Thinking about buying a Evora

[Nice bloke]

Good evening 

I am looking to purchase a 16 plate plus Evora 410 and my question is what to look out for when purchasing,

I will not be using it for track days and it will be a second car, what would existing owners recommend on the long list of extras essentials and desiarables eg: air con, seats etc etc 

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Many thanks.

 

 

[Gashead1105]

Be amazed if you find any without ac. 410s only come with the carbon fibre seats. I don't like how they are mounted and would buy a 400 instead (and did). 

Radio. Cruise. That's about it. Most will be specd properly. Not sure what other options there are. 

[Bravo73]

I know of a nice yellow one which is about to come up for sale. 

How do you feel about Bruce Lee/Uma Thurman?

[Bravo73]

PS Welcome to TLF.  You’ve come to the right place. 

[Nice bloke]

Thank you

At present I have a TVR Tuscan 2 and also have a deposit on a new Griffith for over 3 1/2 years now and the launch date goes back and back, not really sure they will ever be made.

the Lotus seems like the only car that’s ticks all the box’s in my opinion, there are some great cars out there, Aston’s, F type etc etc but they just seem to be weighed down by tons of gadgets, electric seats, park assist and so on.

Cars like TVRs and Lotus are becoming an endangered species.

[C8RKH]

16 hours ago, Gashead1105 said:

Be amazed if you find any without ac. 410s only come with the carbon fibre seats. I don't like how they are mounted and would buy a 400 instead (and did). 

Radio. Cruise. That's about it. Most will be specd properly. Not sure what other options there are. 

Not true - Stratton I think it was had a 410 Sport for sale with the "400 Sparco" seats. Also, the mounts can be changed - Jon Seal ( @jonnyboy on here) created a replacement set of seat mounts for the carbon seats that fix the issues of the mounting angles and provide 3 settings including the original Lotus one. They are around £90 and are a piece of art and look great in the car (like OEM).  The main benefit is that it tilts the seats rearward to improve under thigh support and in my instance the position of the arms. i have the seats on the furthest rearward angle setting and they have transformed the driving position for me.

The main options were AC (only know of 2 cars that did NOT have AC), Radio/Satnav (and reverse parking camera), Extra sound proofing, Titanium exhaust, Additional amp/woofer for the ICE, signature/special paint and an optional interior colour pack (either same as bodywork or alternate painting of the HVCA/Door pull/Set hoop surrounds). I believe they all should come with Cruise and rear parking sensors.  I believe mine is fully loaded but I could easily do without the AC, the radio.

You need to sit in the carbon seats and try them. I find them to be wonderful, comfortable, supportive and to add to the sense of the occasion of the car (oh, and I'm a gumpy fat bastard so by common folk lore i should hate the seats!). There are some skinny types who seem to not be able to get on with them, and some with fatter arses than me obviously who just can't fit in them!

Aside for the "usual" things to look for on an Evora, the only thing I would recommend you check is the carbon on the roof and the rear ducktail. Some people have had issues with the fit and finish on these two components on the earlier 410 cars. The supplier was changed to Pro-Drive during the run and I am not aware of any issues with the Pro-Drive supplied carbon who have carried on supplying into the new GT410/430 cars the same parts.

My car has been 100% reliable, however it is on its 3rd windscreen (the original was delaminating at the bottom - so a supplier manufacturing issue) and this was replace under warrantr with no delay or hassle by Lotus. Th 2nd one was the replacement from Lotus but the dealer fitted the A covers poorly and when fixing that issue they cracked the windscreen!  An expensive problem for them as they had to pay for a new windscreen etc.

Aside from that, the csr has been a joy and no issues, niggles to report as yet. i bought it new in April 2018 from Silverstone (who were excellent) and I have done about 3.8k miles to date including a few days hooning around the IoM on the annual S.E.L.O.C. trip.

Happy hunting and I hope you enjoy finding and then owning what i think is a truly fabulous car that is frighteningly fast on UK roads.

 

[Colin P]

1 hour ago, C8RKH said:

and some with fatter arses than me obviously who just can't fit in them!

 

Oi, I thought we agreed on the term "Big Boned". Personally I'd go for the Sparco's as the Carbon Seats are actually narrower than my hip bone - no way I could survive with them.

If it helps with the reliability - I've done over 45K in my Evoras and have been Dailying the 400 for the last 2.5 years - couple of minor niggles, but the only time I was stranded was when the damned Ford key broke (at which point the Factory actually provided the override codes so I could drive home rather than go on a flat bed - get that service from another manufacturer).

Pick one you like and buy it, you can't really go wrong, if something is missing that you need (or if the seats chop and inch of your hip bone) it'll be self evident, it's not like other manufacturers when you can spend hours online trying to find out what an option actually is.

[Nice bloke]

6 hours ago, C8RKH said:

Not true - Stratton I think it was had a 410 Sport for sale with the "400 Sparco" seats. Also, the mounts can be changed - Jon Seal ( @jonnyboy on here) created a replacement set of seat mounts for the carbon seats that fix the issues of the mounting angles and provide 3 settings including the original Lotus one. They are around £90 and are a piece of art and look great in the car (like OEM).  The main benefit is that it tilts the seats rearward to improve under thigh support and in my instance the position of the arms. i have the seats on the furthest rearward angle setting and they have transformed the driving position for me.

