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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