My Lotus Evora 400 & Video Diary

My Lotus Evora 400 & Video Diary

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Discussion

SpudLink

5,669 posts

191 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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AP Racing Brakes: reassuringly expensive. smile

I have to say your videos are very well made and presented. Lotus should point potential customers towards your channel to help convince them the Evora is a real alternative to something German.


johnwilliams77

8,308 posts

102 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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Looking at the other Cayman vs Evora thread I can't believe people are going on about the interior quality. All the Evora needs are some better speakers/head unit, reverse sensor, cruise control and the right exhaust and you have yourself a very fun great all rounder than you can happily sit in traffic in, motorways, B roads or track. Couldn't care if a little bit of trim doesn't have a great fit!

jayemm89

Original Poster:

4,001 posts

129 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
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johnwilliams77 said:
Looking at the other Cayman vs Evora thread I can't believe people are going on about the interior quality. All the Evora needs are some better speakers/head unit, reverse sensor, cruise control and the right exhaust and you have yourself a very fun great all rounder than you can happily sit in traffic in, motorways, B roads or track. Couldn't care if a little bit of trim doesn't have a great fit!
The current Cayman interior is really great, but it feels just like the interior in any other Porsche. Very well made for sure but I personally hate the swathe of blank buttons you get to remind you that you aren't in a fully loaded Cayenne!

I'll be posting up some Porsche vs Lotus videos when I can (anyone got a 911 or Cayman I can borrow?), but I can assure you with the 400 Lotus have addressed several previous issues. Reversing camera and parking sensors are standard now. Cruise control is only a £300 option and the exhaust is pretty much one of the most sensational I have ever heard in a car. It will blow you away, especially if you've heard a standard Evora/Exige (which simply sound "OK")

johnwilliams77

8,308 posts

102 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
quotequote all
jayemm89 said:
The current Cayman interior is really great, but it feels just like the interior in any other Porsche. Very well made for sure but I personally hate the swathe of blank buttons you get to remind you that you aren't in a fully loaded Cayenne!

I'll be posting up some Porsche vs Lotus videos when I can (anyone got a 911 or Cayman I can borrow?), but I can assure you with the 400 Lotus have addressed several previous issues. Reversing camera and parking sensors are standard now. Cruise control is only a £300 option and the exhaust is pretty much one of the most sensational I have ever heard in a car. It will blow you away, especially if you've heard a standard Evora/Exige (which simply sound "OK")
Yes, sorry, i am talking about the older versions. To be honest, the evora interior feels great having come from Elise's and vx220s. Really couldn't care less about a nicer Cayman interior but it seems I am in the minority. Looks and how the car DRIVES is superior and that's the main thing.

jayemm89

Original Poster:

4,001 posts

129 months

Wednesday 25th May 2016
quotequote all
I agree John. I think a lot of guys who really liked the 993/996/997 911s but now feel the 991 is unsuitable by them should really give the Lotus a look in. I think it might appeal a lot more than many potential buyers would assume it does.

jayemm89

Original Poster:

4,001 posts

129 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
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Here's the next video. It's one of what I hope will be a series. No dialogue, just nice car, nice roads and great noise.

censored

ETA

Sorry, monetised clips are not allowed.

Edited by Big Al. on Monday 6th June 17:03

blueg33

35,574 posts

223 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
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jayemm89 said:
I agree John. I think a lot of guys who really liked the 993/996/997 911s but now feel the 991 is unsuitable by them should really give the Lotus a look in. I think it might appeal a lot more than many potential buyers would assume it does.
Nah, a Lotus will be too quick for them wink

In the Pyrenees last year my mate with a lovely 993 C2S couldn't believe how quickly the Evora could do the twisty mountain roads, especially the speed it could carry through the corners and the confidence under braking. Mine is only a n/a car so has similar performance on paper to the 993 S2S. The Ferrari 360 stayed with me thoughfrown

Sorry gratuitous pics



sagarich

1,210 posts

148 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
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jayemm89 said:
Here's the next video. It's one of what I hope will be a series. No dialogue, just nice car, nice roads and great noise.