The main options were AC (only know of 2 cars that did NOT have AC), Radio/Satnav (and reverse parking camera), Extra sound proofing, Titanium exhaust, Additional amp/woofer for the ICE, signature/special paint and an optional interior colour pack (either same as bodywork or alternate painting of the HVCA/Door pull/Set hoop surrounds). I believe they all should come with Cruise and rear parking sensors.  I believe mine is fully loaded but I could easily do without the AC, the radio.

You need to sit in the carbon seats and try them. I find them to be wonderful, comfortable, supportive and to add to the sense of the occasion of the car (oh, and I'm a gumpy fat bastard so by common folk lore i should hate the seats!). There are some skinny types who seem to not be able to get on with them, and some with fatter arses than me obviously who just can't fit in them!

Aside for the "usual" things to look for on an Evora, the only thing I would recommend you check is the carbon on the roof and the rear ducktail. Some people have had issues with the fit and finish on these two components on the earlier 410 cars. The supplier was changed to Pro-Drive during the run and I am not aware of any issues with the Pro-Drive supplied carbon who have carried on supplying into the new GT410/430 cars the same parts.

My car has been 100% reliable, however it is on its 3rd windscreen (the original was delaminating at the bottom - so a supplier manufacturing issue) and this was replace under warrantr with no delay or hassle by Lotus. Th 2nd one was the replacement from Lotus but the dealer fitted the A covers poorly and when fixing that issue they cracked the windscreen!  An expensive problem for them as they had to pay for a new windscreen etc.

Aside from that, the csr has been a joy and no issues, niggles to report as yet. i bought it new in April 2018 from Silverstone (who were excellent) and I have done about 3.8k miles to date including a few days hooning around the IoM on the annual S.E.L.O.C. trip.

Happy hunting and I hope you enjoy finding and then owning what i think is a truly fabulous car that is frighteningly fast on UK roads.

 

Thank you

[KJD]

I’d agree the seats are a marmite thing.

I found the carbon seats fantastic on a 410 test drive but you do loose the practicality of folding backrests with them, so getting in the back (even to stow bags) is a PITA. (I thought anyway)

It’s one of the reasons I went for a 400 with Sparco seats as I was coming from an Exige and wanted that practicality in my “grown-up” new car.

[C8RKH]

8 minutes ago, KJD said:

I’d agree the seats are a marmite thing.

I found the carbon seats fantastic on a 410 test drive but you do loose the practicality of folding backrests with them, so getting in the back (even to stow bags) is a PITA. (I thought anyway)

It’s one of the reasons I went for a 400 with Sparco seats as I was coming from an Exige and wanted that practicality in my “grown-up” new car.

I thought it was just because you liked the cute "squeak" the Sparco seats made?  I agree re access to the back of the seats, it is harder with the carbon seats. I'm think of taking the passenger one out to make it easier and give me a better excuse to not have a passenger in the car to spoil my enjoyment. I know, I'm a right selfish bar steward!  :)

[trcm]

If the carbon seats are anything like the ones in the newer Elises, then I think I'd like them a lot, but would worry they'd position me too low to see over the wheel 😆

[au-yt]

On 09/02/2019 at 04:29, Bravo73 said:

I know of a nice yellow one which is about to come up for sale. 

How do you feel about Bruce Lee/Uma Thurman?

Bit late I realise but Simply sports cars in Sydney have engineered a different seat Mount for the 410 at a better hight and adjustable angle

[Bravo73]

@jonnyboy (of this parish) produces something similar:

http://www.lotushardtops.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=90_91&product_id=183

[C8RKH]

As I mentioned on this thread just 6 posts above 😂🤣

[Bravo73]

Do you think that everyone reads all of all of your posts? 😂

[C8RKH]

6 hours ago, Bravo73 said:

Do you think that everyone reads all of all of your posts? 😂

LOl - FFS you only have to scroll up one screen!  haha

[Julian73]

On 08/02/2019 at 11:13, Gashead1105 said:

Be amazed if you find any without ac. 410s only come with the carbon fibre seats. I don't like how they are mounted and would buy a 400 instead (and did). 

Radio. Cruise. That's about it. Most will be specd properly. Not sure what other options there are. 

410 can be ordered with reclining sparco's

[PAR]

AC a bit of a must for resale value at least. Rear engine does keep the car warm, even in the UK...

Considering relative availability and the fact the 400 is more convenient to use, you would need to be very focused on the carbon to limit yourself to the 410.

Sparco seats got sorted from 17 onward and cars before usually have been addressed with the extra bit. If it does not make noise when you try it, then hopefully ok.

After that it is all about color and black pack or not. I guess a taste matter.

[C8RKH]

Yeah, but the very is so very very good and so very very nice and don't forget those wonderful wheels too. 400 is you need the extra seats, if not and it's essentially a toy then it has to be the 410 for me.

Both cars are great, the key thing is that with the limited availability of any Evora, you don't always have a choice and will usually need to compromise on spec/colour somewhere.  just buy one. Drive it. And enjoy it. Oh, and enjoy the response of people who see and hear it and then shout "wow, it's a Lotus not a Ferrari" as happened to me yesterday in Perth!

[C8RKH]

On 16/02/2019 at 22:44, Julian73 said:

410 can be ordered with reclining sparco's

You're confusing the Evora 410 Sport with the GT410. Two different models. The 410 Sport came with the carbon seats with the exception of one I believe from Stratton that had the Sparco's fitted by the dealer. The GT410 comes with the Carbon seats as standard I believe and you can do a cost option to the Sparco's, unless that has changed recently.