RE: Lotus Evora: PH Buying Guide
Discussion
BenWRXSEi said:
Anyone know how they compare to, say, the rear seats in a Porsche 996? They don't look too bad...
We squeezed 4 adults into a 996TT to ferry us about on a recent Spa trip - only short haul from circuit to hotel etc and it was amusingly funny with 2 chaps in the back but just about do able. No chance in the Evora. If you had very short driver and front seat passenger perhaps, but not even really occasional adult use rear seats if your average height or more.
5 hours in mine this morning from Surrey to Yorkshire and no discomfort at all and in some treacherous weather. That is what they are great for.
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
Many thanks for the sensible, informative post.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
And even the non-S is very lovely to drive.
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 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
Thanks for the detailed, useful post.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
Judging from the posts some people don't like the Evora, given the engine and gearbox? Thing is like someones already mentioned, you're getting it all with an Evora. Rarity, good looks, lower depreciation, lower repair costs, better ride, similar handling to a Cayman with a nice noise (especially with a louder intake and/or exhaust). Probably the engine and gearbox aren't up to the Caymans high standards (shame they couldn't have used the 306hp 350Z V6 screamer) but I'm sure they're ok.
Sounds like build quality is a bit of a problem from the above post, that's a shame on an expensive car.
Sounds like build quality is a bit of a problem from the above post, that's a shame on an expensive car.
Edited by iloveboost on Thursday 7th May 17:05
iloveboost said:
Probably the engine and gearbox aren't up to the Caymans high standards
The Toyota lump is at least not made of chocolate, though.iloveboost said:
(shame they couldn't have used the 350Z V6 instead).
I think the main objection to the Toyota lump would apply to the Nissan one too (it's the name of the manufacturer).Also, the 350Z gearbox is neither a great gearbox to use nor a trouble free one. Operating it in a mid engined configuration would not improve matters.
iloveboost said:
Probably the engine and gearbox aren't up to the Caymans high standards (shame they couldn't have used the 306hp 350Z V6 screamer) but I'm sure they're ok.
Sounds like build quality is a bit of a problem from the above post, that's a shame on an expensive car.
Have to say I think the Toyota engine is a significantly better lump than the ones in either the 350 or 370Z. Might be edged on throttle response and bottom end torque but it's a much smoother unit, particularly at the top end, sounds better and the power delivery is more linear.Sounds like build quality is a bit of a problem from the above post, that's a shame on an expensive car.
Edited by iloveboost on Thursday 7th May 17:05
I think the only major issue with the powertrain in the Evora (at least post 2012) is the fact that the Porsche's is one of the best money can buy. I thought it was by far the best aspect of the Gen2 997 I had.
Build quality was flaky on the early cars but the post 2012 ones are a big improvement. My 2011 S was pretty flaky, but the 2013 one is a nice place to sit and nothing's fallen off, broken or cracked on it in 30,000 miles.
The Wookie said:
iloveboost said:
Probably the engine and gearbox aren't up to the Caymans high standards (shame they couldn't have used the 306hp 350Z V6 screamer) but I'm sure they're ok.
Sounds like build quality is a bit of a problem from the above post, that's a shame on an expensive car.
Have to say I think the Toyota engine is a significantly better lump than the ones in either the 350 or 370Z. Might be edged on throttle response and bottom end torque but it's a much smoother unit, particularly at the top end, sounds better and the power delivery is more linear.Sounds like build quality is a bit of a problem from the above post, that's a shame on an expensive car.
Edited by iloveboost on Thursday 7th May 17:05
I think the only major issue with the powertrain in the Evora (at least post 2012) is the fact that the Porsche's is one of the best money can buy. I thought it was by far the best aspect of the Gen2 997 I had.
Build quality was flaky on the early cars but the post 2012 ones are a big improvement. My 2011 S was pretty flaky, but the 2013 one is a nice place to sit and nothing's fallen off, broken or cracked on it in 30,000 miles.
My Evora was serviced today at just shy of 57k miles. (put the wrong mileage in my post above)
The service cost £405 and included the replacement of two suspension bushes which were worn and I provided new spark plugs which the dealer installed. There were no other issues with the car.
After 5 years and 57k miles the front discs still have a year of wear left, the rears are only 50% worn
Loan car was a 6 month old Elise 1.8s. People complain about the Evora gear change (which I think is fine), but the Elise was worse and I don't really see gear change issues being levelled at the Elise.
The service cost £405 and included the replacement of two suspension bushes which were worn and I provided new spark plugs which the dealer installed. There were no other issues with the car.
After 5 years and 57k miles the front discs still have a year of wear left, the rears are only 50% worn
Loan car was a 6 month old Elise 1.8s. People complain about the Evora gear change (which I think is fine), but the Elise was worse and I don't really see gear change issues being levelled at the Elise.
I rather like the gearchange in the K-series powered Elises - it feels very obviously mechanical whilst requiring a degree of skill to get the most out of. There's a particularly lovely feel to it when you get your heal and toe perfect and it pretty much just falls into the gear. I can see why someone would dislike it though, it's not a 'box you can just throw into a gear without thinking about it and expect it to cooperate.
I haven't driven an Evora to compare, but I'm not as keen on the Toyota powered Elises if that's anything to go by.
I haven't driven an Evora to compare, but I'm not as keen on the Toyota powered Elises if that's anything to go by.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 12th May 08:01
Which Elise variant was it? I had great difficulty heal and toeing in the Toyota powered cars because of the rather sensitive servo but in the unservoed cars it feels a lot more natural. The brake sensitivity in the Toyota and its effect on my rather ham-footed heal and toe technique was the single biggest reason I bought a K-series powered one.
I'd say the shift on a post MY12 car is far more precise than a Toyota Elise (although newest models are better), and it's significantly better than any K-series car.
I had my MY11 Evora S updated to the newer cables which improved the shift feel drastically but it still often baulked at high revs, particularly when hot. It might have been curable with a gearbox oil change, but I felt it was probably clutch drag related.
My MY13 car is great though, never baulks and it's light, precise and mechanical feeling. OK it's still a little long in the throw and not as feelsome in the engagement as a 997 shifter but it's still good enough that it becomes instinctive to use and doesn't detract from driving the car.
I had my MY11 Evora S updated to the newer cables which improved the shift feel drastically but it still often baulked at high revs, particularly when hot. It might have been curable with a gearbox oil change, but I felt it was probably clutch drag related.
My MY13 car is great though, never baulks and it's light, precise and mechanical feeling. OK it's still a little long in the throw and not as feelsome in the engagement as a 997 shifter but it's still good enough that it becomes instinctive to use and doesn't detract from driving the car.
Perhaps I'm in a minority but I don't like overly light gearshifts any more than I like overly light steering and for much the same reason. I want my gearbox to baulk if I don't heal and toe and rev match correctly, otherwise there's no point in doing it.
I'm not convinced there's such a thing as a "good" feeling gearbox (although there certainly is such a thing as a bad one), there's too much personal preference involved.
I'm not convinced there's such a thing as a "good" feeling gearbox (although there certainly is such a thing as a bad one), there's too much personal preference involved.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 12th May 08:29
The old one baulked on the upshifts at high revs and when I say baulk, I mean it refused to go into gear! It would take two or three stabs or you'd have to wait for the revs to drop. I think anyone would describe it as unpleasant.
Perhaps the weight of the new one wouldn't be to your taste but it's pretty typical for a modern car and matches up well with the rest of the control weights, none of which are excessive
Perhaps the weight of the new one wouldn't be to your taste but it's pretty typical for a modern car and matches up well with the rest of the control weights, none of which are excessive
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