The newest revision to Evora. A bit more incrementalism before the end.

"BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast." (boxerfanatic) 10/07/2019 at 23:50 • Filed to: None

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Lotus has tweaked the Evora again... a little bit more power, a little bit more aero, a little bit less weight, and a lot more money, especially with options.

It is an interesting car, and I am glad it is on the market as a bit of an old-school formula , but I have to question a lot.

10K carbon package, 5K paint jobs, 8K titanium exhaust (short on a mid-engine car), 120K overall... are you kidding me.

If this were any other car company, and built in a mass production economy of scale, this seems like it would be a 45K car. In a world of 60K mid-engine V8 Corvette... this is is a hard sell to spend double that money on, and nearly double a 718 Cayman S, which itself should be markedly under 50K, as well, if it had any other badge than Porsche.

Why did they not put the GT430 front fascia on this car? Why do they continue to use the snow-plow 400 front fascia? There is only one good looking front end on these cars, from start to finish, and it is the GT430's front end..

I like the fact that it is simple, clean, un-cluttered other than the rear fascia a bit... that it has a double-DIN aftermarket infotainment system as OE, that would allow upgrade with newer technology in the future.

Sure it has 400+ horsepower, frankly I’d probably be fine with it having 350hp/tq on most roads... maybe the extra is helpful on the track.

I just don’t get who is spending 6-figures on this... and why this simple formula is not being applied by a mass-market manufacturer at the price point that a car like this belongs... 35-45K. If it were a Toyota MR2+2 with handling by Lotus... at that price, I’d buy it.

If I could trust that I could get support for it from a dealer 50 miles away, rather than 500+ miles away, with spare parts, and knowledgeable technicians... I’d buy a used Evora S for 35K.

but this, like so much else, has gotten way, WAY out of touch.

And stop with the glossy non-metallic mud colors... ceramic, or battleship grey, or whatever you want to call it... no. just don’t. And it is certifiably insane to add 5 thousand dollars to the ticket for that non-priviledge. That car is going to look worse than that color already does as time goes on. HIGHLY dated color. Sad, because the lines of the Evora bodywork are really quite good... with the right front fascia.

I miss the idea of affordable Fiero GTs, and MR2 Turbos...

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 10/08/2019 at 10:12

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The sad truth is that there isnt enough market for a car like this to make it work in an “eco nomy of scale” manufacturing environment. Litterally the only reason it exists is that they build so few of them they still manage to have demand. Now I, like you, would love a $35K-ish mid-rear sports car with reasonable power, a reliable engine and a real manual transmission... But look at the prevalence of automatics, CUVs, and horrible city traffic that benefits purveyors of self driving systems. We are in the minority :(

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 10/08/2019 at 12:37

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You may in fact be right... however, I do want to point out a couple of things.

Point 1: it is harder to establish the lack of a market by the lack of impetus to serve said market than just assuming the market to not exist. I will grant that if there is an un-served market, it is not likely to be big... but it is hard to prove a negative, especially by doing nothing.

We are seeing that as cars get way more expensive than most people can responsibly afford, several things are happening.

A: people are accruing critical amounts of automotive debt for longer terms than a depreciating asset can justify. (an asset to lifestyle and transportation, not a financial-class asset)

B: Other people are buying used instead of new, or keeping their cars far longer on average... shrinking the customer pool for new car purchases by frequency.

C: people are choosing to buy multi-use vehicles, rather than more than one vehicle... if nice vehicles cost 50K or more... maybe a nice SUV, instead of two cars, like a practical hauler, and a smaller performance/commuter for 25-30K each...

Point 3: A truly compelling vehicle could change the game.

Mustang did it in 1964, and set sales records. The early to mid 1960s weren’t a boom time like the 50s were, although the late 60s were going a bit better, economically, before the recessions and gas crisis in the 70s. It doesn’t happen often, but it CAN happen if it is done truly well, and not just phoned in, and not just a toe-in-the-water.

That is one of the big reasons why I am a proponent of an affordable performance hybrid sports car, and not done as abysmally poorly as Honda CR-Z was.

Imagine a vehicle the size of Evora, made from steel and aluminum as most new cars are... as a space frame, with plastic SMC bodywork, as Evora and Corvette do, and Fiero used to.

Now imagine it with one of the many PHEV drivetrains that manufacturers have available... and there are many to choose from.

