RE: Lotus Evora: PH Buying Guide
Discussion
I have an Evora as a daily its a great car, the early ones did have niggles which were all gone on mind under warranty. I do 20k miles a year in xl weathers. It lives outside, is reliable, doesn't leak, only ever gets positive attention and is s joy to drive. The only downsides are woeful Bluetooth and you need a wider parking space to get out.
daytona365 said:
Sorry to be dismissive, but in effect all you're buying is one of Toyota's finest engines with a plastic bathtub plonked on top.....Though I must say it doesn't look too bad.
Different people have different priorities. For some people how a car drivers is more important than what badges are on it. Nothing wrong with either opinion, they're just different. 
Sorry for the long post – compilation of a few emails and posts on other sites but may help!
I have had my NA Evora for 3 years now and 23000 miles lus the 5k miles it had when I bought it as an ex Lotus management car. Mine is a Dec 2010 car – a Model Year (MY) 2011 with Tech and Sport packs, reversing camera and Pioneer satnav stereo which has been great.
My 2 daughters (9 and 12) still fit comfortably in the back but my eldest is quite diddy!
The car is a fantastic to drive - comfy and quiet on a cruise, but an animal that will easily break traction in the wet in low gears if you are not careful! The traction control seems quite relaxed about wheel spin!
The looks are fantastic and are way better than any photo shows. I still catch sight of it in the car park at work and cannot believe it is mine!
I have a full 2bular exhaust and manifold, a BOE air filter and Essex Autosport ECU tune which help with the torque and the aural drama when you clogg it! The sound is fab, but the power gains are not going to set you hair on fire to be honest. I need to do a back to back rolling road session with an unmodified car to see exactly how much.
The soundproofing is a revelation after 14 years in an Elise. In fact while I say above that the exhaust is quiet, if you open the windows it is another story entirely. If you think you need a sports exhaust (or louder sports exhaust), make sure you run through the gears with the windows down first, you may well be surprised!
I have the long box which is great for economy (30+mpg in the real world) but poor for 3-6th gear acceleration. I am glad I have it for motorway cruising, but curse it overtaking - I would rather be able to a lower geared 3rd and ride the torque than drop to second. You should definitely test drive the close ratio and long boxes before you buy. I had a CR Sports racer as a courtesy car from Lotus Silverstone and to be honest the CR box transforms the car, it is much more fun to take it through the gears at legal speeds. In fact the CR box is so good that I have looked into upgrading the gearbox and it can be done at a scary £3-4K. May be wait until the clutch needs replacing.
The other advantage of the long box (if it worries you) is that the MY2011 car like mine gets 199g/km which means cheaper tax. It looks like you lose about 4-5mpg with the CR box.
Soem servicing cost examples below, but bear in mind there are all main dealer costs with a few mods thrown in for good measure, you can get better prices at indys but I have been very happy with Lotus Silverstone. Here are the bills I have had:
4th year service – (the big one) + new mud flap brackets and A pillar trims: £867. If you can get this done before you get the car it would be a good point to negotiate on.
A full set of OEM Pirelli tyres (18” and 19” were £644 fitted from Headley tyres) Note the 19 and 20s are much pricier!
Essex Autosport ECU crack and rolling road tune: £1068.
3rd year service + fitting of 2bular manifolds and Y pipe and BOE CAI filter kit: £1498.
2nd Year service (with brake fluid and fitting Dynamat to doors): £550.
While I have spent a fair bit (mostly on mods), on the up side the depreciation has been very reasonable – I think I have dropped less than £8k in 3 years. But I am not selling!
I have also had a few niggles which were all sorted under warranty by Lotus Silverstone who have been fabulous. But you should look out for them when buying cars off warranty and get them fixed by the dealer or negotiate with the seller.
If it is a Tech pack car, make sure the sub-woofer really works (and the bass is not just coming from the door speakers). The Alpine sub amplifiers seem to regularly pop - mine did and I read of a few others that have too.
Check the dash leather for ripples and that the airbag covers sit flush. It is a dash out job to fix which is expensive if not under warranty.
Check 'A' pillar plastic covers on outside are not cracked or bow out from the windscreen glass. They should be flush – they can bow out and cause a nasty vibration at speed– a temporary fix to stop the noise is squirt in mastic but a new one is only £24.
Check that door windows do not need adjusting backwards to make contact with seals at the rear of the door frame otherwise it can cause excessive wind noise. I found bulking out the seal with rubber tube helped alot.
Check that if fitted the Armourfend front bumper and bonnet stone chip protector is not lifting.
Check cruise control works consistently if it has it. (Might need a pedal sensor to be replaced which resolved it).
