Getting into a Lotus - it's harder than it looks

A Lotus is notoriously difficult to get into. I’m not talking about the yoga position – though that is also incredibly difficult and requires a decent level of flexibility.

I’m talking about the little sports car. It may look cute but it’s a beast to get in and out of.  It doesn’t matter which model it is - an Elise, Evora or Exige – the challenge remains the same.

When the Lotus Elise S Club Racer arrived in the CarAdvice Garage we rounded up some volunteers from the office and asked them to show us their technique.

On average, our guinea pigs took at least 30-seconds to pull off the manoeuvre. The longest time was close to a minute while the quickest was an impressive 18-seconds.

Not one person could make it look smooth and effortless. The most popular tactics were to fall in butt first then cram your legs in one at a time, or get your left leg in first, then bum, then right leg.

No, there is no way to make it look graceful, elegant or sexy. I’ll stick to yoga.