Dear Lotus... The Evora needs an update

[Suddabym]

Dear Lotus,

 

I own a 2014 Lotus Evora NA IPS Sports Racer and prior to that a 2010 Evora NA.  I have really been able to tell the difference between the two cars, with the latter feeling like a whole new car, such are the quality-based improvements.  You are to be congratulated.  I am however, slightly conscious that the Evora has been with us for a while and is in need of an update, but also that Lotus is probably not in a position to make significant structural changes to the car.  Any update therefore, would likely have to be within a cost/engineering envelope.  With this in mind, I thought that I would share with you some ideas that would, I think, improve the car and make it more saleable without involving structural changes to the car itself.

 

Facelift.  This is an obvious area for review, involving changes to the front and rear, and kinda goes without saying.  However, there is probably a need to maintain a corporate look, so that it does not step away from the others in the range.  A facelift therefore, just for the sake of it is probably best avoided.  A facelift to begin a new corporate look could be worth the effort.  Personally, I think, particularly in SR guise, the look of the car is fine.

 

ICE.  The latest Alpine system is great and so much better than it’s predecessor.  However, I think that the disk drive should go (I mean, who uses CDs and DVDs?) as it adds unnecessary weight to a car.  If Apple can get rid, I’m pretty certain Lotus can do the same.  Also, despite the Alpine unit being aftermarket, a skin would make it more personal to Lotus.  By this I mean a software skin that adds, as icons and favourites, all Lotus dealerships, service centres and shops.  And, ideally race circuit data.  This would not be a big job, but would make the unit far more personal to the Evora (and other future models that will have to have a double din system).  In future, the ICE should be centred on the customer’s smart phone (such as Apple Carplay and Android Auto).  If you can afford a Lotus, the chances are you can afford a smart phone too.  These systems would also be much, much lighter.

 

Seats.  The Recaro seats are great and do all the things that seats need to do in this car.  However, they are very common now, finding their way into many hot hatches, which reduces the car’s feeling of exclusivity.  More importantly, they look and feel really heavy and cumbersome, eating into precious rear legroom.  Lotus have such wonderful, light, simple seats in the Elise/Exige that it seems a shame to put big heavy recaros into the Evora.  Also, these aftermarket seats were not designed for the Evora and so add to the entry/exit issue, as they are not moulded to take the sill into consideration.  An Elise/Exige style seat that folded would add lightness, rear legroom and make the car feel more exclusive.

 

Roof.  It seems clear that a convertible is not going to happen.  So, why not add in glass panels to open up the cabin and give the feeling/impression of something more spacious?  The roof shape and the B pillar roll bar would suggest 3 panels; for driver, passenger and rear passengers.  I’m thinking McLaren P1.  They could even be removable, a la the Esprit.

 

Active Rear Wing.  The irony is that the rear wing design actually looks like it is active.  There are two possibilities.  1.  Hinge the wing at the front and place two motors in the boot with extendable arms that rise through the boot lid and raise the rear of the wing.  This would eat into boot space but not by much.  2. Place a mechanism into the (quite thick) rear wing, anchor it to the inside floor of the wing so that it tilts/raises the top section of the wing.  People like active rear wings.

 

DRLs.  The car needs DRLs and the two front air vents do rather lend themselves.  Aftermarket kits for existing Evoras would also sell, I would think.  Don’t be fooled into thinking that the sidelights with a change to internal instrument illumination is enough.  It isn’t.  The car is dating without them.

 

Digital Instruments.  If the budget can stretch and be justified by using the same instruments for future models, do it.  It gives an awful lot of flexibility regarding what information the driver has access to.

 

Active Cruise Control.  The current system is nice and works well with the IPS transmission, but would be so much more practical if coupled to a radar-based intelligent accident avoidance system.  And, dare I say it, front-parking sensors.  The nose does rather drop away.

