Hodan’s current entry-level sports car is coming to the end of production. Collective “ahhh” please. Hodan obviously didn’t want it to go out with sympathetic cards with “Sorry to hear you’re leaving” written on them however, so they decided to make sure it went out with a bang.
The result is the FE, the ‘Final Edition’. Bulkier, much more powerful and now some fancy aero work. The same unexciting styling remains at the front, and the rear is still a bit 2003, but at least with that big spoiler, you can tell it’s made to go fast. It’s also still a convertible, and that makes it very fun - plus it makes for a stellar tunnel-sound experience.
It’s odd that it’s managed to put on weight, but a lot of that comes from its sonorous 3.7l i6. Richard Lyons would be proud to see the Japanese shoving N/A straight sixes into their sports car, and it’s quite the engine. Not as responsive as you might want it to be, but it’s a unit that really swells through the rev range and rewards you with 353hp. Just a shame it takes so long to get there.
The engine might not be that sharp, but it sure does pull. 0-60 in 4.2 seconds, with a 7 speed DCT. It’s an oddly advance transmission unit for such a car, but it makes it very smooth and very rapid in a straight line. Amazingly though, despite its LSD, it has a serious wheel spin problem, and the lack of a clutch pedal makes it annoying when it comes to trying to tame that slipperiness.
On twistier roads, it’s a disappointment frankly. The handling is great for a while, but it gives in so easily, and you’ll be understeering way earlier than you’ll want. The suspension feels light enough for the body weight, but it just isn’t firm enough to really make it fun to drive. And if they were trying to make it something more comfortable, then that failed too; this thing is really uncomfortable around town.
The interior is very weird. There’s only a basic radio and heater. On a car from 2017? And it’s not like it’s made a difference to the weight saving given that it’s still almost 100kg heavier than its other variants. I sense a serious lack of direction with this car.
It’s a real mixed bag, and hardly something that feels like a celebratory ‘Final Edition’. I expected more from it not just for that name however, but also as a sports car; it’s soft without being comfortable, rounded without being substantive enough. It’s a very hard machine to like.
A final edition that doesn’t seem to be able to decide what ending it’s marking.
-Gavin Anderson