Thoughts:Trade in Z4C for Lotus Evora?

[baege]

I recently posted that I find myself struggling to come up with a replacement for my Z4C but mentioned that the evora was something that had recently caught my eye.

Well I drove one this past Saturday and, while the jury is still out, (I am going back for another drive and to work out #’s this week), here are my first impressions:

Exterior appearance: I love the Z4C /Z4MC looks, to me the only thing out there that bests it is the Aston Martin Vantage (maybe). I’m not that taken by the angular creations of Ferrari and lambo. The evora is a good looking car, much better in person that in pictures. It’s a little more angular that I would probably like, but its definitely a nice looking car. I could live with it for sure.

It turns heads like no tomorrow. People definitely look at the Z4C. But the evora is in a different class. Teenage boys yell “whoa”, people stop stare and point. And this was in a mundane grey paint demo. Its also got that exclusivity factor that the Z4C also has.

Interior: I’m not that focused on the interior of a car so I won’t say much here. But its nice enough and the recaro seats work well.

Driving experience: Incredible overall.

The car feels so connected and agile. The handling is in a class well above the Z4C.

Straight line acceleration is quicker than the Z4C but it doesn’t feel all that much faster. In fact the Z4C has a better throttle response and feels torquier. Engine is silky smooth though and the sound of the mid placed engine is intoxicating.



I’m still undecided. There is no question that the evora offers more for one who has a passion for automobiles than the Z4C. What I am really debating is whether the difference is significant enough to justify the difference in cost and the impractabilities of the evora that I would have to live with. The evora’s front end is very low and very susceptible to scrapes, concentration and care is required for all entries into driveways and over speed bumps. Outward visibility is very bad. Quick lane changes are not an option. Parallel parking I would imagine would be a task. Reversing is a chore, only accomplished with the must have reverse camera. Storage space is almost none existent.

So while every drive with the evora will offer that much more, it comes at a cost in terms of practicalities. Driving the evora will also be more work and this I know.

I’ll keep you all posted but curious on people’s thoughts on my dilemma.

[Nikki]

Thanks for the writeup. I was considering the Elise/Exige vs. the Z4M and in the end decided that Z4M was more practical for daily driving and had more creature comforts. The Evora, however is a tougher decision since it isn't as raw as the Elise/Exige and would be more on par with the Z4M in terms of practicality. For me though, the Evora isn't a viable option due to $$ and even if that weren't an issue it'd still be hard for me to justify at that price.

[ZStig]

I have no personal experience with the evora, but other than straight line speed (compared to a z4m), I think its an upgrade. I wouldn't trade my ROADSTER for it though

[mhughett]

In addition to the obvious $$ difference and the lack of practicality, my biggest concern about the Lotus would be the reliability and dealer network. I live in Tulsa, Ok which has a metro population of about 1M. Oklahoma city is slightly larger and about a hundred miles away. Despite these two metro areas, there are no Lotus dealers in the whole state and a friend that had one had to have it trucked to Dallas every time it needed service. Also, despite the fact it has Toyota drivetrain parts, I'm still not convinced that you will see the overall reliability and parts availability for this car that you have for BMW's. I'm sure it's a hoot to drive but I think I'll stay with my coupe.

[SCHMOUPE]

I mean nothing for nothing, at 70-80K price range you are better off looking for a preowned R8 at maybe 10K more. Evora is at that awkward performance/money range that really doesnt appeal to whole lot of people.

[babydevilj]

well maintenance shouldn't be too bad... it is a 3.5L V6 Toyota Camry engine in the evora. i think the wow factor of owning a car no one else would think of owning would be pretty big. you wont see too many of those around.

[PatJags156]

I have some very good insight into the Evora. I sat in it at the NY Auto Show and was offered to test drive it on the spot. I declined. I loved the way it looked but the negatives out weighed the positives of the car. It is a struggle every time to get your feet in the car due to a 18inch leather block by the foot well. EXTREMELY uncomfortable. Also, while sitting in the car playing with the shifter, my hand hit my the passangers knee every shift. Also, the worst part, the pedals are wayyyy to small and too close together, causing your foot to hit more than one pedal at the same time.
Amazing looking car but not even close to practical.

[SmartBastard]

I'm a big lotus fan, but I would suggest to wait for the new line of lotus car. The evora for example should get an update soon.

[ANUSTART]

Get the electric version.

[krnnerdboy]

Originally Posted by SmartBastard

I'm a big lotus fan, but I would suggest to wait for the new line of lotus car. The evora for example should get an update soon.

