Evora 400 simply dreadful

[Gashead1105]

Can't wait. Most of those complaints are bullshit in the context of you winning a court case and would not entitle you to reject the car. A couple are known faults, the seat creek is being fixed under warranty as I understand it, and the paint is also fixable under warranty. For the rest though, all lotus gearboxes do that, all supercharger belts squeak if water is applied to them - my S2 exige did it all the time if it was driven in the wet. But all I can say to your last two complaints is W. T. F. 

[Chillidoggy]

I wish I were a lawyer.

[EuropaSman]

^^^ What Will said.

Oh my word, I got the impression you'd not long had the car! Never good to go off half cocked. Looking forward to the full story.

[Colin P]

2 hours ago, Simon on tour said:

. They both have a total of no annoying features,

What about the one that turns you into a quadriplegic the first time you hit a pothole? This is an annoying "feature" of every Porsche I've ever been in.

And seriously......I spent some time researching Panameras as a possible daily a while ago. 50% + of them were advertised "new engine at XX miles" - like this was a good thing.

I personally had ignored your first post, under the "don't feed the troll" banner and if you go back an ask yourself - what was I hoping to achieve with this post, perhaps you may have second thoughts about it.

Please do come back with a meaningful and calm post about your issues and I'm sure the members on here will try and assist you with our combined wisdom and experience, for what it's worth. 

As has been said, the gearboxes do growl, with the exception of the wing mirrors everything else has been covered off. I appreciate what you mean with the wing mirrors although I don't see it as a height thing, more whether you can adjust the drivers side mirror out far enough. It's close, but could be slightly better, but again this is actually quite common on Right hand Drive cars, because the core design is for LHD vehicles.

[JayEmm]

I echo @Colin P's sentiment.

Ah yes, Porsche. I love 'em. Really do. Perfect cars. Faultless.

My 993 needed: New check straps because they were only held in by two tiny spot welds. New air con radiator because they put it somewhere it gets covered in leaves and salt. New spoiler curtain because they disintegrate. Countless hours of work on the targa roof because Porsche farmed it out to another company who made it needlessly complex. A complete new set of heat shields because they disintegrated. A new immobiliser set because the socket stopped working.

Okay, that car was twenty years old. Then there was my Dad's 996, that stranded him and his entire family on the side of the A14 when it ran out of fuel with a "quarter of a tank remaining". That car was only three weeks old.

Or his 997, which had a gearbox that rattled so bad when reversing his official instructions to the OPC were "please remove coke cans from exhaust". He sold the car long before the IMS failed, which I have seen on many Gen1 997s.

Adjusted for inflation, both of those cars cost more than the Evora.

The E46 M3 is well regarded as "BMW's masterpiece" but is full of very well known and very expensive faults. Take your pick of VANOS failures, cracking subframes, head gaskets, etc...

Then there was the Jaguar XKR, whose petrol tank breather blocked itself so when you drove along it would occasionally make a horrendous bang as it tried to implode due to the pressure.

Then you've got the recent GT3 fires, 458 fires, etc.... The McLaren 12C was riddled with issues.

The point here is no cars now are fault free. Ask anyone on this forum and they'll tell you I've had a considerably harder time with my 400 than most - yourself included. But there is a reason that I bought the car, there is nothing else like it. If you wish to continue with the car, PM me and I will happily give you some tips on getting things resolved in a decent and timely fashion. I suspect giving us a more relaxed and detailed story would have earned you somewhat more sympathy than a poorly worded late-night rant.

Edited April 29, 2017 by JayEmm

[nerobi]

4 hours ago, Simon on tour said:

When you pay 75k for something you expect it to be spot on! 

When I have problems with my porsches they fixed my problems.

Read what you have written.

[Zebedee]

Assuming this is for real I am very keen to hear all the detail,

I have ordered a new 400 and am awaiting a delivery date. Slight complication for me is that I live on the Isle of Man so extended issues would be a total killer as I have the little matter of the Irish Sea between me and a Service Centre. So fingers crossed I get a good one! Quite a risk I know - but when you love Lotus, you drive the 400 and decide you really want one, you end up taking that risk.

