RE: Lotus Evora 400 :Driven

RE: Lotus Evora 400 :Driven

Author
Discussion

Jam12321

164 posts

109 months

Wednesday 29th July 2015
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Looks amazing, would happily purchase one of these when funds allow. Odd though, think the old evora's interior was much nicer looking. New interior looks more..... german.

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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RedTrident

8,290 posts

234 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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Decent review. Needs a side by side comparison with the 2 porches just to get it over and done with.

Not sure about the weird black bit at the front that runs both sides of the number plate, back has grown on me though. Sounds lovely too.

dvs_dave

8,581 posts

224 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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otolith said:
A much more sensible and objective review, despite the inevitable Porsche comparisons. The PH review deliberately set out to paint a gloomy picture and then was totally ruined by the bks about infotainment and dash plastics. I've got the What Car website if I want such pants reviews. I don't expect similar from PH.

Bring back Harris but pay him properly this time....

blueg33

35,590 posts

223 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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otolith said:
Good review.

Go on Porsche fans, stop prejudging and actually drive one. I dare you!

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

245 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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blueg33 said:
otolith said:
Video review;
Good review.

Go on Porsche fans, stop prejudging and actually drive one. I dare you!
I completely agree. No-one should buy a mid-engined sportscar in this sector of the market without driving the Porsches and the Lotuses before deciding. I certainly did. If I was shopping today I'd probably take a look at the F-type as well.

speedluvver

39 posts

223 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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TNH said:
The best thing about this car is that the "Price as Tested" is only £2,000 more than the £72,000 list price.

How many German rivals do we see where the price as tested is almost 50% more than the list price?
This - you just had to look at the porsche stand at Goodwood to see that to have a car that will sell second hand, you have to add thousands in options - wish the Journies would think of that when they write this stuff

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

245 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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speedluvver said:
This - you just had to look at the porsche stand at Goodwood to see that to have a car that will sell second hand, you have to add thousands in options - wish the Journies would think of that when they write this stuff
Many people put a Boxster S/Cayman S on the road for £50k and there's absolutely no sign they are "unsaleable" in the used market. The "badge" and "options" excuses simply don't wash.

Drive the cars and choose which one fits what you're looking for. They compete head to head. Personally I think Lotus have Evora's pricing far too high but at the end of the day it's their decision.

SidewaysSi

10,742 posts

233 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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Ozzie Osmond said:
speedluvver said:
This - you just had to look at the porsche stand at Goodwood to see that to have a car that will sell second hand, you have to add thousands in options - wish the Journies would think of that when they write this stuff
Many people put a Boxster S/Cayman S on the road for £50k and there's absolutely no sign they are "unsaleable" in the used market. The "badge" and "options" excuses simply don't wash.

Drive the cars and choose which one fits what you're looking for. They compete head to head. Personally I think Lotus have Evora's pricing far too high but at the end of the day it's their decision.
I think it is a bargain. st steering versus provably the most dynamic car on sale. Easy decision IMO.

blueg33

35,590 posts

223 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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Ozzie Osmond said:
speedluvver said:
This - you just had to look at the porsche stand at Goodwood to see that to have a car that will sell second hand, you have to add thousands in options - wish the Journies would think of that when they write this stuff
Many people put a Boxster S/Cayman S on the road for £50k and there's absolutely no sign they are "unsaleable" in the used market. The "badge" and "options" excuses simply don't wash.

Drive the cars and choose which one fits what you're looking for. They compete head to head. Personally I think Lotus have Evora's pricing far too high but at the end of the day it's their decision.
I diagaree, the Evora 400 is cheaper than a Porsche with comparable performance.

No Cayman including the GT4 is as quick on paper.

Base 911 starts at £83k and is substantially slower, in fact until you spend £120k on a turbo no 911 can match the performance according to Porsches stats from their website.

I therefore think the evora 400 is excellent value, a fully loaded one is about £80k to get that spec on a base 911 you have to spend £81k and you still only have a car that does 0-60 in 4.8 compared with the Evora at 4.1, in fact my n/a Evora is nearly as quick on paper......



dvs_dave

8,581 posts

224 months

Friday 31st July 2015
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I think the Porsche comparisons are meaningless. The sort of person that buys a Porsche just isn't the sort of person that would ever buy a Lotus. As good as Porsches are objectively, anything outside of the ludicrously expensive special ones are desperately unimaginative and the default choice of Audi TT buyers who think they've made it.

This sort of competition for this I think are more left field options such as the V6 F-type, C7 Corvette, Morgan Aero 8 and if we ever see it, the upcoming TVR.

kambites

67,462 posts

220 months

Friday 31st July 2015
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dvs_dave said:
I think the Porsche comparisons are meaningless. The sort of person that buys a Porsche just isn't the sort of person that would ever buy a Lotus. .
I know quote a lot of people who have owned both, so that's clearly not entirely true. In fact I wouldn't be hugely surprised if the majority of Lotus owners have owned a Porsche, although the converse is obviously not true.

Previously it was perhaps in a bit of a no-mans land, but with this new upgrade the Evora is competing absolutely head-on with the 911. Nothing else comes as close in terms of on-paper specs or in terms of how the cars actually drive. I certainly wouldn't consider any of the cars you mention at the same time as the Evora because I'd never consider an Evora unless I needed the back seats.

