Lotus Evora 400

[Bibs]

Great article -  very technical, but explanatory... Should be proud of that.

 

Some feedback from someone in the East of the country whose opinion I hold very highly. Very happy

[Trevsked]

Anyone got a link to the Harris peice where he was naughty?

 

Trevor.

[Bibs]

http://jalopnik.com/how-auto-journalism-fails-when-nationalism-gets-involve-1686723025

[Gravel]

This might be a rather well played marketing move by Lotus - give Chris Harris a car to review but not straightaway. His being miffed at not being a tier one reviewer,combined with other pretty favouible reviews (at least two transmission moans in the ones I've read) out before his would put anything he had to say in context.

[Trevsked]

Thanks. This is after he left EVO and got even more friendly with Porsche?

 

Trevor.

[Bibs]

Yup, that was from Feb this year. It read to me that it had been written perhaps in Stuttgart and he was asked to publish it. 

[C8RKH]

I personally would not be swayed by anything Chris Harris had to say anymore.  If I were Lotus I would just ignore him.

[Trevsked]

Yes seemed to go from enthusiastic independent car reviewer to "Porsche is the best car in the world" overnight. Shame really as his review of the Exige was very complimentary.

Trevor.

[Bibs]

It was titled 'Chassis from the Gods' which does make him look a little skitzo! 

[atlasapl]

http://jalopnik.com/how-auto-journalism-fails-when-nationalism-gets-involve-1686723025

 

Damn I forgot how much that article pissed me off.

 

"Lotus will be left with a car that is more expensive than a Cayman GT4, has a fraction of the showroom appeal and looks far too similar to the model that's been on sale since 2009"

 

More expensive than a GT4, well yes, you can actually buy an Evora 400.

The GT4 had no showroom appeal because it never got to one.

Too similar to the model it replaced, err, hello, Porsche have been doing that for 50 years.

 

Anyway, I probably said all that back in Feb.

Edited July 24, 2015 by atlasapl

[jonwat]

Quite a nice review in autoexpress.co.uk

[C8RKH]

Quite a few reviews now have referred to the Evora 400 as a "junior supercar" and to me, that is quite a compliment and a real nod to the achievement that Lotus has made and delivered with the 400.  It's not a super car (think 458/488, MP4, etc) and it's not a hyper car (Veyron, Pagani et al) so the moniker really fits and really is quite appropriate to my ears.

 

I hope the good reviews keep on coming and Lotus continues to deliver with some exciting new Evora derivatives like the roadster, a 430 Cup and a maybe even an extreme 450 CUP R etc.

 

Nice work chaps you deserve a mug of Tetley's and some milk chocolate hob knobs.

[Gravel]

^^^ I'm not sure I'd call another 5-10% power extreme - if you're going to dream,dream big, I say! 650BHP from Ford's GT 3.5L engine - just sayin...

Plus what is the market for a less comfortable 2+2 Cup Evora? Family man who also does trackdays but has just one car?

[NedaSay]

More positive reviews from the Dutch newspaper  De Telegraph and German authority Auto Motor und Sport (these guys appear to have enjoyed "enhanced" treatment)

 

 

Utterly gorgeous in black... I see nothing junior here, it's all grown up IMO. And is it me or there is an option for a side reflector delete? 

 

 

"The car is overbraked if anything to allow for future-proofing, watch this space!"  Bibs, July 32, 2015

 

So when shall we expect the new S version?

Edited July 24, 2015 by NedaSay

[C8RKH]

^^^  650 bhp!   To be honest Gravel my little 280bhp or thereabouts is more than enough on the road for me, very very few times have I needed more.

 

As for the market, maybe some one just like me. Late forties onwards. Little brats all but left home so no need for the +2. Lot's of opportunities to take the missus on road trips with the boot and the +0 load storage area so touring round UK and Europe.

 

Occasional track day use of say 4 - 6 times a year - probably at 50% of those abroad (Spa, Zandvoort etc anyone).

 

And doesn't have £150k plus in the bank for an MP4, 458, et al, but could stretch to say £85k - 90K for a 450 Cup R.  Hmmm, should be an OK market given the number of cars Maclaren, Ferrari, Audi, Porsche etc ship or have I missed something? Could be my early on-set kicking in again I suppose.....   

More positive reviews from the Dutch newspaper  De Telegraph and German authority Auto Motor und Sport

I you sure De Telegraph is Dutch as in Liverpool we always got de Telegraph and de Star, de Mirror and sometimes de Times too....    

