If you own a Lotus Evora Coupe, you’ll be owning one of the rarest sights on British roads. As rare as a comet and arguably as fast as one, Lotus’ explosive pocket rocket has exclusivity, speed and frankly insane performance.
Kinda like the Elise but more expensive and more adult, the X-rated Evora has been hand-built mostly to perfection. Powered by a V6 3.5-litre engine, it develops 400bhp, outpaces rivals, and looks better than your neighbours’ cars. And with a moderately sized boot, it’s ideal for sunny weekend getaways.
Dare you own one?
OSV takes a closer look at what it’s all about with our 2017 Lotus Evora Coupe review.
Toyota always comes up with the goods when asked to produce Lotus engines, and they’ve outdone themselves once again. Its drivability and performance are the Evora’s main selling points, helped in no small part by its 3.5-litre V6 engine.
A few years back, this power plant developed “only” 276bhp. Nowadays, thanks to the addition of a supercharger, it melts the tarmac with 400bhp.
It revs eagerly and smoothly, and does a good job of using every last drop of power possible.
And in case you were worried you won’t be able to control the Evora Coupe, worry not – it’s exciting but easy to keep on a leash.
Acceleration is delirious, and the car can do 0-62 in just under 3.9 seconds. Such speed is made possible by how light the car is, with the basic version tipping the scales at a lean 1,430kg. Combine that with a downforce of 32kg, and it’s easy to keep pushing the car until 150mph, at which point it maxes out.
Body lean in bends is practically non-existent thanks to its compact nature and weight, and there is lots of grip. The steering is super responsive, while the brakes are the force of nature you need them to be. They’re so powerful that there’s no real reason for you to lose your nerve.
All in all, the Evora is perhaps Lotus’ most immersive car on the road right now.
The interior is hit and miss. It’s easily got more quality and more standard kit than its siblings, but it’s still not the last word in luxury
Ride quality is impressive. Even if you go on the rampage, the Evora’s suspension is soft enough to keep you and your passengers comfortable. It absorbs lumps and bumps surprisingly well. In this respect, it’s a lot different to its rivals, which are noisy, stuffy and generally uncomfortable. The Evora is cool, mostly quiet and smooth.
And this was Lotus’ mission: To make the Evora a more grown-up version of the Elise. So while it dashes around a race track like a monster, inside it treats you like a romantic partner. The seats are supportive, comfortable and well-positioned, while the dials on the dash are easy to read.
And unlike the Elise and the Lotus Exige Coupe, the Evora 400 gets air conditioning as part of its standard kit. It also comes with an infotainment screen that reduces button clutter.
Sports cars aren’t renowned for their practicality, but the Evora rocks the boat a tiny bit by being fairly usable. It’s boot measures 160-litres, which for a Lotus is big (I know right). That’s enough for a few bags, although you won’t be fitting your suitcases in here. But if you’re planning a few weekend getaways, it’s got you covered.
The Evora 400 comes with rear seats, but don’t get too giddy – these are strictly for children, and small ones at that. They do come with ISOFIX child seat mounts, but the Evora 410 dispenses with rear seats altogether.
Lotus’ are generally poorly equipped. Although the Evora has more standard kit than the Exige and Elise, it has less than most rivals. Instead, Lotus are asking you to pay £72,000 for pure craftsmanship, quality design, drama and performance. The fact that the Evora is hand-built should also be considered when you weigh up the price.
Standard equipment includes air conditioning, a 7” infotainment screen, sat-nav, cruise control and Bluetooth.
Standard safety kit, meanwhile, includes ABS, traction control and airbags. But because Euro NCAP hasn’t crash tested it (and probably won’t) it’s hard to make too many comments on its safety. However, all production cars now have ESP and ABS systems fitted, and this should give you some confidence.
Prices for the new car start out from £73,500 and rise to £82,000. If you prefer to lease, you can pick up a deal from as little as £1,450 + VAT per month. For more information on our leasing deals, check out our page here.
In terms of its running costs, it’s pretty much par for the course. The Evora can return 29.1mpg at best, and is far from being totally disastrous in this area by virtue of it being so light. Meanwhile, it posts CO2 figures of 225g/km, which results in a yearly tax bill of £295 if you stick to the manual transmission. It’s £500 if you get tempted by the 6-speed automatic ‘box.
It’s hard to forecast how expensive an Evora will be to service, as the process is much more specialist than it is with a regular family car.
Excellent Handling
Supercharged and weighing just 1,382kg, the Evora is a deft handler.
Super Performance
Backed by one of the best chassis in the world, performance is astounding. Its engine goes on the rampage with its 400bhp, and can do 0-62 in less than 4.0 seconds.
Comfortable
Despite all that power on offer, you’ll be relatively comfortable on longer journeys.
Poor Interior
Lotus interiors are generally stripped to the bare bones, but this is actually one of their better efforts. Compared to rivals, though, it looks like bargain basement stuff.
Cramped
Not much room at all.
Let’s see how the fares against its rivals in the comparison section of our 2017 Lotus Evora Coupe review.
