Evora 400 positivity thread…

[CocoPops]

Just now, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

Best start a video rant about Lotus Cars on the World Wide Web then...

a la 'B is for Bodge' style

 

[blindside]

I have owned a 400 now for just over 3 months and around 3500 miles. I bought the car, (primarily off the back of a 40 minute test drive) because having never owned a Lotus, (or a mid-engined RWD car before), I wanted something different and new for me in terms of the driving experience. For any petrol head this is usually part of 'the right of passage' and I had always intended to  experience this when my financial situation permitted. However, to be honest, when it came to the buying decision, if a Cayman GT4 had been available at a realistic price I would probably have gone down that route.

In hindsight I am very relieved that GT4 production was deliberately limited by Porsche to hype their wider brand credentials. the GT4 pricing whether new or nearly new is extortionate. It pushed me to look at Lotus and arrange the test drive. I am very glad that I did and have absolutely no regrets over the decision to buy a new 400 at what seemed a reasonably fair price. A few comments:

• The exhaust sound and engine note is absolutely mental for a V6. You would almost buy the car for the noise it makes alone.
• It looks fantastic; the rear of the car in particular looks very aggressive. I have never owned a car that draws so much attention. In large part I suspect that this is due to the comparative rarity of 400s on the road.
• It is very, very quick, although initially to me it seemed fairly unexciting to start with by comparison with my Impreza Spec C and the Megane Trophy R that was traded-in as p/x. I have since worked out how to drive it properly and use the far more linear power delivery effectively. A different driving style, (and gear selection), is needed from that used in FWD/AWD turbo charged cars and I just needed to become more familiar with it. Make no mistake it is a quick car, but you do need to 'give it the beans' in lower gears for best effect.
• The steering is sublime. I have never driven a car with such good steering response and feedback; no matter what the speed or road surface encountered. 
• The brakes are bulletproof. Very progressive and give a constant reassurance. This aspect of the car is perhaps almost over-engineered, but good that it is.
• The manual gearbox is OK and it suits a sports tourer like the 400, but the ratios are a little too long and clunky for me compared with the rally style close ratio short shift box in the Impreza. That said I can live with it.
• Build quality appears to be pretty good so far; apart from the creaky seat syndrome which is more of a minor irritation on longer journeys than anything else. It is easy to live with as a daily driver, which is important for me.
• I love the way the underside of the car has been finished to aerodynamic perfection.
• The comparatively limited storage space is not a problem as I use the passenger seat and rear parcel shelf rather than the boot. I don't drink in cars, so don't miss cup holders
• The stereo/phone/bluetooth/satnav is fine (once you take the trouble to sit down and read the instructions, update software etc.) Also the bluetooth connection with my iPhone does not drop out at all .
• I also like the 'Lotus vibe' having become more familiar with the brand and type of owners (as exemplified on this forum). Real car enthusiasts who only want the best for the marque and those who drive it.

In summary absolutely no regrets!  It is a fantastic car and still appears to be very under rated and unheard of despite being in production for over a year now. Frankly that is a strong part of the attraction for me. There are so many German (& Italian) sports cars/sports saloons on the road; particularly Audi & BMWs in my part of the world. I love the exclusivity and "only the driver/driving experience really matters" oriented focus that the car provides. Funnily enough it is also the only car I have owned in the past 10 years that my Mrs is very happy to travel in. That definitely ticks a few boxes!

 

[pickle]

@blindside I couldn't agree more with all of your post, but in particular the comments about the gt4

[Ccd]

Blindside:

What does the Mrs. like about the Evora as compared to the other cars you have owned???  

[JayEmm]

I agree with nearly all of @blindside's posts, I too would have wound up with a Cayman GT4 but am glad I didnt. They're everywhere considering they are a "limited" car!

Gearing is definitely an interesting point. I have been driving my M3 and the Evora back-to-back and trying to work out why the Evora feels no faster. The fact the Evora does 77mph (indicated) @ 7,000rpm in 2nd, while the M3 does 65 @ 8,000rpm in the same gear may have something to do with it.

[blindside]

17 hours ago, Ccd said:

Blindside:

What does the Mrs. like about the Evora as compared to the other cars you have owned???  

