RE: Lotus Evora 400: PH Carpool
Monday 22nd May 2017
Name: James Martin
Car: Lotus Evora 400
Owned since: April 2016
Previously owned: E46 M3, Z4M Coupe, BMW 645i, 996 911 C4, 993 Targa
Why I bought it:
"I found myself in the situation of having more money to spend on a car than ever before, probably a once-in-a-lifetime spend. So I wanted something very memorable. I had always been aware of the Evora, but never seen one that made me go "I must have it". The new 400 just looked so much more aggressive and sounded awesome. I drove a lot of other cars, but none seemed to me the complete package the 400 was."
Things I love:
"The noise, the looks, the steering. I also love being a part of the Lotus family. It's basically impossible to pass another Lotus without a friendly wave, nod or if they're parked up having a bit of a chat. I have since gotten to know many people at the factory, or involved with Lotus in some way and I really enjoy the many meets that support us fellow victims of the brand! Despite being similar on-paper to a 911, the reaction it generates when driving it about genuinely is on a par with a Ferrari/Lamborghini etc..."
Costs:
"It's under warranty, so I haven't had too much to sort. The factory stereo is abysmal, but I found a decent audio fitter who managed to upgrade the stereo to a considerably higher standard and that was just shy of £1,000. On a gentle run, the MPG is over 30, on track a lot less. I've emptied the 60L tank in 130 miles, but that's still not bad I think. Servicing is pretty reasonable and another area to be thankful for the Toyota drivetrain. I saw recently the Elise was the slowest depreciating car in Britain and I hope the Evora isn't far behind as its the only car I have ever bought new!"
Lotus Evora 400: PH Carpool
A PHer celebrates performance manuals with a memorable Lotus
Car: Lotus Evora 400
Owned since: April 2016
Previously owned: E46 M3, Z4M Coupe, BMW 645i, 996 911 C4, 993 Targa
"I found myself in the situation of having more money to spend on a car than ever before, probably a once-in-a-lifetime spend. So I wanted something very memorable. I had always been aware of the Evora, but never seen one that made me go "I must have it". The new 400 just looked so much more aggressive and sounded awesome. I drove a lot of other cars, but none seemed to me the complete package the 400 was."
What I wish I'd known:
"Quite how infectious Lotus can be. Since getting the Evora, I've also acquired an Elise 111R and two Excels - one fairly standard and one project with a 3.9L Rover V8 in it. I've started a YouTube channel (www.jayemm.com) which features the cars, among others, and the feedback I receive indicates that multiple Lotus ownership is a common problem!"
"The noise, the looks, the steering. I also love being a part of the Lotus family. It's basically impossible to pass another Lotus without a friendly wave, nod or if they're parked up having a bit of a chat. I have since gotten to know many people at the factory, or involved with Lotus in some way and I really enjoy the many meets that support us fellow victims of the brand! Despite being similar on-paper to a 911, the reaction it generates when driving it about genuinely is on a par with a Ferrari/Lamborghini etc..."
Things I hate:
"A lot of teething problems. No escaping it. Seat creaks, the gear lever stopped centring itself, paint defects, suspension creaking. All have been resolved, some faster than others. I know some people will say this is because it is a handmade car, that is not an excuse I accept, and it seems to me Lotus do have a continual program of improved quality and the fit/finish of the cars I see generally are of an extremely high standard. No-one at Porsche is going to be kept awake at night by them, but for people unfamiliar with the cars they are usually presently surprised by how nice they are inside."
"It's under warranty, so I haven't had too much to sort. The factory stereo is abysmal, but I found a decent audio fitter who managed to upgrade the stereo to a considerably higher standard and that was just shy of £1,000. On a gentle run, the MPG is over 30, on track a lot less. I've emptied the 60L tank in 130 miles, but that's still not bad I think. Servicing is pretty reasonable and another area to be thankful for the Toyota drivetrain. I saw recently the Elise was the slowest depreciating car in Britain and I hope the Evora isn't far behind as its the only car I have ever bought new!"
Where I've been:
"I've covered 13,000 miles in a year, she's been back to the factory multiple times - both for business and pleasure! Generally, it has just been enjoyed on the back roads of East Anglia, although I certainly do want to do a long trip in it sometime."
