FIRST DRIVE LOTUS EVORA: Despite a turbulent past, Lotus boasts a healthy order book, thanks in no small part to the Evora. SHANE O'DONOGHUEdrives the new 2+2.
IT’S NOT uncommon for inappropriate cars to be launched as the world dips into recession. After all, these things take years to design and develop, so the process is often begun before the bankers start looking for the emergency exit.
Some might say the same of the new Lotus Evora, regardless of its gestation period of just 27 months from start to finish.
However, despite its supercar looks, the Evora’s pricing suggests that it competes with the relatively modest (in heyday loan terms) Porsche Cayman model. That doesn’t sound unreasonable, until someone points out that Lotus has concentrated its efforts in recent years on driver-focused cars in which buyers overlook comfort, build quality and usability in return for world-class driving dynamics – whereas Porsche’s products, even the cheapest Cayman, offer the buyer a thrilling drive, along with everyday usability and peerless quality. Can Lotus really hope to compete?
Times have changed at the British company since it launched the first Lotus Elise 13 years ago. That car has been a major success, but it’s not the sole reason the company still exists. In fact, the Lotus Engineering division is the most profitable aspect of the business. Last year, it worked for about 140 different clients on a staggering 350 projects, most of those at the cutting edge of new technology. No wonder Lotus has the confidence to push outside its comfort zone of pure drivers’ cars.
None of that matters when you see the Evora for the first time in daylight. It’s simply spectacular. Russell Carr, head of design, told Motors one of his team’s priorities was the car’s stance, which is aggressive yet attractive. It’s emphasised by the Evora’s curvy rear haunches, which indicate the mid-mounted position of the engine. Notably, there is virtually zero carryover of parts between the Lotus Elise or Exige and the Evora; indeed, the exterior is bristling with bespoke details and components.
The custom-built theme continues inside the cockpit. It’s an airy, good-looking interior with its own instrumentation and touch-sensitive switchgear, featuring trendy edge lighting. Carr is particularly proud of the fact that “anything that looks like leather is leather, and what looks like metal is metal”. Pity the same can’t be said for what look like rear seats. Despite Lotus’s claims to the contrary, the front occupants need to compromise their seating position if anyone other than a small child wants to sit in the back.
However, it’s a comfortable cockpit, which is easier to get in and out of than all other recent Lotus offerings, and it’s even a touch on the luxurious side. Standard equipment is generous too, with a decent complement of safety devices that extend to driving aids such as “Understeer Recognition”, and of course anti-lock brakes.
Hardened Lotus fans may already be swooning at the thought of all this extra weight and the effect it’ll have on the Evora’s dynamics. A few relaxed miles at the wheel may not convince them either. While the Evora features direct steering, gears with a mechanical feel and well-weighted pedals, it’ll also lull its occupants into a false sense of security by managing to be quite a comfortable car to amble along in. Even the engine is well isolated, while the suspension is supple enough to deal with potholes and bad surfaces without undue discomfort.
This is all new for a Lotus of today and though there were a few minor quality issues in the interior of our pre-production test car, for the most part it did a good job at being the consummate all-rounder. Has it therefore lost the magic usually associated with the Lotus badge?
Not a bit of it. Those perfectly weighted driving controls come alive the more you push the Evora. The steering, though assisted, is full of feel, so you’re never in doubt as to what the front wheels are up to and how much grip they have. Most of the time the answer is “plenty”, even in inclement conditions. Despite standing water and torrential rain, we never felt the tell-tale pulse of the anti-lock brake system through the middle pedal, while the Evora is impressively stable under heavy braking.
The rear tyres never scrabble for grip, such is the traction afforded by the mid-engined layout. Admittedly they’re not too troubled by the 276bhp on offer from the Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre V6. Saying that, no Toyota sounds as good as this Lotus, and the wide-revving personality of the engine suits the Evora.
At low revs it’s happy to saunter along on its torque, meaning town-driving is a doddle. Yet reach for the rev limiter and the exhaust and inlet notes sharpen, and the Evora sprints forward with serious pace. Despite that, Lotus quotes a CO2 figure of just 205g/km for this car. That’s commendable.
So too is Lotus’s approach to the sale of the model. Only 2,000 units a year are planned globally, which should ensure exclusivity – certainly in comparison to the Porsche alternatives. Lotus won’t stop there though; an automatic version will arrive late next year, followed by an open-top variant, and then it’s likely that Lotus will turn its attention to supercharging the engine in the search for even more performance.
By that time, we’d hope to be talking about the global financial ruin in the past tense, with the future of Lotus cars looking rosier than ever.
Factfile
Engine: 3.5-litre V6 petrol
Peak power: 276bhp
Peak torque: 350Nm
Transmission: six-speed manual
0-100km/h: 5.1 seconds
Emissions: 205g/km
Combined cycle fuel economy: 8.7l/100km
Price: €87,860 (approx)