Unlike the Elise, the Daytona lacks an antilock system, making short stops more skill-intensive. If you are enough of an enthusiast to purchase either of these vehicles, the Triumph’s lack of a safety net may provide a small thrill, in contrast to the security of ABS.

Both vehicles look the part of dedicated track toys. The curvaceous Sport Elise is available in any color as long as it’s Saffron Yellow with Storm Titanium racing stripes. Its sport seats, custom interior trim, and yellow-painted center console are equally arresting, and a roll hoop and safety harness bar suggest the Sport Elise’s track readiness. The Daytona 675 is the first Triumph styled in-house, reflecting the company’s new long-term vision. While its angular lines may initially appear to be inspired by its Japanese competitors, closer inspection reveals a delicacy to the bike’s poise and street presence. The unusually high seat provides an ergonomic conundrum for the vertically challenged, but this proportion aids in creating the clearance necessary for the bike’s outstanding handling. Like the Lotus, Triumph’s bold form follows the ambitious function of providing unparalleled performance. (Click image to enlarge)

The Brits have always been great arbiters of style. But in the spirit of a globally competitive marketplace, Lotus and Triumph have broken new ground by building vehicles that offer both brash character and world-class ability. These spare thoroughbreds are not, however, for the common man; they appeal to the most ardent of enthusiasts who resist the mainstream definition of practical transportation.

Lotus, +44.1953.608000, www.lotuscars.com; Triumph, 678.854.2010, www.triumph.co.uk