I bought my 2011 Evora online, private sale. I had it independently inspected by Lotus Atlanta, and they gave me a full report of *every little thing* that needed or would be needing fixing.
I also talked a lot with the owner, to feel him out. (For instance - if it's a private sale, is the seller on this forum? That's indicative of a person who cares about the car) Ask pointed questions, ask for lots of pictures, ask to see all the history on the car, and buy that baby's Carfax report. If you have ANY reservations or weird feelings, don't ignore them. There has to be a lot of trust when you go across statelines. Money and titles and all sorts of things are changing hands, so if you mistrust the seller, even if it's just a hunch, don't go through with anything.
All that being said, if I could have flown out to the East Coast to see the car, I would have.