Lotus Evora 400

[C8RKH]

Whilst down in Cheshire for the weekend I took the opportunity to call into Oakmere this morning to have a real good nosey around their Orange 400 with black pack.

First time seen the 400 in the flesh and just wow. It really has some presence. A Cayman GTS was parked opposite it and the 400 just looks so exotic, fast and expensive in comparison. The Cayman just looked, well, ordinary.

Interior is a wonderful place to be and the Oakmere car did not have the LOTUS letters on the dash and looked perfect for it.

Black leather interior, nice stitching and a real quality feel and no smell of glue.

I was very very impressed.

Now I wonder if the new 400 grills would fit my front bonnet / clam rather than the wire it has now, oh and woukd the new rear diffyser fit my car too?  Hope so....  

[The Pits]

I have told the dealer I insist Lotus honor the original order they so gladly accepted a deposit on.

No reply back yet... but I'm honestly so happy today I just can't care right now.  (See what made you happy today thread.)

I'd be interested to know the full story here. 

So are Lotus flat refusing to offer your original choice of paint or asking for more money for what is now a special order colour? 

If it has been discontinued as a standard colour then it will no longer be available at the original agreed price. That's unfortunate but they have to change the colour range from time to time and this can happen.

If it's the former then I suspect they are just hoping you'll choose an available colour as part of some cost control exercise. However if pushed I'm sure they won't lose a sale over it.

If it's the latter and you really want that colour then I'd just pay the extra for it or negotiate hard with your dealer to meet you half way. I don't know what special order paint costs in the US but it used to be £500 more than the premium metallic paints, so worth it for me to have the colour you really want.

[Gravel]

If B&Q can give you any colour you want (Dulux will match items you bring into store) when you're spending ~£30, WTF can't Lotus give the man the colour he ordered at the price they agreed when he's spending 2,500 times as much?

If, for whatever reason, the paint has become more expensive, Lotus should swallow the increase and give the customer what they agreed to deliver - Lotus' supply chain is their problem!

If they wish to change their price structure on future orders fair enough - future customers will have the option to choose to pay or not to pay for 'premium' colours. I really do hope this is all just a big misunderstanding, and he'll get the colour he ordered at the price he agreed - otherwise it looks a lot like bait and switch to me...

 

 

[The Pits]

With the 991 GT3RS you get a choice of four colours, like it or lump it and that costs nearer £150k. The B&Q argument won't get you very far with Porsche!

I think it's best to wait until we get the full story before blasting off.

[Snoopy1969]

Hi Buddsy

,the picture of the green one send by you: is that the left or right green paint sample (I would guess the right, but if the left one should be the "actual" one....)?

As often said: I cannot understand that Lotus is not abe / willing to provide a Konfigurator that Shows the Colors more or less realistic.....People that saw my car normally are very surprised that frost blue Looks t h a t way in reality (in the konfig. it Looked like primer............no wonder that nearly no one ordered it.)

 

[Snoopy1969]

many thanks, Buddsy!

[hyteck9]

I'd be interested to know the full story here. 

So are Lotus flat refusing to offer your original choice of paint or asking for more money for what is now a special order colour? 

 

Here is what I know.   I paid a hefty deposit , configured my order with options, including paying extra for the dark blue metallic paint I want  ( vs. the no charge standard colors which I think was red and maybe one of the gray/silver colors.)

And that's it.  This happened months ago.  I thought everything was right as rain. 

Please keep in mind I ALREADY SOLD MY EspritV8 , as I was so sure I was going to love this 400.   Now my EspritV8 is gone, and the dealer gets contacted out of the nowhere months after the order is accepted , and has to tell me I need to choose a different color for my 400.   I'm not sure why Lotus is removing all the "grown-up" colors to have only loud boy-racer radical weekend colors available...   ..I mean would it kill them to offer both?  What year is this?  2015 right?  I think we have come to a point in our technology where light blue AND dark blue can coexist in the same space time continuum.

 

 

 

Edited October 5, 2015 by hyteck9
spelling

[hyteck9]

The dealer said today in email...

