Peoples’ reaction to your Evora

[Dave Eds]

That's ancient then.......

[phil flash]

Yup.

[Alfa2Evora]

On 03/10/2021 at 20:41, Dave Eds said:

That's ancient then.......

Oi! I qualify for my State Pension, sorry, pocket money a week today and I certainly don't regard myself as ancient, well not yet anyway, .

[phil flash]

Everything is relative... my sister is 4 years older than me so she's always been "old", me not so.   

Have you claimed State Pension yet?  If you don't it's increased by 1% every 9 weeks so over 5.7% p.a. until you do claim it.  You'll struggle to find a better tax free return on any Deposit Account, ISA or whatever...   https://www.gov.uk/deferring-state-pension/what-you-get

[C8RKH]

Don't forget state pension income is taxable above your tax free limit. So if you're not careful you could find your total earnings being subjected to additional tax charges. However if you have saved tax free into an ISA then any draw down from that is exempt from any tax as not considered part of your taxable income. 

A sensible strategy would have several strands to it. Also remember Gold holdings are not subject to Capital gains or other taxes iirc.

Edited October 5, 2021 by Bravo73

[Dave Eds]

7 hours ago, Alfa2Evora said:

Oi! I qualify for my State Pension, sorry, pocket money a week today and I certainly don't regard myself as ancient, well not yet anyway, .

You won't look as old as Phil does...........

[Alfa2Evora]

17 hours ago, phil flash said:

Have you claimed State Pension yet?  

Deferred. I'm still going to be working for a bit yet and I'm already getting an RAF pension, with a further personal plan kicking in next week so I'll leave the State one until I need some extra petrol money, .

Getting the thread back 'on topic', I was down in a nearby retail park today and attracted the attention of a group of car-culture youths who were really interested in hearing all about the Evora. While they were giving it a good look-over, a shopper strolled past and made some comment along the lines of "Why would you want to run around in something like that?", , before jumping into their Nissan Puke,  .

[EGTE]

You "run around" in a crap-box like a Puke. You drive an Evora.

[PaulCP]

I always loved those comments of jealousy, it was the same a few years ago with the anti 4x4 brigade. 

I usually take such comments to mean “I want one but can’t have one, so I have to console myself by pretending I don’t like them”

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Hang on, we’re still out there. I am still a member of the anti 4x4 brigade, so don’t write us off just yet. I could have one, but I don’t want one: quite the opposite of jealousy. Unless you’re involved in the agricultural or construction sectors, there’s no need for 4x4s.

[Cdm2018]

You tell that to the Cheshire / Chelsea tractors brigade or as I see at my daughters private school the Rugby/Soccer mums who think driving around in high position is must for their social status ! 😮

[PaulCP]

2 hours ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

Hang on, we’re still out there. I am still a member of the anti 4x4 brigade, so don’t write us off just yet. I could have one, but I don’t want one: quite the opposite of jealousy. Unless you’re involved in the agricultural or construction sectors, there’s no need for 4x4s.

Biggest issue is that the majority of the anti 4x4 brigade don’t know the difference between a 4x4 and a FWD SUV.

I won’t go into why I have an AWD (not 4x4, there’s another difference that many don’t understand) which had averaged 36mpg over 30,000 miles (rear wheels driven by electric motor when needed) but the Eco warrior in our village who drives a Tesla didn’t look too happy when I went past him on the hill coming out of our village in the snow last year whilst he was trying to dig  snow from under his wheels in an attempt to gain some traction.

I am not prepared to argue with you about 4x4s, whether it be a RR or one of the small ones available since I simply believe that people should be left to choose to drive what they want 😉

@Cdm2018the “one up man ship” brigade etc will always be there and always have been

[C8RKH]

32 minutes ago, PaulCP said:

the Eco warrior in our village who drives a Tesla didn’t look too happy when I went past him on the hill coming out of our village in the snow last year whilst he was trying to dig  snow from under his wheels in an attempt to gain some traction.

Glasgow last year, mix of snow and ice. Tesla just could do nothing as no engine braking etc as with normal car coming down the hill - so just had the brakes, and of course the wheels locked as directly connected to the motors and he lost the ability to steer etc, so went straight into a parked car!  Not everything is rosey with EV's.

[mik]

But they do have “engine braking” via regen? 
 

Are you referring to something you saw, or that vid from last year of the Tesla going down Douglas St (I think). That seemed to be entirely down to summer tyres and pilot (over)optimism.

[C8RKH]

14 minutes ago, mik said:

Are you referring to something you saw

It was something I saw as I walked from Central Street station to the Hilton near the top of St.Vincent Street area.  Obviously, I was not "in" the car, so my view on events might not be factual, but it looked to me that the driver was having to brake and the front wheels had "locked" and so he lost the steering control. I have no idea how the regenrative breaking works, would that have potentially locked the wheels on the snow?  Sorry, not an expert so happy to be corrected on this / learn how it works.

[mik]

(I don’t own a Tesla, but have driven one - at the Lotus club day)

Regen level is user-selectable (via hateful touch screen of course) and works like you clicking the Dynamo onto the rear tyre of your bike when you were a nipper. Mild like IC engine braking through to much stronger - so you can do “one pedal driving” for most of the time.

Even if you have that switched off and brake using the brake pedal, they initially introduce regen and then blend in the conventional brakes when you ask for more stoppy-force than the regen system can deliver. 
 

