Evora 400 simply dreadful

[rocket63]

On 4/29/2017 at 11:58, Simon on tour said:

It's clear to me me I need to tell you all the full story. This has been going on for almost a year now.

I don't mean to Slag of your cars. It's important that people no both sides of owning a lotus!

I'm currently in Cartagena spain but about to drive back to the UK. When I arrive in will post the full story of my last year with lotus.

Well Im quite sure your not slagging off my car but your own, which your quite entitled to do 

[Kimbers]

On 2017-4-29 at 11:03, Simon on tour said:

When you pay 75k for something you expect it to be spot on! 

When I have problems with my porsches they fixed my problems. They both have a total of no annoying features, are stunning to drive and will take you anywhere with compleat confidence. 

Even my 08 m3e90 has less rattles and squeeks than the lotus.

 

Welcome to the forum (I've been away for a few days so just catching up with this post).

Whilst everyone is welcome here, I think you can see from other members posts that they disagree with your opinion on the car, but it is just that, your opinion and you are allowed it. Whilst many of your issues are annoying, it doesn't make it a shit car! Many of the issues you have had are not exclusive to Lotus and I have even had on a Lambo I have driven.

LMAO. Sorry but what you are saying is that you are a Porker and BMW buyer (i.e. own a string of hairdressers) and are unimpressed that a drivers car that prides itself on lightness, nimbleness and pure driving experience, not to mention £25k cheaper than the Porkers, drives like a lightweight drivers car with a couple of minor issues! 

I have driven every Porsche on the Market (I buy cars for a living for a large organisation and often get sent away on "test drive weekends" etc) and to get anywhere near the sheer driving experience and enjoyment you get from a Lotus I needed a GT3 at £111,000. And guess what! Because it is lightened and stripped it rattled and knocked and the gearbox was clunky and noisy! But I accepted that because I enjoyed it!

In my opinion, anyone who likes a BMW is clearly buying the wrong car if they buy a Lotus. Sorry.

 

[C8RKH]

I guess it depends on why you buy the car you buy @Kimbers.  I bought my Evora and love it because it is NOT a Porsche or a Beemer. 

I've lost no money on it in depreciation. It's been 100% reliable (never let me down).

As for image. Well, I get let out at junctions. People smile at the car and me when I'm in it. People assume I am  a nice guy for driving it. People are genuinely interested in the car and well chuffed when they see it upfront / I let them sit in it. In fact, from a reaction and a response point of view it is the counterweight to the negativity associated with Porsche's and Beemers and their drivers.

I'll keep the Evora. You can keep the Porsche and Beemer. Everyone happy. But then as this is a Lotus Fan Boy site, no-one should be shocked by my decision

 

[JayEmm]

Funny you mention Junctions @C8RKH. My Dad used to add five minutes to his journey to work if he drove my Mum's BMW, versus driving his Jaguar, when we lived in the middle of town on a busy road.

Little details.

[C8RKH]

Where's the OP gone?

[TpupNomad]

I hope you can get the issues resolved and/or get into a car you will be happy with.  My experience is that cars are cars and none are perfect.  I'm also a huge Porsche nut and here's some of my direct experience.

16 GT3 - (currently own) No issues yet but we have all seen that the car has some significant engine issues.  I do worry about what this one is going to do; may not keep it after warranty.  Going to track the piss out of it this summer.

15 Macan S - (currently own, wife's daily driver) Tons of service bulletins and it rattles like an old wagon.  Porsche will not fix the rattles saying they are normal.  It's my wives car; if it was mine I'd sell it.  Rattles drive me insane.

13 991S - (currently own, my summer daily driver) When new it had the bad habit of shutting down randomly.  Dealer could not duplicate the problem so kept giving it back to me with no work done.  It finally did it to me in the fast lane of a major highway during rush hour traffic.  It would not re-start for 20 mins and I was shocked that I did not get rear ended/killed.  I was so pissed I drove it directly to the dealer and told them to keep it until they fixed it and if they could not fix it I was going to have my attorney shove it up someones rear.  Took them 30 days to fix it, some kind of cam sensor that turns out is a known problem on 991s.  There also seems to be some random crap with the electronics where it resets my settings and I have to re-program.  Frustrating.  The key/seat setting has never worked (or I don't know how it works on this car or the Macan).  That is were the key is supposed to set the seats/mirrors to my settings as opposed to my wife's.

Previously I had 2 996 Cabs (both purchased new), both had the transmissions replaced under warranty.  I had a Cayenne S (purchased new) that needed a new engine under warranty.  I had a 996 Turbo (purchased new) that was one of two cars that stranded me by the side of the road with 700 miles on it (ironically the other was a Lotus Esprit S1 - Fuel pump failure/at least this one was at a Pizza Hut so I got to eat while I waited).

