'Phil's Spec' Evora GT 410

[The Pits]

Yup this is the big 2020 reveal we’ve all been waiting for. Evora based. Russell Car design. Armrests - For The Drivers.

[stephenwhyte]

Lovely in Fire Red🥰

[stephenwhyte]

No I don’t believe it is - there’s more to come and this isn’t the “new”car promised for 2020/21. As mentioned this is a parts bin special and another way of being able to sell another new model. No carbon on this car so should be cheaper and no doubt will be more to be had off it, if a buyer were to approach a dealer for a deal.

The new car (I think anyway) will be seen nearer the end of the year as confirmed by Phil Popham in every interview he’s done. Remember we are looking for a new car based on the Evora platform but with better ingress and egress and updated entertainment system etc etc.

More patience required........we’ve come this far!👍

[KennyN]

Hopefully this is nothing more than a parts bin special to clear out the shelves for whatever is coming next, but it will all be in vain unless they do a far better job when it comes to marketing whatever they have to offer.

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

To be honest this latest model has cost nothing to develop. Everything already exists. It’s just a question of putting the right parts on the right chassis on the production line. I doubt it will be a big seller, even by Evora standards. If you’re in the market for something like this, wouldn’t you just wait and see what the proper new Evora based car is going to be? I guess that’s why they’re not leaking anything about it.

[j141]

Acording to the Lotus guy I spoke to at Silverstone the end of last year aparently there is going to be a new Evora/Evora type car towards the end of 2020

[The Pits]

I like the GT410 plenty, lovely real world sports car. A positive step backward to course correct some of the JMG indulgences but one that should have been taken very soon after his departure in truth. Naming shows muddled thinking and looks at the range in isolation from the recent past, completely ignoring the GT430. But much as I consider ‘parts bin’ a compliment, sales of these softer 410s will only come at the expense of the Sport variants and Lotus will have had to order new parts to make them so not really using up bits that have been lying around.

More concerning to me are the signs that the new era will be led more by committee. The indecision and latency is becoming more obvious now, the touring pack initiative was due a long time ago. Even the press release sounds weary of the internal process ‘we’re thrilled to finally reveal the new Evora GT410’. Not sure the whole ‘Phil’s spec’ thing sends out the right message either. Imagine what your spec would be? Full carbon bodied GT500? The CEO of one of the most exciting sports car makers on earth chose to take the Evora back to the spec it had 5 years ago. My guess is he has no interest in the Evora at all and was eventually persuaded into doing it after persistent nagging from dealers and sales guys who’ve been asking for a more comfortable spec Evora for ages. The message it sends out to me is: where’s the passion for fast cars?

[Techyd]

I agree, muddled thinking and frankly now quite a confusing model line up in terms of the naming.  I like the idea of a touring spec - it shouldn't ever have gone from the lineup to be honest.  In 2009, it was one of the cars most talked about accomplishment.

Terrible marketing outcome too -  allowing 'Phils spec' to be used to describe the car.

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

By the end of the year, you’ll probably be able to order a bargain bespoke Evora using any remaining parts!

[Bruss]

As an S1 replacement it's selling price should be about 70-75k.  Even then it would struggle against the P word's new GTS.

Looks good but that rear spoiler needs to go back to the simple clean lines of the S1.

 

[The Pits]

It will struggle against Porsche in any event so trying to make some profit out of the few they sell is the only option. Lotus could only undercut Porsches built in Finland by selling at a loss. Are we really still on this?

You don't tell a well trained Chef to offer his food at McDonald's prices. You're comparing an artisan producer with a mass producer.

Trouble is, like a lot of McDonalds customers, many car buyers seem to prefer the mass produced stuff, minimalist beauty and inventive, unfamiliar flavours are often unappreciated. Lotus still have their Michelin Star grade chefs it remains to be seen how they get on with the compromises needed to produce and sell cars in greater volumes. Not an easy thing to manage. We might well end up something like Jamie Oliver's garage sandwiches. He did his best but we all know that he's capable of so much more.

[scotty435]

Yes have to admit it’s late coming to the market, but it is a car that customers been asking for a softer version of the GT410 since that was launched. Just hope it’s not like the GT430 sport, the car that everyone wanted saying the GT430 wing and splitter where over the top. When lotus obviously listened to customers and gave them 430sport guess what nobody brought it. Lotus can’t do right for doing wrong.

[C8RKH]

I would have bought a Sport430 but the timing was wrong. In fact, I'd be happy to buy one still and I know the exact spec I would go for, but, they won't sell me one. So hey ho.

I'm hoping the new model will be worth me swapping my 410 Sport for.  Phil's spec is about profit, nothing more in my opinion as all that lovely carbon bodywork did cost!

[The Pits]

Jeez Scotty, why so negative?! 😜

GT430 Sport ended up selling more GT430s than they anticipated so all was not lost. A really great car slipped by without being noticed however, again it was never promoted or very well understood. Even here not many recognized the value on offer at the time in comparison to the GT410 Sport that followed. Can't help but think the GT430 Sport spec would do better now at £104k if it was released as a range topper. Quite likely that we'll see pretty much that spec again as the 'Final Edition' Evora. I'd ditch the GT410 Sport now and have a GT430 Sport plus the new GT410. A supple, road focused version and a lightweight carbon clad road/track sex machine. But no, you can't order it with the super high downforce aero package! 

