Hey guys, just to say thanks to James for letting me have a go in his Evora. I rather enjoyed the Lotus and can see why people love them! Very fun sounds great and drives brilliantly. If you can pick one up for £60k odd its a good shout for sure. I would love to take both on track, this is where i suspect the GT4 comes alive, before i bought the car i had a Cayman GTS and went to Silverstone and drove a GT4 and GT3. You can start to really stretch the car on track where as on the road it is way into its comfort zone, the Lotus really liked being on the road and is an event everytime you drive it. I am not overly brand loyal so i have no bias towards Porsche or anyone else, but im very glad i got the GT4. If anyone wants to pick my brains about it or more on what i thought about the Lotus just drop a message and i shall try to reply asap!
I stumbled upon this and subscribed straight after watching. I was impressed by both of you, your cars and crucially your perspective from an owners point of view - as opposed to a typical car review by a vlogger or journo' with a test car with lots of free tires, petrol .. free everything. ... nice work but not very real. So that was some welcome insight, in fact you made quite a few valid points James D that a professional reviewer with a loan/test car just doesn't know about. I think Chris Harris and Jethro Bovingdon are ace .. but they would never talk about travelling distance to a shrinking dealership network. I posted a comment on a review of the new AMG E63s .. (fantastic, brilliant car but a saloon - at least for now) about the practicality of owning two huskies in the north of Scotland and how an rs6 served my wife and me better in terms of size, safety and speed than anything else. I tried to explain to the youtube world that people who buy these cars don't take them on track and Nurburgring times are irrelevant. Nobody in the real world who works to pay for an rs6, ie fuel (wow! .. thirsty) insurance, tires (£2k for winter tires) .. is taking it anywhere bloody near a race track. I am aware that Chris Harris owns an rs6 and has taken it to a test track but the bit that says "sponsored by Pirelli" in the credits of his commercially lucrative vlog removes him, somewhat, from the real world ownership experience.
400 is a great package, you have to accept the lack of lotus r&d budget, but still has it's strengths without resorting to 'character', if only people bought from smaller car makers in anything other than mags and comments. I think full a light-weighted 410 would be odd choice for a pure drivers car over an exige. I wish Toyota would sell the latest NA V8 from the lexus to lotus. A V8 Evora, or an Esprit would make more sense for 'bigger bro' hardcore model that's differentiated from the exige. I'd be interested to know the difference in weight to very forced induction plumbing 400/410 engine to the NA V8
Feral Mass unless like my case, you dont fit on an exige (6'4 a bit longer torso) the evora fits me just right, but is not as confortable as a 997 or a 981
i am hoping the same. i have driven 4th generation lexus gs with 5l v8. a real nice car but it’s a luxury gt, not a sort car. be great to experience that great engine (2UR-GSE v8) with manual gearbox in evora or esprit. that will be a perfect dream car.
Such a fair unbiased report, refreshing to watch and as you rightly say two great cars with much to recommend them! If it wasn't for where I live, (Middle East) I'd have been driving an Evora for the last 8 months, but I have to suffer the indignity of being seen in my Jag XF-S instead. The Evora's a car you buy with your heart, the Jag is one which suits the head and the heart!
Ok this was a great video and many thanks for doing it. i have already driven both and am right now looking at these two cars and this gave me some good insight. For sure one of Lotus's weak points in the US is the dealer network and they only have a 3 year warranty compared to the 4 year one on a Porsche Having said that right now a used GT4 is about 100k and you will be a second owner so in reality both cars will cost the same outlay but the Evora is new and the GT4 used. I think I am going to buy an Evora for the following reasons: I do have a dealer local to me, Caymans are literally everywhere, Lotus is unusual. Lotus will have a lower cost of ownership and hold a higher residual (assuming you cannot get a GT4 at list, IMHO the Lotus is a smoothy ride over rough city streets, I really like the Lotus green color :)
Not worried by the conclusion. Lotus world is a small one, I drove the orange 400 myself, it didn't excit me as much as my Elise sc. my wife would change in a heartbeat, but I guess I have to grow up a bit first!
Great video. I've never owned either. In my opinion the GT4 is the better car by quite a way. But I'd have the Lotus. I think it has more character and it's more unusual. There's a lot to be said for unusual.
ok, you told me to watch this video, so I did. Some great reviews here. I agree with the vast majority of these opinions. I love the GT4, but I may actually favor the looks of the Lotus more. It looks a little more exotic and has some great proportions. I also like that it has 2 rear seats (I do own a 911 after all) although that isn't a make or break situation. I guess the weakness of the Lotus is the dealer network (in the USA) and the fact that Porsche basically produces the same HP with a NA engine vs a FI engine. And speaking of the engine, I still think that this is a bit of a "weakness" of the Evora, given that this is an example that Lotus really isn't an auto manufacture, but more of a chassis manufacture. For some reason that would kind of bug me knowing that the engine really isn't all that special other than it has a SC bolted on (given the price of the car). On the other hand, being a huge Porsche fan, I actually think the GT4 is a little "overrated". Yes, its a great car, but comparing it to a GT3 is a HUGE stretch. Lets me honest, go look at lap times online or at your local circuit, the GT4 usually is close to or even gets beat by the 991.1 C2S with the 911 ONLY using street tires, while the GT4 is using Cup 2 tires. I have heard that 997.2 C2S owners that go with a more aggressive alignment and cup 2 tires, can get some very similar lap times as the GT4. So while the GT4 is a great performing car, it isn't close to the GT3 (and if you can't turn faster lap times in a car with 115 more HP, you probably shouldn't be driving a Porsche) and is actually much closer to a 991.1 C2S or even a 997.2 C2S with proper tires. Of course the 991.2 C2S would absolutely destroy the GT4, as would the GTS. So lets stop talking about GT4 and GT3 in the same sentence just because they both have a wing. But like I said, great review and I love both cars (just not as much as the GT3 or the 911 ;) )
Delightful comparo! I was just thinking of this comparison when I saw a Lotus Evora GT at my local Porsche dealership. Love the back-to-back comparisons from real owners.
Great video for someone looking for more info on the Evora. I am genuinely surprised that it seems to be as fun, capable and competent as the very highly acclaimed GT4. I really need to go and test drive one someday!
Good review James. Definitely the 2 cars are a different take on a similar formula. Having driven both back to back on track I agree that the GT4 is more track focussed, and was slightly quicker around Hethel than my 400, I would guess mostly down to the cup tyres and stiffer suspension. I think the 410 sport and GT4 would be closer, as you say in your video. I prefer the driving position and view from the Evora with lower scuttle.. the Porsche seats would be a nice addition, although they are a bit too upright for my taste in the Cayman.
