2010 Lotus Evora Review: Road Test
When you're among the automakers that go 15 years without a fresh lineup, the wheels you end up with will be scrutinized. So the Lotus Evora went on sale here in January. Evora moves Lotus away from its sole reliance on Elise in all its forms and means the British brand can offer something upmarket and comfortable.
Unlike the tiny track-focused Elise (and the hardtop Exige variant), the Evora is civil enough for the daily commute: a rival to the class benchmark, the Porsche 911, only more exclusive. Or at least that's the theory. Reality is a little more complicated.
The good news about Evora is that it is very similar to Lotus. Unfortunately, the bad news is also that it looks a lot like Lotus. The Evora is Lotus' first real attempt at a luxury model since the Esprit was finally retired nearly a decade ago.
I've never even driven an Esprit, so I have no idea what Lotus' track record is in the luxury market. However, it's immediately apparent that the Evora has the same out-of-the-box feel that distinguishes the Elise. There are compromises here that automakers have long abandoned.
For example, the supercharged versions of the Elise and Exige have almost no rearward visibility thanks to engine plumbing. It can make life awkward, but, oddly enough, it's also part of the charm.
I didn't expect to find a similar problem with the Evora, which has half of the tiny rear window obscured by the engine. At this level, this is not enough. This adds to the usual visibility problems from the coupe, which here, as usual, are due to the reflection from the dashboard on the windshield.
To solve the problem of rear vision, Evora can be equipped with a rear view camera and parking sensors. They come in one of three option packages, and the test car - like the first 1000 Launch Edition cars - was equipped with this batch.
On a regular Evora, this will push the price up to almost $200,000, where the alternatives for buyers become really interesting. Cars of the desired performance from all German brands will leave you with change.
Of course, Evora could be bought without any decorations. The naked Elise is still attractive because it is, in fact, a toy. However, I couldn't imagine buying an Evora without most of the goodies. And then the problem is that some goodies are not very good.
Chief among them is Alpine's premium sat-nav and audio system, which looks unoriginal and has poor graphics resolution, except for the screen saver. It's part touchscreen, part button control, and simple things like adjusting the volume are a nuisance. The buttons are tiny and the system logic is incomprehensible. This $8200 option comes bundled with cruise control, parking sensors, and phone-to-phone Bluetooth that would be hard to do without.
What I could probably do without is the rear seats, which cost another $7000. They are useless for adults or children larger than babies, and even then I wouldn't want to bother installing them. They work for luggage, although cargo space is what you still get if you don't check the box.
It's handy to have space behind the seats, of course, because other storage options, including the trunk, aren't great. Presumably air conditioning runs through the trunk to keep the engine from frying your purchases. Unfortunately, this doesn't work.
The luxury options package adds more leather to the cabin, and it makes up for it with a nice metallic dash trim, as well as one or two cool touches like a shifter. But many other parts, such as the pedals and air vents, seem to have been carried over from the Elise, and the finish quality is still inferior to the mainstream, with the ill-fitting passenger airbag cover in the car I drove.
Unique to the Evora is a two-way adjustable steering wheel and air conditioning with non-hurricane and off settings. The seats only adjust for distance and recline, but these Recaros are comfortable all day long.
The main problem with the driver's position is related to the pedals, which are offset to the center of the car, which most manufacturers can avoid these days. The clutch has a fairly strong spring, the gear shift is mechanical, and the brake pedal has an extremely short travel. But they are well grouped and pleasant to use with a little familiarity.
The steering wheel is fairly small, and hydraulic assistance means that, unlike the Elise, the Evora doesn't need to be pushed into a parking space.
However, the instrument readings are awkward to read, with speedometer increments at 30 km/h, 60 km/h, and so on, and then halfway between them. Does that mean 45 km/h? The tiny red display panels on either side of the dials are hard to see in all lighting conditions, and the trip computer features they display are in their infancy. Also annoying are windows that do not fully close with doors or automatically rise.
Getting into the Elise is impossible for many, and although the Evora thresholds are narrower, entry will still be a problem for some because it is so low.
One big step up from the smaller Lotus cars includes interior improvements, with much less engine noise in the cabin. There is tire roar and bumps and occasional metal bumps, but they are fewer and less noticeable.
The ride is another step forward, with a refined feel that is on the acceptable brink of brittleness for a sports car. Even so, the Evora would be difficult to live with from day to day, and the difference between him and the Elise is more of degree than character.
Of course, this is also good news. Take the Evora on a long country trip and you won't want to leave. On the right road, approaching the legal limit, the Evora comes to life.
The chassis is great and seems to respond intuitively to slight pressures on the gas pedal and steering wheel. It quickly assumes a balanced position for cornering without any effort from the driver.
There is a delicacy in his movements, as attractive as the Elise, only the Evora is more balanced and less frantic. The Evora is also less prone to kickback through the steering wheel or crashing into the track.
The aluminum Evora chassis is inherited from the chassis developed for the Elise, as well as double wishbone suspension all around. The Evora is heavy by Lotus standards (1380kg) but light by everyone else's standards thanks to its aluminum panels and composite roof.
Evora continues the Lotus association with Toyota engines, only this time it's a 3.5-liter V6 from Aurion and Kluger. It lacks the audacity of Lotus' supercharged four-cylinders for the Elise/Exige, as well as their speed: 5.1 seconds to 100 km/h against a low four.
However, according to the company, the engine sounds very nice when it's running at full speed, and line speeds up to a top speed of 261 km/h. Opt for the sport package and there's a switchable sport mode that sharpens throttle response, raises the rev limit and sets higher thresholds for electronic intervention systems. It also features sports exhaust pipes and an engine oil cooler, as well as perforated discs for AP Racing four-piston calipers.
The exterior design is pure Lotus, with Coke bottle sides and a rounded glass look. The rear is wide and contains 19-inch alloy wheels versus 18-inch ones at the front, giving the car excellent road holding. It's unmistakable.
It will be much rarer than most of its competitors, with a 2000 year production run and only 40 destined for Australia. The Evora is too desirable to fail, but as a grand tourer it makes a great sports car. Even by elite standards, it's a little pricey to include things like power mirrors on the options list, and some compromises and disappointments are inevitable. Which makes the 911 the smart choice. Only now that I've ridden the Evora, I'd have to have one of each.
