Evora NA - will I be disappointed?

[DrRick]

So, I'm trying to get out of my Lexus ISF (5.0 N/A V8 with 417bhp), and get back into Lotus after a year with an S3 Elise S.

My target, primarily due to budget, is an early Evora N/A.

Simple question, am I going to be disappointed?

I'm thinking the N/A power delivery might be similar to the ISF, but with only 2/3 the peak level, will I feel I have to wring its neck to get it going?

I test drove an S2 Exige N/A to get a feel for that power train and was disappointed. Can the torque of the V6 overcome that initial 'gap'?

I know I've got to arrange a test drive (not that easy, believe me), but I can't help feeling I'm putting the Evora on a pedestal somewhat. And the only way is down.

I'm looking for driving to be an event, otherwise (no offence) I'd just buy a Merc A45-AMG. I can see that some of the event will come from just the static interior / exterior. But, and could it be a big but, the drive itself.....

Put my kind at rest, or tell me I've got a point. I'll take either view.

[Bibs]

Have you read my long term reviews? There are 6 different types of Evora reviewed in there, you'll get a feel for the differences. 

https://www.thelotusforums.com/category/latest-news/long-term-tests/

(They're listed in reverse order of publication, start with the Canyon Red NA ) 

 

[Harey]

I've owned an ISF, A45, and Evora.

All three are completely different.  Of course the A45 is very fast, especially to 60, and the turbo gives a completely different delivery.

If you like the ISF, you won't be disappointed in the NA Evora. 

[pickle]

33 minutes ago, Bibs said:

Have you read my long term reviews? There are 6 different types of Evora reviewed in there, you'll get a feel for the differences. 

 

@Bibs Andy Betts? I honestly had no idea that you had a real name 

[JayEmm]

I've never seen the S to be much more expensive than an NA? The good news is the N.A. is quite tunable and 300ish bhp is apparently reasonably easy with a good exhaust and air filter.

From my limited experience I found the original gear ratios to put a dampener on things - 4th and beyond just seem far too long, which obviously Lotus agreed with as they soon changed them.

@C8RKH is probably your man for all things Evora NA 

[DrRick]

Thanks all, so far. I'm an impatient sod and can see A45's around on the market, and the guy I got my ISF from now has a Rebellion tuned A45 (that he's about to sell, so he can get into a Giulia Quadrifoglio) and I can easily be persuaded. Or, I can bide my time.....

Problem is that my normal commute is 65 a day round trip, which could hurt the value of the ISF, while the Evora is holding.

I'll read those reviews @Bibs, thank you.

Just a wobble maybe.

[LazyDonkey]

Is it as fast as an A45 or any of the other whizz bang turbo nutter hatches?   No it's not.  Not even close.  If it's "fuck me it's quick" straight line speed you are craving then it's not going to appeal.  Likewise if your searching for the ideal "everycar" then it's not going to come close to an a45 for the mix of abilities. 

However it is an event.  I swap my 80 mile round trip commuting duties between a Volvo xc60 and a NA and jumping into the evora never fails to lift my mood.  Even a dull m8 slog can be enlivened by just looking in the side mirrors and seeing the intakes and the haunches. 

However that's not where it's best suited, it will do it much much better than an elise though (i came from a vx220).   However on the backroads it's just sublime, again it's not the fastest thing on a b road but for me it offers 90% of the vxlise involvement without being unbearable on a 3 hour a9 slog.    I used my as my daily driver for a year and it coped just fine, but i didn't get the best out of it and it will have an impact on the normally solid evora residuals. 

It's nothing like the s2 yota exige engine wise.  Nothing.  

As i said the other week - lets get something arranged and you can see what you think of my car.   I work in an office full of petrol heads and i've given test rides to people used to 135s, m5s, 911s, XFR's anything you can imagine and no-one has every climbed out thinking "well that was disappointing". 

Whether it's for you or not is another thing entirely.  

 

EDIT : Can i ask why you sold the Elise?   That's probably the most important part if you tell us what it didn't do for you......