Check the boot light works - switch might need adjusting.
Check boot opens every time and does not need several goes to open. Adjustment will fix any reluctance to open.
Check the carpet behind the pedals is secure - a bit of spray glue will sort it.
Check the doors consistently lock and unlock try a few times and on both doors. Most cars should have this sorted by now, but it is worth checking.
Check the glove box isn't sticky and pops open when button pressed.
Check reversing camera works if fitted; some can get upset after they get wet.
Check all LED lights work on front and rear headlamps. Very expensive front headlamps and there was a waiting list for them!
On earlier cars check the rear light surrounds - the chrome trim can fade, ask if it can be replaced with later black ones, or painted.
Check for little "pop" - play in steering column as you push and pull the steering wheel - feels a bit like a worn UJ - just needs a shim to fix.
Check for poor radio reception - make sure you can get your favourite station. You can fit powered antennas - I did and it makes a big difference. (£15 from Amazon.
Check for rattles/knocks under front on bumpy roads - if it does front anti roll bar bushes may need to be replaced - not expensive but worth getting done before pick up.
Check for front speakers rattling when pushed - Dynamat round and under mountings and on door inner and foam tape round the front fixed it for me.
Check the front wheel mudflap brackets are secure – they are made of cheese and rust to dust. Silverstone paints theirs before replacing them.
If you are getting a car from a dealer just make sure they fix any of these you spot before you pick it up! None are major - except perhaps the headlamps as they can take a while to order (as well as cost).
So - good luck - despite the above (all niggles I have seen, which were resolved by Lotus Silverstone with no fuss at all while mine was under warranty and none of them stopped me from driving or enjoying the car.) I love the car dearly and it is a keeper (or until the 400 appears on the used market!).
One last mention. A while back we all went out to a country show and parked up in the field in the Evora. The 2 girls got out my side from the back and walked round the car, another parent in the car to our left spotted the girls and blurted out before he could stop himself “Where the F**k did they come from?!”
Spunagain
I have had my NA Evora for 3 years now and 23000 miles lus the 5k miles it had when I bought it as an ex Lotus management car. Mine is a Dec 2010 car – a Model Year (MY) 2011 with Tech and Sport packs, reversing camera and Pioneer satnav stereo which has been great.
My 2 daughters (9 and 12) still fit comfortably in the back but my eldest is quite diddy!
The car is a fantastic to drive - comfy and quiet on a cruise, but an animal that will easily break traction in the wet in low gears if you are not careful! The traction control seems quite relaxed about wheel spin!
The looks are fantastic and are way better than any photo shows. I still catch sight of it in the car park at work and cannot believe it is mine!
I have a full 2bular exhaust and manifold, a BOE air filter and Essex Autosport ECU tune which help with the torque and the aural drama when you clogg it! The sound is fab, but the power gains are not going to set you hair on fire to be honest. I need to do a back to back rolling road session with an unmodified car to see exactly how much.
The soundproofing is a revelation after 14 years in an Elise. In fact while I say above that the exhaust is quiet, if you open the windows it is another story entirely. If you think you need a sports exhaust (or louder sports exhaust), make sure you run through the gears with the windows down first, you may well be surprised!
I have the long box which is great for economy (30+mpg in the real world) but poor for 3-6th gear acceleration. I am glad I have it for motorway cruising, but curse it overtaking - I would rather be able to a lower geared 3rd and ride the torque than drop to second. You should definitely test drive the close ratio and long boxes before you buy. I had a CR Sports racer as a courtesy car from Lotus Silverstone and to be honest the CR box transforms the car, it is much more fun to take it through the gears at legal speeds. In fact the CR box is so good that I have looked into upgrading the gearbox and it can be done at a scary £3-4K. May be wait until the clutch needs replacing.
The other advantage of the long box (if it worries you) is that the MY2011 car like mine gets 199g/km which means cheaper tax. It looks like you lose about 4-5mpg with the CR box.
Soem servicing cost examples below, but bear in mind there are all main dealer costs with a few mods thrown in for good measure, you can get better prices at indys but I have been very happy with Lotus Silverstone. Here are the bills I have had:
4th year service – (the big one) + new mud flap brackets and A pillar trims: £867. If you can get this done before you get the car it would be a good point to negotiate on.
A full set of OEM Pirelli tyres (18” and 19” were £644 fitted from Headley tyres) Note the 19 and 20s are much pricier!
Essex Autosport ECU crack and rolling road tune: £1068.
3rd year service + fitting of 2bular manifolds and Y pipe and BOE CAI filter kit: £1498.
2nd Year service (with brake fluid and fitting Dynamat to doors): £550.
