Daveb99

A couple of years ago I had a couple of Evora NA’s, which were great to drive but ultimately I found myself preferring my Elise S1 (as I’ve had one for so long I think). Fast forward to now and I’m considering a 400 manual. Always admired them when they were launched but couldn’t possibly justify one at the time. As well as the regular maintenance/servicing, I recall a list of things / weak points that you had to check / look out for with the NA, how many of these things still apply with the 400, and what else is there? Any help/experiences would be much appreciated. Clutch Door electrics - micro switches, window motors Air con compressor Sidelight / indicator / headlight LEDs Headlight lacquer peel Passenger airbag cover lifting Dead pixels on screens either side of the binnacle Water leaks in boot / footwells Clutch pedal squeak when cold Wind noise from A pillars

Yep, I’d do exactly the same in his shoes.

Is that for an Evora 400 though, or an NA / S? I think the 400 has larger discs (370mm front, 350mm rear).

I’ve been distracted by a couple of Evora 400’s over the last week or two. I can’t believe how much the brake disks cost - £800 - £1300 a pair??! Are they all ally belled or were they an option originally?

Hi Tony, do you have a link to the ad for the grey one?

Yes, I spoke to ES before the auction ended. Great looking car to be fair.

…..and it was a development car, not even a production model. The seller stated that in the comments well before the auction ended but that didn’t stop the bidding war. Madness….

Cheers Matty I’ve sent you a message.

I’ve been in contact with the seller of the white 400 and whilst it seems a well priced car on the face of it, as always there are things that need to be borne in mind. I would urge anyone interested to do their homework, I have established the following, amongst other things, from talking to the seller, watching his videos on YT and from another source. I’m sure there will be lots more, there always is (the stuff you discover after buying!) - Needs disks and pads all round (MOT advisory) - Both NS wheels are buckled, attempted repair has failed (MOT advisory) - Spark plug seized in the block, may require head removal - Both front lower arms have play and need replacing (as per MOT advisory) - Crack in sail panel - Crack in A pillar trim - Airbag cover starting to lift (this only gets worse!) - Back box has a rattle - Clutch is a question mark - car has been tracked several times - MAF sensor replaced more than once due to oil from a K&N filter, apparently now resolved (vacuum hoses were wrongly connected also) - Outstanding finance (not insignificant amount!) The seller is a nice guy who was super helpful, and he is including the original Bilsteins and mani + cats in the sale. So at the right price and perhaps with new wheels, and other bits sorting, it could be a nice car. For balance, some plus points, apparently no osmosis, stainless mudflap brackets, poly ARB bushes, very good history (all stamped), new rear tyres and big service. WBAC quoting £29,200 currently. For a high(er) mileage white 400 with the marmite red interior and the above issues I don’t think I’d want to pay more than £30k. Sounds cheap but after spending £5-£10k (possibly more with a clutch) it won’t be a cheap car any longer and will always have 60k plus miles on it….. So - if anyone is serious, do your homework, you have been warned!

Great thread and what a piece of history you’ve got there. Couple of pics from Lotus 70 where it was one of the feature cars…

Thanks - no it’s set to 110 / 120 mm ride height, Nitrons.

Very richly deserved. I’ll shortly be selling mine if anyone is interested. 26k miles and very well sorted. And minty mint 🙂

I have a rather lovely S1 for sale soon (not yet advertised), just 26k miles, message me if interested (I can send more photos and info etc).

Nice one. I found that mine wouldn’t go fully flush with the dash unless I trimmed away some of the excess leather on both the cover and the dash top itself, especially in the corners of the recess - after doing this it sits lower, and completely flush. I also heated the cover gently and bent it round an old tyre to match the exact B profile of the dash top (because it was warped at the corners).

Tyres are Michelin PSS so discontinued. Possibly the original tyres from new? So the seller would need to replace at least two. Brake discs - replacement would be too expensive for them given they have the ally bells. I’d expect them to either dust them over in silver or discount the car. I’d be more interested in how lipped they are, it isn’t difficult to remove them and refurb them yourself. There’s a sub £50k deal to be had there for someone as it has been available for a good while as others have said. Not helped by those photos showing minor things that could/should/can be easily sorted. Stunning colour - Ice Blue? Can’t have been many of those made.