Both Great cars, have owned porsches in the past. I dont think I could ever give up my lotus for one again. The steering/drive even if a slight advantage, is the world to me and one of the sole reasons I bought a lotus. Cheers!
This video needs a million views. Two fantastic cars! The ability to put a small child in the back of the Lotus would make it the more practical for me. I hope to pick up a used one in 2-3 years. My only major concern would be the cost of a new clutch as I hear they are pretty pricey in the regular Evora S. Which by the way I fell in love with when I test drove, but sadly, couldn't get over the manual gear box. Glad to hear that's changed.
2 comments. 1. Would have liked to have heard the other drivers conclusion. 2. As far as 'boot space' goes.......that is why I am a big fan of sports cars with back seats. Back seats are bigger than any boot, and since you can't fit adults back there and I don't have kids, I count that as boot space. Lastly.......it's a lot easier to put things in and out of the back seat than having to open and close the boot in my opinion. Just another view point in evaluating boot space.
Funny thing is, because of the issues with the red colours, it actually looks like a PTS Rubystone red GT4. Oh, and I agree on the 400's rubbish seats. Get yourself a couple of the old Recaros I'd say, a tad heavier but a lot better. (Ps: top tip, get both driver and passenger on camera for the inboard shots, makes it more interesting to follow the conversation).
A correction to a comment about the Honda NSX. The original was manual steering only. Then there were some later model updates that included the electric power steering and also Drive By Wire. I think in fact they were both introduced in the same year.
Fluterra exactly what i thought... he seemed like he couldn't less interested. He sure had a lot to say about his own Cayman GT4 while it was being driven though LOL
Joseph Parker Could be, but remember, he’s not a professional reviewer like Jay, and I suspect he was larking as he would normally, not really considering that he was being taped. This makes it very obvious how good Jay really is!👍
Great review. My 2 years (with me) GT4 981 has a reverse camera which until this video I thought was OEM and boy is it useful. I DID know it has a mod to the final drive (with 6th gear restored) so I get to play with the gears at 14% lower ratio on the drive pinion to the differential (also gets rid of the spalling problem on the OEM component). I guess I would recommend the RPM Technik mod for greater engagement on the 718 or 981 GT4s. I took the UTAC CAT driver track school recently to learn to drive the mid engine layout better (coming from e46M3) and that was very worthwhile.
Having a Focus RS here across the pond in the states feels more special, particularly in the west coast, though you are right the interior is just a Focus. I think the RS is different enough to separate itself noticeably from Subaru WRX STi's and still be a more fun car than the Honda Civic Type R's and Golf R's that it was pitted against. I still think it holds its own against them now, despite the Golf R now getting drifty.
Lotus is too niche, I'm thinking of it as an option, but.... In the US it's not so easy Most youtubers people get big , like shmeee, stradman, solomondrin, DDE, Tavarish, cause they have crazy noticeable cars their around along with minimal informative content (most) and do clickbaity things, that is not this channel, no shade
It's funny how the Evora 400 sounds better than the Cayman GT4, since the engine is from a Toyota Camry, gotta give Lotus credit for tuning it to something awesome
great video, very cool to have direct comparaison and by the owners ! Only donw side in my opinion, is that we see only the guy face, not the road, how the car behaves. Could be telling his opinion in a sofa just after trying the result would be almost similar
Not quite sure how I missed this review. Pretty spot on. The Evora is a better DD, the GT4 is more logical weekend/Track toy. If you're ever out by the ring, drop me a line. Cheers, GT4/Evora Owner (Mindblown!)
James I think your Cayman friend wanted to say something at the end but was cut off? He said "And I just wanted ...." What? what did he want? ? To offer a cup of tea ? It would have been nice to hear his final opinion summary as well after all he was a co-comparer (Is that a word?) lol
Very nice comparison, James. A point of clarification, though -- the GT4 was far from a limited edition model. Porsche made a lot of them and many more than it initially intimated.
Nice video James. As I've said before, I definitely love what I've learned about both cars, although I have not driven a Lotus yet. One of the reasons I chose a Porsche is because of the dealer network. My nearest Lotus dealer is 3+ hours away & if I needed service it would be difficult with the Lotus while I have a Porsche dealer 10min from home. Other reasons include the build quality & interior bits. I still think the Lotus is a fine choice & I like it's exclusivity, but it just didn't line up for me. Still hoping to drive one in the future. Side note, why do you guys dislike the electric parking brake so much? I absolutely love this feature as it gets rid of the ugly handbrake making the center console much nicer. It is also simple & easy to use & engages fully at the touch of a button while the handbrakes sometimes need adjustment.
I mean it’s a Toyota engine so you’d rarely have to get service maybe for the supercharger but that’s also a simple unit. I would’ve personally went for the lotus because of the engine.
Great vid and great comparison for road work ... but if this test was focused on many track miles I wonder which one would Trump... when the GT4 first came out it was the toast of town talk on the track and I believe thats where its focused , not taking that away from the lotus but I think that would be a great comparison after a few track miles
The resale will be night and day, as the GT4 will hold a much higher percentage of value going forward. The stability (or lack of it) of Lotus as a company as well as the small dealership base also hurts the Evora.
@@rombierto It is for a Porsche driver. He's not interested in driving, only showing off. So when the new model comes out he'll have to sell the old one.
Great video! Maybe do an evora vs carrera now to see what the difference there is! Would definitely be interesting especially with the new turbo Porsche engines...
I like Pork so I choose the Lotus Evora every time. Sure, a good Mozzarella, Cheddar, Provolone, or Swiss cheese could be nice but the Porsche Cayman GT4 does not speak to my soul nor wallet like the Lotus.
my elise was more reliable than my cayman s, that being said though both cars are great. I like the cayman due to the fact that its everyday usable. I like the elise because it felt more special when driving it and looked far better. If i was buying a new car as a weekend toy i would get a lotus, but if im buying one i need to use everyday i would buy the cayman. Which i did.
lotus is very reliable, Think about it, it has practically no luxuries and a toyota engine. Aside from typical perishable parts and service items there is little to replace on one. The porsche especially a second hand one is more likely to end up costing you big money with engine issues especially an earlier porsche.
