dixienormus93 Especially with how slow he was changing to avoid miss shifting. If he did that in a manual porsche the lotus would most likely be infront. He must be losing a tenth on each upchange doing it like that.
@@hunghuge7717 He was hesitant because the Lotus looked like it was a hairy ride whereas the Cayman was a smooth operator. In the end the performance differences between the two is very little but the amount of driver effort is considerable to achieve similar performance. Lotus fans may say that means more involvement and that is true but......
@@sufficetosay nah, we say more involvement because our steering is sublime, and the feel between the fingertips and the raod is analog, as to where the Porsche is now electric steering 🙈
The Lotus is an exotic and has a non-standard construction, they only make a few 100 a year (by hand). The Cayman is a mass produced car and they are everywhere. The Exige V6 is quicker than the Evora though, it's quicker than the Cayman GT4 too. The Evora is more of a GT.
Not a fair comparison? The Evora S should have been a paddle shift to compete with the Cayman or vice versa in this segment. The Lotus is an amazing car that's truly underrated!!!
The Evora’s paddle shift is slower than the manual. At best the Cayman could have had a manual but then why should it? It’s not Porsche‘s fault Lotus don’t provide a decent paddle shift. Besides reviewers have to take the cars they are given.
I own the 2014 2.7 Cayman. Had it for nearly a year. It is my first "real" sports car and I couldn't be more amazed and pleased with my purchase! It drives so damn respectful in traffic. Smooth as ice, no jarring, jumping ahead of itself. Just smooth as she goes. Then, take it out for a little high RPM driving and the character changes in so many ways, it's difficult to count the changes, mainly because it still remains civil, ferociously civil that is. And I'm talking about the little brother here! The 2.7 can up and startle one with it's heart thumping barrage of power surge, especially from a rolling start. I can't even imagine what the how much more the 3.4 can do, although, I don't kid myself on this point. Perhaps that will be my next Porsche? It's all that good
I'm posting this before I see the Evora lap... I have to say: I don't care if it's slower (and I think it will be by 1-2 seconds) I would still pay more for that car over the Porsche because it's just such a beautiful car... I don't think Lotus has ever made a car that didn't take my breath away in aesthetics.
statikreg - I'm a hardcore Lotus fan... But the Europa or Elite... Not all there for me. But I'll take them over any Porsche. (Owned 2 Lotuses and 1 Porsche)
***** I wouldn't. Every well to do middle aged man with a mid-life crisis goes out and buys one, whether he's likes cars or not. I'd rather own something a bit better looking and a bit less common.
The Lotus would be where the smart money goes, 6 years down the line a 2009 Elise is £17k a 2009 Boxster is £15k and when you think the Elise was £8k cheaper to buy new? And if you go older a 1997 Elise is £8k and a 1997 Boxster £3k! The Lotus will be more exclusive, turn more heads as you drive by and hold its value better.
+Jase Leese That's from an investment standpoint. In terms of practicality, refinement, and performance the Cayman S is ahead. Nonetheless, both fantastic vehicles.
+Brian C Not just an investment standpoint, but exclusivity as well. A substantial amount of more Caymans produced than Evoras hence it's strong residual. Agreed, both cars are fantastic, however I'd still prefer the Lotus for its exclusivity.
ReelOne Exclusivity is a nice thing to have but expect constant questions about the car and grabbing lots of attention everywhere you go which is +/- depending on the person and mood you are in etc. Honestly, I love the Lotus, almost everything about it. But as a daily driver for me the Cayman S is more livable because of its added refinement and extra space. If it was my second car the Lotus would definitely be in my top tier of choices.
Not comparing apples to apples.... They should have been both manual transmissions or vice versa. The driver has to upshift and downshift numerous times during his hot lap, ultimately, adding time to his lap. If they had the same transmissions, It is quite possible the Lotus would have been faster.
It's also nowhere near as well engineered, advanced, or simply good, in any way. Porsche beats it in every imaginable objective or subjective way. Plus, despite being a car that should cost twice as much as the Evora, it's cheaper.
Christopher Thelisma 1.) No one cares that you live in a rich neighborhood and see all of these expensive cars 2.) You are probably lying because judging by your typing skills, you are maybe in middle school or your parents spent all their money on getting a car for you rather than a good education where you'd learn how to actually spell words correctly. 3.) *Neighborhood, *Bugattis
Looks like a lot of above comments are coming from people who has never owned any of the cars being compared. I've personally owned lotus and now own 981 cayman. Two very different cars but if I have to choose again, I will pick Evora anyday. Cayman is a lot more comfortable and daily friendly but the driving impression, lotus takes it. and this is coming from a person that owned both.
Any opinion on which is more reliable? I've read the evora's clutch replacement can be pricy, but I would otherwise think the camry-based engine would mean better reliability and less maintenance
0:55 That was probably the most arousing V6 exhaust note I have ever heard. Had no idea 6 cylinders could sound so absolutely vicious. God, I want one of these so badly now.
The standard Cayman (with stick, no PDK) had a lap time of 01:12:70. I think the Cayman S might be a little bit faster because it's lighter but the real difference is the PDK vs the manual transmission.
Indeed ;D. I bought an Evora S cause the design is perfect for me. Here in Germany Porsche is so common and the Cayman is worth not more than a Golf R32. Even kids dont turn their heads anymore. Im living right beside a porsche center so i decided to be one of the 250 germans who bought an Evora. Porsche is just to show your financial status here in germany. Sry for my english.
The time difference of 0.7 seconds can be more than attributed to the manual shift in the Lotus. Give me a proper manual anytime. The lap speed is not that much different. If the Porsche had a manual shift, the Lotus would have been faster by more than a mere 0.7 seconds. Besides, all Porsche's look the same and have for centuries. It's dated!! (see what I did there? centuries....HA)
The fact is the Cayman is easy to drive fast. Time and time again, challenge after challenge the Cayman is the car to beat. If Porsche put more HP into the Cayman it would slay the competition.