While I have spent a fair bit (mostly on mods), on the up side the depreciation has been very reasonable – I think I have dropped less than £8k in 3 years. But I am not selling!
I have also had a few niggles which were all sorted under warranty by Lotus Silverstone who have been fabulous. But you should look out for them when buying cars off warranty and get them fixed by the dealer or negotiate with the seller.
If it is a Tech pack car, make sure the sub-woofer really works (and the bass is not just coming from the door speakers). The Alpine sub amplifiers seem to regularly pop - mine did and I read of a few others that have too.
Check the dash leather for ripples and that the airbag covers sit flush. It is a dash out job to fix which is expensive if not under warranty.
Check 'A' pillar plastic covers on outside are not cracked or bow out from the windscreen glass. They should be flush – they can bow out and cause a nasty vibration at speed– a temporary fix to stop the noise is squirt in mastic but a new one is only £24.
Check that door windows do not need adjusting backwards to make contact with seals at the rear of the door frame otherwise it can cause excessive wind noise. I found bulking out the seal with rubber tube helped alot.
Check that if fitted the Armourfend front bumper and bonnet stone chip protector is not lifting.
Check cruise control works consistently if it has it. (Might need a pedal sensor to be replaced which resolved it).
Check the boot light works - switch might need adjusting.
Check boot opens every time and does not need several goes to open. Adjustment will fix any reluctance to open.
Check the carpet behind the pedals is secure - a bit of spray glue will sort it.
Check the doors consistently lock and unlock try a few times and on both doors. Most cars should have this sorted by now, but it is worth checking.
Check the glove box isn't sticky and pops open when button pressed.
Check reversing camera works if fitted; some can get upset after they get wet.
Check all LED lights work on front and rear headlamps. Very expensive front headlamps and there was a waiting list for them!
On earlier cars check the rear light surrounds - the chrome trim can fade, ask if it can be replaced with later black ones, or painted.
Check for little "pop" - play in steering column as you push and pull the steering wheel - feels a bit like a worn UJ - just needs a shim to fix.
Check for poor radio reception - make sure you can get your favourite station. You can fit powered antennas - I did and it makes a big difference. (£15 from Amazon.
Check for rattles/knocks under front on bumpy roads - if it does front anti roll bar bushes may need to be replaced - not expensive but worth getting done before pick up.
Check for front speakers rattling when pushed - Dynamat round and under mountings and on door inner and foam tape round the front fixed it for me.
Check the front wheel mudflap brackets are secure – they are made of cheese and rust to dust. Silverstone paints theirs before replacing them.
If you are getting a car from a dealer just make sure they fix any of these you spot before you pick it up! None are major - except perhaps the headlamps as they can take a while to order (as well as cost).
So - good luck - despite the above (all niggles I have seen, which were resolved by Lotus Silverstone with no fuss at all while mine was under warranty and none of them stopped me from driving or enjoying the car.) I love the car dearly and it is a keeper (or until the 400 appears on the used market!).
One last mention. A while back we all went out to a country show and parked up in the field in the Evora. The 2 girls got out my side from the back and walked round the car, another parent in the car to our left spotted the girls and blurted out before he could stop himself “Where the F**k did they come from?!”
Spunagain
Edited by Spunagain on Monday 4th May 17:37
I think that is just a very comprehensive list of every potential little niggle, and a great checklist.
I have had mine for 2.5 years, 25,000 miles and only been let down once. Once back to the dealer as well under warranty for door card leather to be replaced.
Low runnings costs, rare, great handling etc.
The Lotus/Evora threads seem to attract a lot of comment. It has been a sales flop - I have seen maybe four since owning mine. As most people it would seem want diesel german/sporty german I think they will continue to be rare and attract a lot of uninformed comment. There do seem to be even more armchair experts on PH in diesel Fiestas than ever before.
Annoying things -
stereo reception is rubbish.
Back seats are really only a token I think for the under 10s.
I have the older gear box and it takes some getting used to. But once up and going you can push it on most decent roads in 3rd and 4th.
Cruise control occasionally has a mind of its own which livens up those boring motorway journeys.
I still think the front-on view is a little challenging
When you take into account depreciation its been one of the cheapest running sporty cars I have owned. I would wholeheartedly reccommend them. But I still miss my Elise.
I have had mine for 2.5 years, 25,000 miles and only been let down once. Once back to the dealer as well under warranty for door card leather to be replaced.
Low runnings costs, rare, great handling etc.
The Lotus/Evora threads seem to attract a lot of comment. It has been a sales flop - I have seen maybe four since owning mine. As most people it would seem want diesel german/sporty german I think they will continue to be rare and attract a lot of uninformed comment. There do seem to be even more armchair experts on PH in diesel Fiestas than ever before.
