Hello welcome to another pedal our video today we’re going to talk about why the
Lotus Evora might not be as reliable a car as you would first think
THE GOOD!
Reasons for buying this car:
the reviews around this car are very complimentary towards its handling
it’s convenient because it has a 2+2 layout so you can squeeze just about two kid
in the back
You get exemplary performance
Really stunning mini supercar looks
Some of its quirks can actually be part of its appeal for example it is tricky to get in and out.
However, it is mid-engined and you can kind of feel that when you’re driving along. You sit very low down with the engine behind you which is visible through the glass. That’s supercar stuff! You’ve got a very thin rear letterbox screened at the back it’s probably less visibility this car than a lot of very more expensive supercars but that kind of adds to the appeal.
The Evora is in no way a supercar but it’s the closest thing you can get to being in a mini supercar and that’s cool
THE BAD
However, the cars has only done 5k miles in 2.5 years and every time something broke I got it fixed but then pretty soon after something else would break. This soured the ownership experience quite a bit.
One of the great things about Evora is its engine. One of the not so great things about the Evora is its engine. It’s from a Toyota. Like most engines Lotus uses in comes from somewhere else. It’s been tuned to within an inch of its life by Lotus and continues to be so. So what you get is still a spirited V6 despite being derived from a Camry. Those that know though, know. Some of the less desirable comments directed toward the car focused on that Japanese lump out the back.
It’s reliable though or so you’d think. Not necessarily. You see dropping another manufacturers engine into a custom Lotus doesn’t always work out as you would expect
So what’s gone wrong with it?
THE UGLY
Wheel arch liner brackets rusted through requiring replacement with some re-engined (improved) after market ones.
Gear knob leather wore through required a new somewhat clunkier knob to be fitted
Air-con leaked and needed a regas with the leak seemingly mysteriously fixing itself
Catalytic converters imploded and deposited themselves around Goodwood motor circuit. This car quite literally pooed its pants. Driving the car hard it seems warms the cats up to unheard of temperatures not commonly experienced when on the road. Doing this repeatedly means the cats basically crumble. Replacing the cats with direct OEM parts will require you to sell a child or new exhaust headers and a modified sports cat further away from the engine will fix it permanently but you’ll need to sell two children to be able to afford that.
Fitting Opting to fit a used set of cats I managed after some wrangling to fit one myself. Getting the other on via the engine access hatch behind the rear seats proved a step too far. There was simply no way to get purchase on the bolts. Thankfully Lakeside engineering came to the rescue on that one. Wallet was lighter but not a light as it would have been going with the other two options.
Replacing the manifolds involved a bit of exhaust jiggling about to get them on. This led to a central downpipe being shifted about a lot. A central downpipe with some flexi pipe on it. Sure enough this started to blow. No problem you’d think how much can a bit of flexi exhaust pipe be? Well from Lotus the answer is a lot. If you want your car to remain OEM which for any warranty you would then prepare to open the wallet again. Thanks again to Lakeside Engineering for fitting it, but this point I’d had enough of crawling underneath the newest most low mileage, first British car I’ve ever owned.
Fate would strike me again though when the starter motor expired. But surely it’s a Toyota engine that can’t be much can it? Well no, it isn’t. It’s simply not the same. More astronomical wallet lightening and some severely grazed knuckles later and we’re back on the road.
At last time to use the car properly and get some real enjoyment out of it. My joy was short lived. A new noise appeared. Some kind of gentle rattle. Surely a cheap fix this time? Well, I didn’t dare to find out as I could guess where that story would end. Time to call it quits and part with the only British car I’ve ever owned. Sorry Lotus but its Sauerkraut and Sushi for me from now on. You can take you Stewkey Blues and throw them back into the sea. I’m done.
0:01 – Introduction:
0:06 – Unreliability Warning:
1:00 – Reasons for Purchase:
1:45 – Emotional Connection:
2:10 – Positive Experiences:
2:57 – Quirks and Appeal:
3:51 – Comparisons and Expectations:
4:05 – Maintenance and Repairs:
5:00 – Engine Praise and Issues:
7:11 – Specific Repairs:
8:34 – Exhaust Problems:
10:00 – Continuing Repairs:
12:03 – Downpipe Issues:
16:03 – Resale Decision:
20:45 – Final Thoughts
#lotusevora #lotusevoras #evora
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Great review of the good, bad and ugly of the Evora. All the same issues you had plus the dreaded 4th 5th gear loss on mine but still in love with it.. More reliable than my TVR2500M at this point. I also in the middle of my mates EVORA with the same transmission issue. Engine out as you know.. what a beast of a job those have been. But in the states more difficult to find a dealership close by than in the UK.
I had an NSX. If someone said to me, "Nice Honda" I would feel, "Yeah it really is a NICE Honda" lol I eventually replaced it with an Evora GT, best Lotus you can get in the States.
