The problem with the admirable Lotus Elise is that while all that pure and animal-like intercommunication between car and driver makes for an unparalleled synthesis of automotive pleasure, especially on a racetrack, the car is not much cop if you want to travel further than the local pub or you need to take your children to school.
Enter, stage left, the Lotus Evora – a 2+2 Lotus with all the swagger and a three-section composite body (with easily replaceable plastic bumpers) but with a token nod towards comfort and touring.
If you're willing to pay around £25k for a used one, your faith will be rewarded with a 0-62mph sprint time of less than 5.5sec, track-tuned handling and steering, and a magic-carpet ride. You’ll also net a bulletproof Toyota V6 with low running costs and two more seats than its rival, the Porsche Cayman.
In the years since the first Evora went on sale, no serious reliability issues have raised their head. The engines are still doing a shift, as is the Eaton supercharger on S models. The loose gearbox cables that blighted some early cars have been tweaked, and the floppy door handles have been rectified.
The interiors on well-used early examples may be looking a little tired and the front anti-roll bar bushes may be starting to knock, but that’s it.
The Evora was launched in 2009 with a mid-mounted Toyota 3.5-litre V6 producing 276bhp and 258lb ft and driving the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. Its three-section composite body (with easily replaceable plastic bumpers) houses a 2+2 cabin (although there are some Evoras with two seats and an extended parcel shelf) and a boot large enough for a set of golf clubs.
But you won’t want to waste time on the links when you’ve an Evora to play with. Double-wishbone suspension, Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers, brake parts by AP Racing and standard-fit Pirelli P Zeros (18in items at the front, 19s at the rear) make sure of that.
The first cars got the Launch Pack, comprising Tech (sat-nav, parking aids, cruise control), Sport (cross-drilled discs, a deeper spoiler and uprated exhaust) and Premium (extra leather, heated seats, reversing camera). All the goodies became available singly, too. Another option was a close-ratio Sport gearbox.
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We own one of these, in fact the red au13 bgz one pictured above - it’s a former press car. WE LOVE IT. It was a real head banging moment when we finally realised it was the perfect car for us, they’d been on sale for more than ten years at that point but we’d never considered it (had a boxster and 911 beforehand). Porsches are great but the Evora is on another level driving wise. You feel tucked up inside as opposed to sitting on top, really part of the car with the wheels up around your ears. Cos it’s so low, flat across the road, you just take corners so quick. In third gear on cam you drive it on the throttle, instant power, just fantastic. Engine sounds great too. Plus the rear bench is perfect size for the Labrador. Not been abroad in it yet, a crying shame. Have had some big issues, particularly a frayed drive belt to the supercharger, air con + power steering, Christ that was a beast to drive home lol. Happy to repair tho cos as we said at the time we’d only have to buy another. Main dealer useless but burton, staffs specialist ab fab. We now have a new clutch savings account, engine out job been quoted £4k. Now in good nick, used daily. We paid £37k for 45,000 miles Evora s from a non specialist. Spent another £5ish k (am not counting). Big punt but has totally worked out. Would sell the dog before the Evora lol.
Porsche is so boring
Never seen one
steve-p wrote:
Because most know no better. You see the attitude in the comments section on reviews here. It's always "for that money you can get a Boxster/Cayman". Mainly from retards who've probably only ever seen one going in the opposite direction on the road, let alone actually owned one. They're good, they're made by the greatest sports car company in the world but in reality they can be a little boring.
Do you mean the Evora can be
No, he meant the Porsche.