Annoying things -
stereo reception is rubbish.
Back seats are really only a token I think for the under 10s.
I have the older gear box and it takes some getting used to. But once up and going you can push it on most decent roads in 3rd and 4th.
Cruise control occasionally has a mind of its own which livens up those boring motorway journeys.
I still think the front-on view is a little challenging
When you take into account depreciation its been one of the cheapest running sporty cars I have owned. I would wholeheartedly reccommend them. But I still miss my Elise.
Edited by limpsfield on Monday 4th May 12:55
Spunagain said:
Sorry for the long post – compilation of a few emails and posts on other sites but may help!
I have had my NA Evora for 3 years now and 23000 miles lus the 5k miles it had when I bought it as an ex Lotus management car. Mine is a Dec 2010 car – a Model Year (MY) 2011 with Tech and Sport packs, reversing camera and Pioneer satnav stereo which has been great.
My 2 daughters (9 and 12) still fit comfortably in the back but my eldest is quite diddy!
The car is a fantastic to drive - comfy and quiet on a cruise, but an animal that will easily break traction in the wet in low gears if you are not careful! The traction control seems quite relaxed about wheel spin!
The looks are fantastic and are way better than any photo shows. I still catch sight of it in the car park at work and cannot believe it is mine!
I have a full 2bular exhaust and manifold, a BOE air filter and Essex Autosport ECU tune which help with the torque and the aural drama when you clogg it! The sound is fab, but the power gains are not going to set you hair on fire to be honest. I need to do a back to back rolling road session with an unmodified car to see exactly how much.
The soundproofing is a revelation after 14 years in an Elise. In fact while I say above that the exhaust is quiet, if you open the windows it is another story entirely. If you think you need a sports exhaust (or louder sports exhaust), make sure you run through the gears with the windows down first, you may well be surprised!
I have the long box which is great for economy (30+mpg in the real world) but poor for 3-6th gear acceleration. I am glad I have it for motorway cruising, but curse it overtaking - I would rather be able to a lower geared 3rd and ride the torque than drop to second. You should definitely test drive the close ratio and long boxes before you buy. I had a CR Sports racer as a courtesy car from Lotus Silverstone and to be honest the CR box transforms the car, it is much more fun to take it through the gears at legal speeds. In fact the CR box is so good that I have looked into upgrading the gearbox and it can be done at a scary £3-4K. May be wait until the clutch needs replacing.
The other advantage of the long box (if it worries you) is that the MY2011 car like mine gets 199g/km which means cheaper tax. It looks like you lose about 4-5mpg with the CR box.
Soem servicing cost examples below, but bear in mind there are all main dealer costs with a few mods thrown in for good measure, you can get better prices at indys but I have been very happy with Lotus Silverstone. Here are the bills I have had:
4th year service – (the big one) + new mud flap brackets and A pillar trims: £867. If you can get this done before you get the car it would be a good point to negotiate on.
A full set of OEM Pirelli tyres (18” and 19” were £644 fitted from Headley tyres) Note the 19 and 20s are much pricier!
Essex Autosport ECU crack and rolling road tune: £1068.
3rd year service + fitting of 2bular manifolds and Y pipe and BOE CAI filter kit: £1498.
2nd Year service (with brake fluid and fitting Dynamat to doors): £550.
While I have spent a fair bit (mostly on mods), on the up side the depreciation has been very reasonable – I think I have dropped less than £8k in 3 years. But I am not selling!
I have also had a few niggles which were all sorted under warranty by Lotus Silverstone who have been fabulous. But you should look out for them when buying cars off warranty and get them fixed by the dealer or negotiate with the seller.
If it is a Tech pack car, make sure the sub-woofer really works (and the bass is not just coming from the door speakers). The Alpine sub amplifiers seem to regularly pop - mine did and I read of a few others that have too.
Check the dash leather for ripples and that the airbag covers sit flush. It is a dash out job to fix which is expensive if not under warranty.
Check 'A' pillar plastic covers on outside are not cracked or bow out from the windscreen glass. They should be flush – they can bow out and cause a nasty vibration at speed– a temporary fix to stop the noise is squirt in mastic but a new one is only £24.
Check that door windows do not need adjusting backwards to make contact with seals at the rear of the door frame otherwise it can cause excessive wind noise. I found bulking out the seal with rubber tube helped alot.
Check that if fitted the Armourfend front bumper and bonnet stone chip protector is not lifting.
Check cruise control works consistently if it has it. (Might need a pedal sensor to be replaced which resolved it).