It's not even about lap times. Seriously, I've only driven the basic 2.7 Cayman, and that thing drives like a dream. It's seriously one of the best drivers cars ever made, and probably one the 3 best money can buy today. It's so incredibly balanced, stable, predictable, the seating position is perfect, steering and brake feel are spot on. It just feels like it's glued to the road, and then when it let's go, it does it with zero drama and it's very easy to control. It's one of those cars that feel like no matter what you do, you won't spin it or slide off the road. It feels like a go-cart, except it's super refined and pretty comfortable at the same time. It's one of those cars that you drive and after that you need a one week break to forget about how good it iis before you sit behind a wheel of any other car because otherwise you're bound to be very disappointed.
He's comparing apples and oranges, the Evora is a manual, the Boxster a paddle-shift, so the time difference is irrelevant. To drive, the Evora is leagues above the Boxtser - steering, brakes, handling, ride. I test drove both for a whole weekend and there was no question for me that the Lotus was better.
This is a strange comparison? You're comparing a sequential paddle shifter Porsche with a manual shifter Lotus? Sequential vs. Manual is at least 2-3 second advantage ... I've had a Lotus manual and a Lotus sequential that I race so I do know. And finally, you probably lost at least a 1-2 seconds by NOT controlling the power exit oversteer in the Lotus ... sliding a car around like that equals slower lap times. Hopefully I'll be racing a new Lotus 3-11 next year and I'm pretty certain there isn't a single "race" Porsche (yes even the ALMS ones at $500K each) that can keep up.
Rob Ainscough I know what you’re saying but I think this video is more about the driver commentary regarding “feel” than the lap itself. The Porsche is clearly more easy to control for example.
The Cayman s doesn't go from 0-60 in 4 secs even the Cayman gt4 with the 3.8 does 0-60 in 4.4 What a completely pointless basis for a test as to which car is actually better, + incorrect data. and you guys are probably wondering why freelance motoring channels have open since you have and surpassed you in terms of subscriber numbers You can do better.
You can hear that he favors the porsche even before the test has started. Probably why he is so negative about the Evora. Been checking a lot different reviews of the Evora and this one is the first that rate the Cayman superior to the Lotus. The stats errors aside he is clearly biased or even worse ... sponsored by Porsche to say what he did. Every other review says the same (incl. Top Gear) that they'd get the Lotus any day of the week instead of the Cayman.
Yes it does. You're not looking at 0-60 times for the PDK versions with Chrono & launch control! The Boxster S does it in 4.2 secs, and the Boxster GTS in 4.1 secs. (source Road & Track & also motor trend).
Interesting. I owned the lotus s sports racer and now own the 981 cayman s. The cayman would not have been 51k when options are included. The cayman is overall a far more accomplished car and as a package is a far superior. Both are great though.
I agree. Much better in person. Sounds great too! I did a review on my channel a while back. I'm doing Porsche cars now and did the Suzuki Busa today. Also, not turn heads? At an exotic meet Ferrari is a dime a dozen. Everybody has Ferrari/Lambo/Porshe/Corvette. You see an Evora, that is something special.
How is comparing a 2+2 GT (Evora) vs a 2 seater sports car an apples to apples comparison? The Lotus Exige V6 is the TRUE competitor to the Caman S and will BLOW IT'S DOORS OFF. [Oops - is my Lotus owner's bias showing just a little bit? ;-) ]
Exige S? You want to compare a stripped down, 20 years behind in technology, bare Exige to a Cayman, which is a luxury coupe? One door panel in the Cayman costs more to make than the entire interior of the Exige. Let's not go into the fact that Exige S is horribly unrefined, uncomfortable, it's safety is a complete mystery, it has no sound proofing, it looks like a kit car, and if you look at the components under the skin, it's very primitive. Just look at it's body shell, chasis and suspension components...they look like something someone designed in AutoCAD during a coffe break and then hammered it all together in a shed as a hobby. Porsche Cayman is far more advanced car, much better engineered in every single, I repeat, in EVERY SINGLE detail, and performs better on track, and on the road. Even the Exige S is a joke on the track. A 275hp Renault Megane RS is faster around Nurburgring...and that's a 5 people, big boot, FWD hatchback, that also has 5 stars safety rating, 8 air bags, loads of equipment, and it basically a luxury car compared to any Lotus. Oh and...how is the Evota a 2+2? 2 + 2 of what? Toddlers? The rear seat is a joke, the only way you can fit an adult in the back is if you take the front seats out and cut his head off.
These comparisons are always fairly genuinely unfair, cause the lotus was a 2+2.Porche was a strict 2 seater. Different cars. Pit the Cayman S against the Exige V6 and Cayman S will be gone in the performance department. Also as charismatic as Porche has always been, just one extract from Wikipedia "Despite the many awards, the Cayman and also the Boxster have been plagued by catastrophic engine failures.[16] Porsche recently settled a class-action lawsuit regarding the failures." Go Lotus
I think the main problem is that lotus costs too much. If it was cheaper than cayman, we would accept the result, that it is slower, quality isn't as good. There are some very likeable things on lotus, but not for that price.
you can`t be serious.. the lotus looks like something from japan in the mid 90`s. the word plastic springs to mind. the porsche are absolutely beautiful...espescially viewed side by side with the evora
you can option up the Porsche increase the gap further,adding in addition to pdk and dynamic transmission mounts, Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB), Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) incl. mechanically locking rear differential. Even with these it still be cheaper then the Lotus Evora S. Yes the Evora is 2+2 but the rear pair of seats are effectively useless (little room)
I think Lotus Evora S with manual gearbox requires pretty much higher pilot's sensitivity to be pushed really at top (journalist was not a top driver). Plus in this contest PDK of Porsche gave a big advantage cause this track wasn't fast one. Finally I continue to think that Porsche (as Audi) is for everyone, even not expert drivers, while Lotus is only for purists of track and experienced drivers.