Like the bumper sticker says "poop happens".  Get your car fixed and go driving.  If you are not happy get another car; life is short...

[C8RKH]

@TpupNomad  Wow. Very honest appraisal. Thank you for that. You're one Porsche driver I'd let out at a junction

 

[phaphaphooey]

While I love my Evora and find its "character" charming even when a failing wire harness caused the car to stall out in heavy interstate traffic, I will honestly say that thus far my 997.2 C2S has been flawless in its reliability compared to the Evora.  It is a far more mundane drive with much less character and driving it does not have the sense of occasion that the Evora does.  However, with that said it just works as you would expect in virtually all situations.  They are very different cars to me and are quite complimentary to each other.  

[brightoncorgi]

Would really like to buy a new 400, but had so many repeat service on repairs (dealer could never fix the first or sometimes 2nd time) that I am not so sure I would want to go down that road again.  Do dealerships give you a loaner car?  Our local dealer does not and are often booked week plus in advance...

[DarrylV8]

22 hours ago, C8RKH said:

@TpupNomad  Wow. Very honest appraisal. Thank you for that. You're one Porsche driver I'd let out at a junction

 

Yes but could be stuck behind while waiting for AA

i assume mr burgess is still writing his list of faults god the wait is brilliant, come on sb or should it be BS?

[JayEmm]

@brightoncorgi loan cars are up to each individual dealer to decide. You could get a 400 and have not one single fault. Or it could be off the road for a month. This can happen with any car from any car maker, at any price.

[Simon on tour]

Hi chaps arrived back in the U.K. Yesterday after a awesome drive home. Since my wife and I left the uk January we have driven to the artic in Finland to see the  northern lights. Then drove to the south of Spain Cartagena then back to the uk. Oh and we swapped our car half way due to a mot date mistake. My new panamera turbo s now has 4000 miles on the clock and so far no faults or irritations at all. So far perfect! Our average speed for the 4000 miles was 70 mph. Half the drives were in mountain rainges whair I rag my cars as much as I dare.

My 911 turbos s has had one fault in two such eu trips, a air conditioning sensor. No annoying features or squeaks.

I except I may have been lucky with both cars!

On to my Evora, I'm 43 and am not from cash and like most of you I grew up with bonds esprit and then the awesome later versions of this car. I've loved lotus since a child. So when the oppertuanty to own my dream car arose and I saw the early reviews of the Evora I was hooked. I test drove one the next week and found the car wonderful to thrash about on a test drive. 

So I bought the demonstrator being impatient and believing that the test demonstrator car was well tested. 

I didn't notice the squeaks as the car had been warmed up before the test. I spotted a air leak noise from the drivers door and was told I had not closed the door properly.

All other anyances were drounded out by the f1 type howle from the pipe as I enjoyably thrashed the car around silverstons countryside.

More to follow.

 

Edited May 3, 2017 by Simon on tour
Type o

[JayEmm]

Unfortunately not all demonstrators are cared for as well as they should be. A friend of mine recently looked at a 400 and drove a dealer demonstrator. Afterwards I suggested he try mine as the spec was different and the test drive was very short. He noted that the quality of my car felt leagues ahead of the demo car, despite mine having 4x the mileage.

 

There are a few 400s out there - nearly all early ones - which Lotus would probably have been wise to buy back, but did not. Yours might be one of those. It might not. 

 

A friend of mine recently returned a car from a very well known German dealer thanks to a steering pump that failed at 34,000 miles and a dealer that during their 200 point check and MOT failed to notice one of the cats had been removed from the car!!

[Simon on tour]

Maybe your right Jay,

So I traded in our m6 gran coupe which was insainly powerful but a week chassis.  We received our Evora. Instantly I noticed the air leek from the door. My drivers door simply dose not fit. Door not closed my ass! 

Next I notice the tractor noise from the gearbox in low torx situations. I hope this would pas as I broke in the car. It didn't.

Then the seat became loose,I noticed dreadful paint finishes,the supercharge belt also squeaked and the power steering pump squealed on full lock.

I complained about all the faults except for the tractor gearbox(I new they couldn't fix it) and arranged for the car to be returned. Then enjoyed driving the car with my belief being lotus would fix my car so it didn't annoy the shit out of me. 

They had my car for 3 months!

Fixed the seat for now.(Like that's gonna last)

Realy screwed the paint up this time. I mean awfull thick wavy finish and didn't even remove the masking tape properly or clean or polish the car.

The drivers door still doesn't fit but they fixed the air leek for us to find another loud air leak from the rear seat aria.

