Newspaper Article

Could this be the best-handling car on the planet?

John Simister Road Test

2009

Overview

For now, all Evoras have a solid, fixed roof but a convertible will follow. So will a cheaper version with no rear seats, and an automatic. Like the Elise and its derivatives, the Evora has its engine mounted across the car behind the occupants with the boot beyond, and a chassis made from bonded and riveted aluminium sheets and extrusions. But everything is bigger and more sophisticated, because the Evora has to take on rivals such as Porsche's Cayman and not fall at the first hurdles of quality and refinement. That's a big challenge for a small factory. Porsche makes more cars in a year than Lotus has made in its entire 60-year history to date, but buyers of a 47,500 car (the cheapest, option-free, two-seats-only [Evora]) won't accept quality solecisms just because the car isn't replicated as often. What might pass in an Elise won't do in an Evora. Inside the Evora is a sense of quality and attention to detail ahead of anything Lotus has attempted before. Leather is all around, at least in this \"launch edition\" Evora (the first 450 cars) with Tech, Premium and Sport packs and a stack of other options which together hoist the price to 59,900. It's not quite right, though. The driver's door shudders when pulled shut. The Alpine stereo and sat-nav display screen looks cheap with its fiddly, ugly silver buttons along the bottom. The red information display screens either side of the instruments are hard to read in sunlight or if you are long-sighted.

• Publisher: Independent Digital News & Media