New Lotus Evora - 'lardy arsed heavyweight'

New Lotus Evora - 'lardy arsed heavyweight'

Author
Discussion

beano700

Original Poster:

71 posts

204 months

Thursday 7th August 2008
quotequote all
Just thought I would throw this one at you guys as I have been getting more and more irritated by people championing the new Evora as lightweight.

AL...Ease

2,679 posts

225 months

Thursday 7th August 2008
quotequote all
How heavy is it?

Exneda

32 posts

196 months

Thursday 7th August 2008
quotequote all
1350 kg lighter than all other exotic +2!

Scuffers

20,887 posts

281 months

Friday 8th August 2008
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AL...Ease said:
How heavy is it?
good question, I don't think there is an accurate answer to this yet... I belive that 1,350Kg's is being touted as the target....

if that is the case, then it does rather fly in the face of 'lightwight' (in much the same way a 900+Kg's Exige S is far from lightwight).

now, the 1,350Kg's in itself is not the problem, it's when it's only given 280ps that it starts to hurt.


Edited by Scuffers on Friday 8th August 09:30

kambites

68,450 posts

228 months

Friday 8th August 2008
quotequote all
Personally I think 1350kg is a problem, regardless of the power you give it. It weighs as about the same as the competition (a 997 C2 weighs, what, 40kg more?). Lotuses are meant to be lightweight alternatives to the competition, not clones.

andy_s

19,607 posts

266 months

Friday 8th August 2008
quotequote all
A capri lightweight was 700kgs, an original Corrado 750kgs - I think that two factors go against the Evora being able to be a minimal weight car - 1. Legislation and 2. Lotus wanted a 2+2 GT focussed car rather than a lightweight racer, they've the Exige/Elise for that.
I wanted it to be lighter than the Cayman by an appreciable margin, coming from Lotus and all, but think that they'll do a super-light GT3 version with lowered weight, less goodies and more power in the next few years.

Funk

26,579 posts

216 months

Friday 8th August 2008
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Blimey, it's only going to be about 40kg lighter than the Focus ST..

kambites

68,450 posts

228 months

Friday 8th August 2008
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My Corrado was over a tonne... I think you mean Scirocco?

andy_s

19,607 posts

266 months

Friday 8th August 2008
quotequote all
kambites said:
My Corrado was over a tonne... I think you mean Scirocco?
I do, cheers!

Fittster

20,120 posts

220 months

Friday 8th August 2008
quotequote all
Exneda said:
1350 kg lighter than all other exotic +2!
Not very exotic but RX8 Manual: 1309–1373 kg.


kambites

68,450 posts

228 months

Friday 8th August 2008
quotequote all
Fittster said:
Exneda said:
1350 kg lighter than all other exotic +2!
Not very exotic but RX8 Manual: 1309–1373 kg.
Porsche 996 C2 - 1320kg? (OK it's not a current model, but it's hardly old).

Tuna

19,930 posts

291 months

Friday 8th August 2008
quotequote all
Yet again I'll repeat that Lotus have described the car as being 150 kilos lighter than the Porsche. The 1350 kilo figure is an estimate, development still has 6 months yet to go, so final weight is not certain. Though to be honest, I'd be surprised if it were more than 50 kilos either side of that figure.

For the (relatively) low power engine, the car is also said to be usefully faster than the Cayman around the Nurburgring - which suggests that weight is not an issue. They have also said that later models will include a higher power version and a stripped out car. The first car to be released should be highly competitive in the market segment, and later versions will give you all out sports if you want it - but if you do, you should probably be buying an Exige, not the Evora.

Given the basic levels of NVH required in this segment of the market, and the equipment levels expected of something competing with German machinery, there isn't really much room for dropping the weight.

Finally, it's easy to achieve a lighter weight car if rigidity of the chassis and quality of handling is not important to you. Which would you prefer Lotus to compromise on?

kambites

68,450 posts

228 months

Friday 8th August 2008
quotequote all
Tuna said:
Finally, it's easy to achieve a lighter weight car if rigidity of the chassis and quality of handling is not important to you. Which would you prefer Lotus to compromise on?
Making the interior out of something other than lead would be a start. smile

bogie

16,614 posts

279 months

Friday 8th August 2008
quotequote all
who cares? they cant carry on making Elise style cars, if Joe Bloggs likes it because its comfy, quiet, he can get in and out, its a Lotus, it looks sporty, he can get the kids in the back and they sell 2000 a year its a sucess and should help fund the Elise S3 and Esprit

sure we all want a 1000Kg car, with 4 seats a 4L engine and luxurious, but it aint happening, not if you actually want it to pass all the regs in all the markets you can sell it in and actually be affordable (like its not 100% CF)

kambites

68,450 posts

228 months

Friday 8th August 2008
quotequote all
I'm sure it'll sell, and since they're only intending to sell 2000 per year it'll probably sell as well as it needs to, at least initially. It's just a shame that they don't obviously seem to be offering anything that the competition aren't.

Lets hope the driving experience is better than the weight would suggest.

Edited by kambites on Friday 8th August 13:13

Gallandro

103 posts

257 months

Friday 8th August 2008
quotequote all
they are offering something

the kudos of driving/owning a lotus.

the chassis of the Evora is very stiff compared to the competition
so consequently it will handle very well and should be faster.

as Bogie says with all the regs and the fact that Lotus will be sell
this allround the world weight is going to suffer....but im sure there
will be a lighter more powerful S version........

so can everyone stop complaining and be happy we have a new Lotus!

thank you.

smile



bogie

16,614 posts

279 months

Friday 8th August 2008
quotequote all
yeah...theres an "R" version on the way, they will strip out all the crap out that makes it comfy and quiet, drop 100Kg off it, supercharge it and charge us £10K more (with a bit of luck!)wink

beano700

Original Poster:

71 posts

204 months

Saturday 9th August 2008
quotequote all
Lotus excel approx - 1140kg!
My point was to see if you guys were thinking the same as me.Clearly an Evora with a stripped out approach would be much more appealing, oh and get rid of that overweight dashboard please.

Exneda

32 posts

196 months

Saturday 9th August 2008
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beano700 said:
Lotus excel approx - 1140kg!
My point was to see if you guys were thinking the same as me.Clearly an Evora with a stripped out approach would be much more appealing, oh and get rid of that overweight dashboard please.
Hey wait a sec the Excel was a lightweight GT some 20 years ago! Well cars have gotten heavier in the last 20 years, so having the Evora beeing 1350 kg, makes is still a lightweight GT . If you want a lighter Lotus coupé you still have the Exige and Europa SE! The evora is not supposed to be a track day car, it really is a GT aiming to be comfy usable any day. It may not be appealing to the hardcore lotus geeks but it sure is appealing to a different "clientele"

beano700

Original Poster:

71 posts

204 months

Saturday 9th August 2008
quotequote all
The Excel was never ever promoted as a lightweight GT.
All im saying is if that Lotus should keep quiet about the weight as it isn't lightweight at all.
Having owned a shedfull of Lotus cars over the years I just feel a bit underwhelmed with the Evora.Lotus hit a peak with the Esprit sport300 and also hit a different spot with the elise.