There are currently only two Lotus Evoras in Australia, and I’m about to put 300 kilometres on the clock of what is one of the most talked about cars in years.
Problem is, I’ve drawn the shotgun position for the first 90-kilometre stint, but at least I’ll be able to squarely judge the ride and comfort qualities of the first new Lotus design in over a decade.
It doesn’t matter how many photos you might have seen on the web or in magazines, the Evora is a natural wall poster car, and there are simply no wrong angles from which to view this beautiful design, which just happens to be a 2+2, meaning enough room for the kids.
And get ready for even more eye candy from the maker of the worlds best handling sports cars, as Group Lotus beefs up their senior management with an All-Star team from Ferrari SpA.
Danny Bahar has been appointed CEO of Lotus from Ferrari, where he held the position of Senior Vice President Commercial and Brand, which means he was responsible for worldwide road car sales and after sales business, overall road car and Formula One marketing activities, licensing, and merchandising business. The whole box and dice if you will.
Ferrari design guru Donato Coco has also just started work at Lotus in the newly created position of director of design. While at Ferrari, Donato was director of design and development, which saw him work on the 458 Italia, the F430, the Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M, the California and the 599XX.
Lotus Cars was founded by British engineering visionary Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman in 1928 on the back of motor racing, which is why Danny Bahar is so eager to return the company to the podium and to former motorsports glory in endurance racing and in Formula One.
After all, it was Lotus who revolutionised Formula One racing with the introduction of ‘ground effect’ and aerodynamic ‘downforce’ on board their unbeatable Type 72 racecar.
That said Claudio Berro is indeed the right choice to head motorsport activities for Lotus as its Director of Motorsport.
He has 14 years with Ferrari, Maserati and Fiat, and has been responsible for the Formula One team as well as director of all sports car activities for Ferrari and Maserati as well as countless other senior motorsport roles in the Fiat Group.
And it all starts with the Lotus Evora, a sports car that is set to go head-to-head with the likes of Porsche and in doing do, position the brand higher up the prestige ladder and to a wider group of buyers.
While Lotus has done well with their Lotus Elise family of near enough to 30 different variants, they are all pretty well regarded as raw-edged sports cars for genuine motoring enthusiasts.
The Evora is different, very different. Ingress and egress no longer requires you to possess the physical attributes of a Yoga master, or the body of an Ethiopian marathon runner. Simply open the door and sit down in what are superbly comfortable leather sports pews from Recaro.
And I can’t get over airspace between my head and the roof lining. The cabin design is such that the Evora is friendly to folks up to 196cm tall. At least that’s what the press kit says and at 176cm, who am I to question such detail.
While the exterior design is an evolution of the Elise family and unmistakably Lotus, the ride quality is something of a revolution. It’s unusually comfortable, so much so, that I find myself repeating the same lines over and over to my colleague at the wheel “you can’t feel the bumps” and “it doesn’t feel like a Lotus”.
He’s nodding in agreement, but he’s having far too much fun to utter a single syllable, as we head towards the Southern Highlands for the kind or roads where anything with a Lotus badge reins king.
Although I’m sitting fairly low in the Evora, its not quite as deep as you would in an Aston Martin Vantage or Porsche 911, but both driver and passenger have a commanding view of the road ahead without compromising that ‘in car’ driving position. Put that down to a clever cockpit layout and the wrap around windscreen design.
In a sudden, but expected departure from the Lotus models of the last 13 years, the Evora is equipped with significantly more grunt than the rest of its immediate family.
Transversely mid-mounted, is a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 engine sourced from Toyota, but it doesn’t sound like any Toyota I’ve ever driven.
Lotus engineers have carefully modified the powerplant with their own ETCS-i Electronic Throttle Control System and Lotus designed and developed engine management system, which produces 206kW and 350Nm of torque, along with that special Lotus driving experience.
But it’s the exhaust note from the bespoke titanium tailpipe that will have you drooling like an infant, and wishing you had never bothered to switch on the high-end Alpine Imprint audio system.
As comfortable as it is riding shotgun in the Evora, and it is both comfortable and surprisingly roomy, the only place to be in a Lotus is behind the wheel.
