A Visit to Rossion Headquarters

[E5PR1T]

I went to Boca Raton, FL for a business trip for 5 days. It was a very stressful trip & I really couldn't wait to get back to LA. Anyhow, Thursday morning (yesterday) finally it was time to go home. I sat in the hotel limo to the Fort Lauderdale airport which was about 20 miles away. The limo was heading south on I-95 and about half way through I saw a building with a huge falcon logo & says "Rossion Automotive" then my happy go-home mood was gone. I was so upset at myself because my flight was leaving in 1 1/2 hour & I just barely found out that Rossion HQ was about 10 miles from me. I sort of knew they moved from Cincinnati to Florida. But I completely forgot about it.

Anyways, I got to the airport & asked Continental Airlines if I could change my flight & it seem like missing my flight was the most cost effective solution. So I said, oh well...let's do it...

I got in a Taxi & head to Rossion Headquarters. On the way I called them & the lady was very nice & they also said they would prepare a car for a test drive. ;D

I arrived at Rossion & it looked like they just barely moved. The owner, Dean Rosen whom I spoke to in the past was out of town. They introduced me to Craig, the engineer & main development guy for the Rossion Q1.

Then we have very long conversion about cars... ;D Anyhow, there was quite some Q1's and it was actually the first time I saw the car in person. Man that car looks nice. I liked it already in the photos, but in person it looked even more stunning.

Craig then introduced me to the refined "interior" of the car. And honestly speaking...I think it's great. The momo steering wheel feels good & all the leather and alcantara feels just right. Getting in and out of the car is very easy. Much easier than my Esprit. inside it's pretty roomy & the racing seats really holds me in place. The steering column can be adjusted up and down & also in and out. Which also is good.

I then asked about the "heat inside the cabin" problem with the Noble M400 and he said it has been fixed & we'll find out when we hit the road. Anyhow, the is also equipped with a Navigation in the center console & that looks very nice. Long story short, the interior really does look more refined & finished. And it does have some hints of a luxury car finish which I like a lot. BTW it also has a start button.

Well, next would be the sound, which is very very important to me. I've tested so many different exhaust systems on the Esprit just to achieve the type of "tone" that I like. I was interested to see how the car would sound because it's equipped w/a Ford Duratec Motor. Well, once Craig pressed the start button I hear the same type of "loud exhaust note upon start up" like my Esprit which I like. And OMG, that car sounds very sweet. My best description would be it sounds kind of like a Ferrari 360 with Tubi exhaust, also occasional pops like my car.

Anyhow, so we hit the road and Craig drove first because he's the one that can show me what the car is capable of. I don't think I need to say more about the acceleration. It is FAST!!! Craig could do 3.1 seconds in that car from 0-60. I think that explains it all. They re-tuned the motor from the M400 so it has more low end torque & also has 25 extra horses. The car is also about 25 lbs more than the Noble I think. Anyhow, the pull is just unbelievable & punched me back to the seat. It has a very smooth pull & surprisingly. It felt like no turbo lag at all. If I didn't know the car is turbocharged I would think it's an NA.

Anyhow, my turn... I got in the car, adjusted the seats & was ready to go. Craig told me about 10 times that the Rossion Q1 can be a daily driver & at first I wouldn't believe him. But after I started driving I really feel like I could. The clutch is not too stiff, it's lighter than the m400. The car is so easy to drive & because the Q1 only has 2300 something lbs it really handles well. The car feels like an Elise to me in terms of handling. Of course, the car has A LOT of power as well. I really like the Getrag transmission because it's so precise & feels very good. It makes a huge difference comparing to my Esprit because our Renault gives you a very sloppy feel.

I also like the throttle travel because it is very long so that makes it a lot easier to modulate when needed. Doing heel & toe on the Q1 is so effortless that I could get a feel of it right away. Craig said it's exactly 1K RPM between each gears so it's very easy. The ride quality was very comfortable & there was no heat in the cabin at all. I would say about the same as the Esprit. The pedals are effortless & precise. The car really sticks to the road & swallow corners like nothing. Interior is good, exterior is good, sounds good, and it definitely can be a daily driver because it's very user friendly...On top of that the car has timing chain, so no adjustments needed. It also comes with adjustable suspension & LSD. I think it's pretty much bullet proof at what it is right now.

So we got back to the facility & after a lot more "car conversion" Craig took me to the airport & I got the next flight back to LA. It was well worth to "miss" my flight. Anyhow, overall I think it's a really nice car for the price tag. They really did a good job to make the 4-500 changes from the Noble & make it more street driving yet still kept the race car gene in the car. Bottom line is...I would love to own one... ;D

Some photos I took (I didn't go prepared because i didn't have my camera w/me, so I didn't take many photos & the quality of my phone camera sux):

[Icedog_16]

Nice story. That blue one was at the St Pete Grand Prix in a restricted area of the paddock I managed to infiltrate. I took a few snaps of it. It seems to be a big improvement over the M400 from what I saw.