Check the boot light works - switch might need adjusting.
Check boot opens every time and does not need several goes to open. Adjustment will fix any reluctance to open.
Check the carpet behind the pedals is secure - a bit of spray glue will sort it.
Check the doors consistently lock and unlock try a few times and on both doors. Most cars should have this sorted by now, but it is worth checking.
Check the glove box isn't sticky and pops open when button pressed.
Check reversing camera works if fitted; some can get upset fetr they get wet.
Check all LED lights work on front and rear headlamps. Very expensive front headlamps and there was a waiting list for them!
Check for little "pop" - play in steering column as you push and pull the steering wheel - feels a bit like a worn UJ - just needs a shim to fix.
Check for poor radio reception - make sure you can get your favourite station. You can fit powered antennas - I did and it makes a big difference. (£15 from Amazon.
Check for rattles/knocks under front on bumpy roads - if it does front anti roll bar bushes may need to be replaced - not expensive but worth getting done before pick up.
Check for front speakers rattling when pushed - Dynamat round and under mountings and on door inner and foam tape round the front fixed it for me.
Check the front wheel mudflap brackets are secure – they are made of cheese and rust to dust. Silverstone paints theirs before replacing them.
If you are getting a car from a dealer just make sure they fix any of these you spot before you pick it up! None are major - except perhaps the headlamps as they can take a while to order (as well as cost).
So - good luck - despite the above (all niggles I have seen, which were resolved by Lotus Silverstone with no fuss at all while mine was under warranty and none of them stopped me from driving or enjoying the car.) I love the car dearly and it is a keeper (or until the 400 appears on the used market!).
One last mention. A while back we all went out to a country show and parked up in the field in the Evora. The 2 girls got out my side from the back and walked round the car, another parent in the car to our left spotted the girls and blurted out before he could stop himself “Where the F**k did they come from?!”
Spunagain
Great info, would this be the same list to check for a MY2012 and onwards?I have had my NA Evora for 3 years now and 23000 miles lus the 5k miles it had when I bought it as an ex Lotus management car. Mine is a Dec 2010 car – a Model Year (MY) 2011 with Tech and Sport packs, reversing camera and Pioneer satnav stereo which has been great.
My 2 daughters (9 and 12) still fit comfortably in the back but my eldest is quite diddy!
The car is a fantastic to drive - comfy and quiet on a cruise, but an animal that will easily break traction in the wet in low gears if you are not careful! The traction control seems quite relaxed about wheel spin!
The looks are fantastic and are way better than any photo shows. I still catch sight of it in the car park at work and cannot believe it is mine!
I have a full 2bular exhaust and manifold, a BOE air filter and Essex Autosport ECU tune which help with the torque and the aural drama when you clogg it! The sound is fab, but the power gains are not going to set you hair on fire to be honest. I need to do a back to back rolling road session with an unmodified car to see exactly how much.
The soundproofing is a revelation after 14 years in an Elise. In fact while I say above that the exhaust is quiet, if you open the windows it is another story entirely. If you think you need a sports exhaust (or louder sports exhaust), make sure you run through the gears with the windows down first, you may well be surprised!
I have the long box which is great for economy (30+mpg in the real world) but poor for 3-6th gear acceleration. I am glad I have it for motorway cruising, but curse it overtaking - I would rather be able to a lower geared 3rd and ride the torque than drop to second. You should definitely test drive the close ratio and long boxes before you buy. I had a CR Sports racer as a courtesy car from Lotus Silverstone and to be honest the CR box transforms the car, it is much more fun to take it through the gears at legal speeds. In fact the CR box is so good that I have looked into upgrading the gearbox and it can be done at a scary £3-4K. May be wait until the clutch needs replacing.
The other advantage of the long box (if it worries you) is that the MY2011 car like mine gets 199g/km which means cheaper tax. It looks like you lose about 4-5mpg with the CR box.
Soem servicing cost examples below, but bear in mind there are all main dealer costs with a few mods thrown in for good measure, you can get better prices at indys but I have been very happy with Lotus Silverstone. Here are the bills I have had:
4th year service – (the big one) + new mud flap brackets and A pillar trims: £867. If you can get this done before you get the car it would be a good point to negotiate on.
A full set of OEM Pirelli tyres (18” and 19” were £644 fitted from Headley tyres) Note the 19 and 20s are much pricier!
Essex Autosport ECU crack and rolling road tune: £1068.
3rd year service + fitting of 2bular manifolds and Y pipe and BOE CAI filter kit: £1498.
2nd Year service (with brake fluid and fitting Dynamat to doors): £550.
