Caterham to Evora

[Edmundo2]

Hi,

I've been lurking on here for a while as have a hankering for an Evora,( i think ).

Has anyone made the move from Caterham to Evora..?

I currently own a quick "Freestyle" Caterham, ( No.6 of 8 built ). 

Wide axle in S3 chassis with inboard wide track front suspension and 2.3ltr duratech on RBTB etc..They were built by Gary May/Len Unwin of Freestyle after they left Caterham, ( where they had worked on/developed the JPE cars..)

Its a lovely car and really quick etc but I'm not tracking it like I thought I would , ( don't enjoy it as much as competition ).

I appreciate an Evora is a very different proposition but I loved my previous modded Cayman S and have a hankering for something mid engined with good ride/handling and minimum 6 cylinders.

I'd love a 400 but can prob only stretch to an S..

If anyone can relate or comment on similar experience I'd be keen to hear, ( did you instantly miss the 7 performance), or if anyone is contemplating moving to a Caterham please let me know of you want to hear more..

Cheers,

Ed

 

[au-yt]

I had both at the same time and the DNA from of a S3, 7 is definitely there in the EVORA and a 400 in my case. The Evora even given its weight is surprisingly agile but with modern comforts and a  bit more inconspicuous😁

 

[Intrepid]

I moved from a Westfield to an Evora as my 'weekend' car (the Westfield would be a 340 in Caterham terms and the Evora is an NA). 

I think it depends on your intended use case. For me, I wasn't getting the miles in in my Westfield. 10% of the time it was the best thing I could be driving - e.g. heading to a country pub on a sunny Sunday. 90% of the time it wasn't an option as the weather wasn't great or I was going to need to move children/luggage or might have to leave it in a car park overnight etc... 

The Evora is SO much more usable and now, 90% of the time, I can use it for a journey if I wish to do so.

The performance isn't as 'raw' but I feel a lot safer. I have driven my Westfield on track and felt very exposed. I now have a different car I race/do track days in so that itch is scratched. 

To summarise, I think '7' type cars are excellent and I loved mine - but it taught me they need to be a third or even fourth car, not a second, if you are to enjoy them without begrudging the impracticality. I am very glad I made the move. 

[jep]

Evora NA is a really good car, probably the best of all Evora in the real world of speed limits. You can rag it and 276bhp means you're never likely to be in trouble (safety-wise, police another matter). Lightest Evora too.

I'm never disappointed to be in my NA even when changing from the 340R, both are brilliant and give huge driving pleasure.

Justin 

 

[thealastair34]

I own a Seven, a live axle car with 350bhp, a S2 Elise 111r & a S1 Evora N/A

You will never match the Caterham for that ultimate driving thrill but that only happens about 5 times a year when all the stars align.

The Elise or Exige for me offer 90% of the thrills but all year round, great with the roof off chasing the 8,500rpm limiter.

The Evora is an amazing GT car & the comfort is unreal how it glides over terrible roads, its big though and i dont enjoy countryside runs out in it as much as the Elise.

I would say it depends on what you want to use the car for really, if i could only keep one fun car for weekends and nice days it would be my Elise.

[Whitey]

I've had 3 Elises S1, S111S and 111R which I traded in for a NA Evora and dont regret it at all. Budget permitting (and storage space) I would keep the Cat and get a NA Evora - best of both worlds.  I still have access to my son's tuned S1 135 Elise ( its in my garage alongside the Evora!) but I very rarely take it out for a blast as I just prefer the Evora.

[Edmundo2]

Thanks all...Sums up my thoughts..

I'd go for an Exige S3 but again they are out of my price range for now..

I like the size and nimbleness of Elise but I really want a more torquey/exotic engine..

On this basis it looks like Evora S or another Cayman S is my only option if looking at £35k ish max..

Appreciate the comments re NA versions and i guess I need to not dismiss them without trying one but just think they might feel a little short on grunt..

Will keep pondering but thanks so far for the info..

Ed

 

 

[Alfa2Evora]

19 minutes ago, Edmundo2 said:

Appreciate the comments re NA versions and i guess I need to not dismiss them without trying one but just think they might feel a little short on grunt..

Most of the time, the NA is plenty quick enough. What it lacks in outright grunt, it more than compensates for with its reduced mass compared to its supercharged big brother - OK, it won't corner quite like a Caterham but it's surprisingly nimble for its size. 7+ years into ownership, I still get a big smile every time I'm out in it - every trip is an occasion.

If you really feel you need a bit more 'get up and go', you can then always do what I did. Take an NA, add a full 'tuned length' exhaust system, a cold air induction kit then have it remapped. Pretty much the same power-to-weight ratio but without the extra running costs associated with an S. 

[Bruss]

If you are looking for a gentle relaxed but fast car then the torque of the S is what you want. The na can be hustled along, but it needs to be hustled along, the S does it all by itself.

[SCMTBCOACH]

I went from a Caterham's/ Westfield's to an Evora and it is just so much more usable not just because it has a roof but also for reasons such as clearance (for pot holes etc) getting in and out, fuel tank size etc etc. also a big thing for me was safety, Caterham are great but we can't pretend they are safe and being so low other drives don't spot them, The 2+2 Evora also has the big advantage of rear seats (for children) or good storage if not using them as seats.  In terms of performance a Caterham wouldn't see which way an Evora went down a bumpy B road (or it might keep up but you would be taking you life in your hands!) the steering feel,  well set up dampers and suspension travel plus the traction from mid engine layout are just hard to beat. 100 percent things will beat them on track but in the real world they are very fast cars A-B 

as others have said don't discount the NA with a cold air intake and a remap it will be about 295-300 bhp but with lower weight compared to the S. 