My rep. is in communication with the factory and is trying to work out a solution. 

... ( to a problem they created all by themselves ) ...  haha 

Edited October 5, 2015 by hyteck9

[PaulCP]

So, whilst my car was back at Lotus Silverstone today having a couple of "niggles" attended to, I had the opportunity to take a short test drive of their 400 demo car. My thought during this brief encounter

I like the the new more aggressive looking front end but not sure about the rear styling. The new mesh for the front grills is also an improvement. (I guess the front bumper and grills could be retro fitted to the old model?)

The car felt good on the road with the new suspension settings. On some poorish roads ride quality was on par with my recent purchase, in fact I felt the overall feel on the road was better than mine.

Gearchange felt very precise and a shorter throw. It did feel like an improvement over my 2015 built car although I still managed to fluff a change from 5th to 6th.

Getting in & out is obviously much easier with the lower and narrower sills & the interior also felt more spacious. The seats seemed to offer better support in the lower back region, hugged ok around the ribs but not so much around the hips. The extra padding on the headrest also suited me better but obviously I can't comment on long distance comfort

I liked the contrasting stitching on the dash but felt the small silver sat nav/media buttons looked a bit cheap & seemed certainly more fiddly to use with my fat fingers than the old setup.

The sound from the exhaust when the valve was open was spot on . On mine there is little change to the sound inside the car when I put it into sport mode (although I am told you can tell the difference from the outside). However, and it may be down to my short test drive, the car didn't seem any more responsive in sport mode. On mine there is a noticeable difference so this got me thinking. On the 400 does Sport mode do everything that it did on the previous Evora S or has there been a change to the settings whereby Sport mode controls just the exhaust valve and you now need to use Race mode to replicate the responses of the previous model. would be good to hear other people's experience of this since it may well have been due to my limited time with the car.

Overall a definite improvement & I did think long and hard about buying the "old" model knowing the new car was in production. However, looking at the price difference on what the 400 costs versus the recent selling prices of the late Sport Racer S models I'm not sure that the improvement warrants the extra £20k outlay (depreciation apart since that is an unknown element).

I do though wait with eager anticipation should a roadster version go into production in the next 3 years.

Edited October 7, 2015 by PaulCP

[Bravo73]

I do though wait with eager anticipation should a roadster version go into production in the next 3 years.

You won't have to wait long. JMG has said in a recent US interview that it will be 2016. 

[PaulCP]

Didn't think it would be that soon, better start working on the wife then

 

[Bravo73]

Found the reference:

"I had the U.S. in mind when I came [to Lotus]; that was one of my first projects. The Roadster is first. It’s going to appear in summer 2016. The Roadster is easily done because we have a tough chassis and a composite body, and we already have the rollover bar incorporated, so taking the roof off is relatively easy. We can do it for a small amount of money. The A-pillar is reinforced. What we have in mind is two carbon-fiber roofs below 7 pounds each, which you can easily take off and store behind the rear seats. It’s basically a targa. We call it a Roadster. I drove a prototype last month, and it’s amazing. You can hear the engine note much more strongly than on the Evora 400. That will give us the second big boost after the 400."

From http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/lotus-ceo-jean-marc-gales-talks-evora-400-future-suv/ (which was in the JMG era thread). 

[hyteck9]

Good news!!

I just got a call from the dealer.  Lotus sends apologies all around for the confusion and will be building the vehicle exactly as my order specified.  

The color is officially no longer available, starting right now i guess, making mine the only 400 of this color.  It will be 1 OF 1.

Pretty cool...  

[brightoncorgi]

^^  Good to read that Lotus is doing what we all hoped they would in your case ^^

[kokostrollet]

Good news!!

I just got a call from the dealer.  Lotus sends apologies all around for the confusion and will be building the vehicle exactly as my order specified.  

The color is officially no longer available, starting right now i guess, making mine the only 400 of this color.  It will be 1 OF 1.

Pretty cool...  

Great news and good to read Lotus did the right thing. Looking forward to pics once you have it!

[Bibs]

[Hofmanns]

Great to hear Lotus doing the right thing, that is going to look absolutely stunning!

