If you know a bit about driving, then you will have followed Targa Tasmania over the years. Our tours utilise past and present Targa routes, our routes focus on the best “driving routes” in the area, and we also pick roads which offer some stunning scenery.
You will cover around 250km per day and we aim to have you spend equivalent amounts of time in each car. Exact distances in each do vary depending on the groups and routes though.
Our trips always include driving up the famous East Coast of Tasmania to capture views you’d expect to see in a tourism guide, while stopping at near deserted beaches.
Meet our cars
At Drive Experience we start by taking you through the history of the Lotus marque and Colin Chapman’s philosophy.
While most of today’s family cars lack any real feel with their disconnected steering, high level of insulation and masses of weight, Lotuses epitomise the expression “just add lightness”.
We believe cars are at their best when they’re stripped back, raw, with a manual transmission and plenty of induction and exhaust noise. Our Lotuses have no GPS, no Bluetooth for your phone and little mod cons, but what they lack in comfort they make up for in the purest motoring that exists.
With Drive Experience Tas you will spend time in the car that started it all – a sub 600kg open topped Lotus 7 replica, moving all the way through Lotuses range of Elises and Exiges, both naturally aspirated and supercharged.
You’ll experience a 460 + hp supercharged V6 Exige – which under 1100kg is an absolute lightweight by modern car standards yet rivals the latest Lamborghinis and Ferraris when it comes to power to weight.
If there’s one car which you’ll remember from the trip, the one which differs the most from your daily car back home – it’ll be our Lotus 7 replica. Forget about luxury and refinement, this doesn’t even have doors or a roof!
In its bold orange and black with Lotus 7 plates, weighing less than 600kg, the lightweight PRB represents an Australian made evolution of the original Lotus 7 which first launched back in 1957.
Designed by Lotus founder Colin Chapman, the 7 epitomises the philosophy of performance through light weight and simplicity. With all the original cars sound and looks, our replica runs modern brakes and suspension and a high revving stroker 20v Toyota motor producing around 230hp through a 5-speed manual box.
Our lime green Elise is a great example of what started it all for Lotus and the mainstream. “Lotie” as affectionately named by its previous owner is a lime green S1 Elise which has been enhanced to turn, stop, and go better, while keeping its original naturally aspirated character.
With 120hp stock, Lottie has been warmed with head and cam work to over 160hp, while maintaining reliability from the Rover K series. While it doesn’t sound a lot by today’s standards, at 750kg – less than half the weight of most modern cars, it’s one of the best choices on the tightest roads.
Lotie is loud and raw with her lumpy engine – and she lets out a huge roar when the pedal is pinned.
Our second evolution of the Lotus Elise gives a visual reminder of Lotuses flair with the factory offering a huge array of bold colours. In its beautiful Ardent Red colour scheme, people often think the little S2 Elise is a baby Ferrari.
With the S2 Elise coming from the factory with three different engines, we are proud to offer what we believe is the best model S2 Elise - with a naturally aspirated 190hp from the Toyota 2zz engine.
Revving to 8500rpm, you will feel the VVTI cams change over as the car goes through its powerband, breathing and blowing through a freer intake and exhaust system, as the adjustable Quadrant coil overs soak up all the bumps.
They say the Elise was named after the girl who inspired the Elise – the granddaughter of Roman Artioli, who chaired Lotus and Bugatti. If there’s a car in our fleet that epitomizes this beauty, it’s the Elise 3 with it’s stunning lines and bold blue colour.
Like the others, our Elise 3 has been warmed and massaged to handle, brake and go better. With adjustable Nitron suspension it is setup to handle the undulating Tasmanian roads with precision, while retaining comfort.
While blessed with 220hp from the factory, Elise 3’s factory supercharged engine has been massaged to over 250hp thanks to some tweaks and extra fueling.
One of the rarest cars in our fleet, our “Track Special” Cup 260 was one of only 6 to come to Australia. In its heyday in 2009, a Cup 260 stormed into the outright top 10 in Targa Tasmania, which gives a good indication of its pedigree against massively higher horsepower competitors.
Even lighter than a standard Exige, the Cup utilises carbon fibre to replace the roof, boot lid and front panels, as well as wider tyres and grippier rubber.
While built as a race car for the road with adjustable Nitron suspension, bigger brakes, an LSD and even an engine oil accumulator, our Exige like the other cars has had some touches enhanced. Massaged to about 320hp, it achieves this with a larger Harrop supercharger, bigger injectors and an upgraded intercooler.
When it comes to outright pace and a race car feel, it doesn’t get any more real than our S3 Lotus Exige. What started as a Lotus 410 has been wound up to about 460hp yet only weighing 1100kg, our S3 Exige is a genuine Targa car still adorned with its racing wrap.
Stiffer suspension, better brakes, racing seats you name it – our S3 is the alpha male of the pack. It’s only had the most basic mods to return it to road spec, but its lost none of what made it a devastating Targa weapon – the previous owner having won many a trophy with this tool.
You’ll feel the evolution of the S3 where it’s the most mature and “sorted” car of the group – the opposite of the ever-lively Lotus 7 replica.
Want to try Lotuses newest sports car? Drive Experience Tas is lucky enough to have a stunning new Emira. Forget everything you know about Lotuses, the Emira re-writes the rules. All of a sudden it has those mod cons you’re missing from the rest.
Powered by the same 3.5 litre supercharged V6 in the Exige 410, the Emira delivers a more refined and comfortable driving experience, more sound deadening, and more compliant suspension.
Better? We’ll let you decide as you sample Lotuses history with its Elise’s and Exiges, while getting a taste of its future with the Emira.