Autoexpress: you state that the Cayman is some 80kg lighter than the Evora, but is it based on your actual verification or on the manufacturer claim (DIN) ? If the latter, your statement is certainly inaccurate regarding your test car as the manufacturer claim is on the basic car w/o any option. Options on your test car probably add over 50kg to the base car.
Sir, your back are incredibly bent, you should check that posture. Anyway great video and great driving! You guys have been doing excellent videos lately, much better than Autocar's
@Maruf Awal This is the first time I have ever heard anyone imply that the Cayman is not a drivers car. The Cayman comes with a manual and since when do driving enthusiasts prefer forced induction to natural aspiration?
I was going to write my own little review on here as I owned a 2010 Cayman S and still Own an 2010 Evora NA. But then I saw how old this was and its not worth my time. Lets just say I still own the "slower" & "worse handling" Evora NA. Enough said.
I like how there are so many Evora S and Cayman S owners on this video. Not to mention that Lotus makes less than 2000 Evoras every year, yet seems like most of them are on youtube saying how they are happy with their Evora and have not even one picture to prove that they own one.
I traded in My Cayman S on a Lotus Evora. Not even the super charged S version and I couldn't be happier. Let me take a bit to explain. After one test drive of the Evora I was hooked on the way it handled. Yes I felt it handled better than the Cayman S. Other factors going for it? There just aren't many around. Its gets a TON of attention from the looks. Its sounds amazing, hit the sport button and it sounds so sexy. The car is a very very nice looking car, far more so than the Cayman. These cars are my weekend toys and the Evora is far more fun to drive, to own etc. I don't care about which car is faster yadda yadda yadda or I wouldn't have ever owned a 370z, a Cayman S or an Evora. All these cars have more than enough USABLE power. If you want attention and are an attention whore like myself, the Lotus gives you it by leaps and bounds over anything in its price range and then some. The year of my car is one of 25 Red Evoras sold that year in the US. You can't even say that about almost any other cars except a few exotics...........and there lays the Lotus, it is an Exotic car. I don't have anything bad to say about the Cayman as it was a great car, just not on the same level. I am sure down the road I will own another Porsche but it will be in the garage along side my Lotus and used as a daily driver. The Lotus is not a daily driver type car.
Autoexpress: you state that the Cayman is cheaper than the Evora but to be fair you could have stated the actual price of both test cars, expecially as Porsche options as on your test car add a lot to the base car price.
Levi but the interior on the Evora S is pretty damn luxurious. People to comment on the interior have never sat in one plain and simple. The entire car is wrapped in leather, no plastic anywhere with high grade aluminum buttons. In 2011 they upgraded the quality and in 2012 they did another upgrade to the interior. It's as nice as a 911 interior minus the occasional rattle which lotus suffers from build quality. Like I said, leather in the lotus is nicer than my old is350c and matches my s550.
Unfair comparison. The Porsche was as expensive as the Lotus with similar spec. Porsche has an options list as long as my ... . And, seriously, the Porsche is a souped-up Volkswagen. The Lotus is a proper racing car. I test drove both when new in 2010. And ordered a Lotus. Loved every second of my 3- year ownership.
I agree w WeekendGamingNerds; the stick gaffe at 6:04 and breakaway at 6:21 shows the driver's inexperience with the Evora; an experienced driver should have made up the difference in time. As a multiple Lotus owner, I'll admit the Cayman is probably more comfy as a daily driver, but my money's in the Evora every time around. And twice on track day.
If he had the evora version with the paddle shift to the steering, the evora could have saved the 0.7 seconds difference around this short technical track. ( Lot of shiftings ( 2-3-2-3)
I see what you mean by it being unfair. Although the Porsche is definitely more reliable and much more refined and cheaper. I don't think the benefit of almost unusable rear seats is worth £10,000. It's not like your main motivation of buying a lotus is hauling the family around. It has to be quick to justify its presence in the marketplace.
Cayman S vs. Exige S would had been a much more interesting comparison. Although I am a huge Porsche fan, I think that would have resulted in a clear win for the Exige S.
Wish FIAT would buy Lotus. Great concept but R&D pace is lagging as the company lacks volume. Should fit in nicely with Alfa and Ferrari while keeping the character intact.
mine is phantom black with black leather. if you youtube "lotus evora s boca raton" it will come up. I love the carbon grey I kinda regret not getting it in that color but I love black, its just so hard to keep clean.
I had a 2009 lotus exige, honestly i would choose the lotus over the Porsche if i were to have a comfortable car as well. With the porsche you get the best of both worlds
so the light-weight mid-engined rwd British roadster is: A) Heavier B) Uglier C) more expensive D) more powerfull, yet slower from 0-60 AND on a track not fair to compare a 2+2 to a 2 seater though.
Lars Agerbæk its a very small engineering company that hand builds cars. Its difficult to compete with multi billion dollar volkswagen auto group. it'll also hold it's value better and be much more exclusive than a boring cayman.
i want to drive an evora BECAUSE hardly anyone knows it exists, so, basically ill be anwering a lot of questions instead of people saying "oh..yeah. thats a porsche, thats cool."
There's a reason the Cayman is the mid-engine standard around the world. Does everything right. Doesnt have the most power, but uses it better than all comers. Its not just the numbers the Cayman puts up; its how it goes about its business that has earned it's reputation. Evoras have never sold worth a darn, though it does look handsome. Exige S is a much better piece of kit.
