Evora on Fifth Gear

[TomE]

Trailer is here: http://fwd.five.tv/videos/coming-up-show-5-3

Includes a novel assessment of the rear seats

[Wimbledon]

Thanks for posting, I let everyone know on our Twitter feed as well.

Bibs: Maybe you should add a Lotus Forums Twitter?

[bolly girl]

Surely she'd have been better off in the boot....

Edited July 3, 2009 by bolly girl

[Bibs]

Bibs: Maybe you should add a Lotus Forums Twitter?

Sorry, no interest in Twitter or twitting or whatever it is. If people want information, they know where the forums are.

[hedgerley]

Dammit, the suspense is killing me. I'm stuck on a long train journey - will someone PLEASE post a summary of the Fifth Gear Review!

[TomE]

Here's a link to the 5min slot from the programme: http://fwd.five.tv/videos/lotus-aborra

(no idea why they've mis-spelled the name in the title! If they fix it the link will stop working of course!)

In summary:

- Elise/Exige are brilliant drivers cars

- Evora is more about comfort, sophistication, but is it just "a car for boring people"?

- V6 adds 500kgs over Elise, so worse power to weight ratio

- disappointing 0-60 time

- good V6 sound but not quite enough grunt for the excellent chassis

- excellent handling, still a track car at heart, drives like a Lotus

- easier access but rear space and headroom cramped, only suitable for kids

- some great driving by Tiff!

- pricey at

[Al]

Thanks for this Tom,

Like Hedgerley I am stuck away from a TV but with me it is offshore Brazil and for 5 weeks this time. Phoned SWMBO tonight for her opinion of 5th gear review that I had phoned her and warned her about (You think more about that damn car than you do of me - how astute of her ) and was informed that she had forgotten to record/watch. I know I should have series linked it like TG! Our download speed for video offshore is terrible - like dial up used to be. That 30s trailer the other day took about 20 mins to download. Now I will have to wait 4 weeks to get to a fast broadband link but at least I know what to expect.

Al.

Edited July 7, 2009 by Al.

[SimonR]

TomE

Thanks for the link.

Simon

[Tuna]

Not a very consistent review - "it's expensive" followed by "it's 10K cheaper than it's nearest rival" and so on. Nice to see the car being driven with gusto, and a good conclusion, but neither informative or fun. That bit where he was throwing the car around with the contortionists on the back seat was cringe-worthy. Watch out for creepy uncle Tiff!

[hedgerley]

I guess its good to see another positive verdict, but as someone has already said, why put it on the track? 99% of buyers will not be taking it anywhere near a track and potential owners will want to know how it performs in the real world, on the the road, scooting off for the weekend to Scotland or heading to the Rivieria for a week. Thats exactly why I have my Esprit - I have no intention of taking it on track. I see it as more of a quick GT to be frank and as my dealer has tried to persuade me into an Evora those are my buying criteria. Not burning rubber (Ok, I'm a wimp)

With a supercharged version in the wings and a potential return to GT racing, thats what Tiff should be waiting for. To be honest I'd rather have had Tom Ford bimbling round the country lanes reporting for the Evora's target market, not a failed F1 driver.

Edited July 7, 2009 by hedgerley

[Senior]

not a failed F1 driver.

I'm no fan of Tiff he seems to have turned into a dirty old man, but I think a failed F1 driver is harsh.

[x6gas]

I thought it was a bit of a downbeat review, almost as though he was grudgingly accepting that the Evora is a great car.

It does seem that Jezza has a positive disposition to Lotus and that Fifth Gear / Tiff Needle has a negative one (Esprit owners will remember the laughable and derogatory attempt to get an Esprit over 200 mph).

I met Tiff once actually. I was really looking forward to it, but he turned out to be a total c0ck.

[bolly girl]

X6GAS summed it up well - 'Grudging acceptance it was good' so struggled to find something silly to highlight it's only weakness, as he perceived it, to be in the +2 claims.

Anybody in a lycra clad outfit is bound to slide in any leather car seat round any corner Duhh! Anyway, so last year - the +2 issue that is, oh and the lycra too

[hedgerley]

I'm no fan of Tiff he seems to have turned into a dirty old man, but I think a failed F1 driver is harsh.

From Tiff's Wikipedia entry -

In 1979 he was unable to graduate to the F1 World Championship due to the lack of the correct licence, but he was back in 1980, driving two Grands Prix for Ensign, qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder. However, he had an engine problem and did not finish the race. He subsequently failed to qualify for the Monaco Grand Prix.

A good friend of mine races a 1959 DB4-GT Lightweight and a couple of years ago Tiff was his co-driver in the AMOC endurance series. My mate had to do the qualifying as he was regularly faster than Tiff.

There is no doubting his driving skill and success in other series but in my view he qualifies for the title of "failed F1 driver"

And I still think he should have taken the Evora out onto the road. In its initial configuration its not a track car!