Been considering both. Came down to build quality for me. Wanted to love the Evora 400, but unfortunately lotus still can’t get it right. A quick look on the forums and you’ll see reports of cheap/thin dash material shrinking and bubbling in the sun - LED’s in tail lights working 50% of the time - bad water leaks from poor sealing causing ant infestations - seat bolsters unclipping - airbag covers unclipping - always needing a jump with just 2-3 days sitting - etc. Far far too many problems for a six figure car. I’m not paying to have all that fixed if I’m spending this much on a car. I’d always heard bad things about lotus build quality, but did not expect this to still be the case in modern offerings. Porsche’s build quality, however, is not in question. Therefor, lotus is off my list. It’s 2019, hopefully lotus figures their crap out at some point, but I don’t have high hopes if they still haven’t. Disappointing. GT4 wins by disqualification. You can’t compare the two.
I still think the cars would be good competition for each other because of their matched features...but the folks at harrop have really boosted (pun intended) engine output by jumping from the TVS1320 supercharger that lotus installs to a TVS 1900 intercooled supercharger that can just force a larger volume of air into the engine and at much cooler temperatures. That would be a real game changer for the lotus… they show an exige with the same engine making almost 500 wheel horsepower on their Dyno on a 35C day… That’s pretty good for a car that light.
I live in texas and own an evora. there have been a couple small issues with getting parts but, overall, ownership has been great. I am fortunate to live a couple of minutes from an awesome lotus race shop. and yeah, there are corvettes everywhere around here.
with my lotus i relied on the specialists and small garages that tend to work on british sports cars with poor dealer networks. TVR Lotus etc. The dealers charged ridiculous amounts and the specialists tended to know more about the cars. as for my porsche, again i use specialists simply because their are plenty of them, but a dealership isnt to far away.
It took me a bit but with help from Lotus Talk I do my own work on my Evora. I do have a dealership with in 30 miles but I seem to know more about these cars than they do. Anyway I had my Porsches and others but even the Cayman S didn't handle like the Evora. I have only test driven a 400 at this point but I did like some aspects better but there were some aspects of MY10 I like better. First and foremost the seats. Anyway these cars are unique. I was parked at a dealership and in the parking lot were Ferraris, Porsches, Lambos etc but when I came outside there was a crowd around my Evora. Not the Ferrari, not the Lambo but my little ole 2010 NA Evora. Go figure. One thing for sure they get attention. Since I am an attention whore these cars fit me well.
First thing I noticed was how much noisier the Cayman's cabin is in comparison to that of the Evora, and it has to be said, I do prefer the Evora's exhaust note.
James Martin fabspeed makes a kit of exhaust air intake plenum and tune that boots the engine on the gt4 to 450hp to the crank or about 400 to the wheels i think is totally worth it if someone dont mind the warranty lol
Porsche is higher quality, sounds better and is far more practical. However, the Lotus does have rear seats and a slightly better ride. My choice would be an Evora GT410.
very nice job, good personal comparison done by petrol-heads, not by so called professionals... in my opinion have some subjective points in this, is ok and acceptable.
Great reviews / drives. I've just taken delivery of the M2, based in Liverpool, if you ever fancy a drive out to review just let me know! Evo triangle isn't too far away D
100k against 70k? Come on that they are so close / only opinion counts means the Lotus won. The other ppoint is there are too many Porsches around, I live in germany - here heads turn when they see a Lotus!
***** No problem, we all make mistakes.. Fantastic review and you guys both played well off each other. I am currently looking to test drive the Evora 400 now :)
That's correct. If you think about it the transmission is behind the engine and the engine is behind the driver. This would make it impossible to use rod linkage.
Lotus is seen as a more exotic brand where I'm from and Porsches are quite common. I've seen more Porsche Carrera GTs on the road than Lotuses. I do like the look of the Evora more, but the way I see it, the Lotus would make a better weekend car(toy) and the Porsche would be a better weekday car(daily)
JayEmm on Cars Jay please answer a question for me ... 2017 GT410 with every weight saving option including titanium exhaust, no warranty .... versus the new 2020 Evora GT w carbon package an no titanium exhaust ... 2017 is $20K less cost ... which would you choose? Much appreciated and thank you for you work
Thank you guys for this very good review, I enjoyed it a lot! Both cars are awesome, but due to the fact that I own a Speedster (I think you call it VX 220:)) I'm very much into Lotus and planning to visit HetheI as soon as possible. I really like the Evora, it's an amazing car. I accidentally found that video on RUclips and have to say that I really like your channel! Best regards from Vienna/Austria, Alex :)
Very nice video ( coming from an evora sports racer owner).. Would have been nice to know about fuel consumption comparisons.. How much do these cars really drink and was your gt4 friend using high octane as is recommended for the evora?
Well I do hope a lotta ppl see this vid, great reviews (if not quite as entertaining as a full track thrash 'Top Gear' style).So ultimately a pure preference factor for all things between them, sounds cool. Well good luck Lotus to keep getting their builds better and better. If you knew in advance what both these cars were like side by side before you purchased (and the GT4 was available at list price), granted the amount of technical hitches you had with the 400, would that in itself have swayed you to the GT4?Quite presumably all GT4s would barely have had any faults for their owners
James Martin That's awesome to hear. but great to see Lotus hold absolute value against the gt4. Saw a recent head to head in similar fashion to this, 400 vs Corvette Grand Sport, it was concluded at the end the Grand Sport was ultimately slightly better, bit surprising, but believe price was factored into that and they were comparing in the US market (Vette home ground). Anyways, keep up the great vids, the real world tests are great and I know you don't have a multi million dollar video budget. Keep getting followers and eventually you be a pro reviewer, everyone starts from the bottom i guess. Enjoy
James Martin Yep, totally agreed, I even made a comment to that vid denoting exactly what you said about the track test (Vette fans commented against me seeming to think the G-Sport woulda crushed hands down, I doubted there'd be that much a diff). Also made a note that while the Vette may have been at a lesser cost, I'm pretty certain with that massive engine and extra weight long term fuel, tyres and service costs would be rather high to run one
+Colin Marks I disagree with you the running costs side of things. Vettes are fairly relaible, and GM's LT and LS engines are great platforms. I think that the main reason that the C7 GS won that is because the test was conducted in the US, and in the VS the corvette costs about €20000 less than in europe. That means that i do think that the Vette GS is the better car for the money in the US. In europe, it would really depend on your personal preference. They are both seriously good cars at a rather simular price.