At 1382 kilograms, it might be significantly heavier than any other Lotus in the stable, but in keeping with the Chapman edict of ‘performance through light weight’ the heart of Evora’s performance is its power to weight ratio.
That’s probably why I’m griping a beautifully forged super-light, flat-bottomed magnesium steering wheel, and why the entire three-piece aluminium chassis weighs just 200 kilos.
Steering response and accuracy is not quite as sharp as the stripped out Elise or Exige, due to the hydraulic power assistance (a first for the current Lotus stable) but the moment you come across a naturally made chicane, you know you’re driving a precision instrument capable of dissecting a winding road like no other 2+2 could ever hope to do.
From the outside, you would be hard pressed picking the Evora as a four seater. It has all the design hallmarks of a purpose built supercar. The fact is, you can also buy the car as a 2+0, which removes the rear seats and replaces them with a parcel shelf. I guess it comes down to kids or no kids.
I’m blasting through this snake like section and there’s almost no need to drop down from fifth gear, there’s just so much torque on tap in the higher gear ratios, meaning throttle response is instantaneous.
Point-to-point, the Evora is very quick and very agile. But when you factor in the car’s vice-like grip and stability through corners and at considerable pace, it feels considerably faster than its 0-100km/h published sprint time of 5.1 seconds.
Grip is maintained even when punching hard out of corners, due mostly to the Evora’s Electronic Differential Lock although; the traction control system on board this car, allows some mild rear wheel slip before the electronic nannies take charge.
I’m also astonished at how calmly the car copes with speed on rubbish roads, you can feel the extra stiffness in the chassis (that’s one and half times that of the Elise) but the forged aluminium double wishbones working in concert with the Lotus tuned Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers, offer nothing but a compliant ride, no matter hard you push the car.
The optional six-speed close ratio gearbox is a treat, and well worth the extra coin if you intend mixing it up with other like-minded enthusiasts during the occasional track day.
Once we hit the steep descents in the heart of the Southern Highlands, the Lotus AP Racing four-pot calipers and cross-drilled brake discs started working their magic with race car like stopping power and zero fade.
The other equally beneficial bi-product of effective power to weight management is fuel economy, and here is where the Evora should triumph over other sports car manufacturers.
Combined fuel consumption is said to be as low as 8.7l/100km (32.5 mpg) with highway cruising at 6.5l/100km.
The Evora is shod with Pirelli’s premium performance road going PZero tyres, despite the fact much of the car’s testing was on Yokohama Advans. Wheels are split sizes at 18-inch up front, and 19-inch down the back.
Driving back to Sydney on the freeway was more like riding in a sophisticated Grand Tourer than a highly capable sports car, and is testament to the quality of the engineering and the substantail development and testing schedule of this defining sports car.
The options list for the Evora is extensive although, several options packages including; the Sports Upgrade Pack, Premium Upgrade Pack, and Tech Upgrade Pack, bundle the individual features well enough.
The Evora will be available through the premium Lotus dealer network including, the Trivett Group in Sydney, Barbagallo Sport in Perth, Euromarque in Brisbane, Zagame Automotive Group in Melbourne, and Prestige Walkerville in Adelaide.
Lotus Evora prices:
- 2+0 Configuration: $149,990
- 2+2 Configuration: $156,990
The Lotus Evora is available in 20 superb exterior and four interior colour trim choices.
Nice review. I’ve always had a soft spot for Lotus (I’m in a britcar phase at the moment), and this one looks brilliant. Not over the top in price either. Having previously lived with a low car and tiring of knocking the front bumper wings, and a shocking turning circle, what would this one be like to live with – eg, park, get over speed bumps etc? And the back seat, is it something that a normal say 10 year old kid can sit in comfortably (even if he/she has legs) for some distance, or is it like (say) the 911 or the XK, where the back is almost vertical, and their knees are jammed against the back of the front seat if they can get them in at all?
I think, judging from the photo in the story, the back seat looks almost redundant. I guess that’s always the case with 2+2 though. Personally, I’d choose the cheaper option without the rear seats, assuming the car would be overall lighter as a result.
But I don’t have kids at the moment :)
yeah, looks that way to me as well. The days of being able to buy a 2 + 2 are well and truly behind me. It killed any prospect of getting the GTR past the missus before I got all old and sensible.
