Porsche Cayennes at the double

“In the UK, Lotus sold just 235 “In the UK, Lotus sold just 235cars in 2014cars in 2014, down from 256 in, down from 256 in 2013, but sales are up 63 per, but sales are up 63 per cent globally year-on-year”obally year-on-year”

Essentials

Lotus Exige S Roadster auto

Price: £57,500 Engine: 3.5-litre 6cyl s’charged Power: 345bhp Transmission: Six-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive 0-62mph: 3.9 seconds

Top speed: 145mph

Economy: 29.4mpg CO2: 222g/km ON SALE Now

LotusExige auto

Running costs

29.4mpg (official) £43 fill-up

FIRST DRIVE Paddleshift box aims to boost sports car’s appeal

Jonathan Jonat Burn

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.ukJonath @Jonathan_burn

LOTUS’ philosophy has long been to

“add lightness”, but in the Exige S, the brand’s latest addition comes in the shape of a new six-speed torque converter auto gearbox.

This transmission isn’t strictly new, as it has been adopted from the Evora, but it’s the first time it has been made available in the Exige S. The reason for its introduction is very simple –to help boost sales at minimal cost and open up the market to a new customer base. But is it any good?

You’ll pay a reasonable £2,000 extra for the auto over the manual, with the option of a Coupé or Roadster remaining.

The control panel for the box is neatly crafted into the centre console. Simply depress the brake, prod ‘D’ and you’re off – at speed, too. Stab the accelerator and the rear tyres fight for traction, yet it’s quicker from 0-62mph than the manual, taking 3.9 seconds.

The stonking 345bhp 3.5-litre V6 still nestles behind you, screaming all the way to 7,000rpm, but pulling on the Centre console houses the auto box’s control panel in the Lotus’ basic cabin

right paddle reveals a notable lack of urgency when selecting the next ratio. Manual upshifts are laboured, which saps away the car’s momentum, but downshifts feel more urgent. They’re still a world away from the rapid-fire PDK you’ll find in a Porsche Cayman, though.

Leaving the gearbox to its own devices shows the Exige S at its best. Changes are well judged, if a little sluggish, but selecting Race on the Dynamic Performance Management (DPM) system sharpens throttle response and adds some much-needed precision.

Happily, the agile, balanced and responsive nature of the Exige S hasn’t been affected. The steering is loaded with feedback, and while the ride is on the firm side, it provides an insight into what the car is doing on the road.

Pe te Gibson

PRACTICALITY There is decent space for two despite access being a little tricky, but the 98-litre boot is only good for storing the roof

EQUIPMENT A Race Pack adds Lotus’ four-way DPM traction control system, as well as launch control, active exhaust valve and optimised sports suspension

WHEELS Standard kit includes a set of 17 or 18-inch alloys, with a Convenience Pack, Premium Pack and Premium Pack Sport also available

Verdict

LOTUS predicts more than a third of Exige S sales could be made up of autos, yet this unresponsive box doesn’t match the rest of the car’s cat-like reflexes. There have been improvements in efficiency and acceleration, but not enough to make you want to ditch the third pedal. Still, the Exige S proves Lotus still builds some of the best-handling cars around. ★★★★★

n nee e ed d tto o k kn no ow w... .. . “The GTS is positioned between“The GTS is positioned between the Cayenne S and the Cayennethe Cayenne S and the Cayenne Turbo, and is considered theTurbo, and is considered the sportiest model in the range” sportiest model in the range”

PorscheCayenneGTS

Performance

0-62mph/top speed 5.2 seconds/163mph

FIRST DRIVE Smaller, more economical engine doesn’t spoil fun for sporty new SUV

Richard Richa Ingram

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.ukRicha @cutt_ings

IN the search for more eco-friendly figures, Porsche has ditched the old Cayenne GTS’s V8 petrol in favour of a more economical V6 turbo. The great news is that this boasts an extra 20bhp and 85Nm more torque, at 434bhp and 600Nm respectively, and shaves half-asecond off the previous 0-62mph time.

The GTS feels brutally fast – even on ice – and is as tactile as ever. It’s much more agile than the more expensive Turbo, too, and the PSM safety systems seem far less inclined to cut power when you’re driving near or at the limit. As a result, we managed some glorious powerslides in the snow at Porsche’s winter driving facility in Skelleftea, Sweden, but these should be filed under ‘don’t try at home’.

The standard sports exhaust sounds great, growling under hard acceleration and burbling at lower speed. Push the Cayenne into a tighter corner and there’s very little body roll. Granted, we were more concerned with keeping the GTS in a straight line on the ice, but it’s lost none of the dynamism that made it such fun to drive before.

Every GTS has PASM adaptive dampers, with air-suspension an option. The latter lowers the car by 20mm, while the steel springs put the GTS 24mm closer to the ground than on a normal Cayenne S.

The eight-speed Tiptronic is swift and smooth, and will hold on to the gears if you ask it to. Sport Plus mode sharpens things up, and makes the most of the revs.

Front styling is shared with the Cayenne Turbo, and a standard Sport Design package adds chunkier side sills and flared arches. The 20-inch black alloys are a GTS signature, as are the badges on the front doors. The cabin gets a set of Alcantara and leather sports seats, with GTS embossed on the headrests. These dash is beautifully stitched, too.

Porsche expects only 11 per cent of Cayennes sold here to carry the GTS badge, compared to around 60 per cent for the two diesels. This is no surprise when you consider it’s only 0.2 seconds faster than the S Diesel from 0-62mph, and 6mph quicker flat-out. It’s over £10,000 more expensive, too, and will do around seven fewer miles to the gallon.

The smart money is on the top-spec diesel –but if you want the besthandling Porsche SUV, the GTS warrants a place at the top of your list. no surprise y 0.2 seconds om 0-62mph, t. It’s over too, and er

“The Cayenne GTS feels brutally fast – even on ice – and is as tactile as ever”

Our man savours new Cayenne GTS’s sharp responses in the snow in Sweden