The new Porsche 911 is easily one of the world’s most iconic sports cars – if not the most iconic sports car. Now more comfortable than ever, it’s powered by turbochargers which might upset the purists.
The 911 gets really expensive for the more powerful models. For the purpose of this review, we’re focusing on the entry-level models that are priced on par with the Evora.
They’re still quick, too, with the twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre flat-six petrol engine delivering up to 414bhp. That’s enough to launch you from rest to 62mph in just 4.3 seconds if you go for the S model.
Add the PDK automatic transmission, and you can cut that time to 3.9 seconds.
It’s blazingly fast, but much easier to control than it used to be. In the past, the 911 was notorious for ripping your head off if you weren’t careful, but the new model is better balanced. It’s also got improved agility, while its soundtrack – despite the addition of turbochargers – is still glorious.
The entry-level models are also remarkably affordable to run. The Carrera is the most frugal of all, and can return 38.2mpg economy if you fit it with the PDK automatic ‘box (which is available as an optional extra). It still emits as much as 169g/km of CO2, though, which should price it out of company car lists.
The Carrera S model is the other entry-level variant, and it can return 32.5mpg at best. It emits 199g/km of CO2 when paired with the manual gearbox, and 174g/km if you add the PDK.
Whichever model you choose, insurance will be high, with the Carrera sitting in insurance group 47 out of 50.
Inside, the 911 dazzles with much more quality than the Lotus. It’s comfortable and makes for a good cruiser, with the entry-level models benefiting from adaptive dampers.
As ever, the dashboard features a five-dial layout, and the cabin, on the whole, looks modern, slick and drenched in scarlet. Everything is well-positioned, too, and the infotainment system is simple enough to read.
It’s also quite practical, with Porsche doing a good job of getting as much interior space as possible out of its compact dimensions. Visibility is good thanks to the big windows, while the boot measures 145-litres. That’s smaller than the Lotus, but like the Lotus its two rear seats can double up as extra luggage space when not in use.
Price:
Lotus – £73,500 – £82,000
Porsche – £77,900 – £147,500
The new Jaguar F-Type Coupe faces off against the Lotus in a Battle Royale of British sports cars. The F-Type brings with it Jaguar’s usual charm and sophistication, but is just as much fun to drive.
If you’ve ever driven the F-Type Convertible, you’ll know how well it handles. The Coupe version handles even better, its fixed roof stiffening the car up. The steering is precise, its 8-speed automatic transmission is smooth, and adaptive suspension dampers come as standard.
There are four models available. For the purpose of this review, we’re taking a look at the entry-level and mid-range models, as they are the ones that are priced competitively with the Lotus. It has the same elegantly weighted steering as the range-topping models, as well as an abundance of grip. It misses out on four-wheel-drive, however.
It’s powered by a 2.0-litre V6 engine that develops up to 335bhp, and can be mated to either a manual or an automatic ‘box. It’s a small and light engine that frees up the car to be noble and responsive.
It’s got enough power for most buyers, too. However, It misses out on four-wheel-drive. If you want to step up to the mid-range Jaguar F-Type Coupe, the V6 R-Dynamic model is a blast. It produces 375bhp, can be specified with four-wheel-drive, and its 8-speed automatic transmission makes for lightning quick speed.
They might be entry level and mid-range models, but they’re still high-performance cars. As such, they won’t be cheap to run. The smaller 335bhp variant is actually more expensive to run than the 375bhp variant. It returns 26.8mpg at best, while the latter is good for 31.7mpg.
Like the Porsche, the Jaguar can boast a classier interior than the Lotus. It’s comfortable and well-designed – although some buyers will complain that it’s too conservatively styled. True, it lacks the excitement of the car’s exterior.
The quality is high, though, with all models getting treated to leather seats and solid build quality. The dash is clear, simple and elegant, and comes with the brands InControl apps.
Easily the biggest drawback of the cabin is that it’s not so practical. The boot is hugely bigger than both the Lotus and the Porsche, and measure 407-litres. That’s excellent if you want to travel further than Scotland for a week away.
But that aside, there are issues. It’s small, no doubt about it. Jaguar have used the space well enough, but adults won’t be getting into the rear anytime soon. Storage spaces are few and far between, and include a few cup holders and a decent-sized glovebox. Rear visibility is poor, meanwhile, and it would have been nice had a reversing camera been available as standard.
Price:
Jaguar – £49,000 – £110,880
Lotus know they’re not going to compete with the Porsche and the Jaguar if you want an upmarket interior with all kinds of creature comforts thrown in. Instead, their bad boy Evora is a straight-up, stripped-down sports car that does what it says on its £73,500 tin.
It looks flash, drives like it’s in a race with a lightning storm, and sounds as bombastic as a thunderclap. Mother Nature, brace yourself – the new Lotus Evora Coupe is here.
10th June 2016
Whereas its stablemate, the Elise, is still struggling with downmarket materials, the Lotus Evora is targeting a much more sophisticated clientele with its swish interior and tidy, beautifully proportioned 2+2 layout. Unlike other models in the Lotus range, this car wants image and quality to have an equal footing alongside performance and handling. Let’s take…
Presented by Will Titterington
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