It is more than surprising how little the margin between the two is, bearing in mind that the Evora was released at the time of prior-generation Cayman. The Evora clearly loses on two fronts: (1) gearbox, takes too long to shift esp, vs the PDK; had the test Cayman been with a manual, times would have been quite similar (2) traction: the Evora does not have a LSD and that shows on the video with the inner rear wheel spinning.
If you pay attention, you'll see that most racing drivers sit very close to the wheel. Most people sit much too far so they can't reach around the steering wheel properly, and thus lose control more easily if they want to catch a skid...
When Lotus created the Evora, I always wondered why they didn't put the Lotus 3.5 liter twin turbo "Type 918" V8 in it from the old Esprit(1997-2004). They could have inserted the Type 918 engine in the car and declared it the new Esprit.
The v8 lotus engine wasn't a success and it turned out to be horrendously unreliable, so I was told by a lotus dealer. The Toyota engine is a really reliable unit.
How awfully hurt do you Lotus fanboys have to be to say the Cayman should be compared to the Lotus Exige S? The Exige is just about the more hardcore track car Lotus makes. The Evora S and the Cayman S is about as perfect of a match up as you can get between Porsche and Lotus.
A GT vs a Sports car is not a perfect match up. Plus he did a PDK vs a manual. Should of been manual vs manual. A DCT in any car is going to get superior lap times. Every. Single. Time. Look at GTI manual vs dct. Evo X manual vs dct. DCT always comes out on top by a WIDE margin.
***** you are absolutely right about the transmission. totally unfair to compare a double clutch gearbox with a manual for track times. everywhere else thought (which is almost 100% of the time pretty much) a manual is much more fun.
Basel Kader Yup. I do a lot of autocross and DCT GTIs and EVO Xs with novice drivers do better than some people who have been doing it for a while simply on speed of shifting alone. Especially in cars that are not geared right for autocross and they have to shift a lot.
Hello Mr. I agree with your comment that the Cayman is a better steer than the Evora. I'm a British wanker yes, but a Porsche fan, especially 911 GT3's and air-cooled RS's. Also, I don't like Jag's and Aston Martin's, so if my personal Britishness bothers you, at least we are in agreement about cars so don't dispair as it's not all bad.
James people that say anything bad about the Evora have never seen one in real life plain and simple. I live in south beach which is home of exotics in the USA with f458's, mp4-c's and aventador's on every corner. My car gets just as much attention if not even more. Sometimes a local trip to the gas station becomes a social gathering around my Evora S. Pictures cannot catch the curves on this thing and you have to see one in real life to see what's going on and you will be stunned.
I would like to see a Manual vs Manual comparison. PDK = faster track times guaranteed.
***** with 7 tenths of a second being the difference. Manual vs Manual would've had them dead even if not have the lotus on top
dixienormus93 Especially with how slow he was changing to avoid miss shifting. If he did that in a manual porsche the lotus would most likely be infront. He must be losing a tenth on each upchange doing it like that.
@@hunghuge7717 He was hesitant because the Lotus looked like it was a hairy ride whereas the Cayman was a smooth operator. In the end the performance differences between the two is very little but the amount of driver effort is considerable to achieve similar performance. Lotus fans may say that means more involvement and that is true but......
@@sufficetosay nah, we say more involvement because our steering is sublime, and the feel between the fingertips and the raod is analog, as to where the Porsche is now electric steering 🙈
All I hear are excuses here people, the heavier more expensive supercharged car lost.
The lotus is cooler, though. That's worth something.
i like the look, but not the interior
It's got NOTHING on the Porsche :-)
@@MagicAyrtonforever C8 Corvette just made these crap.
The Lotus is an exotic and has a non-standard construction, they only make a few 100 a year (by hand). The Cayman is a mass produced car and they are everywhere.
The Exige V6 is quicker than the Evora though, it's quicker than the Cayman GT4 too. The Evora is more of a GT.
@@BlatentlyFakeName exotic lol you taking about the Toyota Camry engine it has lol 😂
Not a fair comparison? The Evora S should have been a paddle shift to compete with the Cayman or vice versa in this segment. The Lotus is an amazing car that's truly underrated!!!
Exactly!
Vonslik69 The Evora S paddleshift is a slush box (torque conveter), right?
The Evora’s paddle shift is slower than the manual. At best the Cayman could have had a manual but then why should it? It’s not Porsche‘s fault Lotus don’t provide a decent paddle shift. Besides reviewers have to take the cars they are given.
The IPS Version is Slower than Manual
Would be more fair if both of Them is Manual
I own the 2014 2.7 Cayman. Had it for nearly a year. It is my first "real" sports car and I couldn't be more amazed and pleased with my purchase! It drives so damn respectful in traffic. Smooth as ice, no jarring, jumping ahead of itself. Just smooth as she goes. Then, take it out for a little high RPM driving and the character changes in so many ways, it's difficult to count the changes, mainly because it still remains civil, ferociously civil that is. And I'm talking about the little brother here! The 2.7 can up and startle one with it's heart thumping barrage of power surge, especially from a rolling start. I can't even imagine what the how much more the 3.4 can do, although, I don't kid myself on this point. Perhaps that will be my next Porsche? It's all that good
I'm posting this before I see the Evora lap... I have to say: I don't care if it's slower (and I think it will be by 1-2 seconds) I would still pay more for that car over the Porsche because it's just such a beautiful car... I don't think Lotus has ever made a car that didn't take my breath away in aesthetics.
statikreg - I'm a hardcore Lotus fan... But the Europa or Elite... Not all there for me. But I'll take them over any Porsche. (Owned 2 Lotuses and 1 Porsche)
I feel like a better driver could have brought the Lotus out on top.
Nah.
jed52 Really not smooth at all, impressed he can maintain commentary though.
If you've own or drove these 2 cars. I'm sure you will like the Cayman more.
