The Evora 400 Diaries

[Danelaw]

I believe @Stuno1 nailed it with that summary, such that further owner interviews you'd just have a list of people repeating "steering feedback and handling". 

It would be interesting to have an interview with an owner who has switched from a P-car and, if you can find one, an ex-owner who has gone back to a P-car (has that happened?).

Have you thought of filming @Stuno1's Larini exhaust fitting to do the before, how to change, after and comparison with the 400 exhaust note? There are lots of videos of exhaust sounds online, but they're not always with the same recording set-up and it's interesting to get the feedback from the people hearing the sound live.

Thanks for the films @JayEmm, ideas here are because you asked, but now as an addict I'm getting quite demanding - or at least that's how I fear it seems.

[Stuno1]

All credit goes to James for making the time to do all of this and it will all help future buyers a great deal. All I had to do was talk at James until I ran out of breath ?

I'll be doing a before and after clip but it will be on my iPhone ? If James is available then happy for him to come along. 

 

[Ccd]

I'd like to see a golfer actually fit a bag in the trunk of the car and talk about what bags fit and what bags don't fit

[JayEmm]

@Stuno1  you up for that? I need to do a "living with" video. Also let me know when you do the exhaust, I can do a before/after for you.

@Danelaw keep the suggestions coming. Feedback means you're watching, which is awesome. There's loads more content still to come, but I always need ideas!

[Arregueti]

8 minutes ago, JayEmm said:

 I need to do a "living with" video.

 I always need ideas!

How about taking her to the Alps? It will soon be the best time of the year for going there with a sports car... 

[purso]

From my brief but extremely awesome drive in the 400 I have to say having owned 2 991.1 in the last 6 months a manual carrera and a pdk carrera s I can't think of anything barring maybe the infotainment that maybe would draw you to the Porsche list price 112k and 90k.

Looks and brand are obviously completely subjective but if exclusivity, sound, gearbox, handling and practicality are part of any decision making process then you could only pick one car.

its amazing how poor a job lotus have done in embracing the YouTube opportunity to market these amazing machines that they have produced!

 

[purso]

[Stuno1]

6 hours ago, JayEmm said:

@Stuno1  you up for that? I need to do a "living with" video. Also let me know when you do the exhaust, I can do a before/after for you.

@Danelaw keep the suggestions coming. Feedback means you're watching, which is awesome. There's loads more content still to come, but I always need ideas!

Yes I'll let you know and re the exhsust ?

[Matt123]

11 hours ago, BP81 said:

From my brief but extremely awesome drive in the 400 I have to say having owned 2 991.1 in the last 6 months a manual carrera and a pdk carrera s I can't think of anything barring maybe the infotainment that maybe would draw you to the Porsche list price 112k and 90k.

Looks and brand are obviously completely subjective but if exclusivity, sound, gearbox, handling and practicality are part of any decision making process then you could only pick one car.

its amazing how poor a job lotus have done in embracing the YouTube opportunity to market these amazing machines that they have produced!

 

From your brief 400 drive, how did the straight line acceleration compare to the two 991s? 

[C8RKH]

21 hours ago, Ccd said:

I'd like to see a golfer actually fit a bag in the trunk of the car and talk about what bags fit and what bags don't fit

I thought only old men played golf these days and cycling was the new golf.  So, anyone know of a cycle carrier that will fit on the Evora?

Oh and by the way, great videos....

 

[Ccd]

I guess you haven't noticed that today's golfers look more like athletes.  For example, I go to a golf fitness class most weeks which works on giving me the flexibility and strength to properly execute the golf swing. Golf is hardly just for old men.  But back on topict, there could be a video on fitting various athletic gear in the Evora

[DaveC72]

Who needs a bike carrier?
 

 

[C8RKH]

32 minutes ago, Ccd said:

I guess you haven't noticed that today's golfers look more like athletes.  For example, I go to a golf fitness class most weeks which works on giving me the flexibility and strength to properly execute the golf swing. Golf is hardly just for old men.  But back on topict, there could be a video on fitting various athletic gear in the Evora

I was commenting more on the aging demographics around golf and that the curve is increasingly trending to older and male. I never said anything about fitness levels and you can be old and very fit!

To keep on topic, I agree, a host of videos on the Evora in everyday use would be great - no need to stop at sports equipment though as we could have;

A grand day out - with wife and kids and picnic hamper and brollies etc at a nice stately home or country park.

Domestic bliss - the Evora at the supermarket with a weeks worth of shopping

The school run - self explanatory but not as awesomely sickly and pukey as the current VW Tiguan one

The dirty weekend - a fast get away on a Friday night with the wife, mistress, partner, paid for best friend and a blast through the lanes to a nice wee country inn etc...

Antigues roadshow - a day out hunting antiques and filling the Evora with them

Thrills galore - a full on track day outing to show the cars full potential

Etc etc.

[Ccd]

I test drove 3 Porsches before selecting my current ride: a first gen Cayman S, and two 911s (997.1 Carrera 4S and a 997.2 Carrera S) - all manuals.  The Cayman just felt sluggish.  My guess is that the Cayman needed to be kept in the upper rev range to have any punch.  The 911s felt too refined to me.  You are paying a lot of money for a 911 and it tended to feel like an ordinary car until you pressed some buttons or really stepped on the gas.  The power delivery was better than the Cayman, but still the power was in the upper rev range.  And then there is the awkward storage situation with the oddly shaped "frunk" which forces you to wedge things into the back seat. 