Edited by kambites on Friday 31st July 07:51

Robert Elise

956 posts

144 months

Friday 31st July 2015
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kambites said:
dvs_dave said:
I think the Porsche comparisons are meaningless. The sort of person that buys a Porsche just isn't the sort of person that would ever buy a Lotus. .
I know quote a lot of people who have owned both, so that's clearly not entirely true. In fact I wouldn't be hugely surprised if the majority of Lotus owners have owned a Porsche, although the converse is obviously not true.

Previously it was perhaps in a bit of a no-mans land, but with this new upgrade the Evora is competing absolutely head-on with the 911. Nothing else comes as close in terms of on-paper specs or in terms of how the cars actually drive. I certainly wouldn't consider any of the cars you mention at the same time as the Evora because I'd never consider an Evora unless I needed the back seats.

Edited by kambites on Friday 31st July 07:51
no, i think dvs has a point. many people would consider a larger Lotus but not a cutesy Elise. Evora looks more grown up and driveway acceptable to a manly ego. It's also more business-like and usable, which is a big market.

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Friday 31st July 2015
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It's also, especially with the new lowered sills, more accessible to those of a *cough* larger build.

kambites

67,462 posts

220 months

Friday 31st July 2015
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Robert Elise said:
no, i think dvs has a point. many people would consider a larger Lotus but not a cutesy Elise. Evora looks more grown up and driveway acceptable to a manly ego. It's also more business-like and usable, which is a big market.
You may be right about the Elise, but we're talking about the Evora. I doubt many people buy an Evora without test driving a 911?

leglessAlex

5,384 posts

140 months

Friday 31st July 2015
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kambites said:
Robert Elise said:
no, i think dvs has a point. many people would consider a larger Lotus but not a cutesy Elise. Evora looks more grown up and driveway acceptable to a manly ego. It's also more business-like and usable, which is a big market.
You may be right about the Elise, but we're talking about the Evora. I doubt many people buy an Evora without test driving a 911?
Even if the vast, vast majority of Porsche 911 buyers would never even consider an Evora, all lotus has to do is just get 1% of those buyers into a car for a test drive and then sell to half of them. If my 30 seconds of research on the internet is correct, 0.5% of Porsche 911 buyers converting to an Evora would double Lotus' sales.

British Beef

2,192 posts

164 months

Friday 31st July 2015
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dvs_dave said:
otolith said:
A much more sensible and objective review, despite the inevitable Porsche comparisons. The PH review deliberately set out to paint a gloomy picture and then was totally ruined by the bks about infotainment and dash plastics. I've got the What Car website if I want such pants reviews. I don't expect similar from PH.

Bring back Harris but pay him properly this time....
Agree 100%, a much better review all round.

Surprised it doesnt touch on the LSD or improved gearbox feel, but most other improvements covered. The journalists at Pistonheads consistently seem to generate 2nd rate and negatively biased reviews when Lotus cars are involved. Starting with a title "lighter and more powerful but more expensive", no sh!te Sherlock, when did Porsche last sell a lighter and more powerful and cheaper replacement?
I will hop off the soap box now!
Test drive planned and looking forward to the excellent Lotus finance deals coming available on this car.

kambites

67,462 posts

220 months

Friday 31st July 2015
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leglessAlex said:
kambites said:
Robert Elise said:
no, i think dvs has a point. many people would consider a larger Lotus but not a cutesy Elise. Evora looks more grown up and driveway acceptable to a manly ego. It's also more business-like and usable, which is a big market.
You may be right about the Elise, but we're talking about the Evora. I doubt many people buy an Evora without test driving a 911?
Even if the vast, vast majority of Porsche 911 buyers would never even consider an Evora, all lotus has to do is just get 1% of those buyers into a car for a test drive and then sell to half of them. If my 30 seconds of research on the internet is correct, 0.5% of Porsche 911 buyers converting to an Evora would double Lotus' sales.
Probably true but I doubt anywhere near 1% of 911 buyers have ever driven an Evora.

zebedee

4,589 posts

277 months

Friday 31st July 2015
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Ozzie Osmond said:
speedluvver said:
This - you just had to look at the porsche stand at Goodwood to see that to have a car that will sell second hand, you have to add thousands in options - wish the Journies would think of that when they write this stuff
Many people put a Boxster S/Cayman S on the road for £50k and there's absolutely no sign they are "unsaleable" in the used market. The "badge" and "options" excuses simply don't wash.

Drive the cars and choose which one fits what you're looking for. They compete head to head. Personally I think Lotus have Evora's pricing far too high but at the end of the day it's their decision.
Evora depreciation seems to bottom out around 30k. Not sure Porsche does. Sensible people look at whole life costs.

leglessAlex

5,384 posts

140 months

Friday 31st July 2015
quotequote all
kambites said:
Probably true but I doubt anywhere near 1% of 911 buyers have ever driven an Evora.
Very true, but I don't think it's unreasonable for Lotus to aim to get 1-2% of Porsche buyers at least considering a Lotus as a viable option.

If Gales can achive his aim of lots more dealers and get bums in seats I don't think it's unrealistc.