Oh I agree with that I would rather own the Cayman *****
***** I wouldn't. Every well to do middle aged man with a mid-life crisis goes out and buys one, whether he's likes cars or not. I'd rather own something a bit better looking and a bit less common.
The Lotus would be where the smart money goes, 6 years down the line a 2009 Elise is £17k a 2009 Boxster is £15k and when you think the Elise was £8k cheaper to buy new? And if you go older a 1997 Elise is £8k and a 1997 Boxster £3k! The Lotus will be more exclusive, turn more heads as you drive by and hold its value better.
+Jase Leese That's from an investment standpoint. In terms of practicality, refinement, and performance the Cayman S is ahead. Nonetheless, both fantastic vehicles.
+Brian C Not just an investment standpoint, but exclusivity as well. A substantial amount of more Caymans produced than Evoras hence it's strong residual. Agreed, both cars are fantastic, however I'd still prefer the Lotus for its exclusivity.
ReelOne Exclusivity is a nice thing to have but expect constant questions about the car and grabbing lots of attention everywhere you go which is +/- depending on the person and mood you are in etc. Honestly, I love the Lotus, almost everything about it. But as a daily driver for me the Cayman S is more livable because of its added refinement and extra space. If it was my second car the Lotus would definitely be in my top tier of choices.
Jase Leese sounds like pull man support car . I still love porches is more better the one you ...!!!!
Not comparing apples to apples.... They should have been both manual transmissions or vice versa. The driver has to upshift and downshift numerous times during his hot lap, ultimately, adding time to his lap. If they had the same transmissions, It is quite possible the Lotus would have been faster.
Love the exotic look of the Evora.
I would buy the lotus over the Porsche any day.
The lotus is more exclusive too, I see at least 5 caymans a day - only ever seen one evora
Exlusive? Its as exlusive looking as a trimmed up Maxda Miata looks ugly as shit
godiskungen27 I don't think you know what exclusive means...
It's also nowhere near as well engineered, advanced, or simply good, in any way. Porsche beats it in every imaginable objective or subjective way. Plus, despite being a car that should cost twice as much as the Evora, it's cheaper.
tubeengineer oh please I have pagani huyara and I see at least buhgattis like five times cause I live in a rich niebirhood and I have a pagani
Christopher Thelisma
1.) No one cares that you live in a rich neighborhood and see all of these expensive cars
2.) You are probably lying because judging by your typing skills, you are maybe in middle school or your parents spent all their money on getting a car for you rather than a good education where you'd learn how to actually spell words correctly.
3.) *Neighborhood, *Bugattis
Looks like a lot of above comments are coming from people who has never owned any of the cars being compared. I've personally owned lotus and now own 981 cayman. Two very different cars but if I have to choose again, I will pick Evora anyday. Cayman is a lot more comfortable and daily friendly but the driving impression, lotus takes it. and this is coming from a person that owned both.
mpower1226 agree with your take for sure. I also have owned both a Cayman S and now an Evora and would take the Evora any day of the week
Any opinion on which is more reliable? I've read the evora's clutch replacement can be pricy, but I would otherwise think the camry-based engine would mean better reliability and less maintenance
0:55 That was probably the most arousing V6 exhaust note I have ever heard. Had no idea 6 cylinders could sound so absolutely vicious. God, I want one of these so badly now.
Ah... It's a flat six....
Toyota's V6 👌🏼
Oh what a car the Evora is. I've had mine nearly a year now and think it is brilliant.
The standard Cayman (with stick, no PDK) had a lap time of 01:12:70.
I think the Cayman S might be a little bit faster because it's lighter but the real difference is the PDK vs the manual transmission.
Indeed ;D. I bought an Evora S cause the design is perfect for me. Here in Germany Porsche is so common and the Cayman is worth not more than a Golf R32. Even kids dont turn their heads anymore.
Im living right beside a porsche center so i decided to be one of the 250 germans who bought an Evora. Porsche is just to show your financial status here in germany. Sry for my english.
Hmm would have been a very different result if he kept the Evora revs up like he did for the P.
I'm pretty sure that seven tenths is down completely to the pdk. I also get the sense that a better driver would get more out of the evora.
The time difference of 0.7 seconds can be more than attributed to the manual shift in the Lotus. Give me a proper manual anytime. The lap speed is not that much different. If the Porsche had a manual shift, the Lotus would have been faster by more than a mere 0.7 seconds.
Besides, all Porsche's look the same and have for centuries. It's dated!!
(see what I did there? centuries....HA)
that's cruel. but i agreed
the dated look that has timeless appeal and keeps its resale value compared to a one off turd thats a fortune to maintain
+gremmann For centuries, those who bash on Porsche either cant afford them or have never driven one. (see what I did there? centuries....HA)
Also he couldnt drive the stick shift at all, he was all over the place and messing up gears.
The Lotus has an engine that will readily give you 300k miles. Hmmmm
The fact is the Cayman is easy to drive fast. Time and time again, challenge after challenge the Cayman is the car to beat. If Porsche put more HP into the Cayman it would slay the competition.
Steve D
The Lotus looks nice, and you don't see many around, so it has that going for it.
It's not even about lap times. Seriously, I've only driven the basic 2.7 Cayman, and that thing drives like a dream. It's seriously one of the best drivers cars ever made, and probably one the 3 best money can buy today. It's so incredibly balanced, stable, predictable, the seating position is perfect, steering and brake feel are spot on. It just feels like it's glued to the road, and then when it let's go, it does it with zero drama and it's very easy to control. It's one of those cars that feel like no matter what you do, you won't spin it or slide off the road. It feels like a go-cart, except it's super refined and pretty comfortable at the same time. It's one of those cars that you drive and after that you need a one week break to forget about how good it iis before you sit behind a wheel of any other car because otherwise you're bound to be very disappointed.