What next?
"I have no idea. Ignoring the fact I won't have this kind of budget for future cars, I don't know what could really improve upon this car. I've driven a McLaren 650S and it was awesome - but it's nearly triple the price and there are things the Evora does better. I love the sound and the manual gearbox in the Evora and I think we need to enjoy those while they're still here. Performance cars and manuals have nearly parted ways now it seems and turbos have taken over. Exhaust noise legislation is getting tougher so I'm going to just enjoy this car while I can."
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Discussion
I've driven the '400' a few times, as a friend had one. It's a stunningly good car to drive - sublime ride, handling and steering. The gear change is easily the best I've ever used in a mid-engined Lotus (I have an Elise and a 340R, and have driven lots of others). Sadly, he ended up rejecting the car because of persistent quality issues. A real shame, as it's got to be one of the best cars for people who like the process of driving.
Interesting stuff. I always scan the previously owned before I start reading the main bit, as that gives some context. As a yet-to-be Porsche owner, who has wanted a 911 since the year dot, it's interesting to see you've had some of my dream cars but settled on this when looking to make such a major purchase.
I have a soft spot for Lotus, but also have the mantra 'lots of trouble usually serious' in the back of my mind when considering them. It doesn't sound like they're that bad now, though I'm not sure I could live with some of those 'quirks' you've listed.
On the other hand, I saw an S2 Elise coming up the road this morning as I turned up towards school to drop the kids. As I proceeded along the road I couldn't resist looking in my rear view mirror to see it coming past the t-junction. I've also driven an Elise and an Exige around Donington - many moons ago - and I was smitten then.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I view them as a car to have, but only on the way to something else. In this case, it's the other way round.
Best not tell Mrs PB there's the potential to end up with more than one though!
I have a soft spot for Lotus, but also have the mantra 'lots of trouble usually serious' in the back of my mind when considering them. It doesn't sound like they're that bad now, though I'm not sure I could live with some of those 'quirks' you've listed.
On the other hand, I saw an S2 Elise coming up the road this morning as I turned up towards school to drop the kids. As I proceeded along the road I couldn't resist looking in my rear view mirror to see it coming past the t-junction. I've also driven an Elise and an Exige around Donington - many moons ago - and I was smitten then.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I view them as a car to have, but only on the way to something else. In this case, it's the other way round.
Best not tell Mrs PB there's the potential to end up with more than one though!
PistonBroker said:
I have a soft spot for Lotus, but also have the mantra 'lots of trouble usually serious' in the back of my mind when considering them. It doesn't sound like they're that bad now, though I'm not sure I could live with some of those 'quirks' you've listed.
I've driven an Exige S2 for the last 7 years on an almost daily basis and other than a clutch throw out bearing going it's never let me down once, which is more than can be said for a number of German and Japanese cars I've had in that time.I've recently taken both front and rear clam shells off and stripped and replaced all the suspension as well as the radiator and a number of other bits. They're pretty simple cars to be honest, which is sometimes a good thing, but can result in a few quirks from their relative simplicity (leaks, rattles etc etc).
PistonBroker said:
I have a soft spot for Lotus, but also have the mantra 'lots of trouble usually serious' in the back of my mind when considering them. It doesn't sound like they're that bad now, though I'm not sure I could live with some of those 'quirks' you've listed.
I wouldn't worry, I covered about 50k in my 2010 Evora S and another 35k in the 2013 normally aspirated one I had afterwards and the only major issue I had was an oil leak on the S which was the first instance of what became a recall. The S also went through a few ARB drop links, the bolster wore out on the seat, the early sat nav died and I had some minor exterior trim issues where it lived outside. It was all fixed under warranty and overall it was tolerable, particularly seeing as it was an ex-factory marketing car that had done a lot of track miles (many of which with me driving incidentally!). My old man's 997 Turbo S of the same age had many more issues in a similar time period and mileage.
The normally aspirated car was faultless, never had a single leak, rattle or any issue with it. Great car.
Personally I think the closer you are to the start of a model lifecycle the more chance you have of being victim to the quirks, if they've been making that spec of car the same for a few years you can be pretty confident it'll be a good car.
