Evora vs the alternatives

[C70R]

It's my plan to replace my stopgap Z4 with something more exciting for roadtrips, occasional trackdays and some B-road jollies next year.

At £30k, my budget gets me a tidy, early Evora. I love the way they look, I'm going to get a seat in one to make sure I fit with a helmet, and I'll probably test drive a few alternatives when I come to buy.

Because I'm quite excited, I've already started looking at what else that budget might buy me. My rough shortlist would be:
- Z4M (probably a roadster) - wildcard, but much cheaper
- 987 3.4 Cayman
- 981 2.7 Cayman
- 981 3.4 Boxster
- 997 3.8
- TVR Tamora
- V8 Vantage

A broad church there. The Evora is probably the car that excites me most, but I'm open to alternatives.

I'm keen to hear the experiences of others who have bought the base Evora. What did you consider? What have I missed? How did the Evora compare?

[C70R]

blueg33 said:

Its not that broad a church!

Evora is great (I've had 2), if you are 6ft or taller it will be tight with a helmet.

Exige or Elise or are they >£30k I have lost track

The height/helmet issue is my main worry at 6ft3. I found an old Autocar data sheet that suggested more headroom than a 987, which I've driven with a helmet, so I'm staying optimistic...

Elise and Exige were deliberately excluded, because I'm not tolerant enough to take one on a roadtrip even if I fitted.

[C70R]

limpsfield said:

I would miss having a convertible if I went back to the Evora - how important is that for you?

If I was to change I would consider an F Type Jag - lots of those for low 30s.

The convertible thing is a great question. I think I'd compromise for the right car, even though I'd miss it a bit.

I absolutely love the F-type, but I worry that I'd feel a bit short-changed by 'only' having the V6 (which isn't particularly quick). Might add it to the list and give one a drive.

Edited by C70R on Thursday 11th May 11:57

[C70R]

blueg33 said:

C70R said:

The height/helmet issue is my main worry at 6ft3. I found an old Autocar data sheet that suggested more headroom than a 987, which I've driven with a helmet, so I'm staying optimistic...

Elise and Exige were deliberately excluded, because I'm not tolerant enough to take one on a roadtrip even if I fitted.

You will have to recline the seat. (I tend to sit quite upright in cars, at 6ft my helmet touched the roof of the Evora - ooh er missus)

That might be a deal breaker, to be honest. I'll report back once I've found the time to sit in one.

[C70R]

paul jarrett said:

Have you considered a Jaguar F-type? The V6 S is pretty awesome IMO, one of the best cars I have driven.

I haven't. I worried it might be a bit heavy and under-powered/inert on track.

[C70R]

The 987 is actually the only one of the list I've driven on track, at a Thruxton experience day. Obviously I wasn't able to 'explore its limits' in half an hour, but it felt very stable and balanced, if not a tad unspectacular.

[C70R]

The Wookie said:

Surprised about the comments about headroom, I’m 6’5” and long in the back, I did a load of track time in S1 Evoras without any issues whereas I definitely struggled in 987 Caymans

Very interesting. I'm very much 50/50 proportions, but I do like to have my seat quite upright on track.

Annoyingly the only Evoras for sale in Norfolk, are late model GTs at Stratton. Presume this isn't going to give a realistic gauge of headroom in an early car?

[C70R]

What is the early, cooking Evora like on British b-roads? I live in the rural wilds, and my favourite roads are narrow and bumpy. My Z4 feels small and compliant here compared with other cars I've owned.

I'm favouring something lighter over the obvious M-cars at this budget, because I'd hope to be able to use it more on these roads.

Edited by C70R on Sunday 14th May 09:25

[C70R]

That's really great insight. Thank you.

For what it's worth, I'm not an s2000 fan. Too compromised to be enjoyable when you're away from the bits where it is enjoyable. Not for me, sadly.

[C70R]

Funnily enough a Chimera was on my long list after passengering to Le Mans in a friend's 400 a few years back. The thing that let it down on that trip was simply refinement. The cabin feels very 'kit car', it's VERY noisy at cruising speed, and the general levels of comfort (lacking aircon and cruise control) didn't endear.

A fun car, but more of a weekend blast than a road trip for me.

I know that the Tamora has fairly marginal aircon (some vents don't actually blow conditioned air!), but I believe cruise was an option at least.

[C70R]

CABC said:

for sure, it's that V8
your friend's car may have been a bit ropey? after market exhaust? They're all getting on a bit now. But yes, along with the mpg I see it as a quick blast car to appreciate an old school V8.

Whatever the opposite of "ropey" is would be how is describe that car. It's cared for and fettled to within an inch of its life.

It's just a bit too 'rough and ready' for me to want to jump in and drive to Switzerland (which I'm coincidentally doing in the Z4 in a few weeks).

[C70R]

blueg33 said:

Big E 118 said:

A friend of mine has had pretty much every Evora over the years, S1, Sports Racer, 400 and now a GT410 Sport. Although they've developed into quicker cars he'll tell you the most pure ride and handling are the S1 cars.