I agree, wait for the new evora to make a decision...I've never contemplated an evora b/c that's used gt3 territory. There drivetrain is the biggest let down. The e86M is much faster than the evora...think 5mph more trap in the 1/4, but the reviews say there is nothing that compares to the overall feel of the steering

[r4gs]

lotuses have remained faithful to their heritage of lightweight, agile machines, and thus a lot of sacrifices were made creature comfort wise. i've seen a couple of evoras in-person and they carry a better presence than in pictures, but just doesn't evoke the same emotions as a more controversial, and correspondingly more exciting, design like the z4 coupes. it's like comparing the mp4-12c with a 458 italia, the ferrari just has those polarising looks that gets under ur skin whereas the maclaren is pretty standard looking fare.

nice mini-review and hopefully u'll enjoy ur drives regardless if it's in a z4 coupe or an evora. price is double though and just does not feel like u get much more for tt.

[esqu1re]

I like the evora, but can't get over the fact that it's sort of a "stop gap" measure / place holder before the other cars arrive -- it's not as raw as an elise, and doesn't have the horsepower numbers of the upcoming cars. It's sort of average at everything it does, really. JMO. Hope you find what you're looking for!

[mfanatic325]

Originally Posted by SmartBastard

I'm a big lotus fan, but I would suggest to wait for the new line of lotus car. The evora for example should get an update soon.

^ This = win. He is one smart bastard for sure.

All the Lotus cars are great, and are extremely capable on track (performance-wise), but I'd also wait for the new models coming out. They are going to be epic

[johanness]

Originally Posted by esqu1re

I like the evora, but can't get over the fact that it's sort of a "stop gap" measure / place holder before the other cars arrive -- it's not as raw as an elise, and doesn't have the horsepower numbers of the upcoming cars.

I agree 100%. It's like warm coffee. Wait for the new models to arrive

[l4zy]

Definitely wait for Lotus' new line to come out! The Evora does look very nice in person though.

[baege]

Thanks for the input.

There is always that tension between current enjoyment and waiting for the better and newer thing coming (a revised evora or the new elan for example).

Maybe my 2nd drive and looking at the actual #'s will shed more light.

[chickdr]

Just received the "awesome lease offer" through Road & Track?(not sure why they would be involved with Lotus...) Not such a hot deal IMO. To me a good deal would be $725/mth for 48mths with the first payment due at signing.

"2010 Lotus Evora 2+2, reasonably equipped with an MSRP of $72,435.00. 48 month lease x $798.00 per month = $38,304.00 total monthly payments. Based on 7,500 miles a year; lessee responsible for $1.00 per mile over 7,500 miles per year. Total due at lease inception is $6,692.00 which includes 1st month's lease payment of $798.00, capital cost reduction of $4,999.00, acquisition fee of $895.00. Closed ended lease, purchase option of $30,958.00 at lease end."

[VinnieAces]

why not try driving the M version of your car too? Maybe u'll like the power bump and want to stay in the family

[baege]

I drove both the M and Si before purchase.

I found the SI fast enough for me in the lower ranges and real world driving.

The evora is actually not much faster than the SI. Its more about the handling and mid engine design and exterior.

[MIKe86]

Originally Posted by VinnieAces

why not try driving the M version of your car too? Maybe u'll like the power bump and want to stay in the family

And this whole time I thought he was making a comparo to an m...

[nmulax]

I love the looks of the Evora - makes me think of a mini F360/430

But I wasn't that impressed with driving it. Like you said, visibility is worse than the M coupe; but what really ruined it for me… it was too controlled. It felt near impossible to upset and driving it didn't give you that feeling that the M does. You know the feeling, that you're walking a tightrope between control and chaos. To me, that's the appeal of the Z4M.

[wrh3]

Originally Posted by nmulax

....and driving it didn't give you that feeling that the M does. You know the feeling, that you're walking a tightrope between control and chaos. To me, that's the appeal of the Z4M.

Exactly! I owned/DDed an Elise for 2 years and have owned the Z4M for almost 4 years, I still smile every time I drive it. The Lotus can make anybody look like a good driver, the Z4M you really have to DRIVE
To me Lotus is trying to evolve into a Porsche competitor which might make the company more money, and it needs it, but will move their cars away from the Elise/Exige culture of light weight cars into heavier less focused cars. Might not be a bad thing for some but the draw for me was the focus, the Elise/Exige driving experience does not get more raw or connected unless you're in a kart
I may buy an Exige S in the next few years to keep my Z4M company in the garage.