Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Lotus Evora review

The British-built Lotus Evora is a sharp-handling mid-engined sports car that rivals the Porsche Cayman

Overall Auto Express rating

3.0

How we review cars
  • Fantastic handling, great performance, surprisingly comfortable
  • Disappointing interior quality, not much space, expensive to buy
Find your Lotus Evora
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car
Advertisement

The Lotus Evora is the British sports car firm's answer to the Porsche Cayman. It's based on components from the smaller Elise, but has a more powerful 3.5-litre V6 sourced from Toyota. It has one of the best chassis of any car on the planet, but is actually pretty good at covering long distances too, thanks to its relatively comfortable ride. You can choose from the standard car or the supercharged Evora S, while you can also specify an extra pair of rear seats and even an automatic gearbox. Prices start at around £52,000 and go up to £63,000.

Engines, performance and drive

The Evora weighs 1,382kg in standard non-supercharged trim, and with 276bhp on tap, does 0-60mph in just 4.9 seconds. The 345bhp supercharged version slashes a further three tenths of a second off that time. Both cars are extremely rapid and make a great noise. It's in the corners where the Evora really entertains, although it's not quite as sharp and grippy as the Porsche Cayman. The Evora has a beautifully balanced chassis and incredibly precise steering - it's sensational fun threading between bends on a country road. But what's even more impressive is that this agility doesn't come at the expense of comfort - the ride is quite good, and there's not much in the way of road or wind noise, making it a decent cruiser. The manual gearbox isn't the slickest around, but it's far better than the jerky automatic.

MPG, CO2 and Running Costs

Thanks to its light weight, the Lotus Evora isn't too heavy on fuel – you can expect to see 30mpg from the standard car and around 25mpg for the supercharged version. Both are quite dirty when it comes to emissions, posting 217g/km and 229g/km respectively, so they'll be pricey to tax. Servicing and maintenance should be a lot cheaper than for a Porsche Cayman, but watch those options – it's easy to inflate the price to beyond £60,000. If you want all the goodies, your best bet is to go for the Sports Racer, which adds the options for a reasonable premium over the standard car. One thing's for sure, the Evora just isn't as desirable on the second-hand market as a Cayman, so residual values are much lower.

Interior, design and technology

The Lotus Evora looks good, although some critics might say that it looks a bit generic. There are a wide selection of body colours and wheel combinations, so it's possible to personalise your car to a high level. Inside, the cabin is a bit of a disappointment, with hard-to-read dials, an illogical layout and, although build quality has got better, it's nowhere near the standard set by the Porsche Cayman. Standard kit includes air-con, Recaro sports seats and MP3 connectivity. Go for the Sports Racer Model, and you get extras such as a seven-inch touchscreen with sat-nav, Bluetooth, cruise control, rear parking sensors and camera and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Practicality, comfort and boot space

Getting in and out of the Evora is much easier than in an Elise, but you still have to swing your leg over a wide, but low, sill. Once you're inside, you're going to feel cramped. The seat and steering wheel don't have enough adjustment, especially if you're tall, the cabin is very narrow and there's not much headroom either. Don't expect to transport any adults, or even small children, in the back of the 2+2 version - headroom is minimal, and there's no legroom to speak of. As for other stowage, there's a tiny 160-litre boot behind the engine, but it's barely big enough for a couple of soft bags, and there's no additional stowage in the nose. If you must have practical sports car, the Porsche Cayman is a far better bet.

Reliability and Safety

The Lotus Evora has a very stiff and safe structure, plus front airbags and traction and stability control. The rear seats even have Isofix mountings child seat anchors, if you can find a child small enough to strap in there. As for reliability, the Toyota-sourced engine and mechanicals should be alright – but we'd have doubts over the electrics. Lotus has never had a strong reputation in this area, so you should expect some teething problems and visits to your dealer.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

More on Evora

Show me:
New Lotus Evora GT410 2020 review

New Lotus Evora GT410 2020 review

Can the new Lotus Evora GT410 find the right balance between sports car and everyday useability?
Road tests
16 Jul 2020
New Lotus Evora GT410 Sport 2020 review
Lotus Evora driving

New Lotus Evora GT410 Sport 2020 review

Lotus has created a rival for the Porsche Cayman GT4 with the new Evora GT410 Sport
Road tests
10 Mar 2020
New Lotus Evora GT410 launched with focus on road comfort
Lotus Evora GT410 - front