I love both of them :)
He's comparing apples and oranges, the Evora is a manual, the Boxster a paddle-shift, so the time difference is irrelevant. To drive, the Evora is leagues above the Boxtser - steering, brakes, handling, ride. I test drove both for a whole weekend and there was no question for me that the Lotus was better.
This is a strange comparison? You're comparing a sequential paddle shifter Porsche with a manual shifter Lotus? Sequential vs. Manual is at least 2-3 second advantage ... I've had a Lotus manual and a Lotus sequential that I race so I do know. And finally, you probably lost at least a 1-2 seconds by NOT controlling the power exit oversteer in the Lotus ... sliding a car around like that equals slower lap times. Hopefully I'll be racing a new Lotus 3-11 next year and I'm pretty certain there isn't a single "race" Porsche (yes even the ALMS ones at $500K each) that can keep up.
it would have made a lot more sense for this comparison to do manual vs manual.
definately agree...
Rob Ainscough I know what you’re saying but I think this video is more about the driver commentary regarding “feel” than the lap itself. The Porsche is clearly more easy to control for example.
Oh it is always the Porsche. Just the greatest Bla Bla Bla.
Rob Ainscough but I think lotus would get more attention because they are underrated compared to a Porsche but Porsche have the great sound
Lotus Is More Rare.
Would buy it (:
The Cayman s doesn't go from 0-60 in 4 secs
even the Cayman gt4 with the 3.8 does 0-60 in 4.4
What a completely pointless basis for a test as to which car is actually better,
+ incorrect data.
and you guys are probably wondering why freelance motoring channels have open since you have and surpassed you in terms of subscriber numbers
You can do better.
You can hear that he favors the porsche even before the test has started. Probably why he is so negative about the Evora. Been checking a lot different reviews of the Evora and this one is the first that rate the Cayman superior to the Lotus. The stats errors aside he is clearly biased or even worse ... sponsored by Porsche to say what he did. Every other review says the same (incl. Top Gear) that they'd get the Lotus any day of the week instead of the Cayman.
TheRealBajan and the Evora S does it in 4.4 not 4.7
Yes it does. You're not looking at 0-60 times for the PDK versions with Chrono & launch control! The Boxster S does it in 4.2 secs, and the Boxster GTS in 4.1 secs. (source Road & Track & also motor trend).
Interesting. I owned the lotus s sports racer and now own the 981 cayman s. The cayman would not have been 51k when options are included. The cayman is overall a far more accomplished car and as a package is a far superior. Both are great though.
So how many races have you won? When pushed hard, the Evora moves around more, can be seen in any road test.
Best sports car reviewer out there
I agree. Much better in person. Sounds great too! I did a review on my channel a while back. I'm doing Porsche cars now and did the Suzuki Busa today. Also, not turn heads? At an exotic meet Ferrari is a dime a dozen. Everybody has Ferrari/Lambo/Porshe/Corvette. You see an Evora, that is something special.
The difference in lap time would be a lot more even if the cayman had a manual aswell!
How is comparing a 2+2 GT (Evora) vs a 2 seater sports car an apples to apples comparison? The Lotus Exige V6 is the TRUE competitor to the Caman S and will BLOW IT'S DOORS OFF. [Oops - is my Lotus owner's bias showing just a little bit? ;-) ]
Exige S? You want to compare a stripped down, 20 years behind in technology, bare Exige to a Cayman, which is a luxury coupe? One door panel in the Cayman costs more to make than the entire interior of the Exige. Let's not go into the fact that Exige S is horribly unrefined, uncomfortable, it's safety is a complete mystery, it has no sound proofing, it looks like a kit car, and if you look at the components under the skin, it's very primitive. Just look at it's body shell, chasis and suspension components...they look like something someone designed in AutoCAD during a coffe break and then hammered it all together in a shed as a hobby. Porsche Cayman is far more advanced car, much better engineered in every single, I repeat, in EVERY SINGLE detail, and performs better on track, and on the road. Even the Exige S is a joke on the track. A 275hp Renault Megane RS is faster around Nurburgring...and that's a 5 people, big boot, FWD hatchback, that also has 5 stars safety rating, 8 air bags, loads of equipment, and it basically a luxury car compared to any Lotus.
Oh and...how is the Evota a 2+2? 2 + 2 of what? Toddlers? The rear seat is a joke, the only way you can fit an adult in the back is if you take the front seats out and cut his head off.
derbigpr500 the Lotus Exige S isn't geared right for the 'ring, and FYI the Exige V6 IS faster than the Megane RS
you heart wants the lotus...but the Porsche is a better car...ALWAYS follow your heart
Porsche: around one single second faster...Evora: around one billion times more awesome
These comparisons are always fairly genuinely unfair, cause the lotus was a 2+2.Porche was a strict 2 seater. Different cars. Pit the Cayman S against the Exige V6 and Cayman S will be gone in the performance department.
Also as charismatic as Porche has always been, just one extract from Wikipedia
"Despite the many awards, the Cayman and also the Boxster have been plagued by catastrophic engine failures.[16] Porsche recently settled a class-action lawsuit regarding the failures."
Go Lotus
I think the main problem is that lotus costs too much. If it was cheaper than cayman, we would accept the result, that it is slower, quality isn't as good. There are some very likeable things on lotus, but not for that price.
Lotus should cost half of what you pay for a Porsche, judging from an engineering and build quality perspective. That's how far ahead Porsche is.
The lap times probably are more due to PDK vs Manual than anything.
you can`t be serious..
the lotus looks like something from japan in the mid 90`s. the word plastic springs to mind. the porsche are absolutely beautiful...espescially viewed side by side with the evora
Although i love Porsche and it's finest engineering accomplishments i cannot dismiss Lotus for its sheer commitment to driving pleasure!
you can option up the Porsche increase the gap further,adding in addition to pdk and dynamic transmission mounts, Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB), Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) incl. mechanically locking rear differential. Even with these it still be cheaper then the Lotus Evora S. Yes the Evora is 2+2 but the rear pair of seats are effectively useless (little room)
Scott...out of interest, which Lotus did you have, and why did you sell? :-)
he always got me a feeling that he isn't comfort siting in the cabin, he always lean forward...