[LF1]

We took out the 400 this weekend for a 1/2  hour blast round the Oxfordshire countryside.

First thing I didn't notice was getting in, it was only after swapping to the passenger side and actually thinking about it did I realise how "unlotus" entry and exit was. I think this is a really great change considering where the car is aimed. However I was surprised how exposed it made me feel once I started to think about it. I loved the steering, found the gearshift to be a lot stiffer than the Elise/Exige, however it had a lovely sold feel of real quality. The ride was firm and controlled, perfect balance between overly firm and yet comfortable. It went well, and sounded awesome.

Interior quality and finish was lovely, alcantara everywhere. Apart from the Infotainment system, and the truly awful Lotus lettering on the dash that just looks cheap and nasty. I really think on an 80k car you should not have an aftermarket microphone sticking out of the roof lining, at least mount it behind a plastic grill. I understand an integrated system like we are used to is out of the question considering the volume of production, but at least sort the mic out.

The switch gear was nice, I think all the buttons are pretty cool with a good layout, however for the price point it should have climate control - Porsche were slated for this not being standard on the 35k 981 Boxster, really it should be on car of this calibre. I was amazed at the amount of room there appeared to be in the back with the 2+2 configuration, although I did not attempt to get in there.

When driving it I did not keep thinking "I must try this out on track" like I have with every other Lotus, but that's not really the point of the car. Did I immediately think I wanted one, or will I, probably not. However if the planned roadster with the removable roof panels that can be stowed in the bonnet gets produced, I'll probably be front of the queue!

Well done Lotus, you're really taking it to the competition!

[C8RKH]

Can I ask why there is a fascinaion with climate control, not just in your post above Tom, but in several on this thread and others, I haveseen it raised that the 400 should have climate control. Is it really so bad to have to twist a couple of buttons to get the temperature you want?

To clarify, I'm asking as I am yet to come across a good climate control system. My wife had a Subaru Outback and even though it climate control, which was set to the desired temperature, the car often either felt too hot, or too cold, and not necessarily when it might have been logic for it to. We bought the car from new, and even had it tested at every service as we were not sure it was working to spec.

Last year, we swapped it for a brand new Qashqai. And again, despite largely leaving the climate control on the same temperature, the temperature inside the car is not constant on long journeys with segments were we feel either too cold, or too hot. 

Same goes for a BMW 3 series and an Audi A4, both of which were journeys I had to endure anyway under protest as they are the not the most comfortable cars at all.

So to get back to my point - is climate really such an omission, or, like a lot of things that are regarded as must have these days, is it something else non critical or important just to go wrong?  Genuinely interested in people's views as if I do get to be in the fortunate position to buy a 400 the lack of climate will not be an issue for me.

Edited October 21, 2015 by C8RKH

[LF1]

I would not buy a luxury car without, Climate, Ventilated Seats, Xenons, Dynamic Lighting and Dynamic Cruse Control. I am sorry, but all this is available on a £40k boxster, so it should be there on an £80k 911 competitor. Other than ventilated seats, they're all standard on our Golf (along with a lot of other cool things), and yes work extremely well. I think Lotus get a pass simply because the car is just that good, and for a driver probably without competition at the price point, so only drew attention to for me what would probably be a show stopper for me - Climate control.

But we are all different and have different requirements, which is why we are all in different cars and can have these sorts of debates.

I wanted this post to be praise for the Evora 400, which is brilliant...

[C8RKH]

Your post was praise indeed Tom, I didn't mean to detract from that at all and sorry if it did.

You are right we all want different things  and diversity is good. All of the things  you mention i would want in my limo, saloon or Range Rover. For me, my Evora is about the drive, the journey etc so I don't  see them as necessary. But then my Evora is purely for fun and not  a daily driver. Part of the different things to different people debate. Still does not get over my experiences of CC not being great though

[brightoncorgi]

I would not buy a luxury car without, Climate, Ventilated Seats, Xenons, Dynamic Lighting and Dynamic Cruse Control. I am sorry, but all this is available on a £40k boxster, so it should be there on an £80k 911 competitor. Other than ventilated seats, they're all standard on our Golf (along with a lot of other cool things), and yes work extremely well. I think Lotus get a pass simply because the car is just that good, and for a driver probably without competition at the price point, so only drew attention to for me what would probably be a show stopper for me - Climate control.

