The Evora 400 Diaries

[JayEmm]

So got my car back for the weekend, the plot is thickening regarding my seat but Stratton have made definite improvements to it now.

As regards my transmission I asked to take a picture of the gear shift (they replaced the whole shifter/linkage), but no dice  A spring had failed in it.

Interestingly, I noted in the Evo review they complained of the car graunching/refusing shifts a bit but my gearbox has been absolutely fine, silly shifter aside.

The very good news is that having spent all morning in a 911, which in isolation was great, getting in the 400 was just a mind blowing experience. Like a new car all over again.

[chylld]

Just watched the teething vid with sound, yeah that's a pretty major creak. Hope it gets fixed asap.

[JayEmm]

Here's the latest entry in the series, I drive an Esprit for the first time! And not just any, but @BP81's mint low-mile V8

 

[Barrykearley]

Stunning video @JayEmm

stunning car @BP81

very much enjoyed that - glad you picked up on the big spoiler and the necessity of that 

hope these videos are getting some YouTube hits !!

[CocoPops]

Definitely getting better James! Well done.

[JayEmm]

Thanks gents, I'm pretty happy with this one and it was a fabulous introduction to the Esprit. I hope to drive more in the future! Preferably on more familiar roads, but in any case I am indebted to Brooke for his kindness!

Congrats on your 400 order @CocoPops, if you're going Hethel edition the big question is: stripes or no stripes?

I have a couple more videos in the pipeline at the moment, on Tuesday I will be popping down to Bell & Colvill for a drive of their Evora auto demo car and comparing it with the old IPS box.

[CocoPops]

Definitely no stripe for me.

I've also changed colour between order and build slot confirmation.

[Gashead1105]

Love that Esprit. Think it was on pistonheads a few months ago but I can only afford one if I sell the Exige and that isn't going to happen!

incidentally, I've got it back from H111 now so let me know if you fancy a spin.

[purso]

Great video very informative and well put together just a shame my girly giggles remained in the video but something I'm really really pleased to have on the car. 

Would have been nice to have some shots of the car in motion I know this wasn't possible due to you being on your own but may be next time.

thank you for coming down to see me and doing such a  awesome job on the video  

looking forward to the next installment especially enjoy the uhd quality as well so please keep that if you can.

cheers

Brooke

[waofner]

Done over 12000 km in mine,

i also have an issue with a annoying metallic noise coming from the backrest of my seat when cornering;

please jayemm, can you tell me what they have done to fix your seat- would like to tell my dealer on next sceduled service.

--I love your videos!!!!

the buttons are fixed (snapped on) to the micro swiches by 4 very small and fragile!! hooks,- the micro switch units are soldiered on the platine.( to rotate them you have to disassemble the unit)

using sticky tape pressed to the button whith your thumb and rotating carefully!! may solve your problem;

in my opinion: with the bright buttons the car is not safely driveable in nightime- ihave done the same modification(described in my bright

buttons thread) to the buttons in the center console. (would have paid a 1000 € with a smile to get that modification from the factory)

today: my bootlid -out of the blue- fights a little against opening.....

best regards, wolfgang

[JayEmm]

Had a play in the car earlier, the sound does seem better now. I picked a few bassier tracks and it's alright but the subwoofer in the back is doing literally nothing. I don't believe for a second that it's all working and wired up properly. I played some mega bassy tracks and it was not moving a tiny bit - the speakers in the doors were moving a fair bit of air. And turning the sub on/off in the sound menu made zero difference. According to the DeRoure list there should be the sub, and an amp... there is no way what it is doing now can be considered "correct".

[Danelaw]

5 minutes ago, JayEmm said:

turning the sub on/off in the sound menu made zero difference. 

Have you cheched the sub isn't wired to the rear speaker output of the head unit like it was on s1 Evoras?

When I wired in my new head unit the sound improved more than I would ever have expected. The sub does not provide the bass of a proper sub, but does fill-in a little for a fuller sound.

[JayEmm]

4 minutes ago, Danelaw said:

Have you cheched the sub isn't wired to the rear speaker output of the head unit like it was on s1 Evoras?

When I wired in my new head unit the sound improved more than I would ever have expected. The sub does not provide the bass of a proper sub, but does fill-in a little for a fuller sound.

Enabling/disabling the rear speaker mode makes zero difference aswell. I appreciate it's not exactly going to generate earth-shaking bass, nor would I want that, but it should be moving more air than the front speakers if it's working!

[JayEmm]

So I faded the sound completely to the rear and heard the faintest sound, which actually did turn on/off with the subwoofer button. There is no way this is what it's meant to be like. It was quieter than a whisper. Not what £400 worth of parts sounds like. 