I tried this car out in the UK, and indeed the back seats are useless. A child could not fit in their for more than a short trip. Fortunately, Lotus now offers the cheaper, lighter 2+0 which makes far more sense for most of the time.
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They really should supercharge the engine!
Good review, I love this car. I’d love it more though if they put a supercharger in it like they did with the TRD Aurion.
I think a supercharged version is coming. You forgot to mention there is a special “launch edition” avaiable in two colors (one red) which combines all of the option packs together for $149,990 for the 2 seater. Great review, interesting that some overseas reviews were not so complimentary on the engine note. Would be interesting to test it against a Cayman S including track times. looks fantastic though and much better daily driver and occasional track car than an Exige.
When i look at this gorgeous body I find it hard to get over engine. especially its relatively low revving nature.
i’d rather a very unexclusive m3 for this money. much like how you might take a Golf GT over a rarer competitor
Can I…? Please!?!?
Great review and great photos. Appropriate for a great car. Weight really does matter.
I’m a skeptic on the build quality and longevity of these things, but you can’t argue with the lotus reputation for dynamics and steering.
A rather HUGE point to note for other manufacturers…HYDRAULIC STEERING NOT ELECTRIC!
I have to say the real life photos of the car look even better than the studio shots I have seen.
Alas however, my 150k would go on an M3 Sedan or a Cayman S. I’ve driven the latter and its sensational, plus it wont fall apart and will be worth something when I sell it!
But good on lotus for building this, nice machine!
jj
Bit early to judge Cayman resales just yet, after all the Boxster’s resale price is woeful for those who buy new or wonderful for those who buy used.
what are the recommended RON fuel req.?
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The Exige and Elise also use Toyota engines. There’s nothing wrong with the engines just because Toyota use them in plainer cars, don’t be silly, they don’t have cooties.
You can get much much much better cars for the price.
even if that’s true I’d pay a premium to drive something a little special and different. If we were talking this against the hundred of Caymans (Caymen?) out there, I’d buy this even if it wasnt quite as good. If there were hundreds of these being driven around and the Cayman was rare, I might go for the Cayman, though I think this one looks so sweet it’d be a hard choice. Depends how you feel driving them, I suppose.
What’s the point of normal people driving a rare vehicle? Unless you are a collector or just some mega rich pretentious guy exclusivity is just something that is over the top and irrelevant. Sure lets all make cars that look pretty and slap some ridiculous price tags over the reason of them being exclusive. Logically speaking putting exclusivity aside there are so many cars out there which are much much better (see my previous post). Exclusive or not those cars are better in every ways you can think of than the EVORA.
BEING EXCLUSIVE DOES NOT MAKE A CAR ANY GOOD, IT JUST MAKES A CAR EXPENSIVE AND THAT’S ALL IT DOES.
different strokes for different folks, I suppose. If I am spending biggish bucks on a car, I dont want something that I see every day, or 30 of them in a shopping centre car park or parked outside trendy cafes at Broadbeach. Ultimately, I can never use the cars to their potential anyway, so if a Cayman (to continue the example) is marginally better on the track that the Lotus, how will I ever find that out? I’d rather get the joy of looking at what I think is a far prettier car every day that I drive it, and I’m tosser enough to like the attention too (and I think many other people are in that boat). But you missed one argument against the proposition that I make, and something I have learned via the rectum on a number of occasions, and that is that the more popular cars are far easier to sell, so they can hold their value better. Trying to trade the rarer/exclusive cars is an education in just what depreciation means.
Well you totally missed my point…
My argument is not about how rare or how good looking lotus Evora is in comparison to other cars of the same price range. I’m talking about comparisons in terms of performance, build, features and refinement. Lotus Evora is severely lacking in all of those areas considering the asking price.
For example,
A BMW M3 vs Lotus Evora
Which one has better build Quality? M3
Which one is more refined? – M3
Which one has more features – M3
Which one has a better engine? – M3
Which one is faster? – M3
Which one is more practical? – M3
Which one is more comfortable? – M3
Which one is rarer? – Evora
Obviously the M3 is a “better” car….Evora is the “rarer” car…
Hayzel,
You clearly like the M3 better. It meets your expectations for what a good car is. Great! That’s really good for you. You’ll know what to buy if you’re in the market. Not that it has anything to do with which is the better car, though. While it may be obvious to you that the M3 is “better”, it is clear to me that you don’t value the things that make a car better for me.