I asked and was told: Softer suspension, comfortable seating (not Recaro fixed buckets), sound proofing, (when inside the car with the windows up), and the 'pose factor' when being driven around in it.. She also liked the fact that Lotus is a small scale British car company and not mass produced, where every model looks the same. She also finds it highly amusing that the exhaust note in sports mode makes our 2 dogs run for cover.

[JayEmm]

One thing that I don't even think about that many of my Porsche owning friends have commented on - the road noise, or relative lack of it in the Evora. The 911 is terrible for tyre road, possibly due in part to some having 300+ section rears!

[Ccd]

Blindside:

None of that will help with my wife.  She thinks my TT RS is too low, too hard to get out of gracefully, and too fast.  I imagine she would make the same complaints against the Evora.  Fortunately, I don't intend to listen to her! lol!

[IanPops]

Likewise I agree almost entirely with @blindside ... And just remember that 'giving it the beans' in a low gear emphasises the manic exhaust tones!

[blindside]

1 hour ago, Ccd said:

Blindside:

None of that will help with my wife.  She thinks my TT RS is too low, too hard to get out of gracefully, and too fast.  I imagine she would make the same complaints against the Evora.  Fortunately, I don't intend to listen to her! lol!

@Ccd

Absolutely; when it comes to car selection women are not usually the first port of call for advice & guidance. Although there are always exceptions.

[Bibs]

Sometimes, they struggle with how to even get in! 

[IanPops]

Love the shoes - great for heal'n'toeing

[Colin G]

3 hours ago, blindside said:

@Ccd

Absolutely; when it comes to car selection women are not usually the first port of call for advice & guidance. Although there are always exceptions.

She looks like she's caught a whiff of something she's not too keen on, maybe she should put her leg down.

[pickle]

I thought it probably time to resurrect one of my favourite threads (and not just because of the short skirts....)

Found out today that the 400 has excellent environmental credentials. I believe that 'bug hotel' is a no cost option. Sure it's a little additional weight, but it can be offset against my CO2 emissions 

 

[ramjet]

It's a spider!!!!!!!!!

Smash it with a rock or kill it with fire!!!!!!!!!

[Barrykearley]

Typical Aussie ! None of our spider will kill you 

[Bibs]

That's not a spider, this is a spider...

[JayEmm]

Meanwhile, in Australia....

[B430m]

This is a spider, a Huntsman carrying a mouse.

[JayEmm]

This I found equal parts sad and amusing... this guy had a Ferrari 488 Spider and the options are the same price as a whole new Evora 400 in the USA

I'd say he'd just gone mad with the options, but I understand this is nowhere near as rare as you'd think...

[ramjet]

Why would you get an option called AFX when you have no idea what it is?

For crying out loud. 'Other options' and they are not listed. They probably are somewhere, I suppose?

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

The video reflects more badly on the owner than on Ferrari. He spunks out $100k on options (half of which he doesn't even know what they are) and then posts a video to winge about it.

How did he get so rich?

[JayEmm]

Doing car videos, it would seem! Among other things.

I frequently see these kind of cars with over £50,000 of options, which is interesting because it really begs the question - is it fair to compare these cars at their "base" price?

The list price of the Evora was £72K, I'd say the average LIST price of sold cars was maybe 75-80K. But then if your Ferrari's list price is £180k, but they're being sold at £230k... big difference. Same with Porsche - if the options are cosmetic, fine, but if a car NEEDS these £10K of performance toys to get a certain laptime, it's no longer the laptime of an £80K car, it's the laptime of a £90k car...

[JayEmm]

I'm not having a particularly good time with my 400, but I am still finding positives. I've been speaking to a McLaren dealer recently (sadly not for my 400 replacement!) and they were very complimentary about Lotus, seeing them as a "kindred spirit".

Some digging and I found the similarities are more than skin deep. Here's the McLaren 650's rolling chassis

And here's the chassis from an Evora (not a 400, but you get the idea). Main difference I can see is the Lotus has the centre in aluminium whereas McLaren are using the Carbon tub

[DJW]

The number of times people have said mine looks like a McLaren.  I kindly remind them which car came first