RE: Testing continues apace for Lotus Evija

RE: Testing continues apace for Lotus Evija

Monday 16th December 2019

Testing continues apace for Lotus Evija

Gavan Kershaw has driven the most advanced Evija prototype, and things sound good...



Well, what a way to spend a Friday afternoon this looks. Lotus' latest Evija release details the Hethel test that took place on December 6th, Gavan Kershaw driving engineering prototype #2, or "the most advanced" of all the development cars on the test track. Certainly seems like a job to save for a Friday, rather than trudge through a Monday morning with...

Now, understandably, the Lotus press release about a Lotus test driver assessing a Lotus hypercar is pretty effusive; even allowing for that, however, there's reason to be optimistic about the approach. The car seen here is in what Kershaw called a "pure" state, without any assists or torque vectoring. So not only brave, given this is a 1,900hp car in December, but also key to the Lotus way. The aim is to "evaluate the fundamentals of the chassis, to create the mechanical advantage before the other layers, such as the electronics, are added." Which is how you would hope all cars are developed, especially with that much power, though there is more and more frequently the suspicion that advanced electronics are used to cover up for the sins of an iffy chassis. Not at Lotus.


While Kershaw also added that he feels "really at home in it, it's really driveable", Lotus' Director of Attributes and Product Integrity could probably feel at home in an early 911 on ditchfinders. In the rain. He's that good. Handily, therefore, the latest development phase has also incorporated input and output response; the pedals are of course vital with an EV, Kershaw adding: "We know there's an enormous amount of torque but drivers will only want it when they ask for it with their right foot. It's about getting that throttle balance right." Steering response is also a high priority for the development team, understandably for a Lotus.

Speaking of which, while the Evija is a very different Lotus, it will draw on the experience gleaned from previous sports cars. Kershaw references the Exige, Evora and GT race cars in his test notes, a desire for "that core Lotus DNA in all its absolute best" to be there in this new car. That will extend to driving position, visibility and location of the controls, too.

The right things are certainly being said about the Evija, then, though obviously we'd only expect as much from its maker. Lotus wouldn't suggest it was sort-of-alright, would they? Even allowing for a little professional cynicism, however, the prospect of a team as talented as Kershaw's working on an entirely new, 200mph hypercar architecture is a tremendously exciting one. 2020 looks like being a huge year for Lotus - we can't wait to see how it progresses.



Author
Discussion

Davislove

Original Poster:

2,295 posts

245 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
this is really exciting for Lotus and the UK engineering industry, but I have a couple of concerns.

This is a massive leap in price point and performance from their core product, the Elise, that I'm not sure I can get my head around it. Secondly, are Lotus really wise to be putting out a 1700kg car??

Dave Hedgehog

14,541 posts

203 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
Davislove said:
this is really exciting for Lotus and the UK engineering industry, but I have a couple of concerns.

This is a massive leap in price point and performance from their core product, the Elise, that I'm not sure I can get my head around it. Secondly, are Lotus really wise to be putting out a 1700kg car??
your worried about the weight of a 50 squillion pound unicorn hypercar?


Dave Hedgehog

14,541 posts

203 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
Ford GT and Senna are close to 1400kg, 720s 1440kg, aventador Lp4-700 1850, and the ferrari ferrari 1600kg

1700kg does not seam that bad for what it is and the power it has


Edited by Dave Hedgehog on Monday 16th December 13:15

grancab is my hero

767 posts

122 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
Too heavy, too gopping

subirg

717 posts

275 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
Lotus’ equivalent of the XJ220.... too pricey, too compromised, too late.

Vee12V

1,329 posts

159 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
Dave Hedgehog said:
Ford GT and Senna are close to 1400kg, 720s 1440kg, aventador Lp4-700 1850, and the ferrari ferrari 1600kg

1700kg does not seam that bad for what it is and the power it has


Edited by Dave Hedgehog on Monday 16th December 13:15
Exactly. It's the lightest BEV supercar by some margin, so I'd say job well done. Can't wait to see more of the Evija.

SidewaysSi

10,742 posts

233 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
There you go Green lobby.

Sandpit Steve

9,885 posts

73 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
subirg said:
Lotus’ equivalent of the XJ220.... too pricey, too compromised, too late.
...and a fantastic engineering research project for the company, that will help them immensely in designing and building the cars of the coming decade?

RedAndy

1,207 posts

153 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
yes agree a bit, but no a bit more. think about corners: Tesla's party trick is the lightning launches, but this'll destroy the Tesla in all other driving sensations/corners etc. Like an Audi RS is fast n quality, but it's no 911...

And Brand cachet - Lotus is well above Tesla. Like 911 Turbo and Subaru Impreza - you'd aspire to the Porsche, but go fast in a Subaru.

So it's complicated, but there is definitely a market for it, and a brand/halo thingy.

So i think it'll do well, put Lotus back on the "accepted brands list" and it'll spin off some more interesting affordable stuff.

