Lotus Evora 400

[Breeze]

The lighter track oriented version of the 400 is the Exige S surely. The Evora is more road going GT than track day sports car. 

[Bibs]

While that is true, the 400 is quicker than an Exige on track so it would make some sense to capitalise on this, or beef up the Exige as the logical choice for a track car.

[kokostrollet]

As long as they have a good "gallery" section with lots of shots of the cars in different colours (body and trim) then that is fine for me. But I mean "lots" of shots showing lots of combinations and features etc. You have to do this (lots of shots), or, you have to have the configurator. Period.

 

+1 to that.

 

As a matter of fact, I even prefer having that gallery section with photos + explanation on what config is on the pictures rather a configurator which anyway doesn't show real-life images of what you have selected. As long as the options packs and different combinations are straight-forward that is much, much better. 

 

Although I am a Porsche fan, I really don´t like their way of doing this where you are faced with a million choices (and added costs) just for picking the options. Nissan with the GT-R, on the other hand, is a big sports car manufacturer in the other end of the spectrum where I think Lotus should be too. As a matter of fact, the GT-R (at least here in Sweden) has an even simpler options list than Lotus have. You only have three full car packages to choose from: "Premium Edition", "Nismo" and "Black Edition" with fixed options. The only thing to worry about picking is the color. I really like side by side comparisons though when you have a couple of fixed choices like this so you can easily see what are included and not by going with each of the choices:

 

http://www.nissan.se/SE/sv/vehicle/sports-cars/new-gt-r/prices-and-equipment/prices-and-specifications.html

 

Simple and straight-forward.

 

Going back to Lotus current website and presentation of the Evora 400, I think they should have had pictures of each of the colors instead of the images they use now. It wouldn't matter if it is a picture taken from another car model as long as it is the exact color code. That would help a lot seeing how the color looks in reality, there is no configuration I have seen that can correctly on a computer screen show how an exterior color actually looks in reality and the color choice is the really important one when picking a new car that you will want to try to experience somehow (at least in my point of view).

Edited September 5, 2015 by kokostrollet

[Philsport300]

Spent the day down at Lotus yesterday and had a drive in the new 400, all i can say is what a brilliant car Lotus have produced. I really can't find fault with it at all. I had a look at all the colours they are producing bar green and blue and thought it really suits the launch silver and grey metalic. Anyway congratulations to Lotus and a big thankyou to Scott Walker, a true Lotus man to the core who made yesterday possible.- Phil

[The Pits]

I have to agree with Andy. A bad configurator is worse than no configurator. Forget wasting a limited budget on second rate digital frippery. Spend the money on petrol and tyres and invite serial Porsche owners to come and drive the Evora around Hethel before demonstrating its true capability with a factory driver. Film their reactions to it. Stick it on Youtube. Let them drive home in their porkers thinking about the Evora all the way home. Lotus have a great product, it's time to flaunt it!

[hyteck9]

I don't like Porsche, mainly because I don't fit in them well... but also because they all look alike!

[Philsport300]

Just a thought on the Exige. To fit all the extra radiator and plumbing for the chargecooler would need a larger front, there just isnt the room as it stands.

[Philsport300]

Another thought on the 400. For all the positive reviews, they don't tell the true story. The 400 is an amazing car on every level. The car makes you feel alive like the Exige, it attacks to road with the same savage feeling and the way it powers out of corners is awesome. But the car also feels like a very well finished and well thought out design, the interior is great, a really nice place to be. Oh and the Lotus lettering- spot on. - Phil

[Breeze]

Re the charge cooler in the Exige. I don't really see the problem. I've got a charge cooler radiator up the front in my Honda Sc/Cc S1 Elise. Works fine, and on a setup with more power than the V6.

[NedaSay]

Just a thought on the Exige. To fit all the extra radiator and plumbing for the chargecooler would need a larger front, there just isnt the room as it stands.

I think the car is going to have a very thorough redesign, with hints of 3Eleven which share the same chassis.  I do believe that the next Exige will be quite a thing. But back the Evora, I'm sure the configurator will be online at one point when they feel that it is ready. Until then more pics will do and updating the TBA price will suffice.

[C8RKH]

The lighter track oriented version of the 400 is the Exige S surely. The Evora is more road going GT than track day sports car. 

Really - so you would say that about the 911 GT3 and GTRS?