 

if you local i would be happy to take you out in mine

coincidently it is also for sale! lol! 

 

https://www.lotusforsale.com/ads/lotus-evora-launch-edition-burnt-orange/

 

 

[Edmundo2]

Yes I agree...My Cayman was a similar proposition, ( running kW v3 suspension ).. The reality is I need different cars for different jobs but it's not an option so ill just accept that I'll change cars reasonably regularly in order to experience more of them..

I told myself my toy really is just for evening and weekend blasts which it is for the majority of the time and therefore a 7 is properly involving..However the one thing that really stood out in the Cayman was the quality and composure which tbh are really nice traits and can count for a lot in terms of ownership proposition.. I know the build quality of an Evora is probably not quite on a par but im sure the ride and steering are hence the appeal..

Your car looks really well sorted and a good buy for someone..I quite like the Orange but not sure its me..Interesting info on the cold air mod so thanks for bringing to my attention and glws..

Ed

[Spanky3]

I have both, an IPS S sports racer and an ex-academy now supersport caterham, alongside my daily driver. I've had the caterham 9 years and the Evora for 3.  The caterham is far easier to have fun on the road with. Its light, narrow and can be thrown about at reasonably legal speeds. Its a proper race car. Its also more of faff, not ideal for popping to the shops in or carrying passengers and consequently I only drive it a handful of times a year but surprise myself with how much fun it is when I do.  The evora on the other hand is fast, comfortable, and easy to live with. I drive it at least weekly.  The size and handling characteristics make it a lot less exhilarating at road speeds, you could corner at twice the legal speed limit with none of the drama or involvement of the caterham at 30. Important thing is that I drive it though while the caterham sits at home.  

I bought the evora for the rear seats as it meant I could combine driving my car with family responsibilities.  If you don't need rear seats then also consider Elise and exige as caterham alternatives.

[SCMTBCOACH]

10 hours ago, Edmundo2 said:

Yes I agree...My Cayman was a similar proposition, ( running kW v3 suspension ).. The reality is I need different cars for different jobs but it's not an option so ill just accept that I'll change cars reasonably regularly in order to experience more of them..

I told myself my toy really is just for evening and weekend blasts which it is for the majority of the time and therefore a 7 is properly involving..However the one thing that really stood out in the Cayman was the quality and composure which tbh are really nice traits and can count for a lot in terms of ownership proposition.. I know the build quality of an Evora is probably not quite on a par but im sure the ride and steering are hence the appeal..

Your car looks really well sorted and a good buy for someone. I quite like the Orange but not sure its me..Interesting info on the cold air mod so thanks for bringing to my attention and glws..

Ed

No probs, it is a really good engine with a few mods and more than fast enough for the road, I actually enjoy it more than faster cars i have has as i was always a bit in fear for my licence. Fun from a lotus comes in the corners and flow down the road no straight line speed and the NA does handle better apparently due to the lower centre of gravity (doesn't have the supercharger weight sat up high) 

 

cheers Paul 

[TdM]

I agree, for fast road driving, I definitely think the NA is a good balance of people able to push it without going crazy fast a 400 is going to put you into crazy numbers really quickly especially considering how quickly you can go through corners and how early you can get on the power in an Evora.

Even the NA at high speeds you can feel the engine is sat fairly high up, especially if you tackle a crest whilst turning, it'll take a while for the rear to settle down whilst the front will just ravenously get back into line. Any more weight up high seems like a bad idea!

 

Totally jealous of those who have an Evora and a Caterham BTW. The Caterham is a bit of a dream car for me (along with a Morgan 3 wheeler) but it's also an impossibility for the time being!

[jerzybondov]

Just to add some balance to the good old NA vs S discussion - I drove a bunch of NAs, and very sweet they were too, but I didn't feel they had the go to match either the looks or the chassis. The S had a dollop more shove that made me grin, and felt just as tight, if not tighter round the bends. 

Drive both and see which is right for you! 

[Edmundo2]

Thanks for that...That's as I would imagine..I fully appreciate its not all about speed and a lot of the appeal of an Evora for me is the ride quality/noise/steering but my Cayman S was 295bhp and almost perfect but I always felt an extra 50 bhp, ( or weight loss of 150kg ), would have really nailed it but unfortunately a Hartech 3.9 conversion would be required which cost about £12k which was not an option as I would never have recouped it at sale..

On this basis I'd fear the same with an NA Evora...I'd poss regret not having the bit of Extra grunt..

[Phaeton91]

I didn’t have a caterham but built a Dutton years ago that I still own.  Pinto SOHC and twin 40s - proper old school.

There’s no getting away from the fact that sort of a car is for the hardcore.  There is something special about the rawness of it but once you get past thatthe compromises in using a 2 seater rigid axle car with no roof and no doors are fully apparent.  

So even though I loved it and it came with massive kudos and feelgood / feel tough factor i have to say that cars like the Evora are in a different league probably to the point that they aren’t fair comparisons.  It was the case that the Dutton is only really good for a blast but nowadays I feel that it has so many limitations that I can’t use it.

[Edmundo2]

Whilst this thread is quite active ..does anybody know of any Yorkshire based Evora S owners that might be willing to show me around their car or poss take me for a quick drive..?

I had the 7 out for a quick blat last night, ( with a friend in a similarly powered R500 evo ), and it was great ...

I know there'll be times I'd really miss it but still think I could be interested in making the move however before advertising it I need to know that an Evora S would fit the bill..

There's not much else that floats my boat for the money on paper at least but I guess I should at the very least experience one before thinking of selling the Caterham as I still really enjoy it so would want to be sure..

Cheers, Ed

[thealastair34]

Not a S but ive got a NA Evora & a 111r Elise im near Wakefield if you wanted a look around or a ride in either of them