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11-22-2009, 12:05 PM
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#1 (permalink) |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 8
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My impressions of the Evora from the weekend testdrive on Long Island
Hello. I just wanted to share with you my impressions of the Evora. Ever since Lotus started developing the car, I was extremely interested in it. Although I thought the Elise was an excellent car, it was a bit cramped and too "raw" for everyday use. When the Evora was released officially in pictures, I thought it was quite a handsome car, but I was blown away when I saw it in the flesh. It is quite stunning. The proportions are just about perfect. It has a nice wide stance and its overall length is just about right (not too short or too long). The car I saw was grey in color, but I bet the car would look even sharper with the brighter colors, like yellow or orange.
The interior is generally well made with sumptuous leather abound. The seats were nice and supportive, and ingress and egress was not as difficult as in the Elise - you need not be a contortionist! I still needed though some practice in getting in and out of the car elegantly, though. The pedal placement is just about right and comfortable, even though your legs are angled a slight bit to the center line. The pedal box is a bit on the small side for my size 12s, but wearing proper driving shoes remedied this (regular sneakers or chunky shoes may be a bit difficult). Visibility is excellent in the front and sides, and as expected in a mid-engined car, the rearward visibility is limited (the back-up camera is a must-have). The only thing in the interior that disappointed me was the switchgear. Pressing the buttons in the dash did not give an audible or tactile "click" when pressed, so one could not know whether it was "on" or "off" Now with the driving impressions. The clutch is a bit heavy than what I am used to with my Audi A5. However, it is not anywhere close to as heavy as say a Lamborghini Countach. I am embarassed to say that I stalled on 1st gear twice, and I have been driving stick since I was 16! I guess I was not used to the clutch's feel yet. The steering had a nice feel to it and is very communicative of the road - almost feeling as if it was unassisted. The gearbox had a nice and precise feel to it, without any notchiness, although I could not verify if the gearbox in the test car was the sport transmission. Acceleration is also impressive, and it feels to be quicker than the measured 5 seconds to 60. Speed comes up relatively quickly and effortlessly. On the local straightaway I was surprised to see how fast I was driving when I glanced at the speedometer. Thankfully, the brakes were nice and strong with a firm feel. Heel-and-toe downshifting was a bit difficult since the gas pedal seemed not to be in the same plane as the brake and clutch pedals. It seemed to be placed a bit lower. The suspension is quite compliant, but at the same time keeps the car solidly planted with minimal body roll. Overall, I give the Evora a good thumbs up. It gives the driver the same go-kart feel as the Elise without any of the compromises. Lotus has a true winner here. Best Regards, Andy Santos  PS. If anyone has a suggestion for a good free picture hosting site, I would gladly share the photos I took from the event. Last edited by AndyS : 11-23-2009 at 09:31 AM. |
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11-22-2009, 01:46 PM
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#2 (permalink) | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 34
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cheers. henry. |
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11-22-2009, 03:26 PM
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#3 (permalink) | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 8
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11-22-2009, 06:40 PM
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#4 (permalink) | |
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anglophile in exile
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Andy - thanks for the writeup!
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