Evora production time line

[Allan Gibbs]

Hi Robert. Yes, it's true Porsche's have used slush boxes but the current auto-trend is the dual clutch -even the Volkswagon GTi has it.

If Lotus is hoping to lure some Porsche-shoppers, they would now be at a disadvantage (especially considering the power boost and increase mpg on the 2010 Porsche cars).

Then again, are we really sure the Evora will use a torque-convert tranmission? Does anyone know what information will be released at Geneva?

[Bavarian Motorist]

Compared to other brands, a low percentage of Porsche slushboxes were ordered. Even the R8 which has the R-tronic is mostly preferred in six-speed...


It's worth mentioning Spyker is making a slushbox version of their C8... but that's such a low volume car.

[Rat27]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

Compared to other brands, a low percentage of Porsche slushboxes were ordered. Even the R8 which has the R-tronic is mostly preferred in six-speed...


It's worth mentioning Spyker is making a slushbox version of their C8... but that's such a low volume car.

Sorry, but over 50% of 911's, Boxsters and Cayman were ordered with automatics. The vast majority of Americans cannot drive a manual transmission. If you don't offer a 2-pedal car you eliminate 90% of the market from consideration of your car. Of course, a dual clutch would be preferable but they are more expensive and heavier. Also, Toyota isn't offering one yet so that's what really drives this decision.

[MickOpalak]

Originally Posted by wallabyguy

First, Mick, Do you have a high res copy of that pic for my screen saver?

That's the highest res I got, but it came from this picture...

[Allan Gibbs]

Originally Posted by Rat27

Also, Toyota isn't offering one yet so that's what really drives this decision.

Ah, that's a good point. I suppose Toyota probably won't ever really offer one considering most of their cars are family haulers

[JohnnyQuest]

Originally Posted by Allan Gibbs

Ah, that's a good point. I suppose Toyota probably won't ever really offer one considering most of their cars are family haulers

That is a good point regarding what is available from Toyota, but it's a very poor excuse of why a supercar (almost) will be offered with a very ill-matched transmission. It just sounds like Lotus is doing the best they can with the best drive train they can buy. It does not sound like they are putting the best drive train they can in this great car. What's Lotus going to say in their brochure? "We offer the only gearboxes we could get someone to sell us."

I'd venture that there are very few people would would walk away from a Cayman with an F1 type trans and into an Elise with an old-school auto. They really should delay the auto until they can get a sequential from Lexus to fit. I also think it's a huge mistake to not go with a direct injection engine.

Direct injection and paddle shifters are the new buzz words. If Lotus hits the market with the technology that everyone else abandoned a couple of years earlier, they won't be able to compete. It's a tough world out there. The Elise doesn't share DNA with other cars; it has no competition, so it can get away with more. The Evora is supposed to go head to head with the competion, yet is going to do so with out dated technology. I think we will all be surprised when more information is released. What we are being fed now just does not make sense.

[fitfan]

Originally Posted by ...m...

...if the chassis wasn't designed as a roadster to start, it's going to either add weight or sacrifice stiffness...

in absolute terms with no top it would be lighter and just as stiff. - since it is a tub chasis and not a unibody like thoose el' cheapo porsches and stuff.

[ChrisB]

Originally Posted by JohnnyQuest

That is a good point regarding what is available from Toyota, but it's a very poor excuse of why a supercar (almost) will be offered with a very ill-matched transmission. It just sounds like Lotus is doing the best they can with the best drive train they can buy. It does not sound like they are putting the best drive train they can in this great car. What's Lotus going to say in their brochure? "We offer the only gearboxes we could get someone to sell us."

I'd venture that there are very few people would would walk away from a Cayman with an F1 type trans and into an Elise with an old-school auto. They really should delay the auto until they can get a sequential from Lexus to fit. I also think it's a huge mistake to not go with a direct injection engine.

Direct injection and paddle shifters are the new buzz words. If Lotus hits the market with the technology that everyone else abandoned a couple of years earlier, they won't be able to compete. It's a tough world out there. The Elise doesn't share DNA with other cars; it has no competition, so it can get away with more. The Evora is supposed to go head to head with the competion, yet is going to do so with out dated technology. I think we will all be surprised when more information is released. What we are being fed now just does not make sense.

It isn't Lotus' marketing strategy to go head-to-head with others in the same market segment. They are aiming at the holes in the marketplace. They could also do many of the types of things you suggest, but then would be priced into an entirely different market segment and everybody would be bitching about the price.

Toyota doesn't have a direct injection V6 that would drop in. The IS350 engine won't work in the Evora. But that could all change in the next year or so.

Most of the people that want an exclusive, plush car with an automatic probably don't even know the difference between a torque converter transmission and a dual-clutch setup. How many people driving Porsche Carreras around do you think could tell you anything about the car, other than it's the thing to have in their social circles?

[DeanG]

Originally Posted by ChrisB

...
Most of the people that want an exclusive, plush car with an automatic probably don't even know the difference between a torque converter transmission and a dual-clutch setup. How many people driving Porsche Carreras around do you think could tell you anything about the car, other than it's the thing to have in their social circles?

A friend has a Lambo with paddle shifters. She bought it becuase she liked the look better than the Ferrari she had. Ask her what's in it and she doesn't know. Her basic answer is she likes the car, how it looks, drives and sounds. Her major complaint is that there are too many poliece around so she can't dirive it as fast as she would like.

[Brennon]

Originally Posted by wallabyguy

First, Mick, Do you have a high res copy of that pic for my screen saver?

Second about the autobox. Let's look at Lotus' main target for the Evora, the Cayman/ 911. Both of these cars until this year used a Tiptronic box. The Tiptronic is a conventional autobox not a dual clutch. It makes up more than half of sales for both models. Obviously for the Evora to be successful against these cars in the US (the market for which Lotus set as it's primary market), it must include an autobox.

As far as the Auto coming before the convertible, #1 it's easier to integrate into production. #2 Porsche introduces/offers a tiptronic before they offer the convertible so again Lotus is simply taking it's cues from it's rival.

According to the Lotus rep at the LA autoshow...

Places like Japan require a separate license for manuals and the certification process is easier on an automatic car. So having the automatic option makes it easier to integrate into certain areas.

[Bavarian Motorist]

Originally Posted by Rat27

Sorry, but over 50% of 911's, Boxsters and Cayman were ordered with automatics. The vast majority of Americans cannot drive a manual transmission. If you don't offer a 2-pedal car you eliminate 90% of the market from consideration of your car. Of course, a dual clutch would be preferable but they are more expensive and heavier. Also, Toyota isn't offering one yet so that's what really drives this decision.

I said compared to other brands ... where virtually every single car sold has the automatic option.

[...m...]

Originally Posted by fitfan

in absolute terms with no top it would be lighter and just as stiff. - since it is a tub chasis and not a unibody like thoose el' cheapo porsches and stuff.

...well, strictly speaking, an ideally-designed monocoque is far more structurally efficient than a body-on-frame, even when that frame is a bonded aluminum tub...