While I have spent a fair bit (mostly on mods), on the up side the depreciation has been very reasonable – I think I have dropped less than £8k in 3 years. But I am not selling!
I have also had a few niggles which were all sorted under warranty by Lotus Silverstone who have been fabulous. But you should look out for them when buying cars off warranty and get them fixed by the dealer or negotiate with the seller.
If it is a Tech pack car, make sure the sub-woofer really works (and the bass is not just coming from the door speakers). The Alpine sub amplifiers seem to regularly pop - mine did and I read of a few others that have too.
Check the dash leather for ripples and that the airbag covers sit flush. It is a dash out job to fix which is expensive if not under warranty.
Check 'A' pillar plastic covers on outside are not cracked or bow out from the windscreen glass. They should be flush – they can bow out and cause a nasty vibration at speed– a temporary fix to stop the noise is squirt in mastic but a new one is only £24.
Check that door windows do not need adjusting backwards to make contact with seals at the rear of the door frame otherwise it can cause excessive wind noise. I found bulking out the seal with rubber tube helped alot.
Check that if fitted the Armourfend front bumper and bonnet stone chip protector is not lifting.
Check cruise control works consistently if it has it. (Might need a pedal sensor to be replaced which resolved it).
Check the boot light works - switch might need adjusting.
Check boot opens every time and does not need several goes to open. Adjustment will fix any reluctance to open.
Check the carpet behind the pedals is secure - a bit of spray glue will sort it.
Check the doors consistently lock and unlock try a few times and on both doors. Most cars should have this sorted by now, but it is worth checking.
Check the glove box isn't sticky and pops open when button pressed.
Check reversing camera works if fitted; some can get upset fetr they get wet.
Check all LED lights work on front and rear headlamps. Very expensive front headlamps and there was a waiting list for them!
Check for little "pop" - play in steering column as you push and pull the steering wheel - feels a bit like a worn UJ - just needs a shim to fix.
Check for poor radio reception - make sure you can get your favourite station. You can fit powered antennas - I did and it makes a big difference. (£15 from Amazon.
Check for rattles/knocks under front on bumpy roads - if it does front anti roll bar bushes may need to be replaced - not expensive but worth getting done before pick up.
Check for front speakers rattling when pushed - Dynamat round and under mountings and on door inner and foam tape round the front fixed it for me.
Check the front wheel mudflap brackets are secure – they are made of cheese and rust to dust. Silverstone paints theirs before replacing them.
If you are getting a car from a dealer just make sure they fix any of these you spot before you pick it up! None are major - except perhaps the headlamps as they can take a while to order (as well as cost).
So - good luck - despite the above (all niggles I have seen, which were resolved by Lotus Silverstone with no fuss at all while mine was under warranty and none of them stopped me from driving or enjoying the car.) I love the car dearly and it is a keeper (or until the 400 appears on the used market!).
One last mention. A while back we all went out to a country show and parked up in the field in the Evora. The 2 girls got out my side from the back and walked round the car, another parent in the car to our left spotted the girls and blurted out before he could stop himself “Where the F**k did they come from?!”
Spunagain
XBOW said:
Great cars
Had the S model for approx 6k miles over 9 months, used as a daily driver. Remarkably comfortable for a sports car.
Bought from Lotus Silverstone who were great to deal with. Did encounter problems with water ingress into the boot and front footwell, but all sorted by the dealer. Being a 2011 car I found the gear change too stiff. Had the 2012 cable change and completely transofrmed the feel of the gearbox.
The £200'ish decat to the back box is a no brainier for a meatier exhaust note. Drive by vid http://youtu.be/kWdGKVI9vq8
Re clutch, what isn't mentioned in the article is the potential 40hr labour to change it ! Some indies have reputedly shortened this process but best to budget £3k for a new clutch.
About £300 gets you a sports racer look with vinyl wrap (black roof, sills and splitter) which works really well with the lairy colours.
I tried the IPS model but although the actual gear change is quick, the time it takes from pulling the paddles to actually initiating the change is embarrassing for a sports car.
The car always got a positive response on the road and expect people to ask about the car when you fill up with petrol. Funnily enough the majority of people have never seen one before.
One of the few cars I've owned that still feels an event when driving at sensible speeds
Overall really enjoyed the ownership of an Evora and wouldn't mind another if the right one came up. Any true petrol head should take one for a test drive
Thanks for this detailed commentary. Beautiful car, your choice of orange with accents in black wrap.Had the S model for approx 6k miles over 9 months, used as a daily driver. Remarkably comfortable for a sports car.