I assume “yer man” was either braking or had regen set high (so effectively braking) beyond the grip the tyres could deliver. Not really a car/setup/EV issue - more a “sub optimal tyres” problem.

Edited October 7, 2021 by mik

[Bibs]

EV's have ABS too which works the same as ICE cars. Regen works the same as brakes or engine braking, it slows the rotation of the wheel to slow the car, nothing revolutionary apart from it uses electromagnets in a motor rather than compression or friction, the end result is the same.

Deffo shonky tyres in the snow.

[C8RKH]

Thanks gents. I've learned something new today   Appreciated as only ever been a passenger in an EV, never driven one.

[C8RKH]

I should have added, "and don't intend to drive one any time soon!  Yup, I'm the luddites luddite. The lagards lagard. The fat bloke always at the back. The last one to leave.....

[Alfa2Evora]

Not a 'peoples' reaction', rather a piece of roadside furniture's reaction.

Driving along today when suddenly a warning sign lights up its flashing amber lights and displays the message "Overheight Vehicle - Turn Back".

As I was the only vehicle on that stretch of road at the time, it was a bit of a worry - I was half-expecting to disappear down a rabbit burrow any second, .

[TdM]

Took my car mad nephew out for the first time in mine at the weekend (he's quite young and has never been in a sports car before). It was all fine until the first roundabout... "I feel sick! I feel sick! Don't do that again!"

He seemed to be happy after he had a sit down at home for a while, but I think he needs some toughening up in the rapid cornering front. It's a bit different from Forza apparently.

 

[Relic222]

I started a new job last November, but due to the Big C I've only recently been able to visit the office (about an hour and a half away). There are 4 directors - all claim to be petrolheads, but have all recently purchased Tesla Model 3s as company cars. It didn't take long before I was asked to take one of them out in the Evora, and the reaction was better than expected.

I've not driven a Tesla yet (though have been promised a go in one of the company ones soon) but have been a passenger. The acceleration of the Model 3 performance is quicker than the Lotus, but delivered in a very different way. The first director was impressed with the acceleration of the Lotus all the same, and loved the sound (something he's missed a lot) from the Larini exhaust.

When we got to the first sharp corner I turned it at about 60 and blew his mind. Apparently the Tesla wouldn't have managed anywhere near that - even if the car could, you'd be sliding out of the seats apparently. After blasting around some lanes I let him have a drive. He instantly commented on the feedback from the steering, something that is completely lacking in the Tesla. He drove around for about 15 minutes, and when we got home started searching on AutoTrader for a weekend toy after claiming he'd forgotten how fun driving can be.

Since then I've taken two of the other directors out, and both had the same reaction - blown away by the cornering and the feedback of the car, and started talking about maybe getting a toy to compliment the EV. It's been a nice confirmation of my feelings on EVs, but also modern cars as a whole - I'd rather stick with my 11 year old car than buy anything new right now (holding out for an Emira test drive).

I'm looking forward to trying the Tesla though, just to see what it's actually like.

[C8RKH]

@Relic222 - nice write-up and feedback.  But you forgot the important bit, the Tesla is really, really fast!  Lol. 

They probably got one purely down to the BIK tax rate to be fair.

[Spinney]

If you drive nothing but modern saloon/repmobiles for a few years, I think folk eventually become a bit numb to the age old thrill of driving for drivings sake. Driving a car like a Lotus, any Lotus, occasionally, does allow you to recalibrate your driving senses back to the analogue joys of driving as they used to be.

It should be offered on the NHS!😁

[Relic222]

22 hours ago, C8RKH said:

@Relic222 - nice write-up and feedback.  But you forgot the important bit, the Tesla is really, really fast!  Lol. 

They probably got one purely down to the BIK tax rate to be fair.

Ha, I did say it was quicker than the Lotus, but I've not had a chance to fully experience it on a proper open road yet. This is the Model 3 Performance which is apparently 0-60 in 4.1s, so not as quick as a top spec Model S by quite a long way. I think also, I'm not bothered by speed so much any more - I used to love the shove of a turbo, and want the fastest car around, but I am now more than content with my NA Evora - for the road it's just about the perfect speed where you can really enjoy revving it out, without losing your licence or worry too much about other cars on the road.

We're a tech company, so it was driven both by BIK benefits and 'ooh, new shiny technology' 😆

 

14 hours ago, Spinney said:

If you drive nothing but modern saloon/repmobiles for a few years, I think folk eventually become a bit numb to the age old thrill of driving for drivings sake. Driving a car like a Lotus, any Lotus, occasionally, does allow you to recalibrate your driving senses back to the analogue joys of driving as they used to be.

It should be offered on the NHS!😁

This is exactly right - they've all got used to modern cars over the years, which intentionally detach you from the road to make them more comfortable, then add a load of tech (adjustable suspension, different steering weights, selectable driving modes etc) to try and fool you into thinking you're getting 'proper feedback'. As soon as you drive something like a Lotus you realise just what you're missing, and that certainly happened with these guys. 

I heard a while back (I forget where) that when they developed the Evora (I think, though could be Elise) that they wanted people to think 'something is missing' when they get back into their own car. I definitely feel it when I drive my wife's Mazda 3 - obviously it's not trying to be a sports car, but you instantly feel detached from the road, and what the car is actually doing.