 

Edited May 23, 2017 by LazyDonkey

[DrRick]

@LazyDonkey, sold the Elise S as my wife was going back to full time work following our son going into a little more structured school as opposed to a nursery type environment. So I needed 4-seats as opposed to 2 (two children, plus me don't fit into an Elise when the need to be flexible over school pick up / drop off is needed).

That situation has changed again (otherwise I'd still be in the Elise S). My wife has now needed to take time away from work, so my need for more than 2 seats all the time is diminished, but I'd like to remain slightly flexible and I like Lotus.

In short, what it didn't do for me was have enough seats.

[Bibs]

56 minutes ago, pickle said:

@Bibs Andy Betts? I honestly had no idea that you had a real name 

Shhh! 

[LazyDonkey]

27 minutes ago, DrRick said:

@LazyDonkey, sold the Elise S as my wife was going back to full time work following our son going into a little more structured school as opposed to a nursery type environment. So I needed 4-seats as opposed to 2 (two children, plus me don't fit into an Elise when the need to be flexible over school pick up / drop off is needed).

That situation has changed again (otherwise I'd still be in the Elise S). My wife has now needed to take time away from work, so my need for more than 2 seats all the time is diminished, but I'd like to remain slightly flexible and I like Lotus.

In short, what it didn't do for me was have enough seats.

I guess the reason i ask is that the elise isn't the fastest thing on the road, but that's kinda not the point. 

So if you can see past the bhp / 0-60 / car park brags enough to buy and elise than that will serve you well in terms of "getting" evora ownership.   

Many of the evora owners i know came from a vxlise chassis but kids / old age / general can't be arsed with the f*cking thing leaking all the time / needing ear plugs to drive pointed them in the direction of the evora. 

I know a couple of fellas who were euro trackday junkies who then went onto a v6 exiges and a evora 400 but most of the owners that made the jump are more than happy. 

Edited May 23, 2017 by LazyDonkey

[Snoopy1969]

If you are thinking "mid-engined car" will be fine for me the Evora will be one of the most if not the most (plus 2 seats) practical cars.

No matter which version you will get the fantastic handling (and in my eyes that is the r e a l difference compared to the other mentioned cars)

After 5 years within an Evora S I could recommend only buying one, if the concept and room is enough for you (which has been the case for me)

The only downside is the availibility of some spare parts (and maybe: how near is the next Lotus Service)  compared to other manufacturers............

Power never an issue for me, I would have bought a NA if a good used example has been around in 2011/2012 with deductible VAT

 

[DrRick]

OK, so maybe all this is in my head then.

Simple approach:

1. Stop overthinking
2. Stop rushing to buy the nearest car (but don't leave it for ever or the ISF won't be worth beans)
3. Get a go in a couple of Evora's to satisfy the concerns

I have a private Evora in mind, but he only want's cash, and I have a car plus cash. Clearly that doesn't match. So I need to either stick it out to sell the ISF privately for a little more cash, or find a trader willing to buy the car outright, for slightly less. Just don't want to miss the boat.

[plenty]

I’ve not driven an NA, but like you I suspect that despite how special every Evora undeniably feels, it just wouldn’t have enough poke for my tastes.  The chassis can certainly handle it.

My S has the Komo-tec EV430 package fitted which gives it a nice amount of power/torque.  I wouldn’t want less actually.

A number of S’es have come on the market this year in the mid £30ks including the one I bought, so if you’re able to stretch that far, sell the IS-F first and have cash waiting to pounce when the right car comes up.

[DrRick]

@plenty, see that's my niggle.

My 'thing' though is that the alternative car (I've been talking to a guy about a Brabus tuned A45-AMG) wan cost as much as a N/A Evora but has effectively the same power as my ISF. Has 4WD. Is cheaper on tax and insurance. Will hold the children for far longer (growth wise) than the Evora. But, it will devalue much more than the Evora. it doesn't have the visual grab of the Evora (despite the wings and canards that appeal to the inner child in me, sorry).