 

The Evora is a 911 contender, the Exige is a wonderful Cayman eater. Can we all get with the programme      

[Breeze]

I don't think Lotus have the resources to make road and track versions of all their models. (Sadly). The light weight track day car in the

Lotus range is the Exige. The Evora was conceived to be a larger, more civilised GT. something you could actually go and do a tour of Europe in. It's main rival is the 911 Carrera 2,4&S. The idea of building a 911 GT3rs competitor is a nice idea but, how many would they really sell? They would also be competing against themselves with the Exige. Surely it would be better to up the game of the Exige for the track day market. The Evora is the direct rival to the 911 range, so probably a roadster version is more urgently needed than a track version at the moment. But as above.... The Exige is the Boxter / Cayman contender and the Evora is the 911 contender.

I guess the other side to this is just how much power do you realistically need. After a certain point performance just isn't accessible.. Just where would you use, or have the balls to use HyperCard performance. The 400 already seems to be a pretty rapid car by all accounts, yet here we have people who have never even seen one, let alone driven one, demanding it should be made yet faster and lighter. My S1 Elise runs 450bhp/tonne. It's completely over the top performance wise as a road car. It's performance isn't really accessible on normal roads as you have to think very hard before planting your right foot, it has much more power than traction or grip. Great fun on track, pretty crap on the A30 in the wet though. As a road car, my Evora is a much better behaved, nicer thing all together, with much more accessible real world performance.

[the83man]

I don't think .............. performance isn't really accessible on normal roads as you have to think very hard before planting your right foot, it has much more power than traction or grip. Great fun on track, pretty crap on the A30 in the wet though. As a road car, my Evora is a much better behaved, nicer thing all together, with much more accessible real world performance.

 

Well said that man!

[kokostrollet]

I don't think Lotus have the resources to make road and track versions of all their models. (Sadly). The light weight track day car in the

Lotus range is the Exige. The Evora was conceived to be a larger, more civilised GT. something you could actually go and do a tour of Europe in. It's main rival is the 911 Carrera 2,4&S. The idea of building a 911 GT3rs competitor is a nice idea but, how many would they really sell? They would also be competing against themselves with the Exige. Surely it would be better to up the game of the Exige for the track day market. The Evora is the direct rival to the 911 range, so probably a roadster version is more urgently needed than a track version at the moment. But as above.... The Exige is the Boxter / Cayman contender and the Evora is the 911 contender.

 

To me, the Exige is the track focused car (strict 2 seat) whereas the Evora is the GT (potentially 2+2). Why even focus resources then on a suboptimal platform for the track, just because Porsche is doing so for the wrong reasons?

 

Let´s not forget why the GT3 and GT3 RS are built on the 911 platform and not the Cayman platform: It is ONLY due to the fact that they want to protect the legendary 911 model as the top of the line car for their 911 customers. Nothing else! The Cayman would be a much better platform for the top versions for the track but is impossible only because of historic reasons and because Porsche is scared of putting the Cayman over the 911. 

[NedaSay]

I don't think Lotus have the resources to make road and track versions of all their models. (Sadly). The light weight track day car in the

Lotus range is the Exige. The Evora was conceived to be a larger, more civilised GT. something you could actually go and do a tour of Europe in. It's main rival is the 911 Carrera 2,4&S. The idea of building a 911 GT3rs competitor is a nice idea but, how many would they really sell? They would also be competing against themselves with the Exige. Surely it would be better to up the game of the Exige for the track day market. The Evora is the direct rival to the 911 range, so probably a roadster version is more urgently needed than a track version at the moment. But as above.... The Exige is the Boxter / Cayman contender and the Evora is the 911 contender.

I guess the other side to this is just how much power do you realistically need. After a certain point performance just isn't accessible.. Just where would you use, or have the balls to use HyperCard performance. The 400 already seems to be a pretty rapid car by all accounts, yet here we have people who have never even seen one, let alone driven one, demanding it should be made yet faster and lighter. My S1 Elise runs 450bhp/tonne. It's completely over the top performance wise as a road car. It's performance isn't really accessible on normal roads as you have to think very hard before planting your right foot, it has much more power than traction or grip. Great fun on track, pretty crap on the A30 in the wet though. As a road car, my Evora is a much better behaved, nicer thing all together, with much more accessible real world performance.

 

 

Really!!! Let me check  Elise has the Cup S. Exige has the Cup R and the new 360 Cup, the GT4 is the trackday version of the previous Evora S... The only difference is you cannot take that car on the road at all.

 

Lotus does have the capability to make any of their car a track weapon. This is Lotus motorport primary role. All lotuses are born to become track weapon. The GTE would have been it if, back then, the powers that were in charge had focused on developing it instead of splashing money on B/C-celebrities lavish parties, F1 sponsorship and silly stuff like the Exos program....  A trackday car is first and foremost a Lotus car with extra added lightness and a roll cage - if one does see fit to get it -  and the latest trend seem to indicate some extra hp (Exige 360Cup)

 

As far as I know the 3Eleven engine package is derived from the Evora 400, the engine bed is straight from an Evora. The Evora 400 has been over engineered so that adding power won't be detrimental to the car's balance and the 6 speed manual gearbox is being tested as we speak on the 3Eleven to make sure it can cope with the power increase, besides I think we have all seen the pics of a Evora Sport 400 prototype seat. Lotus will come out with a more powerful version of its Evora probably in the next two years. That more powerful version will probably get an optional "track pack". 