By contrast, with the rear seats down, the TT RS offers tons of useable storage space.  It also offers a great deal of low-end torque which has a lot of uses in normal driving and it never lets you forget that you are drving a sports car.  The Evora interests me because it has a trunk big enough for some golf bags so I will not be in the position of wedging my clubs in the back like the Porsche.  It has a fair amount of  low-end torque and the strengths of the Lotus are the weaknesses of the TT RS: relatively numb steering feel and handling (TT RS is 60/40 front/back weight balance and is a FWD biased car with up to 50% of power to the rear wheels as needed).  It's not that the TT RS handles poorly, but there is only so much you can do to overcome the heavy front end and the FWD platform.  And unlike so many sports cars today, it has a proper manual transmission (6-speed).  I can barely use 6th in my car and keep anywhere near a legal speed.  

[JayEmm]

1 hour ago, C8RKH said:

The school run - self explanatory but not as awesomely sickly and pukey as the current VW Tiguan one

I feel cheeky enough asking people to drive their cars, I think they may draw the line if I ask to borrow their children! @Gm77 is probably the expert on kids and 400s though

@Ccd that's amazing about the TT's weight distribution, although having driven one (a Mk1 225, nothing like yours) I can believe it. The Evora is actually the other way around, 61% rearward bias. It's actually the same weight distribution as a 997 - hence the beautifully light front and planted rear.

One thing both Esprit and Evora managed to do was draw a crowd! I was parked up about five minutes before a young voice said "Excuse me mister, is it fast?" - as soon as @BP81 turned up he got much the same treatment. It is always great to see such ethusiasm amongst people - kids and parents alike!

[Danelaw]

It might be fun to compare an Evora with the Toyota Aygo. I suspect the Evora has as much rear leg-room and boot space and both are powered by Toyota petrol engines.

[Inkyfingers]

I appreciate this is not perhaps likely in the short term, but eventually, it would be great if you could convince Lotus to let you do some sort of factory video; 'My 400 Goes Home' or something...

Short factory Tour, bit of info about the manufacturing process, few laps of Hethel. If Lotus could be convinced, with your talents it could be a wonderful bit of free marketing for them and a thoroughly interesting video for those of us who are already converted.

I know there was the Discovery film a few years ago, but would be nice for someone to show that these are modern sports cars, not glued together in Norfolk by turkey farmers, as many seem to think.

[JayEmm]

I would LOVE to do so, although I am reasonably certain our lord and saviour @Bibs has probably tried this already. The factory, unfortunately, seem to not appreciate a good thing when they see it.

[C8RKH]

Even better if you could follow a new customer through the order process, through to the options being selected AND seeing the actual car being built, then delivered to dealer, prepped and handed over to customer with whoops of delight from said new owner as they drive away...

Wap it on Youtube, get everyone on here to like it then see the ratings fly.

How can Lotus HQ turn down a great free offer like that!!!!!!!!

[fesuvious]

I have no issue putting mine round a track for you if you need someone for a video. More than happy to. 

Could explore the various levels of traction control and how they influence the car.

Currently scheduled to be on a handling day July 9th and possibly racing at Anglesey the weekend after. Aside from that though...

Wont be offended if you don't need me, you seem to have all and every angle covered this far!

 

[Ccd]

Don't get me started on Lotus' PR or more accurately, the lack thereof.  I can understand there being no budget for high priced ads.  I cannot understand their failure to do things that cost nothing or virtually nothing.

[JayEmm]

49 minutes ago, fesuvious said:

I have no issue putting mine round a track for you if you need someone for a video. More than happy to. 

Could explore the various levels of traction control and how they influence the car.

Currently scheduled to be on a handling day July 9th and possibly racing at Anglesey the weekend after. Aside from that though...

Wont be offended if you don't need me, you seem to have all and every angle covered this far!

 

You have mail!

50 minutes ago, Ccd said:

Don't get me started on Lotus' PR or more accurately, the lack thereof.  I can understand there being no budget for high priced ads.  I cannot understand their failure to do things that cost nothing or virtually nothing.

Honestly, pretty much the major motivator behind me doing what I am doing is that there is this superb car out there, on sale (for the most part) with just zero information out there. I can find out more information about a 20-year-old Ferrari online than I can about the 400. It's a shame. But something I'm working constantly to try and change - especially for you guys in the states who can't just pop down to a dealer.

[Colin G]

Just had a chance to catch up on all of these. (Do you have a job @JayEmm???  ) Some really enjoyable ones, @Stuno1 was nothing like I thought he'd be!

[JayEmm]

At present I'm between jobs Colin, hence having a lot of time free and doing these! It's quite enjoyable and actually reminds me a lot of when I started filming 10+ years ago, just me, a car, basic - none of this 50 people flying around stuff. Quite liberating in a way.

[Stuno1]

Not sure I want to know what you thought I'd be like @Colin G ?