IPS or Manual

[FRO911]

Any one care to share their expiriences of IPS? I've been running one now for about 8 months and still struggling to get on with it. It's good for pottering around and probably good on the track (not tried yet) but for quick road driving where you're accelarating in short bursts and then breaking between traffic it's pretty useless, beginning to wish I'd gone for the manual

[alex_gray255]

Hmm, had my IPS for about 2-3 years now and can't say I've noticed any real issues with it. If I need to go quick, I just flip it down a gear, floor it, then brake.

The only issue was getting the warning sign up when flip it down at roundabouts and forget to change up.

Are you running it in sport mode all the time? That will affect the timings of switch over to auto.

Most of the town driving is start stop - no issue, run in auto.

Most of the stop, sharp accelerate, stop is on journeys home, use the paddleshift.

Most of the country lane driving - where I live is auto plus occasional use of paddleshift on corners. Again, no real problems.

Maybe it is just driving styles...

[alex_gray255]

Oh, I do use the IPS shortcuts quite a bit which help.

Main one, hold right paddle down for a couple of secs, switches back to auto.

[BibsTLF]

If you google 'Lotus Evora Long Term Test' (I'm not allowed to link on here) you'll see my thoughts on a few months in each of the NA, IPS, S and S IPS which may help. I was really, really impressed with the IPS.

Are you on the latest software, eg has it been into a dealer recently and did they reflash the gearbox software? There have been a number of improvements.

[Frimley111R]

Love mine! I use it a lot for day to day driving but also do a lot of fast road driving with other performance cars. Flat shifts on full throttle and blips on the downshifts - what's not to like. I've not noticed any issues with it during fast road driving, and a lot of this involves overtakes, in fact it seems even better when doing so. I don't use the paddles in non sport mode though.

[FRO911]

Interesting, I find the auto mode in sport the most frustrating when nipping in and out of traffic, the 'blip' on the downshift is great when you're coming hard into a roundabout but when you've just overtaken something and are breaking behind the next car you don't want it. Also I'm constantly waiting for it to change or it changes when I'm not expecting it.

It's a 2013 car so I'm pretty sure it has all the updates but I will check. It may be down to driving style, I'll have to work on it!

[limpsfield]

I don't have too much to add. The service manager at my Lotus dealer says that an IPS Evora would be his perfect car.

Mine is a 2010 with the somewhat challenging gear shift - but on B roads you can drive it in third all day long.

I would like to try the IPS Evora at some point.

[limpsfield]

BibsTLF said:

If you google 'Lotus Evora Long Term Test' (I'm not allowed to link on here) you'll see my thoughts on a few months in each of the NA, IPS, S and S IPS which may help.

I just read this and enjoyed it. A damning comment in the review ( not by you, from one of your colleagues) :

"Get the Evora and it’ll quickly prove that it can’t match a 911 or Cayman for quality, the niggles will frustrate and, steering aside, what does it do better?"

I have never driven a current Porsche and would be interested in your views as a journo. I love my Evora - bought to replace a Maserati 4200 and an Elise, but do really miss the Elise. I think my next car might be another Elise or even a Boxster S.

[Sumsion]

The IPS allows me to match my mood with the style of driving , lazy is auto , fired up is sport and paddles and finally traffic with auto and paddles to open up when the gap presents itself. In traffic jams the auto is a godsend.

[alex_gray255]

Well... I did (until recently) have a Porsche 997 (911) 2012 reg, Carrera PDK with paddleshift.

I don't now.

I still have the Evora.

Yes, the Porsche was better quality (although I have had 2 previous Porsches and both went engine implosion mode
under warranty), was faster (although you didn't really notice it TBH), had more gadgets to play with etc., but the
overall driving experience was... *yeah, so what*?

It just didn't do it for me. It felt clumsy and wide (live in the country with lots of narrow roads), interfered alot with
driving (steering correction which felt downright weird, thought the tracking was out), the paddleshift was... and generally
I just didn't get on with it.

So, after convincing GF she never drove it anyway, I sold it.

The Evora just felt much more... connected I think is the best way of putting it. I feel I can drive it harder than I could the
Porsche and know where it was.

I'm told the 911 S spec is better, but TBH, I don't really care. I'm happy with the Evora. The Porsche just looks like any
other Porsche, the Evora looks special.

Plus I had various people keyhole the Porsche when parked in carparks, never had that happen to the Evora.

Odd that...

[limpsfield]

Thanks Alex, interesting view from an owner.

Evoras are very special. I think it's tragic they haven't sold well but is testament to Porsche positioning themselves as the next logical step up from BMW and Mercedes that the German marque has done so well.

If I see a Porsche on the road, which is quite often, it's "Look, Porsche" compared to "fk! A lotus!"

I do think I am a bit of a fanboy - my Evora is about 30% less bhp than my old Maserati but more than that in fun. Great cars for the (second hand) price.

[BibsTLF]

The Cayman is a very well put together, very accomplished car which is of course very good at doing what it does. Having been around Brands Hatch in a Cayman R the lap times sure were quick, very similar to a lap on a PS4 though. It just has no soul.

You can fall in love with a Lotus, you can have a very functional relationship with a Porsche.

[limpsfield]

BibsTLF said:

You can fall in love with a Lotus, you can have a very functional relationship with a Porsche.

Great line!

[limpsfield]

Actually Bibs I think I read the wrong long term test from Google - I ended up on the Car website.

I think this is the one you meant, I am sure no problem in me linking to it as someone with no commercial interest.

http://www.thelotusforums.com/category/latest-news...

I read this before I bought mine, a great review.

[BibsTLF]

Glad to hear it, I had a lot of fun in those cars

[CTE]

I have just tested various cars and having on going banter with my friends as to what to do, but one was a Boxster S, and I have to agree that it was very competent and ultimately quite quick, but it is relatively sole less. I have come quite close to getting a Cayman S as DD, but cannot get exited about the idea.

One of my friends pasted the Autocar write up on the new Caymen S and they absolutely loved it with 5/5 stars...you wouldn't have believed any car could be any better. However if you then read the write up on the 3rd placed Evora S in summary they would take it over the Cayman S, and in the latest guise, even more so...work that one out?

I do think Porsche do a fantastic job at marketing (including assisting magazines with advertising/promotion costs?), whereas Lotus are very poor. The bonus for us is that our cars are relatively rare and longer term will retain their values better...hopefully.

I do think the Cayman/911 are beautifully put together and detailed...a very classy act. I might get one when I am older and cannot handle so much excitement!

[Sumsion]

I think this preaching to the converted in the nicest possible way . Fortunately everyone is different , other wise we would all be driving a euro box. I am delighted with my IPS for lots of reasons, whereas my reasons do not rate highly with others.
Lotus admit the marketing of the Evora was pitched to the wrong market and have suffered ever since, but as someone pointed out a fantastic buy used.

[The Wookie]

Back on the topic of IPS, having driven pretty much every variant available at length the IPS is fine and I'd choose it over the pre-MY12 manual, but a well setup newer manual car would be my first choice for any sort of driving.