Lotus Evora
Debut: 2009 |
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As a reflection of the condition of its automotive industry, British Motor Show has been declining in the past decade. Fewer car makers join the event, and even fewer choose it to make world debuts. Visitor number is declining and the atmosphere is going down. However, last summer’s London Motor Show saw a rare excitement on the stage of Lotus. No music or dancing, but immersed in applause and flashlight the new Lotus Evora was unveiled to the world for the first time. Yes, this is Lotus' first all-new model in 13 years - the last time we saw a similar scene was the debut of Elise. Developed under the name “Project Eagle” in a record 27 months, the Evora will sit in the middle of the company’s 3-tier model range, which will be completed when the new Esprit arrives in 2011. Its production volume is expected to be 2,000 units a year, about as many as Ferrari F430, but only a fraction of Porsche 911 or Cayman. However, that will be enough to double the current capacity of Hethel. Most important, its higher profit margin should enable Lotus to fund the development of Esprit and other models in the future. Boss Mike Kimberley will be grateful that he no longer needs to beg Proton for more financial support. Like Elise and Esprit, Evora follows the optimal mechanical layout preferred by Colin Chapman, i.e. a low-slung mid-engined sports car. Unlike them, however, it is designed to be a user-friendly 2+2, like Porsche 911. This format has been disappeared from the world since Ferrari Mondial retired in 1993. As you have predicted, its rear seats are not suitable to normal adults, but it will have little difficulty to take children up to 5 feet tall. This make it more practical than its rivals at Porsche. Sure, the flat and upright bench seat has little comfort to speak of, but at least it doubles as an additional luggage space, which is especially useful as the boot behind the engine compartment can swallow only 160 liters of things. If you don’t have children, you can ask Lotus to ditch the rear seat for a luggage bench. That will also save some 15 kg.
For a 2+2, the Evora is surprisingly compact. It measures only 4.34 meters long, 1.22 meter in height but possesses a wide stance of 1.85 meter. Designer Russell Carr and Steve Crijins give it a distinctive shape which envelops the floorpan tightly, with minimal overhang front and rear. In silver it looks like a shark. Flowing fenders, wraparound windshield and tail design have an unmistakably family resemblance to Elise. The double-bubble roof, the way it “clamps” onto the windows and extends to the rear screen have some Zagato theme in them (see Aston Martin DB7 Zagato or Spyker C12 Zagato). The only flaw is the engine intake over the rear shoulder, whose integration with the surrounding surfaces is not very well resolved. Overall, Evora is a handsome piece of design. In technical side, its body shape is a compromise between drag (0.33) and downforce, which should enable the car to run stably up to 160 mph. Following the lightweight philosophy of Lotus, Evora once again employs a glassfiber composite bodywork and an aluminum chassis. Based on its new Variable Vehicle Architecture (VVA), the chassis consists of a center tub made of bonded and riveted aluminum extrusions, and front and rear aluminum subframes on which the powertrain and suspensions are mounted. Compare with the tub-only chassis of Elise, the VVA chassis has several advantages: 1) Its subframes provide better crash protection; 2) In the event of crash, only the subframes need to be repaired or replaced, greatly reducing repair costs; 3) By varying subframes, you can alter the suspension and engine types, or even relocate the engine. This mean VVA can be adapted to different types of vehicles with relatively little costs. No wonder Lotus is promoting it to emerging car makers in Asia. The new chassis returns a torsional rigidity of 26,000 Nm per degree, slightly lower than the steel monocoque Porsche 997 (33,000) and Cayman (31,500), but is already two and a half time of Elise (11,000). Such rigidity gives Lotus full freedom to tune its suspensions without worrying about chassis distortion or noise and harshness. The suspensions are the best you can get: forged aluminum double wishbones at each corner, with bespoke Bilstein dampers, Eibach springs and rigid dual-path top mounts. The steering is by rack-and-pinion and hydraulic assisted (versus unassisted in Elise). Braking is by very large AP Racing cross-drilled ventilated discs (350mm front and 332mm rear) with 4-piston calipers. ABS and traction control come standard while ESP is optional.
These days Lotus no longer builds its own engines because it would cost a hell lot of money. Therefore Evora employs a Toyota 2GR-FE 3.5-liter VVT-i V6 together with a Japanese Aisin 6-speed manual gearbox. They are mounted transversely between the rear wheels and contribute to a 911-like weight distribution of 39:61. You might notice that 2GR-FE is exactly the same code as the one powering your modest Camry, and its peak output of 280 horsepower is 40hp shy of a 3.4-liter Porsche Cayman S, or 65 hp less than a 911 Carrera 3.6. Ironically, Toyota has a more powerful direct-injection V6 in its parts pool, what a pity it is designed for the rear-drive Lexus IS350 / GS350 instead of transversely mounted applications, so Lotus had to compromise with the Camry engine. Nevertheless, its own engineers did improve the engine a little. By remapping its ECU, it is able to add a Sport mode which can lift its red line from 6600 to 7000 rpm to satisfy the desire of keen drivers. Throttle response is slightly improved by a lighter flywheel. Bespoke exhaust system contributes to a sportier sound. The Evora tips the scale at 1382 kg, not much lighter than a 911 Carrera 3.6. This is quite disappointing by the standard of Lotus. Had it employed a bespoke motor and transmission, it might have weighed less. Lotus claims the Evora can do 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds and reach a terminal velocity at 162 mph. Frankly, in the post-GT-R era such performance is no longer sparkling. There are many cars run considerably faster in straight line yet costing less money to purchase and run. In the UK, Evora starts at £50,000, marginally above the dearest Cayman S. But it would be easy to option it up to £60,000, right in the territory of the entry-level 911 Carrera. It doesn't seem a bargain. Nevertheless, Lotus is still a reputed marque, a name that usually appears in the same sentence as Porsche and Ferrari. It should be a more sensible investment than the unknown Artega, Farbio or Spyker etc.
