Lotus Evora 2+2 2dr Car Review - February 2012

The 3.5-litre Toyota V6 comes with an engine performance software which delivers a punchy performance of 276bhp at 6400rpm with torque figures at 258 lb-ft at 4700rpm.

The Lotus Evora has a mileage of 30.3mpg with a performance of 0-62mph in 5.1 seconds. The Evora is also available with an automatic gearbox called IPS (Intelligent Precise Shift) which extends the 0-62mph time to 5.9 seconds, and allows fully automatic or paddle shift gear changes. Both automatic and manual versions give a top speed of 162mph.

Benchmarked against Jaguars for its smoothness, the quality of ride in the Evora is very high. The car’s steering is full of life; sharp, direct and responsive, allowing the driver to really feel the road. The chassis is taut and balances beautifully. There is a hint of understeer, but the inbuilt computers rectify the problem. Moreover, any understeer is easily balanced by the throttle.

The Evora is a handsome car and neatly proportioned. There are some nice details, like the Ferrari-style circular rear lights as well as a range of colours available, from standard colours to a show stopping bright orange.

As compared to the Elise and Exige, the Evora has a spacious room in the front for the driver and one passenger. The metal and leather gear selector is perfectly positioned and feels nice to hold. However, there is still room for improvement, as several of the controls are placed behind the steering wheel, making them awkward to reach.

Standard equipment in the car includes air-conditioning, stability control, alloy wheel, electric front windows, electric door mirrors, Recaro sports seats, electric windows, MP3 connectivity and a CD player. The car also comes with an alarm and immobiliser to deter theft. Optional packs add luxury touches like SAT-NAV and leather upholstery.

Behind the front seats is the optional +2 element. Long journeys, may be tricky as there is little legroom and even less headroom. It is ideal for young children though, and ISOFIX mountings are standard. Boot space is very small holding 160 litres. Bags for long travel will have to be squeezed into nooks and crannies around the cabin.

The car gets little engine trouble and the Lotus range enjoys good dealer services, as well as a shining quality and reliability record. The Evora’s engine comes from Toyota, which also has a very good quality and reliability record.

In terms of safety kit, you get stability control, twin front airbags and ISOFIX mounting points for child seats (in the 2+2). However, there are no side or curtain airbags. Lotus representatives argue that this is because the Evora had an extremely stiff chassis which would fare well in an accident, which has been proven time and time again in a range of crash tests.

The car has good green credentials for a sports car with a EURO5 emissions rating and a carbon footprint of 199 g/km. That’s 20g/km less than the entry-level Porsche 911 and 49g/km less than the Nissan 370Z. However, the car incurs heavy running costs coming under the Road tax band of K and insurance premium group 50.

The Lotus Evora is priced at £54,400. Not a car for first time buyers or new families looking for an economical car, this model is made for drivers with fat wallets who and handle the high running costs for luxury cars.

The car comes equipped with a reliable engine which gives years of trouble-free service. The car continues to pay for itself as the Lotus brand enjoys good dealer services so customers can enjoy the car for longer. With the Lotus only making a few Evora models a year, the combination of the car’s performance and the Lotus brand give it excellent resale values.