Evora GT430

[ramjet]

Welcome to TLF cobwatch.  (hope that's not your real name?)

You should duck over to the Introductions area and say hi in there as wel..  

[cobwatch]

Thanks Ramjet

My Dad worked at Hethel '68-'78,had the Lotus bug ever since.....as a young 'un met Chapman,Andretti,Peterson,Nillson,De Angelis etc......brilliant days.  I see that PITS specced his theoretical 430 up to £128k .....which made him think that the  410 was a bargain....so he's only gone and ordered one!  This is how halo cars work, JMG knows what he is doing. Lets go and look at that 430.....oops i've bought a 400(the bargain of the Evora range).    

[Mark Blanchard]

Maybe Lotus are waking up to the fact that the Lotus 400 splitter looks a bit odd.  I've never thought it looked right but the Evora 350 and 430 look great.

[Julian73]

4 hours ago, Gadzooks said:

Love the look and spec of the 430.  As a recent buyer of a 410 do I feel cheated - not a bit.  This is a next step up in terms of performance and - to put it bluntly- it is out of my price range.  I still think that in terms of fun, performance, drama and practicality per £, I have a pretty good deal with the 410.  If I had the cash I would probably try to save a bit more to buy a Macca 570

I too found my price wall.  While I already had 410 on order, I quickly spaced out the GT430 on the possibility of jumping ship and found that I was significantly eating into my upgrade slush fund, that combined with a potential 9 month delay for us in the US made me appreciate my birthing 410 all the more.

[NedaSay]

19 hours ago, Snoopy1969 said:

in the end the white Evora shows clearly that it is the original design, that has been carried out by R. Carr and his Team  in a "well thought" way with a awesome result (in my eyes, have a look at the Evora Book, "the sublime supercar" to get into the Details)

Adding other parts in the front and back may cause a "wow, new" wow, more brutal" "wow, more agressive like a Mclaren / Lambo etc" effect but the added parts will never "suit" the rest of the car as if had been designed "as a whole"

Therefore I am very interested what R Carr and his Team will achieve with the "real" next Evora or Esprit or whatever. 

I don't know if Russell Carr's goal was to bring back the original design but he certainly managed to reestablish a sense of family in the Lotus fascia, regardless of the car you pic they now all have a face that is very family like  the oval shaped mouth is sort of still there just a lot more angular, some will say more masculine or aggressive. 

The more I look at the car in details the more I think that a wide bodied Evora may not in fact make a come back...  This GT430 is just as muscular as the famed GTE in my opinion. Racy with different attributes and qualities.   

The front bonnet is sculpted... not to perfection with these tacked on louvres, but I do think that the next top spec Evora will remedy that and get a full carbon bonnet bringing the weight down by another few kgs, we know it does exist after all.  

I really like the work done on the rear end, some will find it busy for sure, but they have certainly slimmed the back of the car down to the bare minimum amount of material considering this is still a road car with a trunk that needs some protection from the elements.

It will also get a mild powerboost if Lotus does the unthinkable and put a compatible more potent gearbox in it, that would finally enable the engine to rev higher. They should have access to it thanks to Volvo.

For now, I really hope this car does sell well and quick. I already know of one firm order from the US. I don't think any will make the trip North of the border sadly... Our 3 Canadian dealers are just getting the 400 and nobody mentioned the Sport 410.

Some are comparing the GT430 to the 570S or the 540C, I think they are wrong. Neither Maccas is as special as this car, both McLarens are anticipated to sell around a thousand units per year for the next few years while the GT430 is a very limited run. I don't think people buying the GT430 should be too worried by depreciation...  Even if Lotus comes with a more potent version in a year or two, which is almost a given, this car's rarity may protect the buyers a little better. The same cannot  be said about the 570S or 540C or Audi R8 V10 or Honda NSX which should all take a tumble in the next 4 years.

     

[Snoopy1969]

@NedaSay To judge if the look of the 430 fit your own taste you really have to see her in the plastic, I think. When I saw the GTE the first time in real life I thought that it was much more impressive than on the road (even as the former @TBD example I saw was in the "reconstruction" condition, not finished). Therefore I think that the widebody GTE gives some sort of "road presence" that might not be duplicated by the 430 (as said, reality check has to be done) - but rarely you would see them both on a "normal" traffic occsion together

[The Pits]

Actually I had the 410 order before the GT430 announcement and had some idea about what was coming through my day job. I was kindly offered the opportunity to switch my order over to the GT430 but chose to stick with the 410. It's definitely worth quite a bit extra to me but £35k? The thought of a Sport 410 in the garage plus that in the bank was enough to seal it. 

It's likely that I'll never drive a GT430 sadly but I'm sure it will be exceptional, grip when both tyre and aero are combined must be astonishing.

[TBD]

I'm sure the GT430 is the better car in all ways, but the GTE had the wide body that gave it a distinctive road presence. 

Obviously the GTE will always have a unique history, an "unloved bastard child" from the wrong father. 

 

A bit like a Blue Mauritius! 

[NedaSay]

32 minutes ago, Snoopy1969 said:

@NedaSay To judge if the look of the 430 fit your own taste you really have to see her in the plastic, I think. When I saw the GTE the first time in real life I thought that it was much more impressive than on the road (even as the former @TBD example I saw was in the "reconstruction" condition, not finished). Therefore I think that the widebody GTE gives some sort of "road presence" that might not be duplicated by the 430 (as said, reality check has to be done) - but rarely you would see them both on a "normal" traffic occsion together

Oh don't get me wrong I find the lines of the classic GTE to be a beauty to behold, how could I not... I mean it will forever be heartbreakingly beautiful.