[PaulCP]

I think that we should allow the OP to give us the full story before jumping to any conclusions, although it is very evident that 3 of the listed faults are indeed gripes which should have been picked up during a test drive.

It is not clear whether the OP has issues with Lotus direct or with the supplying dealer. Also, in giving us the full story perhaps the OP could include how he has approached the dealer/Lotus on these issues. Many of us know that Lotus are usually keen to resolve disputes but sometimes the secret to getting the right resolution is in how you complain in the first instance.

I look forward to reading the full story

[Simon on tour]

I have just run in a new panamera turbo s here in Spain.  The final 100miles were spent up Sierra Navada. Absolutely no faults or squeeks. Amazing handling with neck braking acceleration! Sounds perfect to me.

[JayEmm]

There are Evora 400 owners who have had "faultless" cars. There are Porsche owners who watched their new cars burn before their very eyes. @C8RKH knows how much I hate people bringing up the latter, but one car does not represent them all. For ANY brand.

If you're as into Porsche as you say, the Evora must have done something special to make you change.

[Frickin_idiot]

16 hours ago, Simon on tour said:

Right here my fault list. 

1)Badly fitting door with air leaks audiable from 30 mph. They fixed this only for me to find another air leak from the engine bay.

2) Sub top coat swirls and scratches on roof and rear quarter. They spayed over this so thick it is no longer flat.

3) Transmission rumbles in low torque situations make the car sound like a tractor. Not even a atempted fix for this one.

4) Supercherger squeaks due to rain being able to drip onto its bearings and belts.

5) Drivers seat moves and squeaks.  Replaced by them bur I've only driven the car once since I got it back.

6) Power steering squeal on full lock.

7) Mirrors don't allow a tall person to see out of the car propperly.

Over all the car feels like a kit car or prototype.  

Would have been a awesome car if they had developed and tested it properly!

 

I am 6'3 and have no such issues with mirrors.

[Simon on tour]

16 minutes ago, JayEmm said:

There are Evora 400 owners who have had "faultless" cars. There are Porsche owners who watched their new cars burn before their very eyes. @C8RKH knows how much I hate people bringing up the latter, but one car does not represent them all. For ANY brand.

If you're as into Porsche as you say, the Evora must have done something special to make you change.

Very astute of you Jay. My test drive was fun. I put the mirrors down to seat position and mentioned the air leek to the test drive chap. He said I must not have closed the door completely.  When you drive the car flat out with the exsaust open you simply can't here any of the rattles. You can't drive like that for very long!

This was before I bought the 911. As I already had the panemera I thought I would try the Evora 400.

Once I owned the car the and ran it in traffic or normal road conditions it simply became unbearable.

Lotus then failed to fix all of my issues.  Had my car for 3 months replaced my seat and made my paint worst than before. 

It's a long story I will tell when I am home

[JayEmm]

I genuinely look forward to hearing the full story. What I find interesting is my 911 owning friends who have driven the Evora, all comment on how quiet it is compared to the 911. The tyre roar from the 996-997 era 911s is pretty severe.

[mawheele]

Likewise. I feel like people have been a bit harsh here. Lets hear the story. I remember feeling so angry with JLR about my F-Type ownership. It reached a similar point of emotion where even the smallest things just took me beyond boiling point. However, it came from months and months of continuous issues, a belligerent manufacturer and incompetent dealerships. It felt like visiting the hospital where each time I went in to be cured, I came out with another/greater illness than I went in with.  

Porsche is absolutely no better. I remember finding one of Porsche Reading's screw drivers rattling around one day from where they'd left it under the panels of the front hood. I took it back asking whether they'd lost something. Not a moment of embarrassment. Don't get taken in by the shiny grey showrooms.  I found my Porsche ownership did nothing for me other than stroke my ego. Its not a Lotus.

