Possible upgrade to Evora 400 auto from 2011 Evora IPS

[alex_gray255]

Hi folks

I test drove an Evora 400 today for a possible trade-in on my 2011 Evora IPS and was wondering if anyone
else encountered the same thoughts I did.

The main observations were...

• The driving experience for the new verses the old (even when enthusicatically driving) seemed to be pretty much the same. The new car did not strike me as anything that much different from my existing car
• The 400 BHP compared to my 260 BHP or so did not seem to give anything massively different in acceleration or speed. It just felt slightly more powerful than my one, but not really noticeably
• Gearing was the same - TCU and auto response - no difference

The test drive was for 90 mins, so I did push the car quite a lot, but it did not seem to be anything really different
from my existing Evora.

Is this just me or has anyone else had the same experience? I must admit I do have a few power cars in the stable,
but the new 400 did not blow me away when compared to my existing one.

Any other experiences as far as people who have owned old and new Evoras?

I like the external look much more than I thought originally, but the interior needs a bit of poshing up - too much
plastic

Edited by alex_gray255 on Friday 5th August 18:49

[CocoPops]

Night and day for me. 2010 Evora NA to an Evora 400 only two weeks ago.

But then I think I knew when I bought my NA, that I would upgrade to a 400 at some point.

[gowmonster]

not driven one, but i read an article saying that the 400 was very forgiving when cornering hard and was much faster that the previous evora but it was a manual being tested, the auto was said to be a bit lazy as it had a torque converter rather than a double clutch auto.

[Boogs]

2010 N/A manual to 400IPS. Not picked it up yet but from the hour or so test drive I wasn't that impressed with the auto box and wasn't going to go for it, however the minute I got on some twisties the traffic thinned out And I could get into the groove with the paddles I soon chased my mind.

Felt far quicker to me and also the handling felt even more settled and sure footed. Noticeable quieter and smoother when cruising as well.

I thought the S1 was good, but the 400 is something else.

[Boogs]

2010 N/A manual to 400IPS. Not picked it up yet but from the hour or so test drive I wasn't that impressed with the auto box and wasn't going to go for it, however the minute I got on some twisties the traffic thinned out And I could get into the groove with the paddles I soon chased my mind.

Felt far quicker to me and also the handling felt even more settled and sure footed. Noticeable quieter and smoother when cruising as well.

I thought the S1 was good, but the 400 is something else.

[jayemm89]

The 400's extra shove to me really manifests itself above 5,000rpm and above 60mph. It is a much harder riding car than the older one, but comes alive when pressing on.

[Sumsion]

I think the manual 400 has a LSD and the IPS does not ( please correct me if I am wrong )
I went from a LE n/a to an S IPS , an improvement , especially the IPS , but not a mega improvement . This is an interesting thread but I am unlikely to upgrade to a 400 IPS

[FRO911]

I test drove a 400 a few weeks ago and having been a bit sceptical about where Lotus were going with the 400 I was pretty much blown away

The noise on start up made me laugh out loud but it became addictive very quickly, I thought it felt all round quicker, more planted and yet more 'chuckable' . The power difference was very noticeable when you stretch it in the higher gears.

I thought Lotus had overpriced it but I'm now rethinking!

[DaveGB]

Had my manual Evora S about 2 years ago. Found IPS way too slow from paddle pull to change of gear.

Just moved from manual Exige V6S to Evora 400 Auto.

Auto is much faster for paddle pull to changing gear vs IPS ( faster at higher revs) Not much different than F Type I had for a while.

The 400 is definitely faster than my old S, albeit not night and day. However vs a NA version it should be very noticeable.

I have found it needs high revs for best performance, and as ever an Evoras ride quality often hides the actual speed you are travelling at.

All said, if you are happy with your current car, keep it and enjoy

[alex_gray255]

Took my "old" Lotus out for a drive today around the same course as the 400 and although the 400 did
have some more power, it is really was not that much difference.

So, decided to keep the Evora for now.

Thanks for the thoughts all!

