23.05.2009
This is a new Lotus, with a new chassis, a new engine and a big job on its hands. Richard Meaden discovers if the Evora is the revolution we’ve been waiting for, and if the Cayman is yesterday’s hero…
If you missed our live broadcast on Twitter, then you can click on the previous link and view many of the behind-the-scenes images from the test.
Also, make sure you watch our videos when Dickie visited the Evora project team at Lotus’ Hethel HQ and joined Matt Becker around their test track..
Now read the feature magazine and then let us know your thoughts.
Click the image below
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8 Comments
jeremy
May 23, 2009Nice article. More of a first drive than a feature, but a very nice piece. Good on you Richard for telling it like it is. I’ve not read so much as anyone being critical in any way of the evora what-so-ever- not least the UK mob. That Becker actually agreed with you makes it all the more insightful- requiring that much more effort to find the right road, and drive
as hard and pay that kind of attention- and do it again, to figure out what Becker himself knew from no doubt much more driving.
It will be interesting though to see if Becker is right about that other thing, the part where he says he knows how to fix it! That’s harder to believe as obviously with how-ever many tens of thousands of miles they have driven these things, if they couldn’t fix it by now – without upsetting some other aspect of the handling in the process, they probably will not be able to fix it with a mere 30 minute re-bushing job. Sorry Roger I don’t believe that.
I wonder- and indeed I think Harris would be thinking this as well in light (pun) of his old Green 911, if Becker really knows something else- something he once told me many years ago; that it is very very hard to make a car feel good to drive in the wet with such large wheels and tires. If I could remember hearing him now I think he’d be saying “16 inch wheels are all you really need”. I still believe that’s what he thinks.
jeremy
May 23, 2009Nice article. More of a first drive than a feature, but a very nice piece. Good on you Richard for telling it like it is. I’ve not read so much as anyone being critical in any way of the evora what-so-ever- not least the UK mob. That Becker actually agreed with you makes it all the more insightful- requiring that much more effort to find the right road, and drive
as hard and pay that kind of attention- and do it again, to figure out what Becker himself knew from no doubt much more driving.
It will be interesting though to see if Becker is right about that other thing, the part where he says he knows how to fix it! That’s harder to believe as obviously with how-ever many tens of thousands of miles they have driven these things, if they couldn’t fix it by now – without upsetting some other aspect of the handling in the process, they probably will not be able to fix it with a mere 30 minute re-bushing job. Sorry Roger I don’t believe that.
I wonder- and indeed I think Harris would be thinking this as well in light (pun) of his old Green 911, if Becker really knows something else- something he once told me many years ago; that it is very very hard to make a car feel good to drive in the wet with such large wheels and tires. If I could remember hearing him now I think he’d be saying “16 inch wheels are all you really need”. I still believe that’s what he thinks.
Dom
May 26, 2009A good review – worth the (very long!) wait – I look forward to a more comprehensive group test soon – maybe in addition to the Cayman and/or 997 you could include a Focus RS as a far cheaper alternative. I hope Lotus manage to tweak the steering as per your comment for the production version but as per previous comments good for you pointing it out.
Dom
May 26, 2009A good review – worth the (very long!) wait – I look forward to a more comprehensive group test soon – maybe in addition to the Cayman and/or 997 you could include a Focus RS as a far cheaper alternative. I hope Lotus manage to tweak the steering as per your comment for the production version but as per previous comments good for you pointing it out.
Richard - DR
May 27, 2009Thanks for the comments (and your patience).
Regarding the slight steering feel issues I mentioned in the piece, I have faith that Lotus will be able to continue the very fine detail refinement of the Evora. As I learned from the Beckers the nature of late pre-production cars is that the characteristics of some components can change ever-so slightly when they go into full-scale volume production, and this can require very subtle tweaks to compensate and bring things back to how they were when the cars were built from hand-made, one-off parts. To use a fairly odd analogy, I guess it’s like having to re-tune a piano after it has been moved.
Roger, Matt and the rest of the team have done such a good job you’d have to say they’ll have a handle on what needs to be done, and how to do it.
Richard - DR
May 27, 2009Thanks for the comments (and your patience).
Regarding the slight steering feel issues I mentioned in the piece, I have faith that Lotus will be able to continue the very fine detail refinement of the Evora. As I learned from the Beckers the nature of late pre-production cars is that the characteristics of some components can change ever-so slightly when they go into full-scale volume production, and this can require very subtle tweaks to compensate and bring things back to how they were when the cars were built from hand-made, one-off parts. To use a fairly odd analogy, I guess it’s like having to re-tune a piano after it has been moved.
Roger, Matt and the rest of the team have done such a good job you’d have to say they’ll have a handle on what needs to be done, and how to do it.
jeremy
May 27, 2009@Richard – DR -
Rich,
I think you’ll admit that there is a chance that even the Evora MIGHT handle better in the WET with say 16 or 17 inch wheels//tires; you’ll admit that possibility, no? Yes even if the dry handling suffers a bit. Or is the thinking changing now, do 18/19 inch wheel really confer some sort of real-world benefit for on road handling? Or is this simply a matter of generating the sort of grip required now of a two ton Jag/Merc/BMW?
Indeed I believe Ferrari themselves recently called for making supercars with smaller wheels/tires. So there must be something there. …and again chris’s kermit 911.
Ferrari concept
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/06/21/the-ferrari-mille-chili-eco-concept-picture-and-details-insid/
jeremy
May 27, 2009@Richard – DR -
Rich,
I think you’ll admit that there is a chance that even the Evora MIGHT handle better in the WET with say 16 or 17 inch wheels//tires; you’ll admit that possibility, no? Yes even if the dry handling suffers a bit. Or is the thinking changing now, do 18/19 inch wheel really confer some sort of real-world benefit for on road handling? Or is this simply a matter of generating the sort of grip required now of a two ton Jag/Merc/BMW?
Indeed I believe Ferrari themselves recently called for making supercars with smaller wheels/tires. So there must be something there. …and again chris’s kermit 911.
Ferrari concept
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/06/21/the-ferrari-mille-chili-eco-concept-picture-and-details-insid/