Edited May 23, 2017 by DrRick

[CocoPops]

As an example.... I could pedal an NA Evora (276/1380kg) as quick as my best friend in his VX220 Supercharged (260bhp/900kg) around Spa, due to the confidence and set up of the Evora. There really wasn't much more to eek out in either car, it was 9/10s from both of us, maybe a little more if pushing to 10/10s

On paper, the VX should have been SO much faster, but on track, a fag paper over a 3minute laptime.

[Bravo73]

1 hour ago, DrRick said:

 (I've been talking to a guy about a Brabus tuned A45-AMG)

Hot hatch (ten'a'penny) vs mid-engined sports car (when was the last time you saw one on the road?)

Do you want to follow the crowd or stand out from it? Seems like an easy choice to me. 

[DrRick]

7 minutes ago, Bravo73 said:

Hot hatch (ten'a'penny) vs mid-engined sports car (when was the last time you saw one on the road?)

Do you want to follow the crowd or stand out from it? Seems like an easy choice to me. 

And that is entirely why I'm considering the Evora. Some of my car history:

• Custom built MGB Roadster in Tahiti metallic blue with Ivory leather
• S3 Elise S in Sienna Brown with Cocoa Brown leather interior
• Audi S4 supercharged (clutching at straws for this one)
• Defender D90, just because
• Lexus ISF

I don't do mainstream - I'm not a Mondeo Man.

Being from Edinburgh, with Murray Motors on my doorstep, I see a few Loti about, but I see way more of any other car.

[mik]

No-one can answer the question - you need to try (ie drive one) and decide. 

One of my driving buddies  (now with a v6 Exige) had an NA Evora. I had a VXR8 at the time. His never seemed slow on the faster sections or during overtakes, but i could never hang onto him on the twistier stuff.

I have an S in Glasgow if you wanted to try and compare the pace?

 

Edited May 23, 2017 by mik

[plenty]

As others have pointed out: chalk and cheese, apples and oranges.

An A45 and an Evora are about as different as you could possibly identify within a common price point.  Hatch vs mid-engined coupe?  Effortless turbo mid-range vs. linear NA/S revviness?  Manual vs paddles?  Brutal pace vs. delicate feedback?  It’s really up to you to work out what you want from a car based on your own needs and occasions.  Should you eat steak or lobster for dinner?  The answer is it depends, and only you can really decide.

One thing to consider: I haven’t driven an A45 but I do own a 440 bhp Impreza so I get the 4WD turbo thing.  My Impreza is only interesting/fun when you’re going really fast, and I suspect an A45 is no different.  The Evora entertains at all speeds and across a wider variety of situations.

Edited May 23, 2017 by plenty

[DrRick]

8 minutes ago, mik said:

No-one can answer the question - you need to try (ie drive one) and decide. 

One of my driving buddies  (now with a v6 Exige) had an NA Evora. I had a VXR8 at the time. His never seemed slow on the faster sections or during overtakes, but i could never hang onto him on the twistier stuff.

I have an S in Glasgow if you wanted to try and compare the pace?

 

I'm going to catch up with @LazyDonkey on Friday to see what an N/A is all about. And there's the LEGS Breakfast Club in Grassmarket on the 4th.

Much as I'd like to say, lets catch up so I can see an S in action, and given I work in EuroCentral most days (which is close enough to Glasgow, right?) - I have to be sensible and my budget won't reach / my negotiation skills won't massage the figures that much that I can get into an S. Thanks for the offer though.

[Evo400]

You will probably be waiting for a while as you are advertising the ISF at £19.5k.

The Evora is a significantly better car although slightly less practical.  

Ive had my NA for 1 week and I can tell you it is fast enough generally but slow relative to how it looks.  Within the first week of ownership I have had all my neighbours pop over to comment on how lovely the Evora looks (with black pack) and how it resembles a Ferrari and a Lamborghini. They all also mentioned how they did not even know that the Evora existed. They all own C63s, M4s, M2s and Range Rovers.  They walked round the car many times admiring the curves (with the help of the black pack). 