I think Lotus Evora S with manual gearbox requires pretty much higher pilot's sensitivity to be pushed really at top (journalist was not a top driver). Plus in this contest PDK of Porsche gave a big advantage cause this track wasn't fast one.
Finally I continue to think that Porsche (as Audi) is for everyone, even not expert drivers, while Lotus is only for purists of track and experienced drivers.
Autoexpress: you state that the Cayman is some 80kg lighter than the Evora, but is it based on your actual verification or on the manufacturer claim (DIN) ? If the latter, your statement is certainly inaccurate regarding your test car as the manufacturer claim is on the basic car w/o any option. Options on your test car probably add over 50kg to the base car.
thoroughly enjoyed this video
Does that Cayman have a sports exhaust? It sounds awesome!
Exige V6 is a lot faster than both.
It's also a go-cart.
Evora is more of a lux line of Lotus.
So is an Ariel Atom, but like the Exige it wouldn’t be comparing like with like.
Exige S
lotus looks better sounds better to.
It looks better. Doesn't sound better. It's a Camry V6 with an exhaust. Nothing with six cylinders sounds better than a Porsche flat six.
Driver is a Porsche driver. seemed totally a home in the Porsche.
I haven't driven it myself, but those who have say it's a huge improvement over the previous Cayman.
Great video. Great presenter. Great track battle
I would like to have fun when driving, ill take the Evora for sure. The Porsche is great, it's just not exciting to me.
Sir, your back are incredibly bent, you should check that posture.
Anyway great video and great driving! You guys have been doing excellent videos lately, much better than Autocar's
@Maruf Awal This is the first time I have ever heard anyone imply that the Cayman is not a drivers car. The Cayman comes with a manual and since when do driving enthusiasts prefer forced induction to natural aspiration?
I was going to write my own little review on here as I owned a 2010 Cayman S and still Own an 2010 Evora NA. But then I saw how old this was and its not worth my time. Lets just say I still own the "slower" & "worse handling" Evora NA. Enough said.
You're right if you're talking about the Elise or Exige, but the Evora is heavy and expensive, it needs a better interior.
ist that nightblue or a other blue :O?
I like how there are so many Evora S and Cayman S owners on this video.
Not to mention that Lotus makes less than 2000 Evoras every year, yet seems like most of them are on youtube saying how they are happy with their Evora and have not even one picture to prove that they own one.
I traded in My Cayman S on a Lotus Evora. Not even the super charged S version and I couldn't be happier. Let me take a bit to explain. After one test drive of the Evora I was hooked on the way it handled. Yes I felt it handled better than the Cayman S. Other factors going for it? There just aren't many around. Its gets a TON of attention from the looks. Its sounds amazing, hit the sport button and it sounds so sexy. The car is a very very nice looking car, far more so than the Cayman. These cars are my weekend toys and the Evora is far more fun to drive, to own etc. I don't care about which car is faster yadda yadda yadda or I wouldn't have ever owned a 370z, a Cayman S or an Evora. All these cars have more than enough USABLE power. If you want attention and are an attention whore like myself, the Lotus gives you it by leaps and bounds over anything in its price range and then some. The year of my car is one of 25 Red Evoras sold that year in the US. You can't even say that about almost any other cars except a few exotics...........and there lays the Lotus, it is an Exotic car. I don't have anything bad to say about the Cayman as it was a great car, just not on the same level. I am sure down the road I will own another Porsche but it will be in the garage along side my Lotus and used as a daily driver. The Lotus is not a daily driver type car.
Why does hunch over in whichever car he sits in?
think about increased weight as well which might leave the lap time untouched
Autoexpress: you state that the Cayman is cheaper than the Evora but to be fair you could have stated the actual price of both test cars, expecially as Porsche options as on your test car add a lot to the base car price.
Levi but the interior on the Evora S is pretty damn luxurious. People to comment on the interior have never sat in one plain and simple. The entire car is wrapped in leather, no plastic anywhere with high grade aluminum buttons. In 2011 they upgraded the quality and in 2012 they did another upgrade to the interior. It's as nice as a 911 interior minus the occasional rattle which lotus suffers from build quality. Like I said, leather in the lotus is nicer than my old is350c and matches my s550.
I'm sure I heard the
mobile ringing while you drove the porsche???
why traction control is OFF in the Cayman S?
Unfair comparison. The Porsche was as expensive as the Lotus with similar spec. Porsche has an options list as long as my ... . And, seriously, the Porsche is a souped-up Volkswagen. The Lotus is a proper racing car. I test drove both when new in 2010. And ordered a Lotus. Loved every second of my 3- year ownership.
WOW! The new Cayman S faster than the Carrera 4S 991 and the Audi R8 V8 2013 at Blyton! Or is that because of the weather conditions?
I like this reviewer. More of him please :)
I agree w WeekendGamingNerds; the stick gaffe at 6:04 and breakaway at 6:21 shows the driver's inexperience with the Evora; an experienced driver should have made up the difference in time. As a multiple Lotus owner, I'll admit the Cayman is probably more comfy as a daily driver, but my money's in the Evora every time around. And twice on track day.
If he had the evora version with the paddle shift to the steering, the evora could have saved the 0.7 seconds difference around this short technical track. ( Lot of shiftings ( 2-3-2-3)
I see what you mean by it being unfair. Although the Porsche is definitely more reliable and much more refined and cheaper. I don't think the benefit of almost unusable rear seats is worth £10,000. It's not like your main motivation of buying a lotus is hauling the family around. It has to be quick to justify its presence in the marketplace.