Oh man I saw one I liked, but it’s manual not automatic. Damn
Like the cap
You can beat up and destroy any car . But nice to hear the problems coming off the track and what happens when you actually stress test the car . All the years all the technology. You think there be a existing durable car . It has been noted of some holding up . Also noted some just having issues and just being faulty .
Switches from stereo to mono too much
4k exhaust ripp off … custom build one for $600
The cats are just Toyota parts that can be had for under $500 new. The Lotus markup, even without changing the name on the part, is ridiculous.
A Toyota with the performance of a cheap Porsche and the reliability of a Ferrari… Weird flex but OK.
Can someone explain to me why it's not a supercar? What even is a supercar..?
there is no ugly to owning a lotus more marmite either you hate them or love them i have just bought an evora and adore it !!
Thanks Damo Great review.
What kind temperature information is available on the dashboard?
I would expect coolant and oil temp at a minimum. But, supercharger inlet and outlet temps would be nice.
Or, just any indication regarding pending meltdown.
Cheers
I was looking to buy one for my daily driver and for track day fun (My daily driving Caterham Supersport idea is getting old)
There are a few State side to be had for, a reasonable price but my pockets are not that deep for the upkeep (back to the Tesla 3 idea I guess) shame as I love the look of the Evora and it is not something you see on the roads here.
Maybe they fixed the cat /starter motor issues on later models
But after watching your take I just don't see the good outweighing the bad for an older model
You keep saying “engine should be reliable as it’s Toyota”. Yet your engine hadn’t broke?? It’s some cats for an engine that was not designed to be slotted into a sports car therefore are bespoke. And a starter motor. All your combined issues cost less than a gearbox issue on my GTR.
All this seems to be normal wear and tear. Specially for a used track car.
So in other words – the Toyota engine is somewhat of a marketing ploy, to add a bit of respectability for what is a cr@p brand! I saw a couple of people buy into the Elise (Toyota 4-pot) and they really were a pile of dog dump until each of them finally threw in the towel.
i had an nsx na1 and once heard someone say wow ..oh its a honda …
and your worried about a guy who drives a bmw saying something .. he drives a bmw what did you expect
Dam, this is (almost) putting me off on getting one!
Sounds like you never got over the “nice Toyota” comment, which diminished your ownership enjoyment. I really don’t understand this jibe – or why the Elise doesn’t suffer from the same criticism. Realistically, this is a 2011 car and any non-Toyota parts are going to be low volume and therefore expensive. Just try pricing the equivalent parts from Porsche or BMW – I recently priced a washer pump for my M Roadster at the dealer and was quoted $120 for a part that I could buy on Amazon for $30 (oem).
I really wanted to see things from your point of view but its seems like you have never owned an older car or one outside of warranty. Expecting a 9 year old car that sees limited use to not have failing parts is like expecting a 90 year old man to have a clean bill of health. It is unrealistic.
I think the moral is: get an NA model!
The decat pipes are to make the car sound better and to generate more power, not to fix a known problem. The makers of those systems are naturally going to over-state the problem, in order to generate sales (a bit like the bullshit IMS-oiling systems on the Porsche 996).
Good info on the starter motor. I'll remember to put a heat shield around it.
I am considering getting a 2013 – 2015 Evora S so I a m watching videos about these cars. Here in the US I believe it would be cheaper to have a local custom exhaust shop bend up new pipes in stainless (never have to replace again) to remedy any regular and flexy pipe concerns. I don't know if the catalytic converters are specific to the Evora or if any other Toyota production converter could be utilized. I too look for "options" for making proper repairs. I have also worked on cars for 40 year, plus I went through an auto tech school for a year and did it for a living for a while.
Another great and concise review. Full marks for doing a lot of this cat work yourself (you're lucky you have pit access for this!). Interesting how Lotus have "added value" by detracting from the reliable Toyota engine – the good (the supercharger and tuning) and the bad (the poor airflow/cooling around the mid engine – thats Lotus' placement and uninformed air flow into the engine bay). Lotus – lovely chassis' mixed with questionable engine design. Another example the Lotus Elise head gaskets – a simple cheap thing to fix on the production line to avoid engine failures! Just remember the inherent style of the Evora S and the track days you did..
Eh, think you're just being excessive. The labor on these cars does suck 100%. But it's pretty reliable,. But if you don't drive it, you're going to have issues. When I first picked up my car I had every issue possible because the car sat for years. But then I started driving it every day and now it's been good. Only issue I have is that getting parts from lotus can be a pain if they don't stock it.
Very interesting video. Out of interest how many miles has yours done?
Its sad ,they just so mit have the money to drive 150000Km for every component,like we do on our(I m testdriver of a german premium car producer) prototype cars,but believe, that,Ferrari,McLaren and all producers of sportcars built on small amounts have their problems.
Anyway britisch cars had always problems with reliability, but they are full of personality and giving emotions ,like no many others.