RE: Driven: Lotus Evora IPS
Discussion
300, out of interest, why do you feel so sure that the Evora cannot be a daily car whereas a Cayman or M3 or GTR can? It rides far better than any of the above, the seats are comfy and heated, you've got sat nav, ipod etc, controls are light, relatively quiet and a solid Toyota engine. If you're not buying poverty spec it's all leather and alacantara etc too.
Maybe it's the leftover Elise impression, but really, people should go along and have a go before judging based on prejudice (not you per se, but there are always a lot of those on Evora threads).
Maybe it's the leftover Elise impression, but really, people should go along and have a go before judging based on prejudice (not you per se, but there are always a lot of those on Evora threads).
cathalm said:
300, out of interest, why do you feel so sure that the Evora cannot be a daily car whereas a Cayman or M3 or GTR can? It rides far better than any of the above, the seats are comfy and heated, you've got sat nav, ipod etc, controls are light, relatively quiet and a solid Toyota engine. If you're not buying poverty spec it's all leather and alacantara etc too.
Maybe it's the leftover Elise impression, but really, people should go along and have a go before judging based on prejudice (not you per se, but there are always a lot of those on Evora threads).
I don't Maybe it's the leftover Elise impression, but really, people should go along and have a go before judging based on prejudice (not you per se, but there are always a lot of those on Evora threads).
But I think it's perception others might have. Which means they'd rule out the Evora without even considering it. Or maybe not even get as far as thinking Lotus when looking at new cars.
As for the reality of using one.... well I can hardly comment as I don't have one.
That said, would my expectation be misplaced if I thought running an Evora for say 2-3 years hassle free as a daily was a likely and probably outcome?
alexpa said:
The Evora simply doesnt look right. That's the biggest hitter to it's sales.
Alex
Alex
I agree with previous comments, in that it does look better in the flesh, and in certain colours (which lighten those heavy windowless hips that it's got), and that it's got a good amount of presence, but ultimately it's not really a looker. The Cayman's not exactly exciting, but at least it's a fairly pleasing shape. Looks, engine, and impression of quality are the three areas it falls short on.I think it looks great. But... it could do without the pinched waist under the door and the front looks too pointy (forgive the technical design terms).
I actually think it looks too much like a supercar and hasn't quite got the straight line pace to justify those looks.
I still want one though - probably in the dark metallic red (I saw one in dark red at the factory a year ago and nearly had a trouser accident - it was v.v.nice!) or orange, and the S please - if only it had nearer 400bhp!
I wonder if they could split out the +2 and +0 model designs a bit and have a lower roofline for the +0, and possibly lower the engine too. Probably too late to redesign major components for that sort of thing now.
I'll give up on anyone actually commenting on the IPS gearbox - I guess I'll need to try one to find out.
I actually think it looks too much like a supercar and hasn't quite got the straight line pace to justify those looks.
I still want one though - probably in the dark metallic red (I saw one in dark red at the factory a year ago and nearly had a trouser accident - it was v.v.nice!) or orange, and the S please - if only it had nearer 400bhp!
I wonder if they could split out the +2 and +0 model designs a bit and have a lower roofline for the +0, and possibly lower the engine too. Probably too late to redesign major components for that sort of thing now.
I'll give up on anyone actually commenting on the IPS gearbox - I guess I'll need to try one to find out.
Edited by Vladimir Pukin on Thursday 16th June 15:57
5 USA said:
Maybe, but it doesn't look right and it's a painfully slow car for the money. Biggest problem area circled on pic IMO.
Thats my favourite bit!! and the two rear facing vents that look like you know what.I love them but I will be waiting for them to come down to 30k... but if I could afford it I'd get it now over anything else. Purely because it ticks all the boxes I need ticked... not the IPS though.
The area circled above was exactly what I was alluding to in my comment on the car's "heavy windowless hips". I too would spec a 2+0 if I had the money, although the car I'd really like is the Elan that Kambites has posted above, although curiously that too has an awkward "heavy" looking area in the rear three quarters.Incidentally, I've not driven an Evora but I have driven two Cayman Ss and had a good long passenger ride in a PHer's Evora. Judging from that, of the two cars I'd take the Evora. I thought the Evora's ride and body control was much better than the rather jiggly Cayman, the cabin was more comfortable (Porsche always set their steering wheels too far away for me) and I've no doubt the steering feel and throttle response is better. At least from the passenger seat, the throttle response did actually look better. Also, the Lotus has a linear steering rack, and the Cayman's non-linear one really confuses me.