Agree - I has an n/a S1 a S1 S Sports Racer and extensively drove a sport 410 and 400. The first car was the sweetest handling and balance, the S sports racer was the best all round, the Sport 410 was interesting but the carbon buckets became unpleasant after a few hours. The S1 has the best seats by miles

Presume that "S1" is the moniker of the original, cooking Evora?

[C70R]

Quickmoose said:

I love a "what car" thread... the OP knows their onions, knows their own personal wants and needs, and is 'excited' about a specific car.
I wrote one a while back.... I spent literally years in the run up making sure my list was comprehensive, the no.1 choice fluctuating between a very choice few.... the resulting spreadsheet being falsified to make the one I wanted appear at the top....

Engaging with a load of strangers who also LOVE their cars, rarely results in a change of mind, but we ALL enjoy that time where we're 'choosing' and justifying....

Something like the Evora will be as good a kill as it will be the chase
I 'needed' an open top so went elsewhere in the end....

ok, so ....just gonna have a look at some Lotuses now...

I'm currently sinking every penny I have (and some I don't) into a house renovation, so planning the next car purchase is a good way of distracting me.

That actually brings up an interesting challenge. I'm eventually going to build a lovely garage to keep my cars warm and dry, but that's a few years away right now because a number of other things need to happen first.

How would the Evora cope with living outside? I'd expect any of the Germans in my list to take it in their stride, but I'm unsure on how the Evora would deal with it.

[C70R]

CABC said:

The Wookie said:

It's funny, I always really enjoyed the S1 Evoras on track (although never driven an S2 on track), but then I always preferred the Elises to the Exiges on track too!

They're soft and they roll a bit, but you can manage the weight transfer nicely with them, and they powerslide hilariously well, particularly for a mid engined car... though the rear tyres don't last too long if you do!

yes, they do slide predictably
it's a personal choice, I just like light & agile. and while the Evora was rolling on track the quality of its chassis was clear, which is why it was just superb on the Welsh B roads. I find the Evora's competition and the highly rated modern hatches too heavy as well.
I know I'm different, if I do a Palmer day most people get excited about the BMWs!

What's the actual kerb weight of the original car? I only ask because the Boxster and Cayman seem to be in the same ballpark as the figures I've seen.

[C70R]

giveitfish said:

Your white SR lived outside and leaked a bit when I had it, but that might be because my drive is steeply sloped!

For what it’s worth, I was nodding to myself in agreement reading s2jock’s post. For me the Evora was a special car and I hanker for another - but it would be for road trips and touring and I’d want to keep my Elise for b-road blasts. The Elise makes me want to get up at 5am on a sunny Sunday, the Evora is the one I want to drive to Switzerland (I did just that in fact: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... )

Well, that's my reading sorted for a little while. Thanks!

I'm not planning to go as far South as you did, as it made for a beastly first day of driving! However, we're spending July just outside of Lille, so I have the added advantage of a slightly better starting point!

[C70R]

Contrasting experiences there, which I guess is the nature of low-volume cars. It did get me wondering whether something German might be a slightly better idea while I don't have a garage.

[C70R]

That's an absolute goldmine of helpful stuff. Thank you.

When I say "cooking" Evora, I mean the early n/a car. I hadn't gone as far as researching 'packs' yet, and suspect I'm probably not going to get to be choosy at this end of the price spectrum.

The Exige is too small and compromised for touring, in my view. I'm just not comfortable in something so claustrophobic. The Chimera was too unrefined for long-distance touring, particularly in the summer - so that's out for me.

The Tamora is a bit of an outlier, and not a very 'me' car. I've very little 'modern' TVR experience, save for a few intoxicating miles in the passenger seat of a Tuscan S. I love the way they look, and it's hard to look past the performance they offer.

The Z4M appeals in the same way that a Corvette appeals (if I could live with LHD). Not the last word in handling finesse, but fantastic wallop in a straight line and relatively easy to live with (it's basically my car with a different drivetrain). The Boxster and Cayman are the better-handling and more grown-up versions of the Z4M, in my view.

Lots to think about.

[C70R]

BertBert said:

Just a thought on the Tamora. It's really the complete antithesis of the Evora for handling, it's really bad. In corners it's nasty and lurchy and oversteer is very unpredictable and hard to catch.

Looks good, nice place to be inside apart from the smell, terrible handling! And lovely engine just had important bits made of cheese!

As mentioned, the Tamora really isn't a 'me' sort of car. I don't like flawed heroes - I tend to prefer competent cars with a lack of edge, hence the number of German cars. But I love the way it looks and the performance, and this might be the only time a TVR makes sense to own, so I threw it into the mix.

[C70R]

TrotCanterGallopCharge said:

Even more helpful stuff.

Thanks for taking the time to share that.

I really don't think I'm going to get the option to be picky at £30k, so I'll probably take the best example available at the time. Tech can be upgraded easily (cruise aside), and extended leather is a luxury I could live without.

In terms of value vs depreciation, you're probably right. The Evora, like anything desirable, has risen in price over the past few years. I have a suspicion that the Z4M and older Porsches have probably done their depreciating too. Either way, buying the cheaper and older car would leave me with less cash tied up anyway, so it's probably moot. These things don't have to make financial sense, do they?

I really need to find one for sale near me to take a look at in person, and just hope it's not too much of a bargain when I find it.