[Gravel]

650 BHP is probably a bit extreme but they've done the 400's now 500 seems a good next step... Once you have to open the block to fit low compression pistons etc it all gets expensive so you might as well go for big power....

Would you not be better off with a new tub Exige if there's enough luggage space in it? That's surely Lotus's GT3 RS chaser...

[Guest hosscartwri]

I get as fed up as anyone with so called reviewers who either just regurgitate the manufacture's publicity

blurb or who are clearly in the pocket of a particular manufacturer. Having said that, like most, I also

like to read/see reviews which reinforce my prejudices, my buying choices and which reaffirm my expert

judgement!!

Chris Harris has a certain style but he does appear to know how to drive a car properly and quickly which

does not always seem to be the case with motoring journalists. Whilst I agree he was harsh with his commentson the Evora 400, his real point was bang on the button - to survive and thrive in business these days, it

is no good being a plucky runner up with everyone saying how well you did whilst the bottom line remains

steadfastly red. You must be your own harshest critic and seek to continuously improve.

Nuff said on Mr Harris. Amen amen amen to the James Mills review for the (Sunday?) Times. His final few

paragraphs absolutely gel with why I sold my very capable and sophisticated German sports car after only a

year and bought a Lotus Elise S.

Quote from the article:

The Evora 400 can do 186mph, given its head, and reach 62mph in 4.2 seconds, but it almost doesn't matter.

As the Ferraris, McLarens and Lamborghinis get ever faster, ever more overspecified and ever more

frustrating to use on the road, what many drivers crave is a car whose road behaviour is more about how muchfun you can have when you're nowhere near the car's limits. This is where the Evora 400 hits the jackpot.

It overtakes with ease, but in a progressive whoosh rather than an explosion of energy. Its manual gearbox

is a joy to interact with (though the optional automatic isn't a patch on any dual-clutch system), the

steering communicates every tiny change in force acting on the front wheels and the handling balance reacts to how much power you're applying without ever threatening to spin you off the road.

In short, this Lotus matches a driver's intuition exactly. It feels alive, toned and firm, but never jagged or nervous. It's not so fast as to feel intimidating; you don't need to recalibrate your brain to come to terms with it.

You find yourself driving the Evora 400 briskly but not dangerously. Instead it encourages smooth, thoughtful driving and discreet progress. The Lotus Evora finally comes of age, and it's a driver's delight.

Unquote

If the Evora 400 does provide all the above sensations and feedback at speeds which don't have you risking

being locked up then, when I grow up (I'm only 61 after all) the Evora 400 sounds like a "must have"

replacement for my Elise S. Oh Lotus - I do so hope the positive reviews reflect reality!

[Bibs]

Did anyone twig the location where I took the pics of the silver 400 yet?

[Gravel]

Did anyone twig the location where I took the pics of the silver 400 yet?

I know! Well Google did - via Buddsy!

Some Chap or man if you like...

[NedaSay]

Did anyone twig the location where I took the pics of the silver 400 yet?

 

K- Hall...      ?!

[Gravel]

The location is in the picture a few pages back...

[NedaSay]

650 BHP is probably a bit extreme but they've done the 400's now 500 seems a good next step... Once you have to open the block to fit low compression pistons etc it all gets expensive so you might as well go for big power....

Would you not be better off with a new tub Exige if there's enough luggage space in it? That's surely Lotus's GT3 RS chaser...

 

 

500BHP would probably require at least a bit of work on the internals... 450bhp must be all the way up there without going back in the wrong emission bracket..

 

I do reckon that Exige 400 would be a very nice GT3RS competitor. But Lotus also needs a little something something to hunt the almost always upsetting 911 Turbo so maybe just maybe they could entrust the engine to a reputable company that could fiddle with the crankshaft, the pistons and the headers etc etc. And provide a new manufacturer warranty sort of a Cosworth thingy... Oh wait, here goes Evora "480 or 520 SC" (as in Supercharged by Cosworth) now the thing is the torque it will generate may blow the AISIN BG6 to pieces as its torque capacity is 480 nm  

 

But then, the car would come with the new Cosworth track pack...

Edited July 24, 2015 by NedaSay

[Bravo73]

Did anyone twig the location where I took the pics of the silver 400 yet?

Of course.

At the opposite end of the village to me...

[Ivan Stjepan Jelic]

I would tend to agree with Chris and the market, at least were I'm from (Vancouver) I would agree...

 

GT4 has tons of showroom appeal and saying it doesn't because there are none in the showroom is a silly argument, there are none because they can't keep them in stock.. My local dealer has 28 firm deposits before even 1 car has showed up.. 28!  So it has tons of showroom appeal, so much so it works too well...