Bought from Lotus Silverstone who were great to deal with. Did encounter problems with water ingress into the boot and front footwell, but all sorted by the dealer. Being a 2011 car I found the gear change too stiff. Had the 2012 cable change and completely transofrmed the feel of the gearbox.
The £200'ish decat to the back box is a no brainier for a meatier exhaust note. Drive by vid http://youtu.be/kWdGKVI9vq8
Re clutch, what isn't mentioned in the article is the potential 40hr labour to change it ! Some indies have reputedly shortened this process but best to budget £3k for a new clutch.
About £300 gets you a sports racer look with vinyl wrap (black roof, sills and splitter) which works really well with the lairy colours.
I tried the IPS model but although the actual gear change is quick, the time it takes from pulling the paddles to actually initiating the change is embarrassing for a sports car.
The car always got a positive response on the road and expect people to ask about the car when you fill up with petrol. Funnily enough the majority of people have never seen one before.
One of the few cars I've owned that still feels an event when driving at sensible speeds
Overall really enjoyed the ownership of an Evora and wouldn't mind another if the right one came up. Any true petrol head should take one for a test drive
Edited by XBOW on Monday 4th May 10:15
The A pillar covers at the side of the windscreen have been known to crack, my one was replaced under warranty, others have had a couple go. Also the seal at the top of the covers can pop out, simple fix.
I have 19 and 20 inch wheels and have moved to Michelin Pilot Super Sports tyres which for road use are great. Much better than the P zero corsa's in the wet and at cold temps. Wear rate still to be confirmed and are £700 a set.
I have 19 and 20 inch wheels and have moved to Michelin Pilot Super Sports tyres which for road use are great. Much better than the P zero corsa's in the wet and at cold temps. Wear rate still to be confirmed and are £700 a set.
Couple more comments:
I think there is no harm in checking check for all the issues on pre and post 2012 cars but the post 2012 cars should have most them resolved from new.
One thing I noticed on the 2014 sport racer I drove is that it did have firmer suspension and felt more "Elise" like.
I have read about issues with the Alpine Sat nav - so check that works, but the Pioneer I have has been faultless.
There was a batch of early clutch failures at low mileages due to a problem with some clutch plate springs failing and these should all be fixed now, but otherwise there are cars out there with 70k+ miles on their 1st clutch.
Some cars do have a slightly noisy gearbox on idle - mine does. Some early cars do that. If you can't live with it get a different car, but I can't hear it at all now.
I would like to stress that the long list above are all just niggles and should be addressed before you get a used car. Mine had done 2k as a management car and another 3k as a courtesy/demo, so no-one had lived with the car long enough to see most of the issues. Reading the other forums it also looks like I had pretty much most of the niggles you are likely to see.
Remember this is a hand build car and there will be things to fix. Mine is 4 and a half years old, and in terms of things I have had to pay to fix (2 trims, an antenna amp and a mud flap bracket), it has been a lot cheaper than my Mini of the same age.
I think there is no harm in checking check for all the issues on pre and post 2012 cars but the post 2012 cars should have most them resolved from new.
One thing I noticed on the 2014 sport racer I drove is that it did have firmer suspension and felt more "Elise" like.
I have read about issues with the Alpine Sat nav - so check that works, but the Pioneer I have has been faultless.
There was a batch of early clutch failures at low mileages due to a problem with some clutch plate springs failing and these should all be fixed now, but otherwise there are cars out there with 70k+ miles on their 1st clutch.
Some cars do have a slightly noisy gearbox on idle - mine does. Some early cars do that. If you can't live with it get a different car, but I can't hear it at all now.
I would like to stress that the long list above are all just niggles and should be addressed before you get a used car. Mine had done 2k as a management car and another 3k as a courtesy/demo, so no-one had lived with the car long enough to see most of the issues. Reading the other forums it also looks like I had pretty much most of the niggles you are likely to see.
Remember this is a hand build car and there will be things to fix. Mine is 4 and a half years old, and in terms of things I have had to pay to fix (2 trims, an antenna amp and a mud flap bracket), it has been a lot cheaper than my Mini of the same age.
Edited by Spunagain on Monday 4th May 15:45 to fix typos and remove photos due to bandwith issue on my website
Edited by Spunagain on Wednesday 6th May 15:14
I think this body shape looks much better than the proposed updated one on the Evora 400. Would be really interested to see some real side by side comparisons between the S model and the new 400. With the new model due out and quite a bit of existing new/nearly new dealer stock available it'll be interesting to see how prices hold. Bargains to be had maybe?
Lazydonkey said:
leedsutd1 said:
I have never seen one on the road ,but they do look nice , The above points ^ what to look for is worrying .
As the clutch 40 hours to replace.