Benjamingt4 Yeah, perhaps that's all true. i don't know heaps about Corvettes, dont think they're sold in Australia. My guess wbout the running costs was just a simple maths logic I ran off. The Vette is heavier, with a simply larger engine, dishing out more power. That by default spells more fuel consumption, and one would probably think more oil per service, more spark plugs. Added weight means more clutch n tyre wear. And so it goes. Also on a separate note, ppl were slamming me saying the Vette woulda crushed the Evora. The Vette certainly may win a track battle perhaps, but a margainal boost in Power to Weight, in a car shown to have worse braking, again, just logically doesn't spell a recipe for 'crushing the Evora'
+James Martin (JayEmm) I'd partially agree on that track part. Lets just get this out of the way first, yes the evora will be marginally better and cheaper on track( like you said, less brake wear and such) Also, a "normal" EU spec corvette (even with z51) isnt exactely a track car. Its a road car thats capable of going to the track, but if you wanted a track corvette, you should really get the Grand Sport. In the end, these 2 cars are rather evenly matched and which one you pick is for 99% decided by personal preference :). Do have to say that i do prefer the c7. Its just got so much caracter...
It's not a cop out after you said you would had brought one if those smart financial Germans had made more . Enjoyable ride with two typical upper management Englishmen. 😎😉
IMO you buy the Porsche with the brain and the Lotus with your heart.... Porsche is factually the better, more in-depth engineered car with much better long term quality. Having said that, I sold a couple of years ago my Porsche and replaced it with a Lotus.... kinda brainless😂😂😂😎
My biggest surprise the Porsche handles as good as a Lotus? am too old to know much about modern sports cars now days But in the 60s the Elan would have left the Porsche for dead in the dry too in the wet you be a mad man to race a Porsche 356 against an Elan, we all have our preferences n I Love British n Italian sports cars above all else the Cobra too of course my Golf MK1 n my 205
It seemed like I was waiting forever for you to put up this review but it was sure worth the wait! Really enjoyed that and many thanks to both of you for making this happen. I do have one question I'd love you to answer if you have time, and that's if you think their is an element of Porsche bias within the media? Btw this video didn't work for me either through RUclips directly but played through FB??
James Martin the annoying thing about the press is ... if the lotus had a porsche badge on it ... it would get in all magazines .. every week and month and it would sell 8 times more !!! Keep up the excellent work Lotus ... fab range of cars .. youd have my money all the time ... everytime .. over anything else
James Martin .. very true .. still enjoy your videos and reviews .. can we have some more back to back tests of cars that are still being made tho .. cheers .. Rich
Very interesting point re: sills, James. On the subject, my local Lotus dealer has a 4C in stock and I was shocked at how ugly those are in real life. Every picture or video I see of the 4C has me drooling, but they do not look good up front. The proportions are wide and bulky. They do have a fun exhaust note though.The Evora 400 however, is the opposite, it seems to be marmite with its looks because in videos it can look ill-proportioned or bulky but in person the car has amazing presence and the lines are stunning. I also think it looks best in the non-traditional Lotus colours such as dark metallic grey and deep blue.
Thanks for the nice reply. I think the Toyota engine would be a whole lot cheaper to maintain over time but that's saying nothing about parts availability or cost for the rest of the Lotus. Porsche used parts are everywhere as well as service but the pancake engine can be difficult to work on. Does anyone keep their cars that long to care? What about resale values? This could be the basis for an interesting discussion. Ciao Tutti.
should i get the evora 400 or porsche cayman 987 .. guys which one is the best i know lotus evora has the best handling.. mainly using the car for cruising or long drive strolling.. any idea?
Hey guys, just to say thanks to James for letting me have a go in his Evora. I rather enjoyed the Lotus and can see why people love them! Very fun sounds great and drives brilliantly. If you can pick one up for £60k odd its a good shout for sure. I would love to take both on track, this is where i suspect the GT4 comes alive, before i bought the car i had a Cayman GTS and went to Silverstone and drove a GT4 and GT3. You can start to really stretch the car on track where as on the road it is way into its comfort zone, the Lotus really liked being on the road and is an event everytime you drive it. I am not overly brand loyal so i have no bias towards Porsche or anyone else, but im very glad i got the GT4. If anyone wants to pick my brains about it or more on what i thought about the Lotus just drop a message and i shall try to reply asap!
I stumbled upon this and subscribed straight after watching. I was impressed by both of you, your cars and crucially your perspective from an owners point of view - as opposed to a typical car review by a vlogger or journo' with a test car with lots of free tires, petrol .. free everything. ... nice work but not very real. So that was some welcome insight, in fact you made quite a few valid points James D that a professional reviewer with a loan/test car just doesn't know about. I think Chris Harris and Jethro Bovingdon are ace .. but they would never talk about travelling distance to a shrinking dealership network. I posted a comment on a review of the new AMG E63s .. (fantastic, brilliant car but a saloon - at least for now) about the practicality of owning two huskies in the north of Scotland and how an rs6 served my wife and me better in terms of size, safety and speed than anything else. I tried to explain to the youtube world that people who buy these cars don't take them on track and Nurburgring times are irrelevant. Nobody in the real world who works to pay for an rs6, ie fuel (wow! .. thirsty) insurance, tires (£2k for winter tires) .. is taking it anywhere bloody near a race track. I am aware that Chris Harris owns an rs6 and has taken it to a test track but the bit that says "sponsored by Pirelli" in the credits of his commercially lucrative vlog removes him, somewhat, from the real world ownership experience.
400 is a great package, you have to accept the lack of lotus r&d budget, but still has it's strengths without resorting to 'character', if only people bought from smaller car makers in anything other than mags and comments. I think full a light-weighted 410 would be odd choice for a pure drivers car over an exige. I wish Toyota would sell the latest NA V8 from the lexus to lotus. A V8 Evora, or an Esprit would make more sense for 'bigger bro' hardcore model that's differentiated from the exige. I'd be interested to know the difference in weight to very forced induction plumbing 400/410 engine to the NA V8
Feral Mass unless like my case, you dont fit on an exige (6'4 a bit longer torso) the evora fits me just right, but is not as confortable as a 997 or a 981
i am hoping the same. i have driven 4th generation lexus gs with 5l v8. a real nice car but it’s a luxury gt, not a sort car. be great to experience that great engine (2UR-GSE v8) with manual gearbox in evora or esprit. that will be a perfect dream car.
Such a fair unbiased report, refreshing to watch and as you rightly say two great cars with much to recommend them!
If it wasn't for where I live, (Middle East) I'd have been driving an Evora for the last 8 months, but I have to suffer the indignity of being seen in my Jag XF-S instead. The Evora's a car you buy with your heart, the Jag is one which suits the head and the heart!
Ok this was a great video and many thanks for doing it. i have already driven both and am right now looking at these two cars and this gave me some good insight. For sure one of Lotus's weak points in the US is the dealer network and they only have a 3 year warranty compared to the 4 year one on a Porsche Having said that right now a used GT4 is about 100k and you will be a second owner so in reality both cars will cost the same outlay but the Evora is new and the GT4 used.
