2006 Lotus Europa S

Highlights

Full-service history
Well looked after
Incredibly fast and agile on the road

The Appeal

Designed to be a more usable version of Lotus’ Elise, the Europa S went largely under the radar during its production which only ran for 4 years and was limited to just under 500 units.

With a larger boot, better soundproofing, and easier access into the cabin due to a higher roof and lower side sills, it is a very sporty grand tourer. With added creature comforts such as an alpine sound system, air conditioning, and leather interior it was a bit more luxurious than the usual Lotus experience.

This car has been looked after properly throughout its life, with full-service history and many invoices for regular maintenance it is a great example. With an accompanying heritage certificate, that mentions this was only the 24th Europa to be built in 2006, it is a great purchase.

The added benefit of the Europa is the GM engine fitted behind the passenger compartment. This turbocharged 2.0l engine packs a big punch and fires this sub-one-ton GT car down the road, twinned with the legendary Lotus handling it has everything you could ever need.

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The History and Paperwork

Built-in the Hethel factory on the 12th of July 2006 it was the 24th Europa to be built and the 13th to be finished in Graphite Grey and tan interior
It is delivered to renowned UK dealer Stratstone in Leicester and has its first after-sales service on the 2nd of January 2007
In 2010 it moves down to Bedfordshire where it continues its yearly servicing regime at Allon White Sports Cars, a specialist in Lotus’
It stays in this area until the current owner acquires it in 2020 and starts their journey with the car. They have enjoyed the thrills it has to offer ever since
Along with the service history, there are also a lot of MOT certificates from throughout the Europa’s life.
A valid and up to date V5 is also present so a change of ownership should be nice and swift
As well as the legal paperwork there are quite a few invoices for parts and work done to the car over the years
In 2019 the car goes in for some work on the shock absorbers and comes out with a new Nitron set up so it rides a lot better now
In 2020 there is some work carried out on the braking system so it now stops well and in a straight line
There is a receipt from 2019 that references the cambelt being replaced, a nice fact to know when looking at a car
When the Europa S was first introduced it was released with just under 200hp, but by the time production wrapped in 2010, this has been pushed to around 225hp. This car has received this later map so it now produces 222hp and 249 lb-ft of torque. Believe us this car is rapid
There are also two keys with the car, excellent news if you are prone to misplacing your keys.

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The Interior

Black and tan leather interior
Air condition fitted
A lot more comfortable than a comparable Elise or Exige

The interior of the Europa S is where it stands out against other Lotus’, with a higher roofline and smaller side sills it is easier to get in and out of making it a more usable car.

Along with the added usability, it has some lovely sporty leather seats and other creature comforts like a great Alpine sound system.

From the photo gallery, you can see that the interior of this Europa has been looked after properly. The tan leather seats are in great condition, showing no signs of damage. These seats are figure-hugging but also comfortable, a great combination for those long-distance drives.

Within the interior, there are only a couple of minor marks here and there, with the biggest offender being at the base of the gear selector. The rest of the interior is in great condition, showing little signs of its age or use.

One of the selling points of the Europa over an Exige or Elise is the larger boot. Sitting just behind the mid-mounted engine the boot space is large enough for a couple of weekend bags, or you could probably fit the weeks shopping in there, making it an incredibly usable sports car.

Overall, the interior of the Europa is a wonderful place to sit and experience the thrills of driving a Lotus, one of the most engaging drives on the planet.

The next owner will be able to experience some of the best drives of their lives within the interior of this Europa.

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The Exterior

Lightweight fibreglass body panels
Alloy wheels are in great condition
Evocative Lotus styling

Presented in a lovely Graphite Grey this Europa S is beautiful from every angle.

Sitting only 44.1 inches off the ground this is a little pocket sports car, however, with its slightly higher roofline, it makes it easier to live with over an Elise.

As you would imagine for a car of this age there are a few marks on the paintwork, with the most noticeable one being a mark on the front right wing. It may be possible for a good detailer to fix this mark with a couple of hours of polishing. Apart from this mark, there are no more obvious marks around the body.

All four grey alloys not only match the paintwork beautifully but all four of them are presented with no curb rash, all four corners are also sitting on four matching Hankook Ventus tyres, both of these factors point towards how loved this car has been throughout its life.

Walking around the car and looking at the other small details such as the headlights, lotus badges, and Miltek stamped exhaust tips we can see that these are all presented in great condition too.

The next owner will be getting a sleek-looking and rare British sports car.

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The Mechanics

Fitted with the more reliable GM 2.0l turbo engine
Nitron shock absorbers fitted
Remapped to the later Europa SE specification

With the Europa S being built more as a comfortable grand tourer the perfect engine to use was GM’s 2.0l turbocharged unit, it has a lower redline and is, therefore, a lot quieter and more bearable on a long drive.

However, when you turn off the motorway and explore the country lanes this car comes alive.

It would appear that from day one this car has been well looked after, with so many stamps in the service book it runs beautifully with no worrying knocks from the engine or suspension.

The suspension is lovely on the road, the new Nitron shocks add to the usability which allows you to push this car to the speed limit.

One invoice that should put a prospective buyer's mind at ease is one for the cambelt being changed at 52,468 miles, in September of 2020. In the same year, the braking system was also looked at with new Pagid RS42 brake pads, these provide better braking performance on the road and if you are so inclined the track.

This Europa has been maintained well over its life, this is now paying dividends and the next owner will have one excellent car to use over this summer and beyond.

It has to be said that this car is mega on the road, incredibly responsive, and rewarding to drive.

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Summary

The 2006 Europa S was the best of both worlds.

With the legendary Lotus engineers having their way with the chassis and a more reliable GM-derived powerful turbocharged engine mounted in the middle of the car for better handling it is a perfect car to use and live with.

With road trip season quickly approaching now is the best time to invest in a new car. This Lotus Europa S has been maintained well and with the tasteful upgrades over the years it is now better than ever and ready for the next chapter of its life with you writing the story.

Whether you’re looking at the car or driving it, it never fails to make you beam from ear to ear.

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