Clutch yes, the rest of std low volume stuff IMHOAs the clutch 40 hours to replace.
I have an n/a Evora and have seen an average of 41mpg on a steady motorway run at 75-80mph for 100 odd miles. Lowest average mpg is about 28. (I have the standard gearbox which is great on a daily driver)
Spunagain said:
I have read about issues with the Alpine Sat nav - so check that works, but the Pioneer I have has been faultess.
Did you retain the original Alpine rear camera when you fitted the Pioneer? I have an issue to resolve whereby the camera isn't working with the Pioneer unit (hasn't since swapping them) and neither the iphone connecting lead.I wonder if needs a new harness to configure these two and searching for info as many appear to have swapped the Alpine head unit for the Pioneer one with no such issues.
The early Alpine units (blackbird) with the removable handheld nav are pants. The next gen one was still poor to use although better for reliability but I did have a nav unit die in my first Evora. There was a much better Pioneer unit for a while then it returned to an Alpine unit which is much better than the early ones and pretty similar to the Pioneer
Also worth mentioning with brake pads that although they aren't cheap it doesn't chew through them. I did 40k on a set of pads, including a track day and I reckon they were about 75% worn on the front.
Also worth mentioning with brake pads that although they aren't cheap it doesn't chew through them. I did 40k on a set of pads, including a track day and I reckon they were about 75% worn on the front.
blueg33 said:
I have an Evora as a daily its a great car, the early ones did have niggles which were all gone on mind under warranty. I do 20k miles a year in xl weathers. It lives outside, is reliable, doesn't leak, only ever gets positive attention and is s joy to drive. The only downsides are woeful Bluetooth and you need a wider parking space to get out.
Pretty much my experiences too. I'm about to change mine for something more practical but it's mostly about how much gear I carry, I'm perfectly comfortable as a 6'5" big bloke driving it 30k per yearstuno1 said:
daytona365 said:
Sorry to be dismissive, but in effect all you're buying is one of Toyota's finest engines with a plastic bathtub plonked on top.....Though I must say it doesn't look too bad.
Do you think the same of the LFA? Just because it has a very reliable, robust and tuneable Toyota engine it does not make it a Toyota car. What you are buying is a high end sports car with a reliable engine. Stu
Spunagain said:
Couple more comments:
I think there is no harm in checking check for all the issues on pre and post 2012 cars but the post 2012 cars should have most them resolved from new.
One thing I noticed on the 2014 sport racer I drove is that it did have firmer suspension and felt more "Elise" like.
I have read about issues with the Alpine Sat nav - so check that works, but the Pioneer I have has been faultess.
There was a batch of early clutch failures at low milages due to a problem with some cluch plate springs failing and these should all be fixed now, but otherwise there are cars out there with 70k+ miles on their 1st clutch.
Some cars do have a slighly noisy gearbox on idle - mine does. Some early cars do that. If you can't live with it get a different car, but I can't hear it at all now.
I would like to stress that the long list above are all just niggles and should be addressed before you get a used car. Mine had done 2k as a management car and another 3k as a courtesy/demo, so no-oen had lived with the car long enough to see most of the issues. Reading the other forums it also looks like I had pretty much most of the niggles you are likely to see.
Remember this is a hand build car and there will be things to fix. Mine is 4 and a half years old, and in terms of things I have had to pay to fix (2 trims, an ariel amp and a mud flap bracket), it has been a lot cheaper than my Mini of the same age.
I must say, that is a nice looking example. I think there is no harm in checking check for all the issues on pre and post 2012 cars but the post 2012 cars should have most them resolved from new.
One thing I noticed on the 2014 sport racer I drove is that it did have firmer suspension and felt more "Elise" like.
I have read about issues with the Alpine Sat nav - so check that works, but the Pioneer I have has been faultess.
There was a batch of early clutch failures at low milages due to a problem with some cluch plate springs failing and these should all be fixed now, but otherwise there are cars out there with 70k+ miles on their 1st clutch.
Some cars do have a slighly noisy gearbox on idle - mine does. Some early cars do that. If you can't live with it get a different car, but I can't hear it at all now.
I would like to stress that the long list above are all just niggles and should be addressed before you get a used car. Mine had done 2k as a management car and another 3k as a courtesy/demo, so no-oen had lived with the car long enough to see most of the issues. Reading the other forums it also looks like I had pretty much most of the niggles you are likely to see.
Remember this is a hand build car and there will be things to fix. Mine is 4 and a half years old, and in terms of things I have had to pay to fix (2 trims, an ariel amp and a mud flap bracket), it has been a lot cheaper than my Mini of the same age.
Edited by jeremyc on Wednesday 17th June 14:57
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