Loquacious Lew

Hi Paul, Just for the record, my system is as follows: Revel Salon2 mains and JL Audio F113V2 subs mated with a JL Audio CR1 analog crossover. The crossover is just below the C52 preamp in my photo all on a Salamander rack. The power amp is an MC452 and the Oppo 105D you also recognized is used as a transport. I use Audirvana on my Mac and the Oppo streams Tidal natively of course though I have other options with the computer. No turntable though. Some of the other stuff includes a Sony TC158SD (pro cassette recorder, not a hifi piece per se) mostly to fill the shelf but infrequently used to play old demo tapes from the days when we made such things. On the far side next to the amp on the lower shelf is a Denon AV receiver I don't use that, like the Sony is pretty much there to occupy the shelf for now. I'm hunting for a DAC at the moment but the rest stays as is for now. The TV is a 75" Sony. My system is actually quite simple as you see but perhaps with more attention paid to room acoustics and mains power supply than is usually the case. It has a dedicated panel which you see above the TV and of course attention paid to first reflections and some bass traps to help tame the room a bit. The room as usual is the weak link. Looks like you are having fun building rigs for folks. I enjoyed my time doing it for sure! (Most of the time!)

I agree with you. I like the Europa (hard not to) but I simply don't fit in them and I'm not all that big. It's the Achilles heel for me. I see the Elan as the Lotus of the era for me. Mark, your Sprint is fantastic!

I saw that when it first came out as I follow Harry. He makes you feel good about owning an Evora, but then, moat reviews do. The most beloved, least successful car ever made. Someday people will wake up to these things. Until then it's our little secret.

This is by far the best compact, truly portable 12V inflator/compressor I have owned, and as a motorcycle rider of over 50 years I have owned a few. LINK I've had this one for about 15 years and it still works as it did when new although I haven't needed to call on it more than a handful of times. Regardless how little or much use it gets, it always works even if I haven't touched it for five years. Nothing is as useless as a device you may only use a few times but fails at just the moment it is called upon. This is the most most compact yet reliable unit I've found that can ride in the pannier or tank bag of a motorcycle and absolutely be there for you when you hook it up after it's been thrashed in your riding luggage for ten years. They ship worldwide but I don't know what the freight is to the UK. If you want the "Lotus of 12 V compressors" I think this is the one. I also have a ViAir (looks very similar to your 'new Ring' unit) that I have used as a small on board compressor that I pressed into marine duty. It is of equal quality. It's so similar to the Ring you might think they are made in the same factory but the form factor of the "Best Rest" is better for my on road needs since I prefer a unit that takes up as little space as possible. My reply comes a bit late in this thread but I mention it to add another option for those looking for the smallest, lightest yet still reliable unit (especially well suited for motorbikes) who might be well served by a more compact device. It's likely my post has more currency for North American drivers and riders but I thought I'd throw them into the mix anyway. .

From your lips to driver's and collectors' ears.......... It's been clear (to me at least!) that the Evora needs to be discontinued for it to become better appreciated and command greater value. I hope Lotus supports the line with good parts supply as will befit such a veteran. I bank on human nature taking care of the rest, making what is no longer available appear more desirable. After all, any well found Evora is already a desirable ride. All assuming a less chaotic and that IC engined sports cars remain relevant. If the market for entertaining cars remains as we have known it the Evora range is likely to enjoy solid market pricing with later cars commanding the most. The Evora is the rare case of a car (mostly) improving over time. In the end, who knows? Predictions recently got an order of magnitude fuzzier.

That's quite a catalog, Paul! I'll have it all, please! I was in the gear end of the pro audio business for 42 years, the last 30 odd I was a rep/distributor in the Pacific NW. No doubt you're aware of how different the distribution of audio products is in the States vs Europe/UK due to our geography. Here, manufacturers contract guys like me to handle the dealer network and sales in a defined area. Mine was the US Pacific Northwest, five states. I did representa (very) few hifi lines too but pro was always our bread and butter. I just stumbled on this thread so if you're open to participation I'll be here! I'd rather talk about audio on a Lotus forum than Lotus on an audio forum anyway! Here's my listening room at home. You can figure out who we represented to a certain degree from what you see in the pictures. (Think Harman amongst others). The Salon2s are lovely in this space.

