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Evora 400 Reviews & Videos


DaveC72

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The mention of the Key is an interesting point.  I get why the Alpine, that's been discussed and makes sense.  But a good key... that has to be something Lotus could easily do, and something that is so tactile for the start up of the car.  Seems like an easy opportunity to drive home the step up in quality and attention to detail.  Pretty sure weight can't be claimed on this point :P  

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I think at some point over the weekend when I can't take her out due to copious amounts of food and booze, I'll have to write a more in depth opinion on the car. Just put her away after todays jolly, just tipped over 400 miles now since collection on Saturday, it's been a case of absolutely any excuse to get out for a drive! Safe to say it's going to be overwhelmingly positive even though there have been a couple of little niggles, I'm genuinely struggling to think of anything I'm not happy with on the car in comparison to my other two Evora's. Brilliant.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I guess Camrys are much more common in the US and probably more highly regarded too. Very few in the UK have ever seen or driven a V6 Camry, most of us would be more familiar with that engine as a Lexus V6. All I know is that it's a strong, torquey, reliable engine and sounds amazing in an Evora and very angry in an Exige!

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From what I've read on the internet by people posting in the US, the Camry doesn't seem to be in the slightest bit well regarded at all, which is why they all dismiss Lotus cars. To be fair these are usually moronic comments on youtube videos though, so hardly a good poll of intelligent musings. :D

 

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2 hours ago, Colin G said:

From what I've read on the internet by people posting in the US, the Camry doesn't seem to be in the slightest bit well regarded at all, which is why they all dismiss Lotus cars. To be fair these are usually moronic comments on youtube videos though, so hardly a good poll of intelligent musings. :D

 

Matt Farah is the guy in that video. He's a relatively well known auto enthusiast/journalist who has been on some TV shows about cars here in the US as well.  So yes, in the US, a Camry is not well regarded in the sense that it is a car you see 10-20 times every trip to the store, and its considered a reliable, but boring family car.  Thus, the special-ness of a Lotus using this engine is questioned.  I think he mentions it as often as he does in part because its temperament and sound track is SO far removed from what it is in a Camry, which most everyone has either driven or driven in over here.  If you check out the other videos on his Youtube channel that this one is on, you'll see he reviews a lot of both stock and modified cars, and he's usually pretty forth coming with faults, even in expensive cars.  So to see him so genuinely surprised and pleased is exciting (since I've yet to take delivery or even get to drive a 400).  Also nice to see a US based channel/reviewer with 500K subscribers get exposed to the car.  I still want to have the unique experience of not seeing a 400 on every trip out, but for Lotus as a brand its exciting to see the car picking up momentum leading up to the US release.

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2 hours ago, Colin G said:

From what I've read on the internet by people posting in the US, the Camry doesn't seem to be in the slightest bit well regarded at all, which is why they all dismiss Lotus cars. To be fair these are usually moronic comments on youtube videos though, so hardly a good poll of intelligent musings. :D

 

 The camry has been the biggest seller in the sedan segment for years! It is generally sold to one's grandpa or grandma and his considered as such... a car for elderlies... The GR-FE is  the "Camry engine"... Lotus doesn't get the "Lexus engine" GR-FSE which has been on Ward 10 best engine for a few years.  Funny thing the GR-FE also power the Lexus GS and RX but nobody cares about these they are also cars for old geezers.

 

Considering Chris Harris and Matt Farrah are buddies... I think we'll see Harris in the car before long. In the meantime lotus better get its US press fleet in the hands of Kelley blue book, Motortrend, /Drive, Motoman... and keep spreading the word.  

 

Edited by NedaSay
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Sorry, I didn't imagine that many people in the US found the Camry an exciting car but, rather, a dependable one. Much as I'd love to see more exotic engines in Lotus cars, reliability is the first job of any engine if they are ever going to succeed in reaching out beyond the brand's hardcore faithful. All they need is to get more people in the car and the orders will follow. I hope this video helps. Because there's nothing more boring than everyone driving the same sports car!

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  • 1 month later...