British Beef

2,191 posts

164 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
Sandpit Steve said:
subirg said:
Lotus’ equivalent of the XJ220.... too pricey, too compromised, too late.
...and a fantastic engineering research project for the company, that will help them immensely in designing and building the cars of the coming decade?
Exactly, hate electric cars as you may, their future on our planet is guarenteed. Lotus are very smart getting the first halo product out there in this segment, plus the research platform that will filter down to the next Esprit / evora / exige (which will still retain some sort of ICE hopefully)!!


blueg33

35,586 posts

223 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
Porsche 918 is 1720kg in spider form, so I think Lotus have got the Evija at a reasonable weight for an all eletric car.

But in may ways its all irrelevant, virtually no one on PH will buy one, like very few buy a La Ferrari, but it will increase brand awareness and help sell the more "normal" cars that people are more likely to be able to afford. They key thing is the headline figures which are pretty good

Banjaxed88

23 posts

64 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
It's only Al Murray!

AshD

216 posts

248 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
Hey! No dissing Kershaw!!

He’s a proper wheelman, having spent a few hours being instructed by him on a driver training course...along with Matt Becker of now Aston fame (and employment)

I think its great that Lotus are doing this if it means ina few years we get a updated electric Elise.

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
NEWS! Man who works in restaurant makes meal for customer

NEWS! Lady in cake shop sells cake

NEWS! Bin man empties bin


hmm, seems that just doing your job is now news worthy eh.......


bobo79

293 posts

148 months

Tuesday 17th December 2019
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
The Tesla doesn’t produce anything like 7,000ft/lbs of torque, more like 785:

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-technolo...



Baldchap

7,507 posts

91 months

Tuesday 17th December 2019
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Tesla's problem is, and will be with the Roadster, that they don't know how to make decent cars that drive well. They make excellent batteries, they fit seemingly decent electric motors and wrap it all up in technology that mostly works. But they're still solving car problems that everyone else nailed decades ago.

They seem to forget that first and foremost, it's a car. Its primary purpose is being a car, transporting stuff and people. Whilst they're pissing about with making a neural net of sensors to determine whether the wipers should wipe (still in beta), the Lotus will have working automatic wipers. The Lotus will have working automatic headlights (apparently Tesla do, but I've yet to see any evidence that they can tell the difference between a car and a road sign). The Lotus will drive well, to European tastes (where corners exist). The Tesla will do none of those things well. It will go fast in a straight line and frustrate the hell out of its owners with its failed basics. It'll be a fantastic piece of technology and an absolutely awful car.

I owned a Model X P100D for two years. I'm not a fanboy or a naysayer, I'm simply one of the very few opinions based on real-world experience of actual Tesla ownership (actually bought, for the PCP haters).

Tesla are, in my opinion, hanging on until someone buys/kills/whatevers their car division so that they can become a power solutions company (storage/generation/whatever), a job they will be exceptionally good at, I suspect. There's a reason they have given competitors access to all of their battery technology - they want everyone to need their batteries.

Baldchap

7,507 posts

91 months

Tuesday 17th December 2019
quotequote all
RedAndy said:
Like an Audi RS is fast n quality, but it's no 911...
You haven't driven the 992, have you? If the interior was blanked off so you couldn't tell the make it could be any modern fast Audi. They're not a sports car any more.

NotNormal

2,357 posts

213 months

Tuesday 17th December 2019
quotequote all
AshD said:
... if it means ina few years we get a updated electric Elise.
I for one sincerely hope they don't!!

blueg33

35,586 posts

223 months

Tuesday 17th December 2019
quotequote all
Baldchap said:
RedAndy said:
Like an Audi RS is fast n quality, but it's no 911...
You haven't driven the 992, have you? If the interior was blanked off so you couldn't tell the make it could be any modern fast Audi. They're not a sports car any more.
Yup. Most of my friends that own modern Porsches previously had fast Audis. 99% of them barely know Lotus exist and wouldn't even try one.

Decades of marketing prowess from Audi and Porsche is the reason, not the abilities of the products. Lotus are decades behind in this hence the need for Evija's with headline grabbing stats

Baldchap

7,507 posts

91 months

Tuesday 17th December 2019
quotequote all
blueg33 said:
Baldchap said:
RedAndy said:
Like an Audi RS is fast n quality, but it's no 911...
You haven't driven the 992, have you? If the interior was blanked off so you couldn't tell the make it could be any modern fast Audi. They're not a sports car any more.
Yup. Most of my friends that own modern Porsches previously had fast Audis. 99% of them barely know Lotus exist and wouldn't even try one.

Decades of marketing prowess from Audi and Porsche is the reason, not the abilities of the products. Lotus are decades behind in this hence the need for Evija's with headline grabbing stats
The Audi/Porsche offering isn't a terrible product (there's 2 RSs in our household), it's just a tool to do a job. The Elise is a tool for a different job and it does it differently. But for me, these days, the 911 does the same job as the RS. smile