I think I am going to buy an Evora for the following reasons:
I do have a dealer local to me,
Caymans are literally everywhere, Lotus is unusual.
Lotus will have a lower cost of ownership and hold a higher residual (assuming you cannot get a GT4 at list,
IMHO the Lotus is a smoothy ride over rough city streets,
I really like the Lotus green color :)
It is quite telling that with their tiny budget compared to Porsche's, Lotus still made a better handling AND more comfortable car.
Lack of conclusion accepted; this was the most mature, open-minded and informative review I have ever watched. Well well done.
Not worried by the conclusion. Lotus world is a small one, I drove the orange 400 myself, it didn't excit me as much as my Elise sc. my wife would change in a heartbeat, but I guess I have to grow up a bit first!
Great video. I've never owned either. In my opinion the GT4 is the better car by quite a way. But I'd have the Lotus. I think it has more character and it's more unusual. There's a lot to be said for unusual.
ok, you told me to watch this video, so I did. Some great reviews here. I agree with the vast majority of these opinions. I love the GT4, but I may actually favor the looks of the Lotus more. It looks a little more exotic and has some great proportions. I also like that it has 2 rear seats (I do own a 911 after all) although that isn't a make or break situation. I guess the weakness of the Lotus is the dealer network (in the USA) and the fact that Porsche basically produces the same HP with a NA engine vs a FI engine. And speaking of the engine, I still think that this is a bit of a "weakness" of the Evora, given that this is an example that Lotus really isn't an auto manufacture, but more of a chassis manufacture. For some reason that would kind of bug me knowing that the engine really isn't all that special other than it has a SC bolted on (given the price of the car). On the other hand, being a huge Porsche fan, I actually think the GT4 is a little "overrated". Yes, its a great car, but comparing it to a GT3 is a HUGE stretch. Lets me honest, go look at lap times online or at your local circuit, the GT4 usually is close to or even gets beat by the 991.1 C2S with the 911 ONLY using street tires, while the GT4 is using Cup 2 tires. I have heard that 997.2 C2S owners that go with a more aggressive alignment and cup 2 tires, can get some very similar lap times as the GT4. So while the GT4 is a great performing car, it isn't close to the GT3 (and if you can't turn faster lap times in a car with 115 more HP, you probably shouldn't be driving a Porsche) and is actually much closer to a 991.1 C2S or even a 997.2 C2S with proper tires. Of course the 991.2 C2S would absolutely destroy the GT4, as would the GTS. So lets stop talking about GT4 and GT3 in the same sentence just because they both have a wing. But like I said, great review and I love both cars (just not as much as the GT3 or the 911 ;) )
+hawkinsrod That's good :)
It’s about the driver if you are comparing a GT4 and a C2S. The better driver gets the best lap times.
Nice review, from a GT4 owner, I'll have to try and 410 now.
Always been a huge fan of lotus
Delightful comparo! I was just thinking of this comparison when I saw a Lotus Evora GT at my local Porsche dealership. Love the back-to-back comparisons from real owners.
Great video for someone looking for more info on the Evora. I am genuinely surprised that it seems to be as fun, capable and competent as the very highly acclaimed GT4. I really need to go and test drive one someday!
Great video and conclusions. Will be trying both (but Evora pulls my hard-string harder).
Good review James. Definitely the 2 cars are a different take on a similar formula. Having driven both back to back on track I agree that the GT4 is more track focussed, and was slightly quicker around Hethel than my 400, I would guess mostly down to the cup tyres and stiffer suspension. I think the 410 sport and GT4 would be closer, as you say in your video. I prefer the driving position and view from the Evora with lower scuttle.. the Porsche seats would be a nice addition, although they are a bit too upright for my taste in the Cayman.
Get the evora 410 sport/GT410 sport vs Cayman GT4 4.0 on some timed laps. Would be a great watch
Both Great cars, have owned porsches in the past. I dont think I could ever give up my lotus for one again. The steering/drive even if a slight advantage, is the world to me and one of the sole reasons I bought a lotus. Cheers!
Damn I’m just loving the content on your channel! Proper car reviews for enthusiasts!
Thankyou
This video needs a million views. Two fantastic cars! The ability to put a small child in the back of the Lotus would make it the more practical for me. I hope to pick up a used one in 2-3 years. My only major concern would be the cost of a new clutch as I hear they are pretty pricey in the regular Evora S. Which by the way I fell in love with when I test drove, but sadly, couldn't get over the manual gear box. Glad to hear that's changed.
Good to know. Thanks for the reply and keep up the good work!
2 comments.
1. Would have liked to have heard the other drivers conclusion.
2. As far as 'boot space' goes.......that is why I am a big fan of sports cars with back seats.
Back seats are bigger than any boot, and since you can't fit adults back there and I don't have kids, I count that as boot space.
Lastly.......it's a lot easier to put things in and out of the back seat than having to open and close the boot in my opinion.
Just another view point in evaluating boot space.
James Martin Thanks!
Both those cars sound fantastic
This is quickly becoming my favorite car channel on RUclips!
Thanks Matt!
Funny thing is, because of the issues with the red colours, it actually looks like a PTS Rubystone red GT4. Oh, and I agree on the 400's rubbish seats. Get yourself a couple of the old Recaros I'd say, a tad heavier but a lot better. (Ps: top tip, get both driver and passenger on camera for the inboard shots, makes it more interesting to follow the conversation).
Awesome video and great description from both owners how each other’s cars feel...awesome review
A correction to a comment about the Honda NSX. The original was manual steering only. Then there were some later model updates that included the electric power steering and also Drive By Wire. I think in fact they were both introduced in the same year.
Why the F is the GT4 owner talking about everything but the Evora while driving it?!
Fluterra exactly what i thought... he seemed like he couldn't less interested. He sure had a lot to say about his own Cayman GT4 while it was being driven though LOL
Agreed. In his mind, his Porche is the center of the universe. Kind of annoying actually.
Joseph Parker
Could be, but remember, he’s not a professional reviewer like Jay, and I suspect he was larking as he would normally, not really considering that he was being taped. This makes it very obvious how good Jay really is!👍
Because it’s a Porsche lol
Why are you even talking mate?
Love the Evora
Great review. My 2 years (with me) GT4 981 has a reverse camera which until this video I thought was OEM and boy is it useful. I DID know it has a mod to the final drive (with 6th gear restored) so I get to play with the gears at 14% lower ratio on the drive pinion to the differential (also gets rid of the spalling problem on the OEM component). I guess I would recommend the RPM Technik mod for greater engagement on the 718 or 981 GT4s.