 

Power.  276bhp just isn’t enough and is now being matched by hot hatches.  Surely the NA can be raised to 300bhp?  And in turn the S raised to 375?  The Evora also needs a halo edition; something like a Cup or R, ideally with more power and carbon fibre bits to reduce weight.  A premium price can be charged, not many have to sell; they just have to exist and create noise.

 

Stop/Start.  Evora’s sit in traffic just like everyone else and petrol prices are only going up.  Just a thought.

 

Hybrid.  Okay, I’m stretching a bit here, but a small, relatively simple energy recovery system would demonstrate that the Evora isn’t standing still technologically.  Don’t forget the engine is, what, 10 year old tech now? And/or solar panels to power a/c, ICE?

 

Engine Start/Launch Control.  I think a car like this needs these sorts of systems to compete.

 

The Evora is still a great car, but it does need to respond to changing expectations of customers who are looking for something more practical than a pure track car.

 

Hope that helps.  Feel free to call anytime.

 

Sudders

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

Bring back the trim shop... be nice to be able to spec a more bespoke interior and red piping doesn't go with everything!

[Khyber73]

They should bin the evora and relaunch it as a new model with different front and rear clams. Too many initial teething problems reduced uptake.

Though they should do a stripped out version of the evora club racer n/a with no carpets, club racer seats, light weight door cards etc

[TBD]

Let me extend on Suds ideas:

 

Facelift The current mounds should be nearing end of life anyway, so a facelift should be a no-brainer. No need to do much, but at least give us an Exige V6 style family front end. 

 

ICE Talk to Parrot and lt them build a custom edition of their Android based Asteroid Smart. Volvo,  Mazda and I believe McLaren have gone this way. 

 

Seats Sure,  the Recaro seats are common, but still #1 with premium manufacturers. Not a priority for me. 

 

Active rear wing A great idea, probably not very costly to do. 

 

Digital Instruments Do it.  A real investment for the future. 

 

Power Yes,  the demand is there. But I understand the difficulty in negotiating it with Toyota 

 

Start/Stop Noooo! These things are a horror! 

 

Engine Start/Launch Control Seems to be the current standard

 

Dual clutch gearbox Absolutely necessary today,  the IPS may be good, but not good enough for a car like the Evora. 

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

Ok, here's goes...

 

Facelift. That's a must, Dany's Elan would do perfectly, if not a slightly more aggressive front end and a general tidy up would do.

 

Power/Hybrid. A few more horses wouldn't be a bad thing, maybe some sort of F1 inspired recovery system or just build this...

 

http://www.lotuscars.com/gb/engineering/evora-414e-hybrid

 

Dual Clutch IPS. Seems to be the way forward. 

 

Engine Start/Launch Control. I'm not bothered about the latter but I can't understand why there's not a start button, I had one on my '08 Elise FFS! 

 

Instruments. All part of the restyle, rumour has it McLaren will be offering a head up display as an option on all models, maybe from next year, that's bound to become the new 'must have' in wannabe super cars.

 

Stripped Out Version. Something like the Esprit GT3, slightly more raw, lots of racey extras to keep the young'uns happy, i.e. leave out the picnic set and humidor! 

 

Bring Back Ye Olde Trim Shoppe! Whatever happened to that? Why not offer owners the chance to individualise their pride and joy? Lotus don't have to go as far as McLarens' Special Operations dept. but it would be nice to spec your hand built car a little more. A Carbon Pack was mentioned at the launch of the Exige 3 but soon dropped on cost grounds. Bring it back please!

 

New Configurator. A must to while away those evenings while waiting for the next announcement! 

[Suddabym]

Apparently Lotus would have to charge over 200k to build and sell the 414e. Which is probably why it hasn't appeared. But, some form of ERS would make a massive difference and Lotus know a lot about this type of tech. Apart from money, I guess the question is whether there is room for it or not.

I didn't know that the trim shop had gone. I thought the SR interiors options were limited as part of the value offering. What happened to it? How can getting rid of that be a good thing?

I also think a double clutch system is a good idea, as the IPS can be a bit clunky when in auto, but I just don't think that there is the room for it in the Evora, nor is there the money to develop one for what is now an old engine.