Power stearing was the still scavenging, supercharger still squeaking.

I had also failed to find a position of seat and mirrors that would allow me to see if my driving had attracted the wrong attention.

I drove the care twice for 10min only and asked for a full refund. 

Lotus then offed to fix my car again but classified half my faults as characteristics. Squeaks and rattles from wet belts,dry bearings and badly set up pumps not faults. This to me is funny, on all my cars if they squeak a bearing is dry or the belt is wet. Both are FAULTS. And I replace dry bearing and WTF water on the belts.

Dose it not rain in Norfolk!  Tip for lotus. Seal the engine bay from the rain! Complex I no.

 

 

 

[Simon on tour]

This was may last year and the car has not left my house since. I went and bought my 991 turbos s which is simply a crazy beast with tremendous all round all weather performance and a true track weapon.

Now this bit is odd as whilst talking with you lot I mentiond I found the car awesome when flat out. Annoying all other times.

So I'm board in England and have car I only enjoy to thrash.

Is my lotus any good entering races?

If so then I may have a use for it! And it may avoid the axe!

 

Edited May 4, 2017 by Simon on tour
Type o

[ramjet]

And still not one photo?

Maybe I am not as up to date as some others, but I do not know of any car that has an engine bay that can not get wet if it is raining.

I also have an S4 in which the PAS pump squeals if it is on full lock. That is the relief valve passing as it is meant to do. I don't know about you, but the only time I use full lock is reversing out of my driveway. It just isn't a problem. If you consider it one, then maybe you should not do a lot of driving on full lock?

How could you have done a test drive in the very car that you have now bought and you can't get the mirrors situated correctly now, but you apparently did when you had your test drive? I would have thought that would be the second thing you would set up after getting the seating position correct?

They fixed the door air leak, but it still doesn't fit? What do you mean by that?

As far as the paint goes, showing that to the dealer should be an easy correction.

I have an Esprit. I am more than likely going to have to sell it on due to a medical reason. My allegiance to Lotus is not as strong as others on here, but I can't help but think that you are exaggerating, to put it politely.

[Chris J]

You say you've had the car back since last May and it hasn't left your house.  My advice would be sell it, it's obviously not the car for you anymore.  From the way you write you've bonded with your Porsches, so take the car to lotus Silverstone or a n other main dealer and have them put it on sale or return.  

[C8RKH]

What Chris says. It is obvious you enjoy the brand and the build of Porsche so cut your losses and just move on. Life's too short. If you are going to axe give me a call and I'll happily give you scrap value for it to save you breaking a sweat chopping up. I'll be doing you a favour.

[Barrykearley]

I'd simply give it away - frankly that's the only way you will avoid any comebacks.

I can ensure it's not inflicted on anyone else if you want me to get it removed. I'll even buy you a cake in the shape of a Porsche as a thank you

[pickle]

8 hours ago, JayEmm said:

There are a few 400s out there - nearly all early ones - which Lotus would probably have been wise to buy back, but did not. Yours might be one of those

Based upon a sample size of one I'd have to disagree with this statement.

Eight months and 6000 miles in with my early Evora I haven't had a single fault that has left me wishing that Lotus would buy the car back. Anything that has gone wrong has been dealt with by the dealers and I've received excellent service. I know you've had bad luck with yours, but creating a perception that all early cars are bad is doing Lotus a disservice.

I hope that the OP finds a solution that he's happy with. I was a little dubious after his first post late on a Friday. It just seemed a little too antagonistic to ring true. However fair play to him that he's come back on here and presented the facts. I have a lot of respect for that. 

[JayEmm]

@pickle maybe you misread my statement. When I say a few cars, I mean literally three or four of which I know have been extremely problematic. 

All of them happened to be early ones. I am NOT saying all early cars are problematic, not at all. I know far more good ones than bad, yours obviously included in there. You'll notice I also take pains to point out Lotus are not unique in having the odd bad car out there.

It does sound to me however like our OP simply has odd expectations. Worst car you've ever owned but you've left it standing for a year? If it was that bad you'd either use it or get rid. I should certainly hope a 911 Turbo S is better built and faster. They're twice the price of an Evora.

 

PS I think you'll find if Lotus (or Porsche) sealed and waterproofed their engine bays their engines would not last long

[franjipane]

Could still do with some pictures!

[pickle]

Cheers JayEmm, I think that you're right. The way it was written could be taken two ways, and I took it the wrong way ('nearly all new ones....')

Fancy a virtual pint and a group hug? 

 

[JayEmm]

Mine's a Pepsi Max

 

[pickle]

But you're still okay for a hug right??? Don't deny me that fella....