I took the UTAC CAT driver track school recently to learn to drive the mid engine layout better (coming from e46M3) and that was very worthwhile.
Bad car within the last decade? PT Cruiser...
It's more than 10y old, even 4 years ago when you did comment 😜
@@O8Zen if I made the comment in 2017, and the PT Cruiser was discontinued in 2010, that would make my comment still absolutely 100% valid.
Correction, you said the GT4 has a base 911 engine, it's actually the engine from the Carrera S
Porsche says the air intake is different due to the position of the engine, thats where the loss in HP is.
A video with honest and integrity for which many thanks I enjoyed it a lot.😊
Please do a version of this on track! That would be really fun. I suspect they're going to be very competitive.
That would be very enjoyable. Jay does track videos as well as everything else he films.
Having a Focus RS here across the pond in the states feels more special, particularly in the west coast, though you are right the interior is just a Focus. I think the RS is different enough to separate itself noticeably from Subaru WRX STi's and still be a more fun car than the Honda Civic Type R's and Golf R's that it was pitted against. I still think it holds its own against them now, despite the Golf R now getting drifty.
great vid, imo the lotus sounded much better
If I had the money I'd get an Evora. It's more rare and better looking. Plus I'd want the handling qualities Jay described. Thanks.
This channel will blow up. Awesome quality from the get go!
Lotus is too niche, I'm thinking of it as an option, but.... In the US it's not so easy
Most youtubers people get big , like shmeee, stradman, solomondrin, DDE, Tavarish, cause they have crazy noticeable cars their around along with minimal informative content (most) and do clickbaity things, that is not this channel, no shade
Get the impression he wanted you to love his car 😀he was fairly quiet when in the lotus.
Good review chap. Keep it up.
James Martin I would love to see it. Please upload
I would actually watch the hour long video
Typical Porsche owner lol
@@tomatodamashiTypical RUclips knucklehead, lol.
@@clu4u yawn
It's funny how the Evora 400 sounds better than the Cayman GT4, since the engine is from a Toyota Camry, gotta give Lotus credit for tuning it to something awesome
James Martin And tbh it's probably a very reliable motor too since it's from Toyota
James Martin Is the fuel consumption around 25-30mpg? And yeh funny how the US prefer to buy cars from other countries than their own
great video, very cool to have direct comparaison and by the owners ! Only donw side in my opinion, is that we see only the guy face, not the road, how the car behaves. Could be telling his opinion in a sofa just after trying the result would be almost similar
Not quite sure how I missed this review. Pretty spot on. The Evora is a better DD, the GT4 is more logical weekend/Track toy. If you're ever out by the ring, drop me a line. Cheers, GT4/Evora Owner (Mindblown!)
Hence the GT4
James I think your Cayman friend wanted to say something at the end but was cut off?
He said "And I just wanted ...." What? what did he want? ? To offer a cup of tea ?
It would have been nice to hear his final opinion summary as well after all he was a co-comparer (Is that a word?) lol
Very nice comparison, James. A point of clarification, though -- the GT4 was far from a limited edition model. Porsche made a lot of them and many more than it initially intimated.
Nice video James. As I've said before, I definitely love what I've learned about both cars, although I have not driven a Lotus yet. One of the reasons I chose a Porsche is because of the dealer network. My nearest Lotus dealer is 3+ hours away & if I needed service it would be difficult with the Lotus while I have a Porsche dealer 10min from home. Other reasons include the build quality & interior bits. I still think the Lotus is a fine choice & I like it's exclusivity, but it just didn't line up for me. Still hoping to drive one in the future.
Side note, why do you guys dislike the electric parking brake so much? I absolutely love this feature as it gets rid of the ugly handbrake making the center console much nicer. It is also simple & easy to use & engages fully at the touch of a button while the handbrakes sometimes need adjustment.
I mean it’s a Toyota engine so you’d rarely have to get service maybe for the supercharger but that’s also a simple unit. I would’ve personally went for the lotus because of the engine.
evora is very underrated but looks so fuckin good.
Agreed! Never had a Porsche that grabbed the attention the Evora does.
Agreed. And it looks so, so much better than the GT4 (and I'm a former GT4 owner).
Pablo Escobar it does! That Evora 410 they showed actually made me gasp a little bit, lol.
Great comparison James,would have loved to see a drag race with these two cars also
I think so too. Even Cayman R could run 4.3s to 60mph in Motor Trend test.
James Martin Porsche always underestimate their performance specs, it's been pretty consistent in reviews of most of their sports coupes
Great vid and great comparison for road work ... but if this test was focused on many track miles I wonder which one would Trump... when the GT4 first came out it was the toast of town talk on the track and I believe thats where its focused , not taking that away from the lotus but I think that would be a great comparison after a few track miles
wow A 100 grand!....I hope he has sold it, they are going for 65k now.
The resale will be night and day, as the GT4 will hold a much higher percentage of value going forward. The stability (or lack of it) of Lotus as a company as well as the small dealership base also hurts the Evora.
Is resale value an important consideration? It is not for me...
@@rombierto It is for a Porsche driver. He's not interested in driving, only showing off. So when the new model comes out he'll have to sell the old one.
@@StarHorseLover2012 Good one. Porsche make more than one car you know.
@@yetidh9 Not really.
@@StarHorseLover2012 Ignorance is bliss
Great video! Maybe do an evora vs carrera now to see what the difference there is! Would definitely be interesting especially with the new turbo Porsche engines...
Really Really good unbias review,,, so well done, i loved it
I like Pork so I choose the Lotus Evora every time. Sure, a good Mozzarella, Cheddar, Provolone, or Swiss cheese could be nice but the Porsche Cayman GT4 does not speak to my soul nor wallet like the Lotus.
Lotus any day! Porsches are so played out even though they are fantastic...
If you drive a 911 everyday (like me), you will realize that they are never "played out".
Drove Porsche's for years then traded it in on a Lotus and never looked back....................
...for me it's also about reliability. Unfortunately, Lotus is not quite there yet. But I appreciate they are getting better at it.
my elise was more reliable than my cayman s, that being said though both cars are great. I like the cayman due to the fact that its everyday usable. I like the elise because it felt more special when driving it and looked far better. If i was buying a new car as a weekend toy i would get a lotus, but if im buying one i need to use everyday i would buy the cayman. Which i did.
lotus is very reliable, Think about it, it has practically no luxuries and a toyota engine. Aside from typical perishable parts and service items there is little to replace on one. The porsche especially a second hand one is more likely to end up costing you big money with engine issues especially an earlier porsche.
you guys remind me of nick frost and simon pegg, great review! that evora sounds fantastic!