[CTE]

I`ve had a 2011 S, a 2013 SR IPS, and now a 400 manual. Test drove several 400`s over a year period and initially had the same feeling as you and not worth the cost to upgrade....then about 8 weeks ago had a go in an IPS 400 and really loved it, but not the colour, and then test drove a manual 400 with about 1800 miles on the clock...it just felt so right, and everything was a step up from the already superb previous car. I agree the straightline performance increase is not of another dimension, but I think you`ll find if you look at the speedo you`ll be surprised, and there is no doubt it cruises at higher speeds with even less effort than before.
Even my mate who does not like all things Lotus, after having a short drive thought it was fantastic and that the car could definitely justify its price tag.
I think they will still depreciate fairly heavily initially on the financial justification side of things, but for me it`s a keeper...until petrol becomes unobtainable that is.

[CocoPops]

I fully agree with that! (Cruising at a higher speed than you realise).

My car didn't arrive with Cruise Control and I had it retrofitted at first service, good job too! I can now set cruise control to a sensible speed as the car 'wants' to cruise at a higher speed than would normally be suitable It hides it's speed very well, both through noise levels but also comfort.

[stuno1]

CTE said:

I`ve had a 2011 S, a 2013 SR IPS, and now a 400 manual. Test drove several 400`s over a year period and initially had the same feeling as you and not worth the cost to upgrade....then about 8 weeks ago had a go in an IPS 400 and really loved it, but not the colour, and then test drove a manual 400 with about 1800 miles on the clock...it just felt so right, and everything was a step up from the already superb previous car. I agree the straightline performance increase is not of another dimension, but I think you`ll find if you look at the speedo you`ll be surprised, and there is no doubt it cruises at higher speeds with even less effort than before.
Even my mate who does not like all things Lotus, after having a short drive thought it was fantastic and that the car could definitely justify its price tag.
I think they will still depreciate fairly heavily initially on the financial justification side of things, but for me it`s a keeper...until petrol becomes unobtainable that is.

I'd be interested to get your 2013 SR pros and cons list v's the 400. Not considering the IPS box though as I know the auto in the 400 is superior and you moved to a manual anyway

[CTE]

For me Stuno I much prefer the looks. Was not sure about the rear but in the right colour and in the flesh it works really well.
Other important pro`s for me are, the stronger performance and sharper handling, and whilst I am still running it in, I think it is going to be one beast of a car. I have a more powerful and quicker car (12c), but in the real world and even on most tracks, I think the Evora will live with it...it feels more taught, precise, and firmer. The SR was fantastically cosseting, partly due to the seats, but was a little soft for my liking when really pushing on.
The fit, finish and build quality are a step up again, and I think Lotus have improved the car even in the last year. I was not overly knocked out with the interior a year or so ago, and it is largely unchanged, but it just seems really nice now...not quite a Porker, but really not far off.
There is a long list of little details...I think virtually everything is improved, even though it is fundamentally the same car...it all seems to be screwed together better, and as I said on another thread, I think it can justify its price tag now.
Oh yes another big one, the gear change! One of the main reasons I went to the IPS was my 2011 S gearchange was poor, and it had been adjusted with new cables etc. I think the original dealer mucked it up on test drives etc. when it was new. Also I was doing a lot more town driving so the IPS made most sense. The change is still quite tight on my new car, but I test drove one with a few miles on it and it was far batter and really nice to use...I am sure this one will loosen up, and my experience with my Exige which has about 30k on it now is that it is really light and slick when warm...and just gets better with miles on it.
There is nothing wrong with the infotainment system either, although I am not really into that sort of thing. It does its job well enough.

[stuno1]

Thanks for the reply. I have sat in a few and been for a Passanger ride in one. I am not looking to change but if I were I just can't see the benefits and feel I would actually lose some elements I like about the s1. Interesting to hear from someone who owned a sr.

[DaveGB]

From memory the only difference for a SR version is the black to roof sills and front splitter, with tech and sports pack included. So basically cosmetic vs a non SR car which also had sports and fech pack fitted.

I had a non SR car and had a black wrap applied for the SR look.

[stuno1]

DaveGB said:

From memory the only difference for a SR version is the black to roof sills and front splitter, with tech and sports pack included. So basically cosmetic vs a non SR car which also had sports and fech pack fitted.

I had a non SR car and had a black wrap applied for the SR look.

There are a significant amount of changes from 2012 registered cars onwards as per link below. 2012 sr vs non sr is all options included, and black pack.

http://www.thelotusforums.com/latest-news/lotus-ca...