My day was made bit happier and more hopeful because Trump's choice for Wisconsin's Supreme Court, a swing state in the US elections, was dismissed by the Cheese Head electorate who voted in large numbers for a more sensible and neutral jurist to their state bench. This is important because it bears on how legal rulings and choices will be made going forward in that state which may have an impact on how decisions will be made as regards electoral procedures in that state. The Republicans generally try to repress the vote in places where they have a numbers disadvantage. This is not kosher in a democracy and it is good that it appears Trump's crony was rejected in this critical state. That made me hopeful and in these days, hope and happiness are inextricably intertwined.

From a practical point of view the Evora is the best road car Lotus has ever made. It is the fastest, probably the most comfortable and in its latest iterations the most reliable and probably the best build quality from a practical point of view. There may be other Lotus that are more important to the company, the Elan and the Elise certainly rank up there for market impact, but as for selecting one that is "the greatest," road machine (using "my" criteria of comfort, ease of use, pace over public roads and overall mission focus?) I think the one most easily driven and enjoyed routinely on the street, they have yet to build better than the Evora. That it hasn't been the sales success hoped for doesn't really alter the fact that for use on the road, it is the most accommodating and generally best performing street car that the company has yet offered. If it's strictly about posters on the wall, it's probably the Esprit, but to actually use and enjoy daily? I say Evora.

We're a hodgepodge of conflicting actions here depending on which state or larger city you reside in. Some states, coastal especially, are locked down while others have only partial controls, closing bars, schools, churches, mainly gathering places in effect. As I live in the south, attitudes tend to range from quite "relaxed" to more understandably self protective but inTennessee there are still no restrictions on movement. Here in Nashville, bars/pubs, restaurants, schools, tourist attractions are closed along with a number of other categories and the city is encouraging people to stay home. But there's no "shelter in place" order. As I am in an at risk category (my age) I am taking the threat rather seriously but we have no restrictions on movement per se. However, my neighborhood is pretty much locked down. We are sheltering in place but without orders to the contrary I can still drive for pleasure although it isn't recommended of course. After two weeks of isolation apart from a trip to the grocers, I took my car for a drive two days ago. I thought I'd have it all to myself but I didn't. Traffic was much lighter than normal (and with no delays) but there were still plenty of cars on the roads. I had my drive and thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought about doing it again today but decided to pass. I am using the hell out of my hifi, my headphones and my other electronics in between knocking off household projects. This would be ok, a bunch of snow days strung together, if it wasn't so miserable for so many. It's very tempting to drive and ride my bikes. I'm trying to keep that limited to necessity but once mounted I can drive a bit and retrieve the vittles on the way home. I count myself lucky given the anxiety, depression, real need and misery being suffered by so many others.

Everyone before me has already said everything I had to say but of course, I will say something anyway. I did a double take when I saw the door cards just like anybody familiar with a 400 would do. This is the car I bought three years ago but asking more money. I thoroughly enjoy my car so I believe this should be a great street car too. Yet I couldn't justify buying a GT (or this version of the same) car when compared to my 400 . I could only buy a new one for the sake of simply acquiring something new. To clarify, my car becomes more "mine" by the month and it's already been shaken out by me. Any new Lotus will need to be substantively different to attract me. A Komotek tune, and some upgraded shock/springs narrow the difference substancially between any 400 and the current cars delivered here. I was even able to acquire a new tailgate at a bargain price, further narrowing any differences. Behold an Evora GT405. (Or is it currently a GT405 on its way to being a GT435?) I understand Lotus is trying to make the most of their situation in the interim but the constant renaming and reshuffling of the same deck while it may be understandable isn't particularly effective. The Lotus GT405 revealed!

^I thought so too. Petrol car was my last understanding but nobody tells us anything. If the '21-22 car is based on the Evora platform hopefully they'll keep the name and make the best one ever. The platform has earned that and renaming the car isn't important. The Evora is finally getting a little traction here in the form of the GT. Not huge, but better. A lot of guerrilla warfare has been waged on behalf of the Evora. If it is a 400 pus horsepower car, calling it an Elan (which I also thought I heard was possible) would be a waste of a lot of You Tube videos. I have a lot of thoughts and questions about this interim car as we all do.