Been considering both. Came down to build quality for me. Wanted to love the Evora 400, but unfortunately lotus still can’t get it right. A quick look on the forums and you’ll see reports of cheap/thin dash material shrinking and bubbling in the sun - LED’s in tail lights working 50% of the time - bad water leaks from poor sealing causing ant infestations - seat bolsters unclipping - airbag covers unclipping - always needing a jump with just 2-3 days sitting - etc.
Far far too many problems for a six figure car. I’m not paying to have all that fixed if I’m spending this much on a car. I’d always heard bad things about lotus build quality, but did not expect this to still be the case in modern offerings. Porsche’s build quality, however, is not in question. Therefor, lotus is off my list. It’s 2019, hopefully lotus figures their crap out at some point, but I don’t have high hopes if they still haven’t. Disappointing. GT4 wins by disqualification. You can’t compare the two.
I still think the cars would be good competition for each other because of their matched features...but the folks at harrop have really boosted (pun intended) engine output by jumping from the TVS1320 supercharger that lotus installs to a TVS 1900 intercooled supercharger that can just force a larger volume of air into the engine and at much cooler temperatures.
That would be a real game changer for the lotus… they show an exige with the same engine making almost 500 wheel horsepower on their Dyno on a 35C day… That’s pretty good for a car that light.
Dealer network? Rather do without one than a Porsche which is everywhere you look. Lotus reviews are much better too...
James Martin great video btw 👍
I live in texas and own an evora. there have been a couple small issues with getting parts but, overall, ownership has been great. I am fortunate to live a couple of minutes from an awesome lotus race shop. and yeah, there are corvettes everywhere around here.
with my lotus i relied on the specialists and small garages that tend to work on british sports cars with poor dealer networks. TVR Lotus etc. The dealers charged ridiculous amounts and the specialists tended to know more about the cars.
as for my porsche, again i use specialists simply because their are plenty of them, but a dealership isnt to far away.
It took me a bit but with help from Lotus Talk I do my own work on my Evora. I do have a dealership with in 30 miles but I seem to know more about these cars than they do. Anyway I had my Porsches and others but even the Cayman S didn't handle like the Evora. I have only test driven a 400 at this point but I did like some aspects better but there were some aspects of MY10 I like better. First and foremost the seats. Anyway these cars are unique. I was parked at a dealership and in the parking lot were Ferraris, Porsches, Lambos etc but when I came outside there was a crowd around my Evora. Not the Ferrari, not the Lambo but my little ole 2010 NA Evora. Go figure. One thing for sure they get attention. Since I am an attention whore these cars fit me well.
First thing I noticed was how much noisier the Cayman's cabin is in comparison to that of the Evora, and it has to be said, I do prefer the Evora's exhaust note.
Two awesome cars. Most car enthusiasts would love either. BTW, the engine from the GT4 came from the 911S.
James Martin fabspeed makes a kit of exhaust air intake plenum and tune that boots the engine on the gt4 to 450hp to the crank or about 400 to the wheels i think is totally worth it if someone dont mind the warranty lol
What an amazing video! Cheers!
Very nice and informative video. Your videos are getting better and better :)
I sub'd because I have a similar frame as this guy. I need to be able to fit into a car that I am going to fantisize about.
lol
The lotus sounds so good! So much better than the Porsche
The Lotus sounds much better and has more character than the Porsche.
Porsche is higher quality, sounds better and is far more practical. However, the Lotus does have rear seats and a slightly better ride. My choice would be an Evora GT410.
very nice job, good personal comparison done by petrol-heads, not by so called professionals... in my opinion have some subjective points in this, is ok and acceptable.
Jaguar f-type r vs evora 400 please. I think you drove both. What are your thoughts
+Video Entertainment Never driven an F Type but I am trying to get one for review!
now that its 2020 I wonder what the exige 430 would be up against a gt4 @JayEmmonCars
Great reviews / drives. I've just taken delivery of the M2, based in Liverpool, if you ever fancy a drive out to review just let me know! Evo triangle isn't too far away D
I've sent you some info :)
surprisingly I thought the Lotus sounded at least as good if not better than the Porsche
The Toyota V6 sounds awesome, one of my favourite bits about the car
the supercharger whine doesn't hurt either
Its the GT4, as long as you get it new at the real price, that said its the cayman GT4 for me.
100k against 70k? Come on that they are so close / only opinion counts means the Lotus won.
The other ppoint is there are too many Porsches around, I live in germany - here heads turn when they see a Lotus!
Porsche hasn't used "rod linkage" since the 993. Everything since 986 and 996 has been cable shifted.
That's what I thought..
***** No problem, we all make mistakes.. Fantastic review and you guys both played well off each other. I am currently looking to test drive the Evora 400 now :)
That's correct. If you think about it the transmission is behind the engine and the engine is behind the driver. This would make it impossible to use rod linkage.
***** I think rod linkages went out with the ark!
I could be wrong but I think the last rod linkage was 993.
Cheers james. I'm 6 years late to the party but a good helpful vid. Hope you're doing well. buddsy
Lotus is seen as a more exotic brand where I'm from and Porsches are quite common. I've seen more Porsche Carrera GTs on the road than Lotuses. I do like the look of the Evora more, but the way I see it, the Lotus would make a better weekend car(toy) and the Porsche would be a better weekday car(daily)
+Nexfero That is normally peoples assumption but the Lotus is a perfectly competent daily too
JayEmm on Cars Jay please answer a question for me ... 2017 GT410 with every weight saving option including titanium exhaust, no warranty .... versus the new 2020 Evora GT w carbon package an no titanium exhaust ... 2017 is $20K less cost ... which would you choose? Much appreciated and thank you for you work
Why not do a drag race and take them to a track?
Thank you guys for this very good review, I enjoyed it a lot! Both cars are awesome, but due to the fact that I own a Speedster (I think you call it VX 220:)) I'm very much into Lotus and planning to visit HetheI as soon as possible. I really like the Evora, it's an amazing car. I accidentally found that video on RUclips and have to say that I really like your channel! Best regards from Vienna/Austria, Alex :)
Very nice video ( coming from an evora sports racer owner).. Would have been nice to know about fuel consumption comparisons.. How much do these cars really drink and was your gt4 friend using high octane as is recommended for the evora?
I had a 2015 GY4 which was a great car. I ended up trading it for a 2020 718 Spyder which is a fantastic car. You can't beat Porsche.