I take the point regarding stop/start, and have no personal experience, and wear and tear on the engine has to be thought through, but the engine is in a hot, confined space that heats up proper quick in traffic, suggesting that stop/start would be a benefit to the mid engine layout. But only suggested it conceptually.

A GT3 style car or a Club Racer do seem like a no brainer, so it's odd that a stripped out version ain't come along. Especially as some critism of the cars weight has been levelled.

A custom built parrot style ICE would be great, but expensive. The thing is this part of the market is moving so quickly right now that Lotus should probably just take on an Apple and Andriod aftermarket system and be done with it, or their investment would be quickly left behind. A Lotus skin with racetracks and dealers and stuff would not only personalise the system but could also add to aftermarket sales, and stops customers driving straight past a dealership cos they don't know it's there.

HUD has been around for ages, but I think if Lotus just went for digital instruments, then I think at would at least move the game on a bit.

I facelift well done would be great. Badly done and just for something to do, would be pants. The 'Élan' look is dated now, so any facelift would, I think, have to be fresh and carry forward the Exige look.

Yeah, I had an engine start button on my Europa, yet in my Evora I have a Ford key that I can't see to insert. I'm not a launch control fan, but I think people want it.

I just think that an Evora, facelifted, with an active rear wing, digital instruments, a decent ICE and some sort of hybrid system would bring what is still an excellent car bang up to date.

Awesome.

[Bibs]

They still have a trim shop, that's where the LF1 interior and all the others are made. They just no longer work for ASO supplying aftermarket customers, it's production only.

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

Shame, there's no real choice on interiors, the SR interior is pretty much the MY12 with some alacantera swapped in. The seats and piping are identical. 

 

Funny Sudd's view on the Elan, I thought it was the best of the bunch, a great styling, whereas to me it's the Exige that looks dated! More of the same old Elise styling, the last time I was at B&C I was having difficulty telling what was what, especially the Roadster.

A great looking car but hardly breaking new ground.   sorry! 

 

Didn't DB take his stylist with him? ( i.e. car stylist, not hair and personal shopper!  ).

[Suddabym]

Yeah, but I think that if the Exige front is what Lotus are going with they can't now go with something else. I too like the Élan. Lovely looking car, but it's a four year old design. It would be looking back. Personally, I think more can be done with the rear look of the car, rather than the front, which I think looks pretty good already. And, Lotus are hardly going to change the headlights, as it would be too expensive, and they are a large part of the look of the car. Interestingly, the GTE body kit shown in the picture thread looks pretty awesome. Shame it costs so much and is unlikely to be picked up as a corporate look for future cars.

No Dany left his stylist behind, didn't he?

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

Dunno, thought he was named in the recent DB news article... 

 

The Evora's not a million miles away from the MP4 12C in terms of styling, I've never seen pic of those 2 side by side, be interesting to do a direct comparison. Apparently the headlights are made by the same company for both cars! 

[Suddabym]

They do, and interestingly, both came in for criticism, with McLaren's solution being to revise the early offer then completely update the car (including headlights) and, more importantly, change the name. Perhaps the Evora name is associated with an imperfect offering and could/should be changed as part of a 'relaunch'. Perhaps Dany's original plan to create the Élan wasn't such a bad idea.

And let's not forget Dany is awesome.

Awesome!

[Bibs]

Don't forget his hair! 

[Suddabym]

His hair is pretty epic, that's true.

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

They do, and interestingly, both came in for criticism, with McLaren's solution being to revise the early offer then completely update the car (including headlights) and, more importantly, change the name. Perhaps the Evora name is associated with an imperfect offering and could/should be changed as part of a 'relaunch'. Perhaps Dany's original plan to create the Élan wasn't such a bad idea.

And let's not forget Dany is awesome.

Awesome!