[Peegee355]

I do have sympathy though - you spend all that money and do not expect any fault whatsoever.  Like comments on this thread, I have stories of other cars.  My Nissan GT-R had 2 new wheels due to corrosion, rust on the bodywork and a new gearbox after 10,000 miles.  Adored the car.

I've had issues with my 400 too but am completely & hopelessly in love with it.

It's a very emotive subject.  I had a Honda NSX that was faultless - bored with it.  2 TVRs that fell apart around me - I want another one! 

A perfect woman would drive me mad . . . .

[JayEmm]

It's funny, when I read review of the Evora a few magazines complained about the "awkward driving position", having driven some older Ferraris etc... to me the hallmark of a performance car is a weird driving position!

One man's fault is another's character, sometimes.

[blindside]

This list of issues raised all looks pretty trivial and noise related to me; apart from the paint. If you are paranoid/OCD about loud exhausts, engine noise, or squeaks & creaks coming from a variety of places then don't buy a Lotus! The symphony of mechanical sounds is an integral part of the whole 400 ownership experience. 

[The Pits]

I have sympathy of course if all this is genuine and hope it can gets resolved asap, this is a great place to come for some help. But all this stuff about Panameras awesome acceleration does make it sound like a wind-up though.

[bosshog]

22 hours ago, Simon on tour said:

Right here my fault list. 

1)Badly fitting door with air leaks audiable from 30 mph. They fixed this only for me to find another air leak from the engine bay.

2) Sub top coat swirls and scratches on roof and rear quarter. They spayed over this so thick it is no longer flat.

3) Transmission rumbles in low torque situations make the car sound like a tractor. Not even a atempted fix for this one.

4) Supercherger squeaks due to rain being able to drip onto its bearings and belts.

5) Drivers seat moves and squeaks.  Replaced by them bur I've only driven the car once since I got it back.

6) Power steering squeal on full lock.

7) Mirrors don't allow a tall person to see out of the car propperly.

Over all the car feels like a kit car or prototype.  

Would have been a awesome car if they had developed and tested it properly!

 

Ha this is exactly the same as my S1. Minor minor points for me personally. Can't say but I've ever owned a car that  has a list of things like this. 

[Barrykearley]

Well - that's it I give in.

I formally offer you one slightly broken S4 and an s3 in bits as a swap.

that should just about give you enough to whinge about. There's some real shocking issues with them.....

[johnpwalsh]

18 hours ago, Simon on tour said:

It's clear to me me I need to tell you all the full story. This has been going on for almost a year now.

I don't mean to Slag of your cars. It's important that people no both sides of owning a lotus!

I'm currently in Cartagena spain but about to drive back to the UK. When I arrive in will post the full story of my last year with lotus.

Now that would be a good idea. Sorry, but going off half cocked was not the best idea, it's bound to get some negative answers. Once the whole story is explained and then understood people may well have a different opinion to what has already been said.

 

[DarrylV8]

Hopefully we will get the full story later today?

simon did you purchase the 400 from CL?

[ramjet]

Welcome to TLF Simon.

You should duck over to the Introductions area and say hi in there as well. Would also like to see some photos of your car. 

Any questions or issues with using the forums, feel free to ask one of us mods. We're here to help.  

[tim_marra]

20 hours ago, Zebedee said:

Assuming this is for real I am very keen to hear all the detail,

I have ordered a new 400 and am awaiting a delivery date. Slight complication for me is that I live on the Isle of Man so extended issues would be a total killer as I have the little matter of the Irish Sea between me and a Service Centre. So fingers crossed I get a good one! Quite a risk I know - but when you love Lotus, you drive the 400 and decide you really want one, you end up taking that risk.

I live in West Cumbria. As a favour, I will collect your new 400 and run it in for you and sort any niggles. Only when I conclude the car is perfect I will deliver it to your door. I won't even charge you for my time or the ferry ticket

[Zebedee]

That's one of the things I really like about Lotus owners - so friendly and obliging.

As soon as I have the delivery date I will be in touch.