On the Road Open the doors, what a big difference to Elise ! First of all, it is easier to get on board because the doors are larger, door sills are lower and narrower and the seats are mounted some 65 mm higher than those in Elise. You sit on the leather bucket seat rather than drop into the tub. Once you are in place, you will notice how roomier this place is. There is enough headroom for a driver up to 6ft 4in tall and, unlike the case of Elise, he won’t rub his shoulder with the passenger. The rear bench seat, as mentioned before, is suitable for young children or luggage. This is the first truly usable Lotus since Excel. However, even more surprising is the design and decoration of the cabin – it looks quite elegant. The cabin is trimmed with quality leather to draw your attention away from the black plastic background. The instrument pod and center console are made of large pieces of real alloy to remind you its expertise in aluminum technology. Its cool-looking flat-bottomed steering wheel is even made of lightweight magnesium alloy to reduce inertia so that you can feel every bit of information from the road ! The instrument readings are chromed and assisted by glowing LCDs. There are some nice bespoke buttons, knobs and touch-sensitive switches. Although fit and finish still falls short of the standard of Porsche, it at least shows that Lotus starts taking interior quality seriously. Equipments are also richer than expected. An Alpine multimedia system with a 7-inch touch screen LCD provides audio, video, sat-nav and Bluetooth / iPod connectivity, something you can’t imagine in previous Lotuses.
Start the Toyota V6, it revs smoothly while produces a subdued exhaust note. There is keener response than the standard engine, but compared with a great motor like the six-cylinder boxer of Porsche, it is almost too civilized and too refined. There is plenty of torque from the mid-range to haul the car. Its rev climbs linearly towards 4200 rpm, then the variable intake system switches to short manifolds and its tone hardens. However, it still lacks the aural drama of a proper sports car engine, which is probably the biggest weakness of the Evora (as well as Elise, by the way). On the positive side, you get a Camry-like fuel consumption of 33 mpg, better than either of its Porsche rivals. The six-speed gearbox, which comes from the diesel Toyota Avensis, shifts surprisingly slick and accurate. This must thanks to the work done by Lotus – the new gearshift linkage and a new clutch. On the highway, the Evora feels brisk, if not as fast as its 0-60 mph figure suggested. It won’t excel for performance, but it doesn't feel slow either. Just adequate performance, I would say.
If you are long-time fans of Lotus since the days of Colin Chapman, you won't be surprised for its lack of firepower. History tells us a true Lotus should amaze in handling rather than performance. Evora is the same. Its chassis is nothing short of amazing - balanced, stable and agile. Even compared with the very best Porsche Cayman S, the Evora attacks the twisty in a much cleaner, tidier and calmer fashion. Its suspensions soak up bumps and potholes on B-roads so well that you never realize how bad the surfaces are. Switch to Cayman S and you will find the car unsettled by the road irregularities that you have to ease off the throttle. The Lotus is just that superior in covering long distance in amazing pace with minimum fuss. Its smooth and quiet ride has no reason to appear in a sports coupe. Lotus must have done a lot of tuning work together with Bilstein to find out the best suspension setup. Other aspects of its handling are equally amazing. The hydraulic-assisted steering is definitely the best of the class. It is light and sensitive, offering uncorrupted feel from the front tires yet having managed to filter out any unwanted kickback. The engaging feel is further enhanced by a willing front end. Turn the steering wheel and the nose immediately points to where you desire, thanks to the low inertia up front. It possesses the same playfulness as Elise, just being more refined simultaneously. In corners, the Evora is planted and secured, displaying tremendous grip and traction - the rear-biased weight pays off here. Even in rain, its inherent traction and balance are so good that the electronic traction control rarely needs to intervene. Its body control is exceptional, too. Hard cornering results in nearly zero roll. Hard acceleration and deceleration cannot unsettle its longitudinal stability either. The brakes are equally impressive in power and pedal feel. Remember, they are larger than 911's yet doesn't need to take care of as much weight.
We used to consider Porsche Cayman S a perfect sports car, so it is a shock to find out that the new Lotus 2+2 beats it in ride and handling. What Evora loses are two things: Power and Drama. A stronger and better-sounding engine could be an answer. Undoubtedly, the Evora we see today is just the beginning. In the next few years, we shall see derivatives with more powerful engines, most likely supercharged or turbocharged ones. So don't write off the British Motor Show yet. Stay tuned and wait for more exciting debuts in London. |
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| The above report was last updated on 23 Jun 2009. All Rights Reserved. |
| AutoZine Rating | ||
 Evora |
 Evora S |
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| Performance tested by: *Autocar, **C&D, ***MT |
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by Mark Wan @ AutoZine