I'll speak to Lotus tomorrow as they'd promised an engineer would inspect my car and make sure it was working properly.

[Danelaw]

The sad thing is that this is a recurring tail and Lotus are letting themselves down by sticking with Alpine equipment which is giving poor results. I wonder why they haven't switched to a different supplier? 

[JayEmm]

What winds me up, and is making me lose patience slightly, is that Lotus are trying to tell me this is "normal". Like f13K is this speaker working properly. My mobile phone can drown out the sub in this car.

I know people will always say "with an exhaust like that why do you worry about the stereo blah blah", well I enjoy my music as much as my exhaust and you know what, if my car is fitted with something I expect it to work.

The shame is I bet when it works it's probably alright! 

[Bibs]

Why don't you have a look properly and see if you can fix it yourself? Car stereo wiring is hardly rocket science.

Clearly I know you have a warranty but if it's something simple like a lose wire in the back of the head unit you'd be a dick to keep slapping up to a dealer and moaning online about it rather than just plugging it back in yourself and enjoying the stereo. 

[Danelaw]

I'd read enough about stereo problems and poor sound that I'd have happily deleted the whole stereo for a small reduction in the purchase price, especially if I could elect to just have the cabling in place and the rear view camera fitted. It must be a headache for Lotus too, and their dealers, when every owner asks if the sub is even working. It's daft they haven't sorted this in 6-7 years, but as you've commented yourself this is something that is readily upgraded and fixed by specialists.

[JayEmm]

Ordinarily I would Bibs but if I wanted to dick about with my own car I would have bought a used one, as I have done in the past. As it happens I did see if I could inspect the back of the head unit but the panel around it is fairly well attached and I don't fancy breaking it when I shouldn't be dealing with this at all.

As it is I do feel like a dick, because I have spent seventy grand on a car and Lotus' attitude to me seems to be "and stay out!" Rather than one of any caring. 

I feel like I should underline once again that the main thing that winds me up is the amount of time I am spending without the car. It's fundamentally such a brilliant thing I hate to keep sending it in for the same damn thing over and over again but frankly they need to get it right. 

It is, after all, very difficult trying to do a video about Porsche vs Lotus and persuading people that lotus don't deserve their reputation when my Lotus is in pieces!

Still the best car I've ever owned. Or driven, for that matter. But by Christ do they need to get their act together.

As it happens @Danelaw the sub has now been deleted from the car. Clearly too much trouble for Lotus. But as mine has one fitted, it should work. Or they could take it out and give me the £400 they claim it's worth as spares.

[Bibs]

If it were my car, I'd have had the panel off and had a fiddle or at least checked the amp and subwoofer connections. Seems like 5 minutes well spent to me but each to their own. 

[Bibs]

12 minutes ago, JayEmm said:

It is, after all, very difficult trying to do a video about Porsche vs Lotus and persuading people that lotus don't deserve their reputation when my Lotus is in pieces!

 

Porsche do have a warranty dept, their cars do actually go wrong as well. Sometimes quite a little more significantly than a quiet sub too...

[JayEmm]

Like I said, if I thought the trim would come out without snapping I would do it. I just don't fancy breaking it and then having to pay for something unnecessarily. One clip comes out really easy, the others feel welded in. I don't have any trim removal tools here annoyingly. I did spend an hour in the car earlier with my seat trying to identify my creak and I think I have an idea.

I did fix my rattly window on my own, and I have a plan for fixing my wonky switches. Hopefully will be able to tend to those tomorrow. I am trying to work WITH Lotus but they aren't making it easy.

In other good news more than 2,200 miles on the car now. On Tuesday I am shooting a feature with the 400 Auto, and an old IPS to see how they compare. Will be interesting.

[JayEmm]

Bibs I thought it was @Barrykearley's job to post pictures of burning GT3s?

Thank goodness no Lotus has ever caught fire! I mean, how could you possibly buy a car from a brand with a reputation for mechanical unreliability? It's unthinkable!

 

(This post was brought to you with the sarcasm that comes from being online at midnight)

 

Anyway, it WILL all get fixed, I am sure of that. Lotus, for all their faults, do seem to be learning. You can always fix my car for me @Bibs at the fete. It's worth a burger!

[Bibs]

No harm is looking if it's still not working. Worst case, we can toss some matches at it and become famous on the internet.

13 minutes ago, JayEmm said:

I am trying to work WITH Lotus but they aren't making it easy.

You mean the Lotus factory or Strattons?

[JayEmm]

It would be a shame, as the heater in it actually works bloody well. As does the air con too. To be honest I expected those to be flaky, but they're ace. And the headlights are brilliant too. It spent most of today at a show being rained on, but getting many admiring glances during the dry patches we had