[Bruss]

Which customers have been asking for this softer version? Where is the market?

Ref the P comparison. I used that to illustrate where the price point is.  The production costs aren't the general public's concern. They and now even I, will pay the market price unless something special is offered. What is 10-15K special enough to get new custom, over comparable cost of the 62K S1 sc when it was launched (adjusted for inflation)?

 

 

 

[Bibs]

3 minutes ago, Bruss said:

Which customers have been asking for this softer version? Where is the market?

I believe the intent is to fill the gap left when the 400 was inexplicably removed from the lineup. They did sell a good number of 400's. 

[AK70]

I love my S1 for its sport touring capabilities and real road driving fun.
Can easily take a mid-sized suitcase in the rear, and still has a boot for duffelbags etc.. but drives like no limo, hot hatch etc. can..

If I had to replace it today, I checked the follwing cars:
Alpine A110: not enough place inside, no boot, fund drive, but not better than S1 suspension/steering/braking wise
718 GTS 4.0: What a move from Porsche to bring back a sweet 6er.. will test drive one, but again not enough place inside.
Must drive heavenly to convice me to switch. 
Evora 410/430sport: Certainly fun to drive on track. But in comparison with S1 not better as Sport touring car on a B-road.

Now the "new" Evora GT: I like!  This would be my preference if I had to replace my S1 today. Which I don't ;-))
Good to see that Lotus bring back the sport touring to its range!

[j141]

3 minutes ago, AK70 said:

I love my S1 for its sport touring capabilities and real road driving fun.
Can easily take a mid-sized suitcase in the rear, and still has a boot for duffelbags etc.. but drives like no limo, hot hatch etc. can..

If I had to replace it today, I checked the follwing cars:
Alpine A110: not enough place inside, no boot, fund drive, but not better than S1 suspension/steering/braking wise
718 GTS 4.0: What a move from Porsche to bring back a sweet 6er.. will test drive one, but again not enough place inside.
Must drive heavenly to convice me to switch. 
Evora 410/430sport: Certainly fun to drive on track. But in comparison with S1 not better as Sport touring car on a B-road.

Now the "new" Evora GT: I like!  This would be my preference if I had to replace my S1 today. Which I don't ;-))
Good to see that Lotus bring back the sport touring to its range!

The GT410 Sport drives and feels totally different to the S1 they are almost totally different cars, so if this is an S1 type car with all the other improvements it should be good, I would still pony up the extra £3k for the GT410 Sport, I never feel mine is too sporty, too impractical or the ride is too hard!

Edited January 30, 2020 by j141

[PAR]

Basically priced exactly like a base 911 carrera.

[C8RKH]

11 minutes ago, PAR said:

Basically priced exactly like a base 911 carrera.

Basically Porsche never sales a base 911 Carrera, they always have extras.

However, more and more I can see why the 911 Carrera sells and its attraction.

This Evora should be pitched at £75k list max to really take on the 911. However, with a Boxster GTS at £65k it really pains me to say this but that is where my money would go with £10k to spend on extras.

[Snoopy1969]

4 hours ago, scotty435 said:

Yes have to admit it’s late coming to the market, but it is a car that customers been asking for a softer version of the GT410 since that was launched. Just hope it’s not like the GT430 sport, the car that everyone wanted saying the GT430 wing and splitter where over the top. When lotus obviously listened to customers and gave them 430sport guess what nobody brought it. Lotus can’t do right for doing wrong.

I think the 430 sport sold that bad because of its pricing - list price in Germany was in the region of a 911 Gt3 Touring, or, if you already have owned a (good) s1, you would have had to pay around 100.000 Euros a n d your udes Evora to get a 430 sport.....The "winged" 430 even did not sell well on the continent, still some cars sitting at the dealers.

Re the 410 GT: I wonder that the Michelin sport 4s are descr. as "all weather tires" - Ithink its an "UHP" tire just like the Pirell P Zero Corsa? (I guess some sort of british humor?)

[j141]

The GT430 was too expensive when I was looking, it just wasnt £30-40k better in my eyes over the GT410

[Gashead1105]

39 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

Basically Porsche never sales a base 911 Carrera, they always have extras.

However, more and more I can see why the 911 Carrera sells and its attraction.

This Evora should be pitched at £75k list max to really take on the 911. However, with a Boxster GTS at £65k it really pains me to say this but that is where my money would go with £10k to spend on extras.

Personally... I'd buy the Cayman GTS 4.0 at 65k and keep the change. 

[Snoopy1969]

As often said: an Evora Targa would have been a sensible addition...............anyone knows what happened to this idea?  

[C8RKH]

41 minutes ago, Gashead1105 said:

Personally... I'd buy the Cayman GTS 4.0 at 65k and keep the change. 

Think of the resale people will shout!