censored
Love the noise around the 5:00 mark cloud9

Hitch

6,100 posts

193 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
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What BHP does a NA Evora series 1 put out? All on AT seem to be rated at 345bhp but I thought that was the power output of the S.

blueg33

35,574 posts

223 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
quotequote all
jayemm89 said:
Here's the next video. It's one of what I hope will be a series. No dialogue, just nice car, nice roads and great noise.

censored
I like that. It would be interesting to compare the noise with my n/a evora with tubular exhaust.

jayemm89

Original Poster:

4,001 posts

129 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
quotequote all
BlueG that's a great looking procession! I don't think a 993 would see which way a 996 went, let alone an Evora.

Car magazine recently had a 400 at the same time as an Aston GT12 and said the Evora covered ground noticeably quicker.

Hitch the NA Evora is 276bhp/280PS although apparently Toyota rated the engine quite conservatively.

The S you are right is 345 and the 400 is 400. The gearbox can't take too kuchen torque though so there is only a 7lb ft difference between the S and 400. You feel the difference when winding it round though.

I would think you would need a Ferrari 430 to keep with a 400.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I have some really fun videos in the pipeline at the moment

blueg33

35,574 posts

223 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
quotequote all
johnwilliams77 said:


Snap
Mine has black wheels in the winter - double snap



johnwilliams77

8,308 posts

102 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
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I have tubular exhaust (video somewhere), reverse sensors, heated seats, upgraded stereo and speakers all round. Love it

blueg33

35,574 posts

223 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
quotequote all
Hitch said:
What BHP does a NA Evora series 1 put out? All on AT seem to be rated at 345bhp but I thought that was the power output of the S.
Mine was dyno'd at about 290 bhp but I have a tubular exhaust.

Tin Hat

1,370 posts

208 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
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Great video.

'Home' is north Essex/Suffolk border?! - I felt like I know the roads towards the end of the vid.....

Enjoy!

jayemm89

Original Poster:

4,001 posts

129 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
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Correct - the road at the end is out of Sible Hedingham, towards Sudbury.

jayemm89

Original Poster:

4,001 posts

129 months

Monday 30th May 2016
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Getting a little bit artsy at an industrial estate today:


McSam

6,753 posts

174 months

Monday 30th May 2016
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Enjoying the videos, good presenting style, nicely shot and the car is of course lovely - especially in that photo above!

Liked the "pure driving" video, it sounds superb when you get it wide open, much more purposeful than I expected. Where are you recording sound from, the camera mounted on the rear? Just need to get your rev-matching sorted and then it'll sound really perfect biggrin

One thing that struck me was the cost of tyres. What tyres are they, and in which sizes? £850 seems pretty extreme - even to a 6-Series owner!

jayemm89

Original Poster:

4,001 posts

129 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
McSam said:
Enjoying the videos, good presenting style, nicely shot and the car is of course lovely - especially in that photo above!

Liked the "pure driving" video, it sounds superb when you get it wide open, much more purposeful than I expected. Where are you recording sound from, the camera mounted on the rear? Just need to get your rev-matching sorted and then it'll sound really perfect biggrin

One thing that struck me was the cost of tyres. What tyres are they, and in which sizes? £850 seems pretty extreme - even to a 6-Series owner!
Hi Sam

The spec for 400 tyres is:

FRONT 235/35/19
REAR 285/30/20

Michelin Pilot Super Sports

I think it's pretty reasonable given the sizes of them. I was quite surprised actually. My 6 series, as with many new cars, was equipped with run-flats and even in 19" sizes they were about £350 a tyre on the rear.

McSam

6,753 posts

174 months

Monday 30th May 2016
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Ouch, they really aren't friendly sizes! Camskill have the fronts at £155 each and the rears at £220. I bet the dry performance is stunning with those on such a light car, though.

My 6er is down to 18" and non-runflats for roughly half the tyre cost and better handing, economy, wet grip and road noise - BMW are silly these days.