The Evora is the first four-seat, mid-engined car Lotus has produced. While some might have scoffed at the idea, the optional two rear seats can accommodate children and several owners we've spoken to use them for just this purpose. Many more owners use the space as extra luggage capacity in addition to the 160-litre boot space. Of course, you can also go for the 2+0 that has a luggage deck in place of the seats.
Leather on later Evoras less prone to scuffing
As well as this choice inside the Evora, there are others on offer that have a bearing on how well it will suit your tastes. There are three options packs, with many cars specified with all three to bring them up to the same specification as the original launch model Evoras.
The three packs are Tech, Premium and Sport. For the Tech Pack, you get a double DIN stereo and uprated Alpine head unit with touchscreen, plus cruise control buttons on the steering wheel. Premium offers a choice of leather upholstery colours rather than the standard black and it also extends the amount of hide trim in the cabin. You also get heated front seats, luggage mesh in two-seat models, arm rest between the front seats and extra accent lighting.
Most popular and sought after of the three packs among used buyers is the Sport Pack, which is standard on S models. It comes with a Sport Mode button for the IPS automatic gearbox to sharpen the throttle response. Also included are cross-drilled brake discs, twin exhaust tailpipes for the standard car and a single-piece tailpipe for the S model, and a deeper three-section sports diffuser.
2+2 seating is popular with buyers
The Sport Pack does not change the interior compared to standard, but the Evora comes with all of the kit you would expect of a car of this price and category. Unfortunately, early cars also came with less than top drawer build quality in many cases. Look out for worn or scuffed leather on the door sills and lower dash, and also worn front seat bolsters.
Perhaps more worrying will be the possibility of damp in the footwells, which will most likely be down to one of two reasons. First are poorly fitted door seals and can often be sorted simply by pressing the seals into the correct shape to marry with the door properly. Second reason is the air-con pipes from the condenser being wrongly routed and draining water into the cabin rather than out of it. This will most likely affect the passenger's side front footwell. A dealer or specialist can re-route the pipes or you can do it at home if you can get sufficient safe access under the car.
The air conditioning condenser is a common part to fail, usually because it's quite prone to being hit by road debris but it has also been known to simply stop working. A replacement costs around £175 plus fitting. Many owners also advocate fitting an extra mesh grille in front of the condenser to better protect it from flying stones.
Some owners say the driver's seat base needs to be able to tilt more for better thigh support. This can be remedied by fitting a space under the front seat mount to raise the front of the seat slightly.
Leather around the door sills and lower dash is easily scuffed as you get in and out of the car. The leather upholstery on later 2012-on cars is a better quality and more resistant to wear.
PHer's view:
"Mine has the rear seats and I don't see the point of getting one without rear seats as there is still storage space for bags etc on them. However, if you are buying it with the idea of having people/kids in the back seat regularly I would get them to sit in it first - there really is not much room in there, possibly only suitable for small kids or very short trips for adults."
David Jones