 

Thanks to TBD and the Komotec guys we do know it will.

 

The only car that is unlikely to come as trackday car from Lotus is the upcoming compact SUV! 

Edited September 6, 2015 by NedaSay

[Andrew C]

What a great bit of kit. First test drive of the 400 and she can wear the Evora name well. Quality of finish very good design and usability excellent. Gear change best in any Lotus exhaust noise to die for.

[hyteck9]

*dances in place like a kid who can't sleep Christmas Eve*

I can't wait! I can't wait! I can't wait!!!

[Al]

What revs did Brandon try & hold you to while running in?     Did you get to see the other one in Brian's normal colour chart colour?

[bingoking]

Please tell me he doesn't have a Yellow one?

[CocoPops]

Who's got a yellow one?

Yes please? /starts dribbling.

[NedaSay]

Ok guys don't crucify me but I just have to get it out of my system Lotus Evora 400 (base model) vs new Porsche 911 Carrera (base model) the spec wars can now begin and it is a close one.

 

Evora 400 = 3.5l Supercharged / 400 bhp / 302 lbft at 3500 rpm / 0 to 100 in 4.2"/ Vmax 186 kph / fuel mileage 39.8 mpg with automatic (extra urban) / base US price 89,900$

Carrera = 3.0l twin turbocharged / 365bhp / 332lbft at 1700rpm / 0 to 100 in 4.2"/ Vmax is 183 kph / fuel mileage 38.1 mpg with PDK (?) / base US price 89,400$ 

 

 

The Evora and the 911 have never been so closely matched. JMG and the staff were bang on... The journos soon have to change their tune and I think a head to head between both cars is unavoidable. And in my brain that head to head will cause some nightmares in Weissach... Of course the porker looks like it has the usual niceties and then some it looks properly tech with a new 7" touch screen and stuff and it has to wonderful gearbox I never tried the 7 stick but the PDK is a work of art... But still I think this one will leave both contender with bloody noses and will be really close and more than ever a matter of taste for the buyers.

 

Well done Lotus. 

[auRouge]

Really!!! Let me check Elise has the Cup S. Exige has the Cup R and the new 360 Cup, the GT4 is the trackday version of the previous Evora S... The only difference is you cannot take that car on the road at all.

Lotus does have the capability to make any of their car a track weapon. This is Lotus motorport primary role. All lotuses are born to become track weapon. The GTE would have been it if, back then, the powers that were in charge had focused on developing it instead of splashing money on B/C-celebrities lavish parties, F1 sponsorship and silly stuff like the Exos program.... A trackday car is first and foremost a Lotus car with extra added lightness and a roll cage - if one does see fit to get it - and the latest trend seem to indicate some extra hp (Exige 360Cup)

As far as I know the 3Eleven engine package is derived from the Evora 400, the engine bed is straight from an Evora. The Evora 400 has been over engineered so that adding power won't be detrimental to the car's balance and the 6 speed manual gearbox is being tested as we speak on the 3Eleven to make sure it can cope with the power increase, besides I think we have all seen the pics of a Evora Sport 400 prototype seat. Lotus will come out with a more powerful version of its Evora probably in the next two years. That more powerful version will probably get an optional "track pack".

Thanks to TBD and the Komotec guys we do know it will.

The only car that is unlikely to come as trackday car from Lotus is the upcoming compact SUV!

Even better said man!!

A top of the range fastest version with trackday bits instead of the everyday stuff.. Do what Lotus does really well.. A completely uncompromised faster version which makes it the ultimate model. A real Lotus Evora alternative to a Porsche 911 GT3..

Nothing wrong with dreaming

[PaulCP]

Who's got a yellow one?

Yes please? /starts dribbling.

I agree Lee, it looks stunning in the pics I've seen of the 400 in yellow

[The Pits]

Interesting that the initial reaction to the 400 was lukewarm at best, even here, but there now seems to quite a lot of excitement building towards the car. The reviews are excellent and the early test drive feedback is positively glowing. Can't wait to try one myself.

[Trevsked]

I was one of those that was a little disappointed when the 400 was launched and up until the weekend was still less impressed than I wanted to be. Saw the white car on Saturday and it's changed my opinion hugely with the black leather interior giving it a much better feel (to me). I'm looking forward to trying one this week and expectations are high so it will have a lot to live up to.

Trevor.