I do however prefer the interior and exterior styling and build on the Cayman, the engine sounds better, and I'm sure it probably handles better given the lower centre of gravity. The points above about the Cayman though are referring to the driving of the car, and that for me always has priority so my money would go on the Lotus.
Actualy, for the money I'd buy as good a secondhand NSX as I could and pocket the change
[quote=RobM77]I do however prefer the interior and exterior styling and build on the Cayman, the engine sounds better, and I'm sure it probably handles better given the lower centre of gravity. The points above about the Cayman though are referring to the driving of the car, and that for me always has priority so my money would go on the Lotus.
[quote]
Well as 5th gear demonstrated the Evora S was quicker than a 911 round a track and the Cayman is a detuned 911 then no, i think the Evora would handle better. It handles the bumps so well because the chassis is excellent which is also the reason why it handles so well.
[quote]
Well as 5th gear demonstrated the Evora S was quicker than a 911 round a track and the Cayman is a detuned 911 then no, i think the Evora would handle better. It handles the bumps so well because the chassis is excellent which is also the reason why it handles so well.
John145 said:
Well as 5th gear demonstrated the Evora S was quicker than a 911 round a track and the Cayman is a detuned 911 then no, i think the Evora would handle better. It handles the bumps so well because the chassis is excellent which is also the reason why it handles so well.
You are confusing handling with grip. And Ride.SS7
RobM77 said:
I'm sure it probably handles better given the lower centre of gravity.
I'd say not. The Cayman probably has more rear end grip and a bit less body roll, but the Evora actually feels better balanced to me and is more progressive.Generally the Evora just feels like a friendlier device on the limit. Having said that, the Cayman I drove had a torque biasing diff so it might not have helped things.
John145 said:
RobM77 said:
I do however prefer the interior and exterior styling and build on the Cayman, the engine sounds better, and I'm sure it probably handles better given the lower centre of gravity. The points above about the Cayman though are referring to the driving of the car, and that for me always has priority so my money would go on the Lotus.
Well as 5th gear demonstrated the Evora S was quicker than a 911 round a track and the Cayman is a detuned 911 then no, i think the Evora would handle better. It handles the bumps so well because the chassis is excellent which is also the reason why it handles so well.I haven't driven an Evora yet though, so I can't comment specifically, only to say that from an engineering point of view, the Cayman should handle better because it has dynamically superior underpinnings - whether Porsche have capitalised on that or not is another matter, and one I can't comment on - my comment was purely theoretical. Wookie's comments are based on driving both cars, so they may well hold more weighting:
Wookie said:
I'd say not. The Cayman probably has more rear end grip and a bit less body roll, but the Evora actually feels better balanced to me and is more progressive.
Generally the Evora just feels like a friendlier device on the limit. Having said that, the Cayman I drove had a torque biasing diff so it might not have helped things.
Generally the Evora just feels like a friendlier device on the limit. Having said that, the Cayman I drove had a torque biasing diff so it might not have helped things.
Edited by RobM77 on Thursday 16th June 17:46
shoestring7 said:
You are confusing handling with grip. And Ride.
SS7
evora handles grips and rides better than anything I have ever driven, bar perhaps a Caterham (grip), but probably not a million miles off!SS7
Also I think it looks way lovelier than a Cayman, I liked them when they first came out but now their front end looks stretched out, the clearance around the wheel arch was as big a fist on one I saw recently (not sure if it was sat on something raising it up as it was in an airport) and it just looked too blobby to me. The edginess and 'supercarness' of the Evora is up my street and very 'Ferrari' like, (but prettier than any Ferrari since the 355 bar maybe the Italia). ANd as for someone saying it is "painfully slow", down any decent b-road it is "amazingly quick" and brilliant fun. If you want to buy cars off the stats, go ahead, but I'd rather buy them based on what they drive like and that is why I want one!
RobM77 said:
Handling has got nothing to do with how fast something goes round a track
surely some connection in terms of how easy it is to get the most out of the car? i.e. if two cars have similar power, grip levels etc but one handles well and the other doesn't, the driver will find it easier to get the former to it's theoretical maximum than the latter. It can still be swamped by other factors mind, but if it had nothing to do with it competition cars would have no need to handle well. 'Tis all very subjective mind.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff