r3nault Posted May 20, 2020 Report Share Posted May 20, 2020 Hi everyone, Just dropping in a line to say hello! Reputation precedes Lotus owners as a personable and enthusiastic bunch so I look forward to being part of a great community. I'm coming across from RenaultSport products; had a Clio 172 and currently selling my RS Megane Cup. I think in terms of philosophy and community, there are quite a few similarities between RS and Lotus. I'm yet to buy my Lotus - a few of you may have seen my Wanted thread, I'm looking for an early model Evora to get into. I found one interstate a couple of weeks back, made enquiries and actually had negotiated a deal with the seller, but between putting my little one to bed and calling back to put a deposit in, another buyer came back with the deposit first... Would you believe that's the second time it's happened to me in my life? It also happened with a Clio I looked at... Anyway, just saying hello, and fingers crossed one of you in Oz will be looking to upgrade and have a car for me to buy! I'm very excited to become a Lotus owner, hopefully for a very long time to come! Cheers, James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibs Posted May 20, 2020 Report Share Posted May 20, 2020 Welcome to TLF James. We've plenty of your countrymen on here and there's a lot of love for Renault products too! Happy hunting for your Evora! Quote 88 Esprit NA, 89 Esprit Turbo SE, Evora, Evora S, Evora IPS, Evora S IPS, Evora S IPS SR, Evora 400, Elise S1, Elise S1 111s, Evora GT410 Sport Evora NA For forum issues, please contact the Moderators. I will aim to respond to emails/PM's Mon-Fri 9-6 GMT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r3nault Posted May 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2020 Thanks Bibs! I very much look forward to being a true part of TLF once I have secured my Lotus :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramjet Posted May 23, 2020 Report Share Posted May 23, 2020 Welcome to TLF James. I know you are after an Evora. I would be able to sell you a rather nice Esprit S4 if you are interested. Any questions or issues with using the forums, feel free to ask one of us mods. We're here to help. Quote All we know is that when they stop making this, we will be properly, properly sad.Jeremy Clarkson on the Esprit. Opinions are like armpits. Everyone has them, some just stink more than others. For forum issues, please contact one of us Moderators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM jep Posted May 23, 2020 Gold FFM Report Share Posted May 23, 2020 Welcome. Much symmetry between Renault Sport and Lotus. Fab steering, stunning turn-in, revvy engine, great value. Twingo RS seriously under-rated, Clio RS just so good. Never driven Megane but bet amazing. Justin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r3nault Posted May 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2020 Thanks for the warm welcome @ramjet and @jep! Yes, I have definitely enjoyed my RS cars over the years, going on 12 years I think in the Clio and Megane. I hope I will be in a Lotus for at least as many years and probably more! Whilst I've always loved the Esprit (and Elise and Exige etc etc), I am pretty sure I would get my Lotus permission revoked quick-smart if I neglected to include a rear seat for the little one! How often an Evora back seat is actually used to carry baby is quite another matter altogether, though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM jep Posted May 24, 2020 Gold FFM Report Share Posted May 24, 2020 Back seats/luggage area is crucial to Evora and totally justifies Mike Kimberley insistence that Evora be +2. And unlike Excel, where the backbone chassis makes using the rear seats for luggage slightly awkward, the bench in Evora is perfect. Plus no-one can see any items stored. The +2 set-up justified my Evora purchase. Having owned the car for 2 years, I would still want it even as a 2 seater, as it is that good in a multitude of situations. +2 just means I can use it even more. 15,000 miles and counting. The Evora is quite simply a stunning achievement. Beautiful, practical, reliable, usable, low-cost maintenance, lightweight, dynamic and rare (sadly). Justin 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r3nault Posted July 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2020 I'm ecstatic to announce the new arrival - a 2010 NA Evora 2+2 in (carbon?) grey! There has been some conjecture on AE that it is titanium, but it is heaps darker than our other car (a gunmetal Mazda 6), and with the earthy fleck, so I am suspecting it's carbon. Anyway... After missing out on a great-looking white one with the 430 front end and black-out treatment (by a matter of minutes), having in principle agreed terms, I decided to have a closer look at the only other NA on the market in Oz. This one was near Newcastle NSW, with exceptionally low kms (31k) and fundamentally looked in good shape, though the advert photos were very ordinary (including some where the car was dusty), and there hadn't seemed a lot of effort spent on the description. It seemed to have been listed a long time, with obvious airbag cover issues, and being both interstate and outside a capital city it was also difficult to set up an inspection. Apart from being a small market to begin with, I suspect additional points counting against this car were the owner being possibly a non-enthusiast (loved the car but not Lotus), and mis-remembering service history information. He was also an older gent who was pretty difficult to get in touch with, by modern standards. Anyway, the short story is we agreed terms (on a decent discount), small deposit paid subject to PPI done at the local experts, and the report which came back was almost glowing - a real diamond in the rough! They also arranged transport to Melbourne along with clams and other racing bits which were headed down here, and I picked up my beautiful grey steed about a month back. I like the dark colour, the car itself gets a HEAP of attention, so definitely better for me that it is not also a loud colour. First impressions? - Still smells like a new car inside - Paintwork is in incredible condition for ten years old - will be immaculate after a cut and polish - It’s so nice to be driving NA again. Whilst turbo torque is a great thing, I have missed the sound, linearity and rev happy nature of NA. It’s a very sweet engine too - Good grief these things are cranky for the first few hundred metres. Heavy clutch, recalcitrant gearshift. But gets better quickly and then just starts to feel like you’ve been driving the thing for years. The mechanicalness of everything is really nice, with the highlight of course being the hydraulically assisted steering (and I love the 'snick-snick' noise when shifting!) - It’s true what the reviews said - like most cars, pictures just really don’t do it justice. It’s an amazing blend of beauty meets purposeful meets muscular. There really isn’t any bad angle in the metal My plans? Learn to drive better! Enjoy the drama and occasion of every drive, even if it's just mundane commuting. And keep it nice and original! No need to modify perfection... I've removed the big LOTUS decals (too garish for me), and eventually that carbon wrap will probably come off too... will see what sort of shape the paint underneath is in! For posterity, here are a couple of pics of my now-sold Megane 225 Cup... was a great ride for the five years I had it, but onwards and upwards in Lotus world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramjet Posted July 25, 2020 Report Share Posted July 25, 2020 I love the Evora’s ability to morph into a Megane. Just a bit concerned it didn’t morph back. 1 1 Quote All we know is that when they stop making this, we will be properly, properly sad.Jeremy Clarkson on the Esprit. Opinions are like armpits. Everyone has them, some just stink more than others. For forum issues, please contact one of us Moderators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LotusLeftLotusRight Posted July 25, 2020 Report Share Posted July 25, 2020 Nice car and welcome. Definitely take that wrap off the roof, wing and splitter. Doesn’t need it or suit it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM jep Posted July 25, 2020 Gold FFM Report Share Posted July 25, 2020 Carbon grey was the colour of choice for the design team on the original Evora. Justin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r3nault Posted March 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2021 On 25/07/2020 at 17:37, LotusLeftLotusRight said: Nice car and welcome. Definitely take that wrap off the roof, wing and splitter. Doesn’t need it or suit it. Finally got this done. Paint underneath in very good nick. Some matte black wrap to go back on the sills so squash the shape down, but otherwise it looks amazing as its maker intended! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.