I want to say again that it was some bad dope from a former employee substantiated by another owner that caused me to prematurely announce the demise of my dealer That however prompted me to respond here. Happily authorized service is still less than half an hour away. I can easily live with that. Indeed, Lotus have struggled but at least lately some of that is due I think to a lack of visible investment. This was understandable when Lotus was struggling on its own or through that successions of ownership changes, right through Proton. This was anticipated and tolerated by owners given the company was struggling to survive. Almost three years later, we still suffer delayed warranty approval/repairs, parts delivery delays, and the understanding that if one is bold enough to buy an Evora, one has to be resilient enough to deal with any roadblocks in sorting it out. I expect repairs requiring parts may result in days or weeks of delay. One sucks it up and reminds oneself they have a daily driver on the one hand and something unique on the other. I'm a understand how challenging it is to deliver low volume, hand made cars through a nascent network at a price. It would yet be prudent for Lotus to construct an efficient infrastructure starting now to support dealers and clients with dispatch. Doing so prepares the company to support the growth it needs, retains owners and encourages us to act as sales reps. Which I do anyway because, Lotus. A million dollars (probably one fifth of that) would provide the parts backup given our low vehicle count. A review of warranty policies and dealer reimbursements could make the company more competitive overall. I say this all the time, over and over, but I love my car as much as anybody can love an inanimate possession. It brings me joy on an almost daily basis. That's the way you need to feel about owning a Lotus because like children, puppies and kittens, it's a damn good thing they're so cute or you'd kill them!

It turns out I am seriously mistaken in suggesting that my dealer is disappearing. I'd edit that out but the forum software won't let me. In any case I posted that info based on some inside info that turned out not to be well informed.

It sounds like we are losing our dealer here. They have been with the line for 3 years and were enthusiastic at the start. Now they are quietly going away. Lotus has not yet acted to support its existing customers here in ways that will make a visible difference. What is different in America is that very few if any dealers rely on Lotus as a main line. Lotus' low volumes don't necessarily put dealerships out of business. It just impacts their willingness to be Lotus dealers. Although my complaints are relatively minor (and I love my car) little has visibly changed in the years since Geely has surfaced as savior. Hopefully that will change with time but the things they could have done to show a bit of forward motion where the rubber meets the road (which isn't on You Tube) have yet to be accomplished. For me, the future just got tougher as my closest active dealership is now likely to be 6 hours out and back. I will be coming off warranty in 5 or 6 months so I could opt to use an independent service center but my preference for a car like this is always going to be authorized specialist service. We all agree Lotus cars are great fun, different and better than the reputation they bear but for those of us invested in Lotus by dint of our purchases, the situation appears static and there is no guarantee that buying a new Lotus Evora today will result in a happy motoring/ownership experience five years from now. We buy the cars here despite the reasons not to and on that front there has been little progress.

Proper take on the GT by Petro. What a lovely review!

I wanted a 4C when they were introduced....badly! I never acted on that desire and to be honest, after driving them both (local dealer is an Alfa franchisee as well as Lotus), there's no way I would swap a newer Evora for the Alfa. To be fair, they are not in the same price category so I think, at least in the USA, if you're looking for one, you're probably not in the market for the other. The real competition for the Evora here is not the 4C.....you know what that car is! The C8 is carving every other mid engined sports car a new orifice. Now, were I hot for a 4C and I had an English/European address, I'd likely buy an Alpine instead. Given the biases of our forum, I wish I could say I'd buy an Elise but I think the Alpine might suit me better as I generally prefer coupes. But given the choice I'd have an Evora (and I do) over any of those. Jury regarding the Corvette is still out for me, but obviously the equation is different in the Olde Country.

As it is with my wife, so it is with my daughter who feared driving the Evora lest something untoward might happen on her watch. But I know they secretlywant to drive it so I always insist they try her out. I know how they'll feel once they have driven it. That big smile came after her first drive in the hills. Now when she visits, she asks for keys!