I have done a lot of research into Lotus cars recently as I'm in the market for a Lotus Elise S2 SC and I have not found any reliability issues in my searches. And why should you? They use super reliable Toyota 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder engines that aren't particularly stressed at the power levels that Lotus tunes them to. The engines themselves will likely outlast the cars and the cars are way more robust than traditional ones as they are made out of fiberglass and aluminum so they won't rot away like most other vehicles.
Sure, I have heard of the odd speaker cutting out, electric door lock or power seat issues due to a bad ground or loose wire but that stuff is really easy to fix, even on your own - but I'm the type of person that installs his own audio, boost and coolant gauges, aftermarket ECU, water injection, etc. so wiring doesn't scare me.
In terms of mechanical items, Lotus cars are extremely reliable from what I can gather and its just the normal wear and tear that needs to be replaced over time. Clutches, brakes and tires tend to last forever with only bushings needing to be replaced more frequently due to how the cars are set up from the factory, but that's not even hard to do on your own if you have a hydraulic press.
I can't wait to find my Lotus in the future and give it a go. Given the low depreciation of Lotus cars anyway it's not like I would be losing much in that department if I bought one so aside from consumables, road tax and insurance there isn't anything to lose on a good used example.
My only issue is I'm not very good at leaving a car alone and will end up modifying quite a bit if I'm not careful. That's where the money goes down the drain even though it's a fun hobby...
Sure, I have heard of the odd speaker cutting out, electric door lock or power seat issues due to a bad ground or loose wire but that stuff is really easy to fix, even on your own - but I'm the type of person that installs his own audio, boost and coolant gauges, aftermarket ECU, water injection, etc. so wiring doesn't scare me.
In terms of mechanical items, Lotus cars are extremely reliable from what I can gather and its just the normal wear and tear that needs to be replaced over time. Clutches, brakes and tires tend to last forever with only bushings needing to be replaced more frequently due to how the cars are set up from the factory, but that's not even hard to do on your own if you have a hydraulic press.
I can't wait to find my Lotus in the future and give it a go. Given the low depreciation of Lotus cars anyway it's not like I would be losing much in that department if I bought one so aside from consumables, road tax and insurance there isn't anything to lose on a good used example.
My only issue is I'm not very good at leaving a car alone and will end up modifying quite a bit if I'm not careful. That's where the money goes down the drain even though it's a fun hobby...
Edited by cib24 on Monday 22 May 16:12
In the flesh the 400 is a stunning looking car, which I don't think comes across in the photos.
Also, I think people will be surprised how good the car sounds. I know you've covered this in your YouTube videos. I've heard one flat out around Hethel, and I doubt there's anything with 6 cylinders that sounds better .
Also, I think people will be surprised how good the car sounds. I know you've covered this in your YouTube videos. I've heard one flat out around Hethel, and I doubt there's anything with 6 cylinders that sounds better .
I only just saw this had been posted, I have been out all day and wondered why my number of subscribers on YT had seen a jump up!
Anyway I am very happy to answer any questions that you all may have, if one thing is true about Lotus they really don't sell their own products well at all!
I am active in the PHEA group and should be at a few shows this year so hope to see some PHers around? I've never known a car like the Evora to elicit such intrigue and admiration, Lotus may not be universally loved in certain corners of the internet but I find the real world response is fantastic, and I consider myself extremely lucky to have a wonderful machine like this!
Anyway I am very happy to answer any questions that you all may have, if one thing is true about Lotus they really don't sell their own products well at all!
I am active in the PHEA group and should be at a few shows this year so hope to see some PHers around? I've never known a car like the Evora to elicit such intrigue and admiration, Lotus may not be universally loved in certain corners of the internet but I find the real world response is fantastic, and I consider myself extremely lucky to have a wonderful machine like this!
I've always had a soft spot for the Evora. A very cool car as its not the obvious choice. Very unique too which is one of the main reasons I think it hasn't maybe taken over the world, as they're not mainstream enough. The 400 and 410 are even more strange, The hardcore version of the softcore model...? But for the same reason they seem even more special. Future classics without a doubt imo.
Kudos and such a great choice James, and wonderful to hear you're loving the car
Kudos and such a great choice James, and wonderful to hear you're loving the car
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