Evora market watch, for discussion and to help those searching!

[jep 958]

Bought mine from Bell and Colvill. 1 year warranty on everything inc clutch. At the time (2018), 8 year old car with 50,000 miles. 

I probably paid £2k more than you would privately. 

I have to say, I was very surprised to be offered such a comprehensive warranty on an 8 year old car. 

Justin 

 

[LotusLeftLotusRight 1,318]

Yes it’s a gamble on warranty. In my earlier years, you got a new car manufacturer’s warranty and that was it. The dealer would laugh in your face if you asked for a proper warranty on an 8 year old car. Nowadays it seems that customers want guarantees on even the oldest of cars and are prepared to pay for them. I can understand that too.

[jep 958]

Bell and Colvill I think do a mix of buying a warranty and underwriting the smaller items themselves. 

I had several claims which B&C fixed. I had no involvement as to who paid for the repairs. I suspect the faulty rear camera was a warranty claim and the minor cheaper stuff they just fixed.

B&C have a different business model to most dealers, it should be said. In a good way. 

Justin 

 

[C8RKH 6,406]

Ah, but @LotusLeftLotusRightin your earlier years the average car had a life span of around 8 years, if Japanese, Italian or British (Triumph/Leyland mainly) it would have rotten away in 8 years to just a pile of dust anyway!

I would not "expect" a comprehensive warranty on an 8 year+ old car. I would expect if I was paying the fair price to a dealer for the car to be as described, and to have been checked over and any faults found fixed prior to sale. However, there are just too many stories, of independents and main dealers were at best the car gets a quick wash and is then proclaimed as being an immaculate example of the marque, much treasured by its previous lady owner (having seen how a lot of them drive and park I'd run a mile and most of them don't even know what a service is - they confuse that with putting petrol/diesel in).  However, thankfully we have good consumer laws these days and so if you have been sold a heap of a junk you can get recompense outside of a warranty. And always worth putting the deposit for the car on your credit card too for even more protection in case things go "tits up" - (as an aside, never really understood why that phrase was used for something bad, I mean, better than them sagging into the breakfast porridge!).

I'd expect any decent "dealer" to stand by their car (themselves or through a warranty they provide) for 30, 60 preferably 90 days. Some do. I believe for instance that Jon Seal "self warrants" his cars - so whilst you may get less in px/trade from him as a seller, you certainly get a good deal as a buyer (or so I have been told!). Might not be the cheapest but with a self warranty business model he cannot afford to sell to many lemons.

As far as I can see though, SOR means you still buy the car from a dealer (even if they are acting as an agent they are legally responsible) and the dealer will have "priced" into his fee to the seller the cost of repairs, warranty etc. I believe on the average Lotus the SOR fee from a dealer (including Lotus main dealers) would be in the £2-4k region so not inconsiderable and definitely worth their while as they do not have cash tied up (or probably on finance) in that desirable stock item.

[Neal H 899]

When I sold my last car through SOR I just agreed with the dealer how much I wanted to get for the car and then they were free to price it as they saw fit, so I don’t know what their final margin would have been as I don’t know what deal they agreed with their customer. But the key here is that it was “their” customer not mine, so that customer would have all the rights they would normally get from buying any used car from a VAT registered trader - in fact I doubt the customer was even aware that the car was on SOR.

My understanding is that any VAT registered trader has to give a minimum 3 months warranty on any used vehicle they sell. SOR or not.

[jerzybondov 66]

On 21/12/2020 at 16:09, AdeMorton said:

Hi, new to the forum and hopefully soon a new Evora driver... does anyone know much about this car:

https://www.pjslotus.co.uk/lotus-evora

Ive had a test drive, really liked it, new clutch is great, the car seems in great condition, just a few minor niggles like the satnav doesn't work, which doesn't bother me too much... its being sold by pjs on behalf of a customer so doesn't come with any warranties but they vouched for it in terms of its condition.   We've agreed a price but I'm just a bit curious as to why it hasn't been bought yet as they've had it since the summer I think? Any info greatly appreciated...

Thanks, 

I drove this car in August - it was listed as a much higher price then (£28995 maybe?). Decent history and essentially a sound car but a few things put me off - long ratio gearbox was the primary one. Just stole so much of the car's mid range urge. Wasn't quite as tidy as it needed to be for the price (interior - pass airbag etc, scuffs, exterior - paintwork, as you say the ICE didn't work) and I just didn't get the FEEL I want to get when I view something that tells me it's the one for me. 