I have no predictions since I'm not smart enough to know where this is all headed but it seems to me that if I were Lotus and wanted to build something relevant yet still appealing to a wide range of enthusiasts, I'd build a hot hatch or the like. Maybe even try to redefine the segment. I don't know what they can build in the next few years that will replace my Evora but I would love to buy something from them to replace my GTI.

If the GT is granted collectible classic status (still a speculation but a pleasant one) then anything based on the 4xx chassis will be brought along for the ride. For "collectors" (if Evora actually reaches collectible status) then the GT indeed will be the one to have but talk about limited numbers. Thus for enthusiast drivers it's somewhat irrelevant which trim they get (in the USA), being mostly a question of incremental cost. I say all 4XX variants rise or fall within a reasonably predictable ranking by vintage/trim but all on the same tide.

The C8 is already a success by any measure but if it will keep Lotus from selling a few hundred Evoras here is another question. I'd have to say it didn't help but Lotus' structure here is the bigger problem. Until that is fixed it's academic and we will remain a cult living in the wilderness. Would I buy a C8? It depends. Buying today I couldn't buy a GT for Corvette money. Two years ago, the 400 and a well specified C7 cost about the same (Vette was still a bit less, but only a bit). The Evora could be justified as similar money to the C7 you'd actually want. Today, a well specified GT lists for $40K more than a high spec C8. This is a tough pill to swallow.

I'm not sure the new interior is really that different functionally from previous (4XX) ones but it has been nicely restyled and dressed up with a bit more attention to detail and if my eyes serve me properly, an incrementally improved level of fit and finish. All US bound cars get carbon seat backs and some carbon hard parts with those handsome contrasting seat panels that look terrific. I think for most folks the seats have always been comfortably form fitting without having being overly confining and that has been retained but the look has clearly been improved upon. I prefer a leather wheel but admit the Alcantara version looks good. I find my 400's interior a perfectly nice place to be, suited for purpose as they say but the new one is incrementally better in all visible areas. When you get down to it, complaints usually center around features. Repeating the usual refrains, there are no gauges for oil pressure, voltage, and coolant temp as we'd expect on a full featured sports car. The infotainment systems takes the now expected heat for a lack of full integration, etc. While (again) I'm not sure full integration (abandoning the double din approach) is a plus in the long run, most cross shopping people will expect a bit more in that department. The door handles are plastic, a place where I think a few ounces of nicely cast and polished aluminum would have been welcome. And so it goes. But if like many traditional Lotus customers one appreciates the simplicity and basic functionality of a clean cockpit then the interior fitment and feature set won't disappoint. Unfortunately not everyone sees it that way. A lot of the griping is about feature sets rather than actual quality per se. It does seem that build quality has been improving with each new iteration. If you're a Lotus person, this is all a plus. Yet if Lotus is looking to expand its market appeal, then the interior can be criticized for the very qualities we (the add lightness crowd) may be somewhat indifferent to. The new car's interior looks great with visibly improved fitment and a more generous use of color yet is still much like the one in my 400 as regards function. But we're the Lotus Elite (pun intended) and for broader appeal we can probably expect an expanded approach in the future in respect to feature sets. And likely, a different manufacturing approach as well. Do I want more gauges ? (I do). Do I need power seats? Not really but such things are viewed as "progress" and a process that is required to sell more cars. I just hope I can reject the things I don't want (power seats, needless gadgetry, etc) while quality and functionality continues to be improved where possible and as necessary. Oh....I don't care that the car uses Ford switch gear and many common parts. I actually see that as a plus that will likely disappear as the company further integrates all the manufacturing processes and parts acquisition. All hail the new Lotus. Just let's not fully abandon the old one in the process.

J'ai eu le même problème. Commencer, vérifier les boulons de roue et votre couple de 105 Nm.

Makes good sense as a name and a segment definer. .

I've had red, green, orange, white, silver, gray, blue, and maroon cars in various values and hues. What does this project about me? Confusion, eclectic tastes, or a willingness to accept whatever car is on the lot for a better price? There are two colors I will no longer buy: black (maintenance issues) and silver or gray in any of their values. Gray (and it's vicious cousin, silver) is not a color!