Using a turbo-I4 (or an i3T, flat-4, Wankel, LiquidRotor, whatever...) that makes a bit more than minimal econo-box power in the mid-to-upper-RPM range, and is power-efficient (getting the most kinetic output per unit of fuel input)… coupled with a generator/starter/supplemental motor unit, and some electric traction motors, a well-tuned controller set, and about 20KwH worth of batteries. Supercapacitors or a flywheel system could be cool, but probably not ready for this sort of mass-market prime-time.

multiple modes, including electric-only mode that is highway capable up to ~70mph for hopefully at least 25-30 miles. Parallel and Series hybrid modes for mixed-condition driving, regeneration, and cruise-charging. Hybrid Sport mode for burst combined output of an i8-like 350hp and 400+tq, with 0-60 under 5 seconds, and 50-70 passing burst better than just about anything short of down-shifting a BIG v8 muscle-car.

package that together at a 35K base price, 45K fully optioned, and maybe a limited edition or something just under 50K...

No, it wouldn’t be as fast as a C8 Corvette, or a Mustang GT, Camaro SS, or Challenger SRT. but it would be less expensive, and more modern.

The idea behind MR2 and Fiero were to be communters. Mid-engine Runabout 2-seat. Something economical to commute or run errands with, that just happened to also be right-wheel-drive, with the engine on top of the driven wheels, and modest weight... and if you happened to dip into the throttle, and turn the steering wheel... it responded a little bit like a the mid-engine race cars on TV.

A PHEV system would make for the ultimate expression of that... electric efficiency, on-board generation, heating, and cooling, no range anxiety outside of urban areas... and combined output.

I think there is a case to be made that the future of affordable performance needs to arrive, and the 35-45K segment is where it needs to make it’s entrance.(where hybrid versions of other body-style vehicles currently sell)

I think if it is engineered, built, marketed, sold, and supported properly, it could be the 2020s decade equivalent to the 1964 Mustang at the Worlds Fair, and the new generation of what the “Pony Car” did then... make fun cars affordable down-market from the big muscle machines and expensive sports cars for the rich.

I think it would give people a reason to buy new, rather than used; buy sooner, rather than later; and maybe consider splitting between a practical hauler, and a daily efficient runabout that can commute on electricity, and then be a bit of a thrill in hybrid sport mode, and a regenerative and gas-station or charging station compatible road trip car.

And if need be... 2+0, 2+2, or even 4-seat modest sport sedan configurations to appeal to a bit of practicality. A hybrid power unit can be somewhat small , and theoretically could be low and flat, if needed.

Heck... with another chassis variant, the technology could be scaled up a bit to a new Previa-style van, with the engine under the floor.

WiscoProud > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 10/08/2019 at 12:44

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I like the Evora as supposedly, its the one Lotus where people over 6' can fit in them. They started out relatively affordable, but it seems that they’ve taken on Porsche’s business model, where you have a reasonable base price, then add 30% with options. I personally don’t think its the right move, but since the 911 is a direct competitor, its not surprising either. Options are high profit margin, and Lotus needs all the cash it can get. 

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > WiscoProud 10/08/2019 at 12:53

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expensive options are only academic, if the car no longer sells.

And if they only sell a few hundred, and all of them have 10 grand worth of carbon fiber, 5 grand worth of custom paint, and half of them have an 8-grand titanium exhaust... the base price might as well be 120 grand, and make no bones about it.

But who wants to spend that kind of money on a car that could have build quality issues, parts availability issues, hardly anyone who knows how to service them, and the fit and finish of a car that should cost a quarter of what it costs.

Or otherwise a Porsche, or maybe a couple of other toys instead, like an Ariel Atom and an expensive motorcycle.

WiscoProud > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 10/08/2019 at 13:23

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Oh i agree. Personally, I like to look at the used ones hovering around $40k. While still more fun money than i have at the moment, its a lot more palatable than $120k

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 10/08/2019 at 14:49

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I like your vision... I really do... But I’m also very jaded about what traffic has done to the entire *concept* of a “fun commuter”... The modern traffic landscape in the US (I’ll try to avoid ranting too much about how our poor puplic transit system makes it worse) is so awful that a great many, possibly even majority think driving is a chore to be avoided. Sadly marketeers have determined that self drivi ng cars are more salaeble (and profitable) than improvements in public transit. I’d also heavily impugn the poor - bordering on negligent- driver education system in this country as a deterent. People are ta ught just enough to be nervous that they don’t really know what they are doing and would be glad to drive something boring as long as it’s “safe” (both actively and passively)... I'm just jaded as fuck :/

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 10/08/2019 at 16:06

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I’m right there with you, which is why that long post sounds like a cry for help. The last pointless gasp before the last ember of hope flickers out.

We need a new Iacocca, or DeLorean. (60s era versions at Ford and Pontiac , not 80's era versions that were churning out C hrysler K-cars, and trying to save a standalone car company with cocaine, respectively)