I had my test drive of the 400.   Here are some pics and my description of the experience.  :)

This car is not easier to get into than an "S" its simply easy to get in to like a normal car (with the seat back all the way.)   There is tons of room and I have to pull the seat waaaaayyyyy  up to reach the pedals because I am short legs.  ha.   The steering wheel has tilt and telescopes.  I don't think the S has the telescoping option?  Anyway, the seats are amazing.  even better than the ones in the S that I fell in love with.  This worries me, because this is not the USA car which will have different seats to provide side impact air bags.  Personally, I hate airbags, but we can argue that in another thread sometime.  Let's hope it doesn't change the shapes that matter in the seat because I love it as driven.  The gearshift is tight , firm and throws short compared to the S thanks to the 400's 100% aluminum linkage, vs plastic on the S.  The car feels big inside.  Much bigger than C7 corvettes which had notable reduced driver space compared to the outgoing C6's.  The race exhaust sounds sweet, but the cabin is so quiet, you actually loose most of the raspy audio of it, your neighbors and flat mates won't though.  :P

This car is easy to drive.  I don't mean compared to a Lambo or my old V8 Esprit...  I mean compared to any car.  the clutch pedal was feather light, intuitively engaging and lower gears were not grabby thanks to longer gear ratios.   Big brakes means stops were effortless and pedal feel was spot on.   Steering is Lotus amaze-balls as usual.  The sound is deceiving.  I wanted to shift at 3,800 because of the pitch of the screams from the engine , but there is soooo mucccchh   mmoooorrreee!!   6k RPM's is glorious and 7k almost feels like your mad at the poor car, yet it loves it.  It really feels like it will go that way all day and night.  The cracks and imperfections in the road are just.....gone... melted away by Lotus suspension magic.  The forward visibility is aces, another odd thing that got worse on corvettes going from the C6 to the C7. The 400 is definitely more the former. 

The power delivery is very unique.  It is not the spine crushing torque found in a corvette 427 cu. in. LS7, but more the smooth, sneak up on you, "oh pooop I am doing 95 in a 55" kind of power delivery.  With the sport mode exhaust turned off it is just down right civil and you won't know how fast you are going unless you pay close attention to those gauges.  Daily driver capable?  Absolutely.  Will it hang with a Corvette on a track?  Absolutely.  The grip would be terrifying if the confidence level it communicates wasn't so equally pleasant.  Much of that goes to the buttery smooth power delivery.

Downshifts are fun.  I think this car in an auto would be a crime.  So much has gone in to making the three pedal experience so exceptional.  The switches and the radio and controls are just right.  Easy to find, good tactile feedback.  The Alpine radio does the job with a touchscreen NAV that is fairly straight forward.  Personally, I LOVE the fact that Lotus is using the tried and true double-DIN standard for radio fitment.  If you don't like the Alpine , or new features become available in the car audio world, you can go aftermarket again without expensive adapters and custom trim work.  But we can argue more about that in an audio thread I suppose.

The back seats look like they have a lot more room compared to the S.  Yet, I feel this was really only accomplished by installing thinner cushions.  Most of the extra foot room comes from the driver being able to scoot the drivers seat forward more, rather than the back seats being back further I think.  Any way you slice it, the Evora 400 is still an actual 2+2...  something that Corvettes can never claim and makes for a wonderful addition for families (or pet owners?)  Yes, My St. Bernard might be a little cramped back there but the 400 more bench stye seat should do quite well for dogs Labrador sized on down.

The USA 400's have not been built.  EPA testing is still being finalized and until the blessing is issued, USA production is just a myth.  I have been told my car is at the front of the line, as the Lotus reps remembered my personal request to have last year's BLUE color instead of this years.  (read: they know I am a pain in the arse!)  It sounds like JUNE will be the earliest I can hope to see it...  and what a June it will be.

Edited by hyteck9
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  • Gold FFM

What a great write up - I could literally feel your excitement.

June might feel like a long time away but you already know it's going to be worth the wait!

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Nice write up.  Knowing our cars aren't even produced yet I go back to my "did I make the right choice ordering the car in an Auto"...  Several folks remarked that they got to test the auto and that it was surprisingly good, but pushed to it, they'd still take the Manual.

That's the issue ordering a car you don't get to test drive I guess.

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