Road Test Lotus Evora S: the Lotus Notes

The Lotus Evora is a crucial step in the manufacturer’s ambition to become a competitor to Porsche. Does it stand to the test ?  

First impressions often prevail, and mine are pretty mixed as I insert myself into the Recaro buckets of the Evora S loaned to us by Lotus. After a week with the Porsche Cayman R, my brain struggles to reconcile the “Porschesque” Evora S price tag with many questionable design or finish details that stand out at first glance. A drunk once famously said that the booze matters more than the bottle, may his words of wisdom bless this road test.

Getting aboard the Evora is not an easy exercise in any circumstances, and borders on torture in an urban parking setting. Long coupé doors are always a practical challenge, but crossing the tall and wide sills is a significant additional obstacle one one’s trajectory to the seat. Ergonomic challenges persist once behind the wheel. Surprisingly, Lotus did not manage to carve out space in its platform for your left foot. That’s right: no foot rest to the left of the clutch pedal. Equally taxing on long freeway journeys and in sports driving, a deep flaw for a GT wannabe. Visibility to the back is extremely compromised and the optional rear view camera – a must-have option – only provides partial relief because it points too low. Any reversing manoeuver can turn into an unnerving undertaking, and it is impossible to see the occupants of the car behind you, let alone if they might be wearing a uniform.

Gripes continue with a handbrake handle of very early 20th century origins. The instruments binnacle design is pleasant to look at, but the 15/30 km/h increments irritatingly imprecise to read. As on Elises, there is no indicated redline, three LEDs light up as revs approach the limiter. The satellite LCD screens on either side provide useful information (tire pressure monitoring is an option included in the Tech pack) when they are made unreadable by glare on the polycarbonate covers, and I can’t quite understand why Lotus omitted an oil temperature gauge on a sporty coupe. On either side of the steering wheel, collections of buttons command functions ranging from headlights, tank door, boot or glove box (a quirky british idea, I suppose). Blinkers are strangely far away from the steering wheel. The user interface of the Alpine audio/navigation system is not a model for user friendliness, and my repeated attempts to find a way to pair my Bluetooth phone remain unsuccessful to this day. The interior lighting included in the Premium Pack demonstrates an intent to refine the on board experience, but as with many of the details mentioned herein, execution is still far from the mark.

In this 2+0 configuration, a useful luggage space can be found behind the foldable Recaro buckets. There is no luggage compartment at the front, so cargo is limited to a toasty compartment behind the engine. According to Lotus, 4 out of 5 Evora buyers spec their car in 2+2 configuration (+5700 CHF), more  to boost resale value than for the real usefulness of the rear seats.

The big Lotus is far prettier in the metal, pictures really don’t do it justice. I had always been hung up on the front facia, the undercuts below the doors and the roof line crossing the engine cover, but my opinion completely flipped once I got to live with the car. A really beautiful car, elegant and fluid, widely appreciated for its elegance.

The Evora S is a decent freeway GT. Tire roar is more present than one would ideally like, but the cabin is well insulated from wind noise. I found the exhaust note to be tiring on long journeys, and confined space combined with visibility challenges would not make it my most sought after car to embark on a 6 hours dash.

With such a long list of issues, the Evora S had to score big in the dynamics department, and it did, on some of the naughty roads that adorn the Vaud back country. First, the engine. While a feathered throttle response can sometimes generate some slight hesitations, the Toyota-sourced V6 crowned by a Roots compressor is a success. Engineered for transverse mounting under the hood of a slew of Japanese sedans, minivans and SUVs, this 3456 cm3 plant is equipped with Dual VVT-I variable valve timing. With 400 Nm at a relatively high 4500 t/min and 350hp at 7000 t/min, the spec sheet numbers are not astounding, furthermore in a context where hothatches – cue BMW 1M  and Audi RS3 – are digging deep in 300hp territory. The Evora S is not particularily light either, we measured 1421kg (39.3% AV, 60.7% AR) on our corner scales with a full tank, 16kg below Lotus claims, but more than 60kg above thePorsche Cayman R. Lightest in its class ? Not quite so. Pity that the engine’s numeric advantage is neutralized by weight.

However, rubber on asphalt, the Lotus engine is entertaining, starting with great work Hethel’s acoustic engineers. The exhaust note is ample, with rich harmonics in throughout the mid range. Window down, subtle supercharger whine adds tension and personality to the rev build up. Unlike too many blown engines, there’s no incentive to short-shift. Pulling gears all the way to the rev limit is the most efficient and entertaining way to extract max performance from the V6. There’s no lag, thrust is linear, progressive and sustained, all the way to 7000 rpm. On open roads, the Evora S piles up pretty impressive momentum for the category, subjectively outpacing the Porsche crocodile in sheer straight line might. I would not be surprised if a dyno run showed higher power numbers than Lotus claims. Whether the intercooler manages to maintain this level of performance under high temperatures and heavy solicitation is a possible caveat. Fuel mileage remains reasonable for a supercharged 3.5L V6: we averaged 12.5L/100km, with significant distances on freeways.

The Evora S gearchange mechanism has been widely criticized and deserves it. It represents a serious handicap in fast driving. The throw is too long, lateral guiding approximative, making shifts imprecise and unsatisfying. Downshifting third to second caused me many issues, finding myself either with a pace-killing 3-4 or a faintly dangerous 3-neutral. It is not excessive force, the lever feels quite light actually, but lack of precision in the mechanism. It is possible that this particular early productioncar with 25’000km of press drives was not at its best, but Lotus is well aware of the issue and working on a most welcome and crucial fix for 2012. This engine deserves better, so does the chassis.

Steering feels light, especially around the center. The column telegraphs information about road texture, but I was not overwhelmed with feel when it comes to grip levels: difficult to sense whether rubber is at Defcon 3 or Defcon 4. It is a handicap as cornering speeds are high, with a very neutral stance, very low understeer and a zest of rear end tunability when powering out from a curve. I almost only drove the car in Sports mode as the more direct throttle map eases heel & toe, but did not feel much in the way of an impact on an otherwise very discrete ESP. The choice of spring and damper rates demonstrate Lotus know-how in chassis tuning, earning the highest mark in terms of body control and poise. Firm but never harsh, absence of body roll, and a superb ability to erase mid corner bumps or dips. I would expect the Evora S to be very much at ease on a fast, flowing & bumpy track like the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

With shrinking production volumes, Lotus has to resolve a challenging economic situation, with high costs and a contrasted value proposition, alternating the very good (chassis and engine) and the pretty bad (ergonomics, gearbox command, finish). Lotus engineers have demonstrated their talent in the motoring and chassis departments, and dressed it beautifully, but it takes far more to compete with Porsche, furthermore at equivalent prices on paper. In practice, the Pfenninger dealership in Zürich is prompt to point that 10-20% rebates are negotiable depending on exchange rates. About dozen Evoras were sold in Switzerland in 2010, and 13 had been registerd as of June 30th 2011, a sign that the car struggles to convince.

Lotus does not lack the will to improve the product and transform the company to become a real contender, and future evolutions of the Evora will allow to gauge their progress on this tortuous and steep path toward excellence. First impressions often prevail, but sometimes deserve to be nuanced. While I am critical of the Evora S for its overall value proposition, it is an enjoyable car to drive and it ignites optimism for its evolution potential for the short and mid term.

Price of main options (CHF)

Facing competition

Our sincere thanks to Lotus Cars and the Pfenninger Garage at Zumikon (ZH).

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