The sad thing is that I'll probably never get a chance to drive either
Well I do hope a lotta ppl see this vid, great reviews (if not quite as entertaining as a full track thrash 'Top Gear' style).So ultimately a pure preference factor for all things between them, sounds cool. Well good luck Lotus to keep getting their builds better and better. If you knew in advance what both these cars were like side by side before you purchased (and the GT4 was available at list price), granted the amount of technical hitches you had with the 400, would that in itself have swayed you to the GT4?Quite presumably all GT4s would barely have had any faults for their owners
James Martin
That's awesome to hear. but great to see Lotus hold absolute value against the gt4. Saw a recent head to head in similar fashion to this, 400 vs Corvette Grand Sport, it was concluded at the end the Grand Sport was ultimately slightly better, bit surprising, but believe price was factored into that and they were comparing in the US market (Vette home ground).
Anyways, keep up the great vids, the real world tests are great and I know you don't have a multi million dollar video budget.
Keep getting followers and eventually you be a pro reviewer, everyone starts from the bottom i guess. Enjoy
James Martin
Yep, totally agreed, I even made a comment to that vid denoting exactly what you said about the track test (Vette fans commented against me seeming to think the G-Sport woulda crushed hands down, I doubted there'd be that much a diff).
Also made a note that while the Vette may have been at a lesser cost, I'm pretty certain with that massive engine and extra weight long term fuel, tyres and service costs would be rather high to run one
+Colin Marks I disagree with you the running costs side of things. Vettes are fairly relaible, and GM's LT and LS engines are great platforms. I think that the main reason that the C7 GS won that is because the test was conducted in the US, and in the VS the corvette costs about €20000 less than in europe. That means that i do think that the Vette GS is the better car for the money in the US. In europe, it would really depend on your personal preference. They are both seriously good cars at a rather simular price.
Benjamingt4
Yeah, perhaps that's all true. i don't know heaps about Corvettes, dont think they're sold in Australia. My guess wbout the running costs was just a simple maths logic I ran off.
The Vette is heavier, with a simply larger engine, dishing out more power.
That by default spells more fuel consumption, and one would probably think more oil per service, more spark plugs. Added weight means more clutch n tyre wear. And so it goes.
Also on a separate note, ppl were slamming me saying the Vette woulda crushed the Evora. The Vette certainly may win a track battle perhaps,
but a margainal boost in Power to Weight, in a car shown to have worse braking, again, just logically doesn't spell a recipe for 'crushing the Evora'
+James Martin (JayEmm) I'd partially agree on that track part. Lets just get this out of the way first, yes the evora will be marginally better and cheaper on track( like you said, less brake wear and such) Also, a "normal" EU spec corvette (even with z51) isnt exactely a track car. Its a road car thats capable of going to the track, but if you wanted a track corvette, you should really get the Grand Sport. In the end, these 2 cars are rather evenly matched and which one you pick is for 99% decided by personal preference :). Do have to say that i do prefer the c7. Its just got so much caracter...
My heart says Lotus, but my heart says Porsche Cayman
Review a 65 S2 Elan- my car! The best Elan according to Dave Bean.
Goodness. Just shut up and let the man speak. Stop interrupting him.
Imagine having two of these purist machines in your garage at the same time!!!
I know one who has the GT4 and Exige V6 in the garage.
Congrats and I enjoyed your insights
It's not a cop out after you said you would had brought one if those smart financial Germans had made more . Enjoyable ride with two typical upper management Englishmen. 😎😉
Beardy Porsche man strokes beard whilst driving a Lotus.... Beardy Lotus man strokes beard whilst driving Porsche....
IMO you buy the Porsche with the brain and the Lotus with your heart.... Porsche is factually the better, more in-depth engineered car with much better long term quality. Having said that, I sold a couple of years ago my Porsche and replaced it with a Lotus.... kinda brainless😂😂😂😎
My biggest surprise the Porsche handles as good as a Lotus? am too old to know much about modern sports cars now days But in the 60s the Elan would have left the Porsche for dead in the dry too in the wet you be a mad man to race a Porsche 356 against an Elan, we all have our preferences n I Love British n Italian sports cars above all else the Cobra too of course my Golf MK1 n my 205
An Exige 380 convertible for me please.
Great review!
What a great review
first gen Cayman S with the IPD plenum and fabspeed exhaust, you get the real deal for 40k
I really like the first Cayman. Can get one for around £12-15k here!
May I recommend a two stroke gp replica
It seemed like I was waiting forever for you to put up this review but it was sure worth the wait! Really enjoyed that and many thanks to both of you for making this happen.
I do have one question I'd love you to answer if you have time, and that's if you think their is an element of Porsche bias within the media?
Btw this video didn't work for me either through RUclips directly but played through FB??
James Martin the annoying thing about the press is ... if the lotus had a porsche badge on it ... it would get in all magazines .. every week and month and it would sell 8 times more !!! Keep up the excellent work Lotus ... fab range of cars .. youd have my money all the time ... everytime .. over anything else
James Martin .. very true .. still enjoy your videos and reviews .. can we have some more back to back tests of cars that are still being made tho .. cheers .. Rich
Very interesting point re: sills, James. On the subject, my local Lotus dealer has a 4C in stock and I was shocked at how ugly those are in real life. Every picture or video I see of the 4C has me drooling, but they do not look good up front. The proportions are wide and bulky. They do have a fun exhaust note though.The Evora 400 however, is the opposite, it seems to be marmite with its looks because in videos it can look ill-proportioned or bulky but in person the car has amazing presence and the lines are stunning. I also think it looks best in the non-traditional Lotus colours such as dark metallic grey and deep blue.
Typical Porsche owner talked about his Porsche in the Lotus and in his Porsche 🤣
Rarely do these comparisons look at the costs of maintenance, or ease of maintenance, or cost of parts.
Thanks for the nice reply. I think the Toyota engine would be a whole lot cheaper to maintain over time but that's saying nothing about parts availability or cost for the rest of the Lotus. Porsche used parts are everywhere as well as service but the pancake engine can be difficult to work on. Does anyone keep their cars that long to care? What about resale values? This could be the basis for an interesting discussion. Ciao Tutti.
should i get the evora 400 or porsche cayman 987 .. guys which one is the best i know lotus evora has the best handling.. mainly using the car for cruising or long drive strolling.. any idea?
Do you want something special? If so, the Lotus
The lotus all day long ..better looking just as fast as good a ride if not better and it's different too the same old thing you see all day every day
very very good video and liked the review at the end. Lotus 400 vs 410?
Also Exige V6 vs Evora 400