Assuming that you've agreed a price in the £25k region for the car then all of that is par for the course and all good. It was just a problem at £29k. Defo follow up the other member who'd seen the car though to get their thoughts. 
 

[AdeMorton 13]

Thanks for the info... yes, the other member has sent me his thoughts as well... just mulling it all over. I'm new to Lotus, new to the Evora so starting to think that a car from a reputable dealer with some warranty might be best for me until I get to know the car a bit better. Equally, I don't want to be too fussy, I think I can get bogged down in the detail while forgetting what a great car it actually is. I'm going to spend a few weeks trying to think about other things and start again in the New Year... thanks again, appreciate the response...

[Doug Ashley 24]

Quite an interesting ad on eBay at the moment:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174572610956

I imagine this has been discussed somewhere on the forum before, but this was the first I'd heard of the 414E.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/lotus/evora/first-drives/lotus-evora-414e-hybrid

[Barrykearley 6,972]

An absolutely beautiful car 

@Stuart Monument is the current custodian. How it’s not been snapped up yet god only knows.

[Bravo73 1,339]

37 minutes ago, Doug Ashley said:

I imagine this has been discussed somewhere on the forum before, but this was the first I'd heard of the 414E.

 

 

18 minutes ago, Barrykearley said:

How it’s not been snapped up yet god only knows.

Well, Stuart was originally asking £150k+ for it...

[EuropaSman 61]

I'm surprised that Lotus are not buying back the 414E for the factory museum. At £80k it seems to be an absolute bargain. I should think that an EV conversion for the Evora would be possibly in that region if you take into account buying a donor car as well. Plus with the 414E you get the range extender too.

Edited December 30, 2020 by EuropaSman

[Bruss 589]

err Lotus sold it because it was no use to them.

 

It's also of no use as a road car unless you are an electronics/energy engineer. No one is going to service it for you.

 

Worth every penny of " insert static display worth here"

 

 

 

 

[Barrykearley 6,972]

There’s really no servicing on an EV - other than air filters and brake fluids.

[21gg 407]

Dont forget the electron filter and battery top up 😂

[Bravo73 1,339]

4 hours ago, EuropaSman said:

I'm surprised that Lotus are not buying back the 414E for the factory museum. At £80k it seems to be an absolute bargain. 

Unfortunately, there would appear to be a bit more history to the situation:

 

[jep 958]

Up for toffee:

Used 2020 Brown Lotus Evora for sale | PistonHeads UK

 

[Bruss 589]

I'm liking that interior but the outside not so much.

 

 

[stephenwhyte 1,965]

Whoever specced that at the factory, must’ve taken their brave pills that day!😳 Reminds me of Sepang Bronze that some of the BMW Z4M’s were specced in, which command quite a premium now. So looks like someone has gone with the same Premium type thinking. I like it - not enough to own....but I like it😎

[jep 958]

The fingerprints of Mr Walker are all over that Evora toffee wrapper. 

Justin 

 

[scotty435 1,117]

Like it a lot, I bet it looks stunning in the flesh.

[RHDV8 19]

Daring but I like it too. I’d like it even more if it was in my budget.

Edited January 1 by RHDV8
Added comment

[Techyd 244]

Seems slightly copycat to me but it does look nice but ultimately I wouldn’t buy it in that colour.

I still think the Evora looks better with a twin exhaust at the back and the lettering is really unbalanced at the back, needs to be lower and I would prefer raised lettering on this model, it’s plusher and fits the GT410 look, the sport can have the stickers 😃

[C8RKH 6,406]

I think in the flesh, in the sun, that exterior colour would look superb and seem to recall seeing a similar one in the US and the exterior colour looked amazing in their shots. Can't find the bloody pictures though

[EuropaSman 61]

Is it me or does this LHD Turbo Esprit advertised on the Car & Classic website at the moment look like it's brown metallic (or is it just bad lighting)?

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1291675
 

The Esprit brown looks like a darker shade (naff 007 decals though IMHO). I like the brown Evora too, but I wonder how easy it would be to move it on in the 2nd hand market. I think it's safe to say it's a Marmite colour (ooh there's a pun there!).

Fire Red metallic would have been a far better choice (with black leather/silver stitching).

I'm also with Techyd. The LOTUS decal on the rear transom is set too high. It needs to be lower down; back where it was on the S1, 400 & 410 Sport. Personally, for the GT look I'd also get rid of the shark fins too 🤓.

[Bibs 11,377]

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