RE: Evora S Sports Racer: Intro

[kambites]

I think Lotus would argue the opinions that matter are those who have spent their own cash to buy a Cayman or 911 instead of an Evora.

[highway]

Elise doesn't ride as well as a Boxster on 17, 18 or 19's. My S1's were awesome on a shortish drive, nothing other than unpleasant if I had to motorway anywhere. The S2 was better but not great by any means. Some saying they commute in them. Well you could commute on a pogo stick but it wouldn't be ideal would it.

The supercharged Elise S is, from what I can see, £36200. I can't see if that includes some sort of leather or air con, both of which standard on a Boxster S- partial,leather seats and a/c anyway. Base Boxster S is far more expensive than I thought...£47k...when did they get so expensive?

Anyway, like for like call the Elise S £38k (with air and leather?) Boxster S £10k more,,,

Both too dear now. Come to think about it I'm not seeing many 981 on the road either...

[Dave211]

highway said:

I think Porsche have got the market for £40k plus cars sewn up.

Doesn't have to be tHat way though. Look at the Alfa 4C at £45k, which is sold out for the next 12 months plus. I wanted to buy one and had cash ready, but dealers were effing hopeless at returning any calls etc. If Lotus can produce a new model that attracts the same kind of attention and orders, they will be heading in the right direction.

[kambites]

Strange. I've driven a few Boxsters (986s and 987s), and they've all had worse rides than my S2 Elise. Maybe different people have different ideas about what constitutes "good ride quality"?

The Elise's low-speed ride is pretty poor sometimes, especially over high-frequency bumps.

[kambites]

Dave211 said:

If Lotus can produce a new model that attracts the same kind of attention and orders, they will be heading in the right direction.

The Alfa 4C was sold out long before anyone, even journalists, had actually driven the thing. Obviously generating that sort of demand is nothing to do with how good a car actually is; it's all about the badge and perhaps the spec sheet, neither of which have ever really been Lotus's strong points.

[highway]

I've been poking around the Lotus website. Is it me or do they not list prices for,the cars options or anything else on there?

[juansolo]

Zyp said:

juansolo said:

Not only that, mine has two CD drawers in it too!

Don't forget the umbrella holder in the sill!

Is it wrong that I really want the umbrella for the umbrella holder... I've never needed an umbrella. Certainly not one that costs £60 because it's got a Porsche logo on it. But because I have an umbrella pocket, I feel it should have one in there. *shakes fist* damn you Porsche, you know my OCD can't hold out!

EDIT: I have a pen I never use in the pen holder also...

[Ozzie Osmond]

kambites said:

The Alfa 4C ...... it's all about the badge and perhaps the spec sheet, neither of which have ever really been Lotus's strong points.

IMO there's nothing wrong with either the "Lotus badge" or the "Lotus spec sheet". It's all about elegant design and good usability.

[chrispmartha]

juansolo said:

Is it wrong that I really want the umbrella for the umbrella holder... I've never needed an umbrella. Certainly not one that costs £60 because it's got a Porsche logo on it. But because I have an umbrella pocket, I feel it should have one in there. *shakes fist* damn you Porsche, you know my OCD can't hold out!

EDIT: I have a pen I never use in the pen holder also...

Are you telling me I've got an umbrella holder in my car? Where is it?

[chrispmartha]

jtopps said:

I'd have an Evora over a Cayman. I haven't driven either but everytime I see a Cayman it's just another car to me. Everytime I see an Evora I think "Gosh I'd love one of those, even if it was just to look at". It provokes a very stong emotive response in me for some reason as do a lot of Lotus'/Lotuses/Lotii and the only Porsche that's done the same thing was the Singer 911.

To be fair if you haven't driven them your opinion is slightly compromised, if a Cayman is just 'another car' why has it been said by many that have driven it as being one of the best sports cars available.

I haven't driven the lotus, but I'm sure it's a fantastic car, but so is the porsche they aren't mutually exclusive.

[Impasse]

chrispmartha said:

To be fair if you haven't driven them your opinion is slightly compromised, if a Cayman is just 'another car' why has it been said by many that have driven it as being one of the best sports cars available.

I haven't driven the lotus, but I'm sure it's a fantastic car, but so is the porsche they aren't mutually exclusive.

But surely, if you haven't driven the Lotus your opinion is only 50% valid? And those odds give a 50/50 chance of it being wrong.

[chrispmartha]

Impasse said:

But surely, if you haven't driven the Lotus your opinion is only 50% valid? And those odds give a 50/50 chance of it being wrong.

Of course I can't comment on the lotus and how it drives and the quality etc etc, as I say I haven't driven it so that's why I haven't given a proper objective opinion on it. But I do own a cayman so when someone who has never driven or owned one calls it an 'average car' I do question them on it, as it clearly isn't.

[otolith]

I assumed he was just commenting on how ubiquitous Porsches are.

[DeltonaS]

Ozzie Osmond said:

IMO there's nothing wrong with either the "Lotus badge" or the "Lotus spec sheet". It's all about elegant design and good usability.

+1

Lotus should've made the Elise and Exige just a little bigger, a bit more grown-up.

And the Mazda Mx5 should've been a Lotus Elan.

[otolith]

But if I wanted something bigger and "more grown up", I'd have bought a Porsche. Or a Z4 or an SLK. That market is well served.

[DeltonaS]

otolith said:

But if I wanted something bigger and "more grown up", I'd have bought a Porsche. Or a Z4 or an SLK. That market is well served.

Not that big, the 4C for instance is little wider and longer than an Elise and has a dashboard, seats and not paddings, a centre consol etc.

It's a bit more substantial.

Edited by DeltonaS on Saturday 26th April 01:38

Edited by DeltonaS on Saturday 26th April 01:39

[Craikeybaby]

Isn't the 4C "a little wider" than a Range Rover?

[blueg33]

4C width is 2090mm. Elise 1,719mm.

That is nearly a foot wider.

Width makes a bid difference to the way a car is to drive on a B road or a hill climb track. It is easier to place the narrow car, you have a bigger choice of lines and they just feel more nimble.

[SidewaysSi]

The Alfa has sold because of the badge and looks. The fact that it has received lukewarm reviews, particularly in relation to steering feel would put me off.

However the vast majority of the buying public don't know or care about such things which is why Lotus will not appeal to the common Joe.

Fact is most people, including many on this site aren't driving fanatics, which is why BMW, Merc and even Porsche do so well.

I have driven an Evora, Exige V6, Cayman and own an Elise S1 and for what I want and look for in a car, the Lotuses are significantly better.

[kambites]

Ozzie Osmond said:

kambites said:

The Alfa 4C ...... it's all about the badge and perhaps the spec sheet, neither of which have ever really been Lotus's strong points.

IMO there's nothing wrong with either the "Lotus badge" or the "Lotus spec sheet". It's all about elegant design and good usability.

Yet pre-orders were pouring into Alfa before the latter of those was even hinted at and before the former was finalised.

Whether it looks good in final form is of course a matter of personal opinion, but personally I find the Cayman, the Evora and the Exige all to be more attractive cars than the 4C. I'm not sure how usable it is either - it seems to have pretty much all of the short-comings of the Elise, so falls well behind the Exige and Cayman in that respect.

Edited by kambites on Saturday 26th April 09:36