I think after the significant increases of the second part of last year, prices have taken quite a hit in recent months - and they may yet fall further as the recession / cost of living crisis bites. I sold my launch Edition in early January this year (so a winter sale) for 33.5 (32k miles IIRC). That was private sale too of course. Assuming that Storm one goes for around 27 (= say 26 if private) that’s a full 7.5k less. OK mine was lower mileage and was very well sorted, but as it was a private sale it’s definitely an indicator that things are on the slide IMO. There are rather a lot of Evoras of all flavours that have been advertised for months. I think to achieve a sale in this market, you’ve either got to have something unique / very special, or price it very aggressively so it’s almost a no-brainer for the buyer. It’s a very tough sell otherwise.

That old chestnut 🤣

Stunning car and deserves a good home. I bet it will stay in the seller’s heated garage for a while longer though until he/she realises it isn’t ever going to fetch £65k…. Massive waste of everyone’s time. Seller, C&C, all the bidders and watchers, etc.

Yep, agreed Will. I think the final price reached was spot on. I was the highest bidder with a minute to go but you have to draw the line somewhere and with such a crazy reserve I suspect it will remain unsold anyway.

I was watching this one for the last 7 days. Stunning and rare car. I enquired about it and was told by C&C that the reserve was almost twice the bid as at this morning. So £65k ish. Ridiculous. It has just finished and reached £41,250. What a waste of time for everyone when the seller is so wildly unrealistic. For £65k I'll simply have a very nice GT410 Sport thanks, pal.....

It’s not a GT410 Sport? I think even the seller is getting it mixed up with one, looking at the description where he claims straight ones go for £65-70k. I’d rather pay low fifties for a straight non CAT registered 400, rather than the 410 Sport with non-adjustable seats… Surely a straight 410 Sport would be about 55-60 depending on mileage so it really isn’t cheap IMO, given the significant impact of CAT status on resale value. Demand for a CAT car is probably about 10% of normal demand.

Lovely car Will. I watch the classifieds for Evoras continuously and have a few trade contacts. Given how slow the market is, and the potential for it to get significantly worse (which is what seems to be stopping people from taking the plunge with major purchases) I can’t imagine this would actually sell for any more than about £57-58k from a non-Lotus dealer? There have been a few advertised in the low 60’s but they are just sitting there, not selling….. The uncertainty in the market, the very gloomy outlook, and the relative bargain Emira are all hurting high-end Evora values already, and it will get worse in my view. Assuming there’s enough margin in it for you, I’d be snapping the hands off anyone offering £57k in your shoes. I’m sure others will disagree but they are naturally going to want to believe their cars are worth more than they actually are! Absolutely no point being unrealistic if your goal is to actually sell your car….

Congratulations to Luke, the winning bid was £800, taking the total raised for Rainbows at Lotus in the Peak to over £10,000. Thank you to all the bidders, what a fantastic result !

Come on Lotus lovers and Emira extollers, there's less than hours of this auction left! Who wants to own - to have and to hold, from this day forward, until death do you part - this ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE piece of Lotus history? As you read this from the comfort of your own home, have a look around and imagine how much better that wall would look with this fantastic piece of artwork adorning it! And who wants to be that guy or gal one year from now that thinks, y'know I wished I'd have bid that little bit higher and bought that signed Emira artwork, because it was lovely, and the Emira is beautiful, and Daniel Durrant is a genius, and three-hundred quid isn't all that much cash in the context of a lifetime - not me, I can hear you say, not me, I don't want to be Mr or Mrs Regret! So what's stopping you? Place a bid now!! And when you do, I promise that you will think of Rainbows, and all the children and young people you are helping. And it will make you feel a bit sad, but also happy. Thank you 🙂

Roll up, roll up - future Emira owners this is a great opportunity to have a print signed by the designer himself, as well as other important Lotus people... You can keep abreast of the latest bid here: https://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/69577-unique-emira-artwork-litp-charity-auction-2022/ Remember this is for charity so get bidding!