[lotusland]

Travel serendipity is the best. Amazing car. Thanks for sharing.

[E5PR1T]

Originally Posted by Icedog_16

Nice story. That blue one was at the St Pete Grand Prix in a restricted area of the paddock I managed to infiltrate. I took a few snaps of it. It seems to be a big improvement over the M400 from what I saw.

That was the one I drove!

[dasmoofler]

Slaughter's gotta be chompin' at the bit. That's probably his orange one.

[slaughtr]

Originally Posted by dasmoofler

Slaughter's gotta be chompin' at the bit. That's probably his orange one.

I actually wanted the orange one but ended up with the yellow.

My experience was very much the same as the story above. I did know where they were, so I went on purpose, but my impressions were the same. I loved it so much, I bought the company.

Just kidding, but I did buy a car. Mine probably wasn't there when you visited, it's getting the drivetrain installed.
http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f152...st-week-70801/

[SweetDaddyD]

They know a good thing when they see it, the adopted the stripe that I have on my orange Lotus.

[Michael_In_Hoboken]

Over the past few weeks, I've started researching my next car...and I'm almost 100% sold on the Q1. I suspect my purchase won't take place for another year or so but it sounds like a trip to FL will probably seal the deal for me

Thanks for the recap, cool story

[Bavarian Motorist]

Isn't the orange one Randy Chase's?

[cstetter]

I'd seriously consider one to replace my Elise when (if) I get tired of it but only having a dealer in FL just isn't going to fly for me. I want SOME level of local support.

[Predator]

WHAT'S UP GUYS!!!! Long time no talk!!

Willy here... The guy who really earned his "wings" and my name "Iceman from Top Gun" after my famous Esprit flight during the Colorado Track event at LOG in '07.

Anyhow, one of our Noble/Rossion members happened upon your post about the visit to Rossion and posted the link. Definitely the Rossion is all that was described and more. Before I decided on my Esprit, Blue Thunder, I was seriously considering a Noble M400, but opted against it due to its lack of interior refinement (I use these things to take out the wife in SoBe as well as the track...). I still am a hardcore Lotus enthusiast and love the Esprit, but was looking for something a step up this time around, so I went back to Dean and after getting updated, I ordered Chassis #17 back in October of '07. That Pearl Orange with the modern LeMans stripe is my car, with a specially stitch designed interior by yours truly. The wheels aren't finished yet, but here's a pic below (reminiscent of the wheel design on my Esprit). BTW, Randy's car is also Pearl Orange, but with the Lemans stripes as offered by Rossion (equal, no asymetrical). You'll see Randy's car at LOG in May, as he is picking it up and driving directly up there from S. FL. He also opted for the "Quintana-Special" interior, and his car also looks damn hot!

These vehicles are truly amazing in all aspects of design, engineering and performance. Dean and Ian at Rossion have truly outdone themselves by furthering Lee Noble's already fab cars. Now, I look forward to seeing the next gen Esprit coming soon (I hope) from Lotus. Sorry I won't be at LOG this year, but have too many business projects on the line to get away for now. I hope to catch you all next year though (does anyone know where LOG will be next year?).

Thanks and talk soon....

[robains]

Thank you for the post. If my Lotus Exige doesn't hold up, I was considering the Lambo 560-4 or the Rossion. For $100,000 it's priced about the same as I have in my Exige. Has anyone tracked these cars? If so, could I get your feedback?

Also, how is the rattle/noise level?

Thanks, Rob.

[slaughtr]

Originally Posted by robains

Thank you for the post. If my Lotus Exige doesn't hold up, I was considering the Lambo 560-4 or the Rossion. For $100,000 it's priced about the same as I have in my Exige. Has anyone tracked these cars? If so, could I get your feedback?

Also, how is the rattle/noise level?

Thanks, Rob.

I'll tell you after LOG.

[Randy Chase]

Cant' wait!

[Bavarian Motorist]

I kind of want one... The styling and dimensions reminds me of the Evora a little which I think is beautiful, but it weighs 600 lbs less and actually has a noteworthy engine.

[Darth G-F]

Make it legal in Canada and I'll buy one.

[JLSELISE]

Talk to Dean Rosen. It can be done, AFAIK.
I can also put you in touch with a Canadian M400 owner.

[Darth G-F]

Originally Posted by JLSELISE

Talk to Dean Rosen. It can be done, AFAIK.
I can also put you in touch with a Canadian M400 owner.

I talked to someone in Canada that has a Noble (can't remember his name). But it is not legal in Canada, he just has it registered in the US but drives it in Canada.

Unless there is another twist I don't know about, that's the only way to legally drive a Noble in Canada.

[JLSELISE]

No, I know about that car, but there is a perfectly legal way to register and drive a Noble in Canada. An article was published in RPM late last year with some info. I have it in pdf format but it's too big to upload to this site. If you are interested, I can send it to your email if you PM you address.

[MickOpalak]

Is anyone bothered by the lack of a dealer network? What happens when you're in the middle of Iowa and the car breaks down on you?