New Lotus Evora GT410 launched with focus on road comfort

The new Lotus Evora GT410 comes with more kit and comfort features
News
29 Jan 2020
New Lotus Evora GT4 Concept unwrapped at Shanghai
Lotus Evora GT4 Concept - front

New Lotus Evora GT4 Concept unwrapped at Shanghai

Track-only Lotus Evora GT4 Concept makes Shanghai debut, with a host of FIA-compliant safety kit and 170mph top speed
News
16 Apr 2019
New £85,900 Lotus Evora GT410 Sport launched for 2018
Lotus

New £85,900 Lotus Evora GT410 Sport launched for 2018

The latest special edition Lotus, the 2018 Evora GT410 Sport, is a series production car derived from the limited run Evora GT430
News
11 Jan 2018
Lotus creates one-off Evora 410 in homage to Bond's Esprit
lotus Evora Sport 410 Bond's Esprit tribute

Lotus creates one-off Evora 410 in homage to Bond's Esprit

One-off Lotus Evora gets plenty of retro design tweaks and showcases Lotus Exclusive personalisation options
News
17 Feb 2017
Lotus Evora 410 review
Lotus Evora 410 - front

Lotus Evora 410 review

Is the lighter and more powerful two-seater Lotus Evora 410 worth the extra money?
Road tests
1 Nov 2016
Lotus Evora 400 gets even lighter with new Carbon Pack

Lotus Evora 400 gets even lighter with new Carbon Pack

New Carbon Pack kit for lightweight Lotus Evora 400 sports car helps cut weight by 42kg
News
19 Aug 2016
Lotus Evora 400 Blue & Orange Edition revealed
Lotus Evora 400 Blue Orange Edition - above

Lotus Evora 400 Blue & Orange Edition revealed

Lotus introduce limited run Evora 400 designed by fans to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of their Hethel HQ
News
12 Jul 2016
Lotus Evora Hethel Edition 400 revealed
Lotus Evora Hethel Edition 400

Lotus Evora Hethel Edition 400 revealed

Sports car manufacturer Lotus marks 50 years at its Norfolk base with special Evora 400 Hethel Edition
News
12 May 2016
Lotus Evora 400 review
Lotus Evora 400 front

Lotus Evora 400 review

This new Lotus Evora 400 is quicker and more sophisticated than any other Lotus - ever
Road tests
23 Jul 2015
Skip advert
Advertisement
Lotus unleashes new Evora 400

Lotus unleashes new Evora 400

The clue is in the name - the Lotus Evora 400 boasts 400bhp and is set to blast into Geneva
News
18 Feb 2015
Lotus Evora S Sports Racer
Lotus Evora S front tracking

Lotus Evora S Sports Racer

The Lotus Evora S Sports Racer gets extra kit for not a lot more money
Road tests
8 Apr 2013
Lotus Evora 414E
Lotus Evora 414E

Lotus Evora 414E

Range-extending Lotus Evora prototype shows impressive pace and even more impressive economy
Road tests
5 Oct 2012
Lotus Mansory partnership
Lotus Evora GTE

Lotus Mansory partnership

British sports car firm Lotus joins forces with tuning firm Mansory to produce official tuned models
News
29 Mar 2012
Lotus Evora S IPS
Lotus Evora S IPS

Lotus Evora S IPS

We drive the supercharged Evora S IPS, which gets an automatic gearbox for the first time
Road tests
16 Jan 2012
Lotus Evora
Lotus Evora front tracking

Lotus Evora

British brand has upgraded its supercar to take the fight 
to Porsche’s latest big hitter. But do the changes deliver?
Road tests
12 Sep 2011
Lotus Evora IPS
Lotus Evora IPS front

Lotus Evora IPS

We give our verdict on paddleshift automatic version of sharp-handling British sports car
Road tests
7 Jun 2011
Lotus Evora S
Lotus Evora S cornering

Lotus Evora S

Supercharged-flagship Evora S takes aim at Porsche Cayman - we drive it on UK roads for the first time to see if it has what it takes.
Road tests
28 Apr 2011
Lotus Evora S
Lotus Evora S

Lotus Evora S

We get to grips with Lotus' harder, faster, supercharged flagship.
Road tests
2 Nov 2010