In short, 2 kids will be fine with the Evora so go buy one.  The Evora is also a massive step up to any Merc let alone an A45. Also no offence intended but ISF to the untrained eye looks like a banger £2k IS250.

Evora handles superbly and the Recaro seats are one of the most comfortable standard seats I have sat in.  The Evora looks like a genuine supercar and handles like one but in NA form doesn't quite have the power to put it into supercar territory. 

[DrRick]

10 minutes ago, plenty said:

As others have pointed out: chalk and cheese, apples and oranges.

An A45 and an Evora are about as different as you could possibly identify within a common price point.  Hatch vs mid-engined coupe?  Effortless turbo mid-range vs. linear NA/S revviness?  Manual vs paddles?  Brutal pace vs. delicate feedback?  It’s really up to you to work out what you want from a car based on your own needs and occasions.  Should you eat steak or lobster for dinner?  The answer is it depends, and only you can really decide.

One thing to consider: I haven’t driven an A45 but I do own a 440 bhp Impreza so I get the 4WD turbo thing.  My Impreza is only interesting/fun when you’re going really fast, and I suspect an A45 is no different.  The Evora entertains at all speeds and across a wider variety of situations.

The probable answer is I want it all, same as anyone. And that's probably what's appealing about the A45 in that it is capable across the board compared to the run of the mill cars. I want steak and lobster, please.

The Brabus A45 would most likely make a degree of noises at low speeds, but as you say it's the high speed arena's where it would come into it's own, and that would be few and far between in opportunities. And that's the reason for the Elise S and the MGB - it doesn't matter that it couldn't keep up with proper exotica, more smiles per mile though.

[DrRick]

4 minutes ago, Evo400 said:

You will probably be waiting for a while as you are advertising the ISF at £19.5k.

The Evora is a significantly better car although slightly less practical.  

Ive had my NA for 1 week and I can tell you it is fast enough generally but slow relative to how it looks.  Within the first week of ownership I have had all my neighbours pop over to comment on how lovely the Evora looks (with black pack) and how it resembles a Ferrari and a Lamborghini. They all also mentioned how they did not even know that the Evora existed. They all own C63s, M4s, M2s and Range Rovers.  They walked round the car many times admiring the curves (with the help of the black pack). 

In short, 2 kids will be fine with the Evora so go buy one.  The Evora is also a massive step up to any Merc let alone an A45. Also no offence intended but ISF to the untrained eye looks like a banger £2k IS250.

Evora handles superbly and the Recaro seats are one of the most comfortable standard seats I have sat in.  The Evora looks like a genuine supercar and handles like one but in NA form doesn't quite have the power to put it into supercar territory. 

I think the word you're looking for is 'stealth'

Point taken though, as the stealth thing can work both ways. And the price is dropping slightly. I'm almost prepared to talk to trade for a PX......almost.

I have a potential buyer for the exhaust and the winter tyres which could offset some of the drop from the PX as they just don't care about these things.

[plenty]

9 minutes ago, Evo400 said:

 Within the first week of ownership I have had all my neighbours pop over to comment on how lovely the Evora looks (with black pack)

Also no offence intended but ISF to the untrained eye looks like a banger £2k IS250.

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that I really like the IS-F (love sleepers) and I'm totally indifferent to the attention my Evora gets.  I realise I'm in a minority here - after all, there's a 30-page thread on this forum with people's glowing reports on how much positive attention they get.

If you like attention, there is no better car.  Fortunately how my Evora makes ME feel overrides the feeling of driving a fishbowl.

[mik]

21 minutes ago, DrRick said:

I'm going to catch up with @LazyDonkey on Friday to see what an N/A is all about. And there's the LEGS Breakfast Club in Grassmarket on the 4th.

Much as I'd like to say, lets catch up so I can see an S in action, and given I work in EuroCentral most days (which is close enough to Glasgow, right?) - I have to be sensible and my budget won't reach / my negotiation skills won't massage the figures that much that I can get into an S. Thanks for the offer though.

No problem sir. Fwiw my VXR8 was an LS3 with intake and exhaust mods - would be pretty much inseparable from your ISF in performance terms.