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Finally managed to test drive the Evora 410 today. Before I summarise my views, they are based on comparisons of ownership of Evora 400 Auto for 5k miles including 2 track days, Exige V6S for 4K miles including 3 track days and Exige Sport350 1500 miles and 2 track days. So let's cut to the chase. WOW what a great car. I took the Silverstone demonstrator on some local roads around the area that I have driven all my previous cars, so able to make a decent comparison. Good long sections of national speed limit sweeping country roads, with some challenging uneven surfaces and off camber corners, to really test a car. Chuck in a mixture of tight 2nd gear corners and fast sweeping 4th gear bends and it's perfect to show up any compromised in a car. In my V6S Exige with race pack suspension, these roads would have the steering wheel dancing all over the place. If not used to this type of car it could be quite shocking to some drivers, but as we all know you just need to trust the car and you soon get used to the little dance. Feedback was spot on and the corners could be taken at a decent pace. Move onto the Exige Sport350 and the revised front end steering, geometry etc makes for a much calmer steering feel with improved front end bite. You just feel more confident to push on. Now before I moved on from my Evora 400 to the 350, I test drove the Silverstone 350 demonstrator back to back on same roads for comparison. The 350 was epic, and at first it felt like the Evora was slower. However a quick look at speedo showed the Evora was still covering ground rapidly, but it hides that impression of speed. Much more civilised , but less feedback than the Exige (although still miles more than other cars). You could feel the weight of the 400 in the corners vs 350, but as ever with Lotus, the way it flattened out the bumps with a carpet ride was pure magic. Very much felt like a fast GT car So now onto the 410. Straight away you can feel the firmer ride. You feel a lot more of what is going on with the road surfaces, whilst still keeping decent comfort. Hitting the NSL sections the smile came back from that Evora howl....what a noise !! First corner came up at a speed I would have taken the 400 at and the first surprise. How can a car of this weight feel so light through the corner. The 400 would have loaded up, making you feel the sight, but the 410 just spat me out the corner and laughed in my face. OK so I upped the entry speeds and TBH I must have been up to or equal to what my 350 could do. It's witchcraft I tell you. The car is seriously rapid across country whilst remaining composed. The only time it got a little out of shape was through hard braking approaching a corner, where the car had picked up more speed than I had anticipated on the previous straight. Only a small wiggle from the back, a gentle reminder that you need to recalibrate your brain to the faster speeds this car can carry through the twisties. I struggle to understand how anyone would not be able to feel the difference from a 400 to a 410. It's a 410 dialled up to 11. A fair bit sharper in terms of handling and feedback. If you're the kind of driver who appreciates the intricacies of driving an Exige, a caterham etc, you will appreciate the 410. You know this car is going to be epic on track I could imagine a comfortable drive to Spa followed by an epic track day in this car. If you are considering a new 400 and want that little extra in terms of handling, then do test drive the 410. For anyone who loves the Exige but maybe find its a little too impractical, uncomfortable, then test drive the 410. I fully understand why @The Pits has ordered one ! The Silverstone car looks stunning and if you speak nicely to Aimee I'm sure she will sort a decent deal out for you. What you waiting for ??

After a month of construction (with some interruptions), this is the result. Looking like building again, and already offering some shelter from the elements: My Esprit can just be seen, having a good look at her future home.

Mines not white anymore! Guidecoat on, ready for block down. Well done Neil if your reading! There a massive amount of work in all this, as I'm sure Richard will confirm.

No timescales really but the paint will likely be finished this year. (Including black bits) Ive still got the task of building up the rolling chassis once regalvanising has been done. Lots of little bits for me to be getting on with in the meantime though. Only want to do this once so want to do it right.

I hope that it's not an IKEA box !.....

I live off of food stamps and reside in a cardboard box.

Bit of a time lag in posting this up, in part because I was away on a road trip to Oregon, but here is a direct comparison of Europa and El Camino:

Just as an incentive, I'll mention that regular fluid replacement will prevent corroded, knackered cylinders. +++++++++ I replaced the clutch master cylinder on my '88 in 1996 because it was terribly pitted. Since then, I've flushed the fluid on the clutch system every two years. My clutch master started leaking last winter, so I installed SJ's seal kit. The inside bore of the cylinder was smooth as silk inside, so the seal kit alone is doing quite well. My slave cylinder is still fine BTW. So, be good about that maintenance.

No....due to the massively huge repair bills to our V8's, we can't afford to eat....fat bastards drive 4 pots

Lotus Evora Stratton GT

Yes...they certainly do!! ?

Out with the old, in with the new(ish). After 11 years and 70,000 miles of daily driving the Elise, I 'grew up' and picked up an Evora. I told my wife it was a sensible car to to fit the kids in :-) Couldn't be happier!

No link with them, but I already talk about this french tuner, well respected here ... Vone racing has done a remap for a 3-11, and I assume it can be done as well for the Evora 400. The 3-11 stock numbers were : 405.2 hp and 429.2 Nm and, after retune : 461.6hp and 481.6 Nm... impressive ! Especially for 799€ (around £720) ... once again, just sharing the info !

John Welch said ECU connectors coming soon, on his website (actually a long time ago) maybe he knows? http://www.wcengineering.com/esprit/esprit.html

NICE!!! You are a hard man to argue with Thanks, think I'll order them. But here's a question: I see they are pretty old. So, as long as they are new and never mounted and/or used, does it have any relevance? I mean, do they get stone hard? And will it be save to drive top speed on new tires with that age? Cheers, Jacques.

I did this up grade years ago.......removed the ABS system.......removed the aircon pump and in its place is the earlier type vacuum pump from an SE. I'm running a nissan patrol servo and master cylinder. I also installed an audi vacuum accumulator with a couple of non return valves. The vacuum supply system also has a turbo bleed valve and vacuum gauge fitted so I can adjust the amount of vacuum assist. I have the S350 callipers and discs up front, S350 rear discs using the original brembo calliper as the handbrake and a set of 4 piston callipers for main rear brakes which are mounted on the S300 brackets. Its a great set up which changes the car completely.

Poor esprit, if it could cry we would be flooded ?????

Many thanks for your feedback ... and it was exactly what I was hoping for !

Great write up Dave. I almost felt like I was in the car with you. Still want a 410 above all the other stuff Lotus currently offer.

Last time I run Hancook tyres I had a blow out on the M4 at 80 +. It was almost new. Luckily I was driving a Citroen Zantia with the self leveling suspension and didn't really notice anything but the noise of flapping rubber. That puts you off a tyre for life. I run Toyo tyres all round on the V8, Excel and M100. Never any trouble.

Thanks for the tip! I'll try them out! Thanks for the tip! I'll try them out!

Thanks bibs! i was nervous about changing the colour originally Thanks guys! Haven't had a proper chance to get it on a track yet.

Very nice indeed! The pods and bonnet are perfect!

Called them today for the damage but still WIP! Phew. bank account in tact for a few more days

Why would I do that? I have a team to do it for me....!

I missed this....hope you had a great time; I can remember my 50th...21 years ago(!)...did 50 bottles of Mumm which were placed in a kiddies paddling pool with several hundredweight of ice. There was food, too....so I'm told.......and the ex-Government marquee I bought for the occasion went on to be the workshop within which I did the Esprit bodywork. Half a century mustn't go uncelebrated.....

And contained spares for the V8 Esprit... Because of the Danish tax system paying 105% on an old car, I am now so thin that I need to add weight to the Esprit, or I will fly around in the Wind. Being in the Esprit that is. Had to pay gbp 8,60 for a alternator voltage regulator, which collapsed after a measely 27 years. Got to be a warranty repair. Urgh... it's so expensive to drive those 4-pot Esprit's... And even then we are lighter than those overweight V8 Eterna comfort cars... Nah, give me a modern lightweight down-sized petrol friendly 4-pot Esprit Cheers, Jacques.

No, it's marked SJ Sports Cars.

Thank you kind sir, and thank you again for my presents, the photos, and for coming to my party! And I would treat myself to a pivot table ... if I knew what one was!

I understand there are only 4 so question whether it makes much sense to do much fanfare on the website. They do look lovely in person though. The details I know are - All LHD - 1 manual and 3 IPS - Power as standard I believe is 430bhp (but opportunity to tune to 480bhp I think). - Interior trim is quite bespoke - looked stunning to my eyes - They definitely had a lot of interest at Brands - potentially may have sold two but you would need to speak to Alex at Stratton - There's a white one with @tim_marra's colour scheme - looks immense

Holy cow Filip, That is a shopping centre ! not a garage Looks fantastic,

I will be there, look forward to saying hello. I'm working with @david_pittard again for another great day of coaching. I'm hoping the weather will be fair to us this time around, if not there'll definitely be lots of slides and yee-haa moments!

They're all essentially the same since the original V6 right up until the latest and most expensive derivative. Stick with what you have and if it ticks boxes for you, then mod away. If you are asking because you fancy spending a few quid on a change, then that's a different point. We all like to spend spare cash to feel alive with a new purchase so if that's the reason and a Cup is your thing then hunt one down. I expect that the real reason you are talking about this is like most humans, you like to spend the fruits of your labour and discussing upgrades to your current vehicle is largely futile. Remember, there's bugger all difference though.

Ergh. I just had a... moment... it is gorgeous thanks Jonny

It is, and they're calling it the 'Stratton GT'.

No problem Alan, I'll dig it out and pull the lid. If anything remains, I'll send some pictures. I think there was a 4 connector version for the chargecooled SE and later and a 3 connector version for the non-chargecooled S. Only the 4 connector one is described in the manual with pin-outs etc, but the 3 connector layout can be seen in the ECM wiring diagrams for non-chargecooled.

They both do, but here's the newer shade.

Just a little update. I've just been tinkering with the car over the last week or so. I've removed the old headlining and cleaned and painted the handbrake mechanism and its associated mounting parts. This is ready to reconnect once I have the brakes functional. I've ordered up some bits from SJ Sportscars and a few eBay items to keep the build progressing. The headlamp vacuum pods are in a bad state, I'll try to repair them as they are nearly £200 each to replace! I do have some MX5 motors but no mounting brackets. I'll be able to get an MOT with the lights in the obligatory up position with the original vacuum pods and springs in place. I've also had the car running, just so I know it can. It appears to have good oil pressure. There are no back boxes fitted yet so its a bit noisy. WP_20170910_14_34_43_Pro.mp4 Sorry about the quality of the video

Awesome looking track weapon Zaine

That looks the nuts!

A big palm debris landed on top of the Esprit and survived...not a scratch.

Plus I think I've ruined the weight distribution - that extra 5 grammes behind the rear axle has turned the car into an oversteering nightmare. Probably need to sellotape a counterweight to the front bumper.

When I adjust mine, I jack the car up at the mid jack point so the whole side lifts up, then I have enough access to get to the rear. I do the front at the same time, although turning the wheel opposite lock each side is fine for accessing the fronts. Its not an easy job at a track! I wish I had a four post lift at home (future dream-garage!). I don't change the settings now as I don't drive the car on the road much for pleasure purposes. I did soften R & C slightly when I added the Avon ZZR tyres because they firmed up the ride a bit more, so I used the factory recommended setting (for ZZRs) and softened two clicks rear and one click front. I'm sure you will have fun playing with the settings, it is possible to get them pretty compliant for road driving.

Yes, but getting to the 2 knobs will not be easy with the car on the ground unless you remove the wheels. Sam for both front and rear shock adjustors. Photo of front shock taken while car was on a 4-post lift … sorry for the poor quality.

Sorted it now - as above I grabbed a 'gear cable adjuster' off one of the kids old bikes and a couple of washers and fitted it like so. Works great (so far) and the wire is never going to drop out. If you get one of those 'gear cable adjusters' with an M5 thread they fit perfectly. Any bigger and it won't fit through the hole. Hope this helps - maybe I can get an engineering job at Lotus now?

14k on mine, no mention of the supercharger belt, but I had the aux bet replaced after 2 and a half years.

skf 16719

Dan, probably see a whole lot more in a couple of months time.