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After 13 years, Lotus has finally
introduced an all-new model...
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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.
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The mid-engined 2+2 format has been
disappeared from the world since Ferrari Mondial retired in 1993.
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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 Skyker 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.
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VVA chassis consists of a center tub,
and front and rear subframes, all made of aluminum.
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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.
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Although fit and finish still falls
short of the standard of Porsche, it at least shows that Lotus starts
taking interior quality seriously...
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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.
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In silver it looks like a
shark...
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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.
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Even compared with Porsche Cayman S,
the Evora attacks the twisty in a much cleaner, tidier and calmer
fashion...
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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 amaze - 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-based
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.
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Lacking power and drama aside, this is
the best ever Lotus - and hopefully a big headache to Porsche
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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. |