 

Weissach the local Evora dealer had 4 new Lotus's in their showroom this past year, of which 2 remain.. they sold 2 all year (they split inventory between Vancouver and Calgary showrooms so it's possible that both could have even been sold there and not here).  Vancouver and Calgary are two cities with lots of wealthy people, lots and any high end performance car sells well here, heck used GT3's are going for 50k above list, but nobody pays attention to Lotus.. 2 sold Lotus's in Vancouver all year and 28 pre-sold GT4 orders before the car even lands, well it's clear to see Chris has a point and the market agrees..  

 

GT4 starts at 96k, the last 2015 Evora (the other one is a 2014) in Vancouver is listed at 117k and the Evora 400 is supposed to be even more expensive..  hmmm... doesn't bode well

 

I'm not bashing on Lotus (I've owned 2 and loved them for what they are) and I would say if you love your Evora, great, nothing wrong with that. But Chris's article brings up a market truth, their cars can't compete in the market place (yet), they just aren't good enough to compete against a cayman or 911 as a whole.. driving dynamics maybe, but as a car, no...

[C8RKH]

^^^ Ivan, I have to disagree in a few ways to your post, but that does not mean you are wrong or anything, just, that we don't necessarily agree.

 

In some ways, part of the problem Lotus has is that it's products are pitched against the global sports car juggernaut that is Porsche. Is it also true that part of the perception is over cost, or perceived value, as for you the Porsche products are invariably cheaper as they are cheaper for Porsche to make and sell - because that is what a large volume does for you, it enables you to get stuff cheaper and you can increase margins and reduce sell price.

 

I believe the main issues around "showroom appeal" are as follows:

 

1. Nobody outside of real enthusiasts understands / looks at Lotus cars as a viable ownership proposition

2. Everybody has heard about Porsche, and despite often the truth being very much different, it is viewed as being a much more sensible "ownership" proposition as people believe it will break down less (not necessarily true by the way); people believe it is better built (again, not always true) and people believe it will be easier to sell on (almost always true  )

3. Comparisons on list price are not always like for like - hardly anyone buys a standard spec Porsche and most spend thousands on top of list price and this is where Porsche is very good at creaming their customers

4. Small niche manufacturers like Lotus will always be more expensive in North America than large volume producers like Porsche. Damn, the price you are paying for the Lotus is more realistically aligned to what we will pay in the UK and Europe. You can buy Porsche and even Range Rover for many many thousands cheaper than their UK/European equivalents even though they too are also made here - it's a volume play and NA is a huge market for them. So this sways the price v value v desirability factor in favour of Porsche

5. Dealerships for Porsche in NA are much more frequent and more "mainstream" than dealerships for Lotus which tend to be niche and often shared

 

So hopefully some of the above provides a balanced response to your post and as you can I am not even attacking or dissing Porsche as a product or a brand, just merely laying out some obvious advantages that they have.

 

What I really take exception to though Ivan is your closing argument that "their (Lotus) cars can't compete in the market place (yet), they just aren't good enough to compete against a cayman or 911 as a whole.. driving dynamics maybe, but as a car no..."  What complete and utter drivel, in my humble opinion of course and the sort of tosh I would expect to come from Chris Harris!!!

 

You are comparing the whole Lotus range with the Cayman and 911 (without acknowledging the huge pricing differential between the cheapest Lotus versus the cheapest Porsche and more mind boggling the most expensive Lotus (the Evora 400) with the most expensive main stream 911 (i.e. a Carrera 4 fully loaded - as it would be ridiculous to include the 911 GT3, RS and Turbo models as they are so much more an expensive ownership model).  What are you comparing the Evora 400 too? A Cayman, a Cayman S, a GT4 or a 911 Carrera 2 or 4, S or not?  Pick one, not the whole range! The 911 and Cayman are as different an ownership proposition as an Exige and an Evora.  I guess what my whole post is trying to say Ivan is that the "perception" out there, amplified by your post, is that Porsche is the better car for largely "subjective" reasons and not necessarily anything else - for instance everyone including you says the Lotus is the better driving proposition but it cannot compete as  car. Again, what a contradiction as I thought we bought these cars for their driving proposition - but then I fell and banged my head and came back to the reality that largely it is because saying you own a "Porsche" for a lot of people sounds so much better than saying you own a "Lotus".

 

Rant over, I'm off to raise a glass of whiskey to you and hope I did not offend.