Ive always dreamed of.owning a Lotus but I gotta give it to the Cayman. Its beautiful nd powerful itself
Cayman S vs. Exige S would had been a much more interesting comparison. Although I am a huge Porsche fan, I think that would have resulted in a clear win for the Exige S.
Yes yes yes More of this please!
The Porsche PSM is the winner! Got one PDK and PSM on the Porsche its hard to beat!
Lotus for me. Such a special car, and as usual the test in favour of zee German before it started with the quicker gearbox.
Just got my new porsche cayman. This video makes me pretty happy that I got rid of my lotus
Wish FIAT would buy Lotus. Great concept but R&D pace is lagging as the company lacks volume. Should fit in nicely with Alfa and Ferrari while keeping the character intact.
mine is phantom black with black leather. if you youtube "lotus evora s boca raton" it will come up. I love the carbon grey I kinda regret not getting it in that color but I love black, its just so hard to keep clean.
Still prefer the evora, the 2+2 is more usefull then you think and this facelift with the black bits looks reaaaallly good!
I had a 2009 lotus exige, honestly i would choose the lotus over the Porsche if i were to have a comfortable car as well. With the porsche you get the best of both worlds
Cayman all day any day.
I'm turning my head when i see a cayman.
greetings from stuttgart
so the light-weight mid-engined rwd British roadster is:
A) Heavier
B) Uglier
C) more expensive
D) more powerfull, yet slower from 0-60 AND on a track
not fair to compare a 2+2 to a 2 seater though.
*****
because it is. I think Lotuses in general, has turned uglier since the original Elise
Lars Agerbæk its a very small engineering company that hand builds cars. Its difficult to compete with multi billion dollar volkswagen auto group. it'll also hold it's value better and be much more exclusive than a boring cayman.
And less friendly to use on a daily basis.
Lars Agerbæk "uglier"? Hahaha! Good troll mate! For a second there I thought you were serious!
i cant help but to notice the huge gap between the wheel and steering column
The Evora has an automated manual... It's called IPS. Try using that next time and stop being biased.
i want to drive an evora BECAUSE hardly anyone knows it exists, so, basically ill be anwering a lot of questions instead of people saying "oh..yeah. thats a porsche, thats cool."
There's a reason the Cayman is the mid-engine standard around the world. Does everything right. Doesnt have the most power, but uses it better than all comers. Its not just the numbers the Cayman puts up; its how it goes about its business that has earned it's reputation. Evoras have never sold worth a darn, though it does look handsome. Exige S is a much better piece of kit.
OK, But i heard the Lotus is more fun to drive, and is a heck of a lot sexier and more rare. I take the lotus any day
If you're complaining about the interior of a lotus, you're missing the whole point.
Only applies to the old M96/7 engines, not the new 9A1 engines which have been in Boxsters and Caymans since 2009.
6:09 ?? already burning oil instead of fuel??
It is more than surprising how little the margin between the two is, bearing in mind that the Evora was released at the time of prior-generation Cayman. The Evora clearly loses on two fronts:
(1) gearbox, takes too long to shift esp, vs the PDK; had the test Cayman been with a manual, times would have been quite similar
(2) traction: the Evora does not have a LSD and that shows on the video with the inner rear wheel spinning.
If you pay attention, you'll see that most racing drivers sit very close to the wheel.
Most people sit much too far so they can't reach around the steering wheel properly, and thus lose control more easily if they want to catch a skid...
I like that he is wearing a Tag Heuer watch :))
When Lotus created the Evora, I always wondered why they didn't put the Lotus 3.5 liter twin turbo "Type 918" V8 in it from the old Esprit(1997-2004). They could have inserted the Type 918 engine in the car and declared it the new Esprit.
The v8 lotus engine wasn't a success and it turned out to be horrendously unreliable, so I was told by a lotus dealer. The Toyota engine is a really reliable unit.
How awfully hurt do you Lotus fanboys have to be to say the Cayman should be compared to the Lotus Exige S? The Exige is just about the more hardcore track car Lotus makes. The Evora S and the Cayman S is about as perfect of a match up as you can get between Porsche and Lotus.
A GT vs a Sports car is not a perfect match up.
Plus he did a PDK vs a manual. Should of been manual vs manual. A DCT in any car is going to get superior lap times. Every. Single. Time. Look at GTI manual vs dct. Evo X manual vs dct. DCT always comes out on top by a WIDE margin.
***** Thanks for proving my point.
***** you are absolutely right about the transmission. totally unfair to compare a double clutch gearbox with a manual for track times. everywhere else thought (which is almost 100% of the time pretty much) a manual is much more fun.
Basel Kader Yup. I do a lot of autocross and DCT GTIs and EVO Xs with novice drivers do better than some people who have been doing it for a while simply on speed of shifting alone. Especially in cars that are not geared right for autocross and they have to shift a lot.
Manual is actually better for track times, which mean the Lotus would be even slower with an auto
An old porsche that starts going wrong costs a lot more to repair than a lotus. Trust me on that. Second hand market i would go for the Evora
Hello Mr. I agree with your comment that the Cayman is a better steer than the Evora. I'm a British wanker yes, but a Porsche fan, especially 911 GT3's and air-cooled RS's. Also, I don't like Jag's and Aston Martin's, so if my personal Britishness bothers you, at least we are in agreement about cars so don't dispair as it's not all bad.
James people that say anything bad about the Evora have never seen one in real life plain and simple. I live in south beach which is home of exotics in the USA with f458's, mp4-c's and aventador's on every corner. My car gets just as much attention if not even more. Sometimes a local trip to the gas station becomes a social gathering around my Evora S. Pictures cannot catch the curves on this thing and you have to see one in real life to see what's going on and you will be stunned.
I agree, it is a bit unfair as the Evora is a 2+2