But we are all different and have different requirements, which is why we are all in different cars and can have these sorts of debates.

I wanted this post to be praise for the Evora 400, which is brilliant...

I disagree a little with this.  For one, I do not like climate control and would rather have simple knobs like the Evora has.  Much easier to use and to the point.  Xenon's; yes that is a requirement at that price.  The rest is just fluff that bloats the car with weight.  On hard to get into cars, I prefer the manual seat than power.  Adaptive Cruise control is nice, but is something that should be on a Lotus? 

I'd like to see auto up on the windows as the only thing missing for me. 

I'd rather the emphasis be spent on quality material and execution than more features.

[LF1]

Again each to their own, if you don't like it don't spec it/turn it off and play with your knobs , but it would be nice to have that option. Pretty sure the anti crash (same system as active cruise control) along with reversing cameras is going to be a requirement of all cars in the next couple of years. Personally I don't give two hoots about auto window up, but then I'd never wind them down because i have climate control

Totally agree I would rather see investment in quality and execution than all the other fancies I mentioned (as an owner of 2 recent Lotus both with interesting "issues" at the moment).

Again, not trying to slate the Evora 400 here, it is brilliant. I think half the point is this car is a serious contender as a truly brilliant all round car, just like the German competition, just one thing that would make it virtually perfect (for me).

Lotus, please put the targa into production!

Just to wind everyone up further, I'd probably go for the Auto box!

[99Problems]

This was some of what I wondered about in another post (or maybe several pages back of this one, not sure) in regards to features that I take as being standard across the board in a 2017 model since I have them in a 2011 BMW.  My M3 has climate control, and it does appear to work well..... sort of.  For instance with AC on, I have to set the temp to 74 or 75 F because setting it to 70 or 68 (which is actually the temp I'm after) I'll FREEZE my peas and carrot off!  but with no AC selected, the auto temp seems to manage pretty well.  So knowing that, I'm fine with twisting 2 knobs to get my in car temp to where I like it.

I think the point of daily driver vs. Fun car is what makes the biggest difference.  I've just recently seen where someone mentioned the stereo in the 400 being crap, which probably had 90% of forum members scream BLASPHEMY at the screen because we should all be tuned in to hearing the exhaust note and supercharger whine as part of the driving experience.  However, if you drive it every day to and from work and all stops in between, then maybe hearing music or a podcast while enjoying the drive is of importance (as it is for me).

In the end, I placed an order for an Evora 400 because there wasn't any feature that is missing that I considered a deal breaker, but at the price point, and for the buyer Lotus is after, I think there are some features we may see added in the following 2 years iterations of the car.  I think I'm the exact buyer Lotus was/is after with this car.  I was a month out from placing my order for an F-type R, I'm a 39 year old male, and I'm fortunate to have the income to purchase the 400, or a 911 S, or the Jag, etc. 

I decided on the Lotus after driving a base Evora, but I decided to buy into Lotus also knowing full well that there are some features that I'll lose in doing so.  its worth it to me for the pluses of Lotus (drive feel, braking, exclusivity and "special-ness").  I know for me, part of buying into Lotus is because I respect the companies heritage and goals as well, and while everyone in the press will echo the "We hope Lotus is successful with the new Evora" the only way in which they WILL be successful is if those of us with the means and opportunity actually buy the car!  phew......  this post got away from me

[gregs24]

All of the 'gizmos' such as auto lights / wipers / climate are off the shelf items that all major car makers produce so would not be especially hard to fit if wanted. It just comes down to multiple options costing a lot of money in small volume runs. If only 10% spec a car with an auto lights option it may be 20 or 30 cars a year, and they then also need a spares supply maintaining. The Evora windscreen is expensive enough as it is without the extra gubbins.