 

Yeah McLaren went from 12C to 650S, catchy names! I gather update's not that huge though, more horses and a P1 front end, part of a new corporate look for the forthcoming range. Maybe Lotus can tweak the Evora in a similar way and throw the Elan name in for good measure? 

 

Ron is awesome too and saves McLaren a fortune on hair care! 

[Paza3]

Do you guys reckon there is a strong chance of a big 2015 update... Makes me a wee bit twitchy on purchase the current design. I cannot help think that Lotus tend to run long production lines on there cars in a lot of cases 6-8 years and the Evora is only 5 so far? .. Hmmmmm

That GTE kit looks amazing! , especially the rear.... Drool

Edited July 6, 2014 by Paza3

[Suddabym]

Do I think an update is about to appear? No, of course not. There's no money to spare on a car that is actually selling right now. Where's the business case? I think some special editions will appear, but that's it. Doesn't hurt to speculate on what updates they could add within obvious constraints, mind.

If I were lotus I would have done the GTE look ages ago and put in a glass roof to get past having no money to develop the folding roof. And then, if I had a spare few grand, a digital display and an active rear wing. Oh and lightweight seats. Then I would flog them hard, before the engine and power output got too dated, cos they are too expensive issues to fix.

But, no. None of this is actually going to happen, obviously.

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

2015? I wouldn't be so sure... but the arrival of an up grade wouldn't stop me buying a car now and having a year, possibly 18 months or more use of it before any new models hit the road.

 

Isn't there 3 years free servicing on new cars at the moment too?

[Suddabym]

I'd very much like to be wrong, of course. And, I agree people will still buy the car even if there were an announcement of a 2015 update, mainly because most potential buyers don't follow car news closely enough to know. But I think it's about money and where a limited pot should be spent. Why spend it on the 5 yr old Evora, when the 18 yr old Elise is in so desperate a need for replacement?

There is. 3 years or 27,000 miles free servicing. Why, do you read something into this? Personally, I think it's just another way to get the sales numbers up, and good on Lotus for trying different things.

[softlips]

Once people know an update is coming they either will wait to part with their cash or expect a big discount. Lotus shouldn't show anything until it's ready to go into production - and all the stupid niggles need fixing too, they cannot afford another Evora launch disaster.

When you read back over the initial reviews all say it looked great, drove fantastically but was very poorly put together. Any potential newcomer to Lotus switched off after reading that. It was a missed opportunity, Top Gear still compare it with Ferraris five years on!

[adesmith]

There will be a limited run of 20 Mansory cars released soon and they look bloody ace! Around £80K ish I was told by the factory.

[Paza3]

Its an interesting point , I raised the query based on the number of threads recently regarding the matter and the number of general car "news" feeds about. I think half the reasons the residuals are as good as there are is based on this very reason, that there not forever changing the design making the existing owners feel there version is outdated,

 

I mean think of the 911 hardly much change over the past 50 years but as a result residuals are strong and the brand is recognisable and this can certainly be said for the Elise which is treading a similar path. The issue with recreating (Lotus) legends sometimes such as the Elan/Esprit is they need to be really really good so they can honor the memory in the right way... I mean nobody wants a Terminator 2 do they... I cannot help think this was the faith of the Europa 

[the83man]

On the grounds that I have only recently acquired mine, I fully agree with Paza3!

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

£80K is a lot of money for an Evora. What's a Sports Racer S? £65K? Still 20 units ensures exclusivity and it will probably appeal to Eastern markets.

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

Is this the car Mansory did a while back? Front end was good... not sure about the rest. 

 

It's a good way of testing the market though, seeing if a more aggressive Evora sells, getting live feedback, perhaps a sneak peek of future projects? 

[hedgerley]

Wouldn't it be the 'production' GTE? IIRC Dany had over a hundred 'orders' for the Far East that would see it go into limited production and then be homologated for Europe.The body and engine work were done back then I thought?

 

Anyhow, I keep dipping back into this (exactly two years ago now) which cheers me up, albeit momentarily...

 

http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/Lotus-Evora-GTE-vs-the-Stig-2012-07-12