Your argument is based on the things you value, know about and can evaluate easily. I might take issue with some of your evaluations in the list above (better engine?) but I’ll grant that you’re right about most of them. It’s just that those things aren’t what make a car “better”. You don’t even mention handling, driving dynamics, weight, chassis stiffness, suspension dynamics or even less quantifiable things like fun to drive. You’re welcome to define better in any way you choose (and go buy the M3 as a result) but that doesn’t make your definition right for anyone else. In fact it’s an extremely narrow evaluation of “better” for someone interested in driving cars, rather than posing with them.
Maybe if you got a little more seat time driving, rather than reading about cars you might just begin to appreciate the difference between a caar that’s good on paper and one that’s great to drive. You have driven the M3 and the Evora haven’t you? Or are you just judging by what you read?
Oh well, have fun in your M3. Obviously it’s the better car for YOU.
Thanks Hayzel. I’m not sure whether you are old enough to drive yet, or (if you are) what your budget is. What we are talking about isnt a couple of KW difference between a corolla and a nova. When you spend money on toys, it’s all about what makes you feel good. stats, smats – that’s only for arguing with your mates if you are into that. For me, I like cars that “do it for me” in looks, though my time being uncomfortable in cars is behind me. Out of what you mentioned before, that would be the GTR or Lotus over everything else. Being an old and sensible person and needing 5 real seats and 4 doors though, I’d buy an XF, which I did.
PETER to me cars are not toys, maybe to some overly rich guys but not to me.
Mind you I was only using M3 as an example I could have used porsche cayman S, etc. I own an M3 but I don;t have an Evora for obvious reasons. A human creation is subjected to individual perspective so you’re right in a way that my word will not hold true for everyone. Having said that, there is “better” and “worse” in terms of describing cars especially for the purpose of comparisons.
To me it’s purely illogical for a sports car within the price range such as lotus Evora to not have the luxury and practicality features that all of its competitors have. Lotus elise and exige are fun cars no doubt about it, however, they were designed to be that way, which is reflected in their absolute minimal features. Lotus Evora I think unlike the exige or elise is a bit confused in its design. It is not very practical nor fast nor comfortable nor innovative so what is it trying to achieve? Exige and Elise are rich men plaything but Evora..what about Evora? BTW I heard that the interior of Evora is even worse quality than an evo and that is simply unacceptable…
Cars are unlike human beings…they can be compared and there are wrong and right, better and worse. The prove of this fact would be the existence and popularity of car reviews.
your M3 is a real one, and not a model, right?
Can’t wait to get mine, have one reserved coming next week.. I drove a silver Evora last week (solo) and it is every bit as great as expressed in this review.
Generally, enthusiasts judge cars purely by the numbers (price, performance), and discount the emotional impact a car has on the buyer..
This car “does it” for me. It’s my dream car and I’m about to OWN IT!! Performance, looks, exclusivity, and price are all factors that have contributed to my decision to buy.
This car will give me far more enjoyment than any of you will ever know.
If one judges the car solely on individual merits, it may seem overpriced. But he who judges a recipe simply by the ingredients list clearly has not tried it.
That which dictates the “better” car is you— not metrics.
Mind you I was only using M3 as an example I could have used porsche cayman S, etc. I own an M3 but I don;t have an Evora for obvious reasons. A human creation is subjected to individual perspective so you’re right in a way that my word will not hold true for everyone. Having said that, there is “better” and “worse” in terms of describing cars especially for the purpose of comparisons.
To me it’s purely illogical for a sports car within the price range such as lotus Evora to not have the luxury and practicality features that all of its competitors have. Lotus elise and exige are fun cars no doubt about it, however, they were designed to be that way, which is reflected in their absolute minimal features. Lotus Evora I think unlike the exige or elise is a bit confused in its design. It is not very practical nor fast nor comfortable nor innovative so what is it trying to achieve? Exige and Elise are rich men plaything but Evora..what about Evora? BTW I heard that the interior of Evora is even worse quality than an evo and that is simply unacceptable…
Cars are unlike human beings…they can be compared and there are wrong and right, better and worse. The prove of this fact would be the existence and popularity of car reviews.
