Lotus Evora S review, Monteblanco Spain, Track-day Event

I had been invited by Lotus to test drive the Evora S on the Monteblanco circuit, there were Evoras and Evora S, so that we could test the differences. When we arrived, we split in to groups of five, and shown different things at different times. We started with typically Spanish lunch, tapas, which was great.

Then my group was taken into a briefing on the new Evora S, they explained the differences, of course the biggest difference is the price at 10k euros more than the standard Evora.

Then we went down the track, got a helmet, and each of us sat in an Evora, there was a Portuguese racing driver, they explained the way around the circuit, they called this the handling track, we did a few laps and then changed into another Evora this time an “S.” we then changed over with another group. Then we moved on to the fast circuit, first in an Evora and then in an Evora S, we where then given a demo lap with the Portuguese racing driver.

This Lotus you have to see in the flesh, I think the photos that I have seen don't do it justice. I had made up my mind from the photos that it was just, bland and big, but the reality is far different. The lines really work, it discrete but beautiful, and tasteful. The interior is really a great place to be, the build quality has been improved since the lunch of the Evora, it looks and feels solid, while with a new unique Lotus / Britishness that looks different. The seats are very comfortable, hugging you in a good way with support that you need while driving it hard round a track.

Driving the Evora, feels solid, very refined and with a great deal of feedback. I consider the suspension to be soft, but not soft in a bad way. It is soft when you would want it to be. Hard and without body-roll when driving it hard. Driving a left hand drive Evora I found the pedals too offset to the right, but I did not notice this on the right hand drive Evoras.

Differences between the Evora and Evora S, there is a big difference in torque, instantly noticeable, the sound track, ufff, sounds meaner slightly louder, very slightly harder suspension, they have changed the bushes. The thing is that the gearbox on the Evora is not perfect, I found that changing gear into 2^nd and 4^th didn't always engage and I found changing from fourth to third, I sometimes got fifth. Lotus did say that the gear linkages had been improved on the Evora S and will be changed on the Evora.

If money was no object I would go and buy an Evora S, but it isn't. Therefore I would have to consider very seriously paying an extra 10k, for a car that does 0 – 60 in 5.1 and an S that does it 4,6. An Evora with all the options here in Spain cost 94k euros, add the S, 104k thats a lot of money in todays climate.

The IPS system was not available to see / try, and will only be available on the Evora.

The event was great, very impressed, thank you Lotus.

Lotus Evora S

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NRG Photography, provides wedding, creative and portrait photography in Andalusia, Spain. All photos are for sale and commission work is undertaken. www.NRGPhoto.eu

Pagani Zonda R at Ascari, Ronda, Spain.

I friend and I had been invited to the Ascari Race Resort, near Ronda in Spain. The reason was to show to an invited selected few the Pagani Zonda R. We were met with a warm reception and offered free drinks in the bar, we then moved on to the press briefing with Horacio Pagani and importer into Spain, Mr. Guarnieri. I was amazed how friendly they were.

This is the Zonda that I like the most..

Here is the Zonda R, track car.

The sound of the car is amazing, the exhausts are ceramic!

NRG Photography, provides wedding, creative and portrait photography in Andalusia, Spain. All photos are for sale and commission work is undertaken. www.NRGPhoto.eu

International Exhibition of Contemporary Dance.

Elena and I went to Seville for the afternoon and we came upon his International Exhibition of Contemporary Dance in the street, en the "Puerta de Jerez."

More photos here.

The Feria of Seville.

The feria of Seville has been a great success, just like every year, and as per usual it rained on and off for a few days, but this did not stop anyone having a great time as per usual, the young, the old, and horses came out in great display of colour and style.

There was a great joy in the air!

I asked people if I could take their photo and everyone was happy to let me.

Of course sometimes people were concentrating not falling off their horse as they were riding side-saddle and looking cool.

 

Then there were people how just rode around in horse drawn carriages, while watching the world go past.

NRG Photography, provides wedding, creative and portrait photography in Andalusia, Spain. All photos are for sale and commission work is undertaken. www.NRGPhoto.eu

The new web site!

The new flash web site is complete, the galleries have been updated, the Motorsports section has over 100 new images. Also now the site is available in English, Spanish and German (thank you Angel) www.NRGPhoto.eu

The front page selects randomly one of twenty images and then random bars float over the image.

If the person using the site does not have flash installed it detects this and offers to show the page in HTML format, it also detects iPhone users and shows another version of the page.

To select the different menus there is a drop down menu on the top left hand side of the screen.

NRG Photography, provides wedding, creative and portrait photography in Andalusia, Spain. All photos are for sale and commission work is undertaken. www.NRGPhoto.eu

HDR, the course results.

A few weeks a go I went a course to learn how to do "High Dynamic Range" (HDR) with Eduardo D’Acosta, his blog is http://escueladefotografia.blogspot.com

Here is my Lotus Elise. This HDR image has been created using multiple files with different exposures, then combined and edited using Adobe Photoshop. Using my Canon 5D, EF 24-70 F2.8 L USM, and my Manfrotto tripod. 

Manuels' new motor bike. This image has made using one frame, three different files have then been saved with three different exposures and then combined. Using my Canon 5D, EF 24-70 F2.8 L USM.

St. Pauls London. This was created from one frame as before but using my Canon EOS 400D, and EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. It was made using several files, with the exposure at different settings, my Canon EOS 5D, and 24-70 F2.8 L USM, and my Manfrotto tripod. 

NRG Photography, provides wedding, creative and portrait photography in Andalusia, Spain. All photos are for sale and commission work is undertaken.  www.NRGPhoto.eu

Dehesa de Abajo, Parque de Doñana.

Today Elena and I have been to the park Dehesa de Abajo. Spring now is in full swing, the birds, the flowers, everything.

Here you can see a stork, (cigüeña) with a bird of prey above. The following photos were taken using my Canon 400d and Canon 70 - 200mm F2.8 L 
USM lens with a 2x converter. The 400d has a cropped sensor and the 
conversion factor is 1.6 therefore the maximum focal length is 200 x 2 x 1.6 = 640 mm

Here is a stork in a tree, normally they like high old buildings, like church 
towers, to make their nests, but all over the park the nests were in trees, this particular tree was covered with nests. It must be quite difficult to be 
perched on a branch with such big feet!

There is another one, sitting in 
the same tree.

While waiting to try and take some frames of the birds of prey, I turned my attention to the flowers, 70-200mm lens has a maximum aperture of 2.8 which means you can really blow the depth of field away, giving these results.

This is a bird of prey, I don't know what it is, I'll ask my Mum!

The Flamingos have arrived! Not that many, but I guess the rest must be 
held up in traffic!

Ahhh, baby cows, yes I know they are called 
Calves.

Elena in a field of flowers.

Guess who!

More flowers!

And a stork on the way out of the park.










NRG Photography, provides wedding, creative and portrait photography in Andalusia, Spain. All photos are for sale and commission work is undertaken. www.NRGPhoto.eu