But the GT430 is...

 

Edited July 27, 2017 by NedaSay

[LF1]

Wouldn't want to have to choose

 

[franjipane]

If i were to rank them in terms of aesthetics alone, which is a bit daft really but hey sports cars, why not!

GTE > 400/410 > GT430 > S1

[cobwatch]

The narrowed panel behind the front wheels looks like an invitation to constantly fire stones and mud  along the full length of the 430......as beautifully illustrated by the airflow along the flanks of the red car..... 

[cobwatch]

"the lightweight curved rear edges of the front wheel arch panels channel air along the side of the car......the deep sculpted ducts behind each wheel vent airflow as quickly as possible from the wheel arches".   Friend of mine,an MOT tester thinks it is likely that a 430 would fail as tyre coverage by the mudguards is marginal,says potential problem at rear as well as front.   Think i would fit some sort of front mudflap/guard to protect the exposed flank of my 430.

[The Pits]

I'd try a large quantity of PPF first. Worked well on my Exige which doesn't have mud guards.

GTE is still the best looking Evora for me despite not being keen on the Mansory connection or anything else they do. The wide body adds huge presence and the aero parts look convincingly motorsport and like they might actually make some downforce. Who knows if they do but the GTE Is a far cry from the stuff you find at the tasteless end of the Geneva motorshow. GT430 I'll have to see in person but looks epic in the photos. Weapons grade! There's a very good case for one of each!

 

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

I came back to my GTE parked at the roadside in Wellingborough last year and this old guy was examining it. He was taking a particular interest in the aero, especially the rear wing. I got talking to him and he said he worked for local race car company Ray Mallock Engineering.

http://www.rmlmallock.co.uk/

He was extremely impressed with the design and took an almost unhealthy interest in my Gurney Flap.

Ooh, err missus.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurney_flap

[Brendonian]

2 hours ago, cobwatch said:

"the lightweight curved rear edges of the front wheel arch panels channel air along the side of the car......the deep sculpted ducts behind each wheel vent airflow as quickly as possible from the wheel arches".   Friend of mine,an MOT tester thinks it is likely that a 430 would fail as tyre coverage by the mudguards is marginal,says potential problem at rear as well as front.   Think i would fit some sort of front mudflap/guard to protect the exposed flank of my 430.

With all due respect to your MOT tester friend, Lotus have a fair amount of experience with getting cars through all the relevant approval requirements. I'm pretty sure it will be fine.

[cobwatch]

Sure you are dead right Brendonian,only going on the pictures thus far,just thought it was odd narrowing that panel and exposing tyre tread. Whatever,the flanks look vulnerable. The 430 will be awesome and here practicality is excitingly secondary to aerodynamic prowess.

[ramjet]

4 hours ago, cobwatch said:

"the lightweight curved rear edges of the front wheel arch panels channel air along the side of the car......the deep sculpted ducts behind each wheel vent airflow as quickly as possible from the wheel arches".   Friend of mine,an MOT tester thinks it is likely that a 430 would fail as tyre coverage by the mudguards is marginal,says potential problem at rear as well as front.   Think i would fit some sort of front mudflap/guard to protect the exposed flank of my 430.

 

1 hour ago, Brendonian said:

With all due respect to your MOT tester friend, Lotus have a fair amount of experience with getting cars through all the relevant approval requirements. I'm pretty sure it will be fine.

I thought this odd as well that Lotus would produce a car for the road in the UK that some MOT tester then says won't pass?

[C8RKH]

17 hours ago, franjipane said:

If i were to rank them in terms of aesthetics alone, which is a bit daft really but hey sports cars, why not!

GT430 > GTE > 410 > S1 > 400

FTFY!  

[mik]

3 hours ago, Brendonian said:

With all due respect to your MOT tester friend, Lotus have a fair amount of experience with getting cars through all the relevant approval requirements. I'm pretty sure it will be fine.

Agree. Look at the rear of an Atom for example.

[RJB]

On ‎25‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 22:48, The Pits said:

 

We will re-enact the whole sorry episode, this time with you driving, before the year's out.

I just put that in writing. Can't promise it'll be in a GT430 though, any plans @RJB?

 

I knew they were going to do this to me @The Pits there is a good deal of temptation not helped by a visit to Snows this week for some warranty work. The £100K barrier is a big jump though and to be honest I have not grown out of the 410 yet - it still excites! Strangely though am being drawn towards the Exige - my next change could be a 380..... 

[The Pits]

Hilarious. Since we met earlier in the year and swapped cars I've ordered a Sport 410 and now you're looking at an Exige! 

I think we all test drive Lotus cars at our peril!

 

[Mark Allin]

So, I took the plunge and ordered from those lovely people at Lotus Silverstone.  As Anthony said there are only photos and a spec to go on but something felt absolutely right about this car.  Once you get to a certain price bracket then it is not about comparisons but where the heart is.   I couldn't be more excited and will post photos etc from factory visits as the build progresses.  Delivery Dec I hope.  

[Stubox]

48 minutes ago, Mark Allin said:

 I couldn't be more excited and will post photos etc from factory visits as the build progresses.  Delivery Dec I hope.  

Well done that man.That's a great Christmas present ! 

[cobwatch]

congratulations MARK ALLIN.....very exciting.....but you musn't tease everyone like this....what are your specs and colours!  As an Exige Cup man i anticipate some track work? There were only 6 430's allocated to the UK so how many left,you must have some feedback for us from Lotus Silverstone team....410 taking off and now the 430 wave beginning....just WOW