That engine is the star of any car in the Toyota stable in which it appears. It’s a brilliant piece of kit that has always been screaming out for a more focused application.
I wonder if the Evora costs the same to service as an Aurion LOL
To the imbecile who wrote that the rear seats were useless. It’s a 2+2 Einstein, that means kids (like my skinny 18 year old girl and her 7 year old sister).
Do us all a favour here at CA and go and bother someone else with your inane comments, which of course, have been deleted.
Have a nice day.
I’d rather squeeze my kids in the back of that for a short time instead of leaving the car garaged!!!
Seriously though it costs 149-156,000k and that puts it in the realm of Nissan GTR, porsche boxter S (Roadster), porsche Cayman, nissan GTR, Mercedes Benz C63 AMG, BMW M3, Lexus ISF and others that I may have missed. All of those cars I mentioned are much more refined and better built with better innovative engines and designs. They are also much faster and more comfortable/livable to drive everyday with badges to match. Oh I almost forgot those cars I mentioned also possess luxurious creature comfort, electronic and safety features much lacking in Lotus Evora. Having said that why would anyone buy a lotus EVORA which is no doubt a much much lesser car with monumental price tag? I don’t know if you are a lotus fan or not but logically lotus Evora is really.. well…a poor quality car.
Couldn’t agree more. I would get the Bathurst Evo over this anytime.
Gee- a hundred and fifty grand for an Aurion 2 door!
At least you local toyota dealer can service it.
Way overpriced for what you get, But I really like the car.
Interestingly in an EVO car mag article from a few months back the Lotus Evora beat all of the esteemed cars above. Its blend of liveability, performance, quality, ride quality etc. meant it was superior than M3, GTR, cayman etc. If anyone here knows EVO they would know it is a very good magazine, so well done lotus with the Evora!
ive been trying so hard to like the looks but i just cant do it, it just doesnt look good imo. Then, all the reviews i’ve read say that it doesn’t handle as well as the exige or even the much cheaper elise. it also doesn’t make any sense as a GT or daily driver obviously since its not THAT refined and comfortable and spacious, even if it is slightly more than other Lotuses. Then comes the 150k price tag and it seriously makes me think who the hell would really buy this since the elise handles better, a GT-R is much faster and an M3 sedan, IS-F or C63 amg are also faster and make much more sense as a daily driver — remember though we do live in australia and having to pay twice as much for cars is our tradition. i dont even wanna know how much this costs in the U.K
sometimes i hate this country
Dear oh dear, such tunnel vision from the M3 owner, and that talk from a chap who hasn’t even driven an Evora!
You best read my review of the car, rather than rely on pre-conceived notions you have of the car. “not comfortable” well you’re flat out wrong there old mate, the Evora is as comfortable as it gets when you’re on the pace in the twisty sections.
I won’t deny, the M3 is a brilliant piece of kit (one of my favourites in fact), but to start knocking a sports car as good as a the Evora without ever having driven a single kilometre in the car is where you’re credibility hit ground zero.
Since when are sports cars supposed to have luxury and practicality? It shows how far car makers have gone from what a sports car should be. The idea that anyone would compare a BMW to a Lotus shows that they might not really ‘get’ sports cars. The fact that Lotus’s now come with ABS and Airbags is something I find slightly disappointing – too much extra weight for too little value. Apart from that, this Evora looks to be the perfect sports car.
150k for this car?? No thanks. It’s an Kluger engine after all. I would get the GT-R or even the Bathurst Evo over this anytime.
A BMW M3 vs Lotus Evora
Which one has better build Quality? M3
Which one is more refined? – M3
Which one has more features – M3
Which one has a better engine? – M3
Which one is faster? – M3
Which one is more practical? – M3
Which one is more comfortable? – M3
Which one is rarer? – Evora
Simple choice: Evora any time it’s quick enough, rare and it looks like a super car a real head turner!!( the M3 does Not!).looking forward to the supercharched Evora though!