It is the same Toyota derived engine with Lotus tuning for a little more boost and better CAI compared to the original model. It might have a better exhaust too. I know of a few guys that changed the CAI, increased boost by 1/2 pound and put on a Larini exhaust and got 395-405 hp. I intend to do this upgrade this spring (Parts are arriving as I write this) It is a car that must be seen in person as it does not photograph well, but it sure looks nice in my garage. As a former Porsche owner, I feel it is much higher quality interior in almost every way....even my Porsche friends agree. Overall fit and finish is very good and I have absolutely no reliability issues. The Toyota influence has made a Lotus that stays out of the shop. Two small warranty issues initially... the key got stuck in the ignition.... they replaced both door locks and new ignition switch with a new key set and secondly, a door sensor said the door was open when indeed it was closed (replaced in 5 minutes while I waited) The new model 400 is supposed to be 0-60 in 4.1 while the current car is 0-60 in 4.4 I cannot imagine this is too noticeable while driving. I will report my HP improvement after I complete my mods. As it is, the car pulls hard and does not have any flat spots on acceleration and certainly takes corners faster and with more confidence inspiring grip than any other car I have driven (incl. Porsche and Ferrari) I feel the car should be a $150,000 car as I feel it fills a gap between Porsche 911 and the other supercars of much higher price. It is hand built, reliable, inexpensive to repair, has a superb bonded aluminum structure and lightweight body materials that do not rust, yet performs well... and the brand appeals to true enthusiasts that expect some exclusivity that a Porsche cannot deliver (see Porsche on every street) and some quirkiness that defines it as Lotus. I am very satisfied. But this is my third Lotus so you know I am smitten. beev
Thank you. Do you have it serviced at the dealer, independent, yourself or some combo of the three? Thanks, again, for sharing your thoughts...T
Warranty is up in a couple of months so then I will do my own regular service. A nearby friend that is an exotic car restorer is helping me with the CAI retrofit and charger pulley install. When it comes time for a clutch I will go to the dealer. It takes about 30 hours by the guys that are factory trained. The clutch is the most expensive issue to replace mostly due to all the glued bodywork that must be removed. I have over 11,000 km 0f spirited driving and no clutch issues yet (fingers crossed) Beev
Agree. Saw just that very point in this and several other comparisons of Evora vs. Cayman. http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/a5734/porsche-cayman-lotus-evora-comparison-test/ Can't argue with the rarity of Lotus vs. Porsche T
So in that report the two cars had virtually the same times despite the Lotus having "13%" power to weight ratio disadvantage....that is a huge accomplishment of engineering at its best...good on you Lotus Now they compared the fastest Cayman R to the slowest Evora and they were basically equal. You can only imagine the fun I have with an Evora S with 69 more horsepower than the base Evora...and the new 400 will have another 45 more hp yet....extreme is the word that comes to mind. beev
Having driven a rental Camry, extracting a sexy driving performance out of that engine should be enough to win kudos for a Lotus engineering! There's not as big a delta in price as I may have otherwise guessed for Cayman R/S vs. Evora S. At least based on a quick scan of Cars.com for 2012 models...T
I love Loti, drive one myself. But the evora now has to compete with the cayman GT4, and the GT4 is a stick only viceral car like the lotus, except probably lighter and with an arguably better motor. What the lotus has going for it is maybe more dramatic looks and "better" suspension, plus the Gt4 is sold out already, so its a paper car. To me the new dash is more gimmicky than the old, the front styling somewhat improved and the rear worse. Objectively to compete the evora needs to loose 200lbs and we need the 450hp cosworth versionof the motor, then for 100k there would be a compelling reason to buy over a cayman Gt4, as opposed to just being a niche fan. What we have here is a slight restyle, lets call it a face lift and a bit of a hp bump, still not fully cooked, a life support car to keep ticking, not a knockout.
So, does anyone think prices will drop precipitously on first gen Evoras as the 400 comes online and/or Lotus goes belly up? Cars.com shows low 60's to just shy of 100 K USD for '14 Evoras depending on trim level and miles...T
As a daily road car, a used evora S at 60k makesa lot of sense comapred to saya used R8. I am happy to see Loyus trying, but they really need to get their mojo back anbd into the product. The evora platform has lots of potential, they just need to get with the program. As an example, the mansouri version a few years ago looked really great(unlike susual mansori fare) I would ahve used that styling maybe dione in CF for weight, coupled with the cosworth 450hp motor, then it would have been exciting. You havbe to wonder about lotus, why did theye ver think to go 2+2 on the evora. And if you lost thats pace behind the front seats would a shorter, sharper lighter evora emerge. There is lots they can do with the hardware avialable, but vision seems to be lacking.
