Harry’s Garage

[Broccers]

Have not watched it yet (and won’t be able to until later) but this has just gone live.

Cheers Mik, look forward to seeing that

Watched last night - he seemed to like it

[IanF]

Sounds great! He mentions low numbers, are many sold these days?

Also, I didn’t know there was no storage in the front - that’s impressively poor packaging!

[GG.]

Phwoar it makes a good noise doesn't it.

The way they cinch the waist in with the black sills is cool (but I would prefer clear stone guards). Anyway, if I were going down the LOLtus route I would plump for an Exige... but then I think I would want a 380... and then the price/high residuals just don't stack up for me at £60k+

[mik]

Sounds great! He mentions low numbers, are many sold these days?

Also, I didn’t know there was no storage in the front - that’s impressively poor packaging!

Lotus have sold 131 cars YTD (to the end of June). Not sure of the breakdown between Elise/Exige/Evora, but looow numbers.

Porsche UK sales are 6785 for the same period.

For the 410 (and430 I think) they removed the door bins. Cost or weight saving? Dunno. Pretty stoopid though.

[Maurice]

Phwoar it makes a good noise doesn't it.

The way they cinch the waist in with the black sills is cool (but I would prefer clear stone guards). Anyway, if I were going down the LOLtus route I would plump for an Exige... but then I think I would want a 380... and then the price/high residuals just don't stack up for me at £60k+

The 380 is a bit of ginger stepchild of the Exige range, as it’s the only one that has its rev limit pared back to 6800rpm (as opposed to 7200rpm for the 350). It’s the supercharger pulley they change, so they reputedly don’t put the increased power out for long either due to heat soak.

The carbon bits are nice though.

[GG.]

Phwoar it makes a good noise doesn't it.

The way they cinch the waist in with the black sills is cool (but I would prefer clear stone guards). Anyway, if I were going down the LOLtus route I would plump for an Exige... but then I think I would want a 380... and then the price/high residuals just don't stack up for me at £60k+

The 380 is a bit of ginger stepchild of the Exige range, as it’s the only one that has its rev limit pared back to 6800rpm (as opposed to 7200rpm for the 350). It’s the supercharger pulley they change, so they reputedly don’t put the increased power out for long either due to heat soak.

The carbon bits are nice though.

Ah I see. Which ones get an exposed gear linkage - is that the 350 Sport as well?

[Maurice]

Phwoar it makes a good noise doesn't it.

The way they cinch the waist in with the black sills is cool (but I would prefer clear stone guards). Anyway, if I were going down the LOLtus route I would plump for an Exige... but then I think I would want a 380... and then the price/high residuals just don't stack up for me at £60k+

The 380 is a bit of ginger stepchild of the Exige range, as it’s the only one that has its rev limit pared back to 6800rpm (as opposed to 7200rpm for the 350). It’s the supercharger pulley they change, so they reputedly don’t put the increased power out for long either due to heat soak.

The carbon bits are nice though.

Ah I see. Which ones get an exposed gear linkage - is that the 350 Sport as well?

Yup, they all now benefit from the exposed gear linkage. I haven’t driven one with it fitted, but it’s apparently an improvement on mine (which is by my no means bad, it just can’t be rushed).

[Marv]

So how easy would it be to fit that carbon fibre bootlid to your car, Mik?

I do love the view out of the windscreen on the Evora. Never knew what it reminded me of, but the Stratos makes sense.

Great cars

[V8Granite]

Well that impressed far more than expected.

I think that over the Exige now.

Dark blue, silver wheels with exposed carbon and red leather seats please.

Dave!

[integrale_evo]

Surely the big thing on top of the engine was the charge cooler not the supercharger? As such, not exactly a massive amount of weight.

Would have been nice to see the rear seats too.

[RobYob]

Surely the big thing on top of the engine was the charge cooler not the supercharger? As such, not exactly a massive amount of weight.

Integrated Sc and cooler, one sits ahead of the other in that big box. Being W2A it's going to have a fair heft of water in it too I guess.

[ZedLeg]

Kind of a weird video that.

He first made the comparison between the Evora and the Alpine on Insta and I thought he meant it would be worth looking at second hand Evoras if you were considering a new Alpine. The comparison between that car and the Alpine didn’t make sense.

Also there was a bit in the middle of the video that reminded me heavily of Marion and Geoff for some reason .

Car looks good though.

[mik]

[speedingfine]

Love that car. Sounds brilliant too. Definitely on my lottery list

[mik]

The weight figure is mind boggling - then you remember they are properly tiny.



Lovely car, and love the chat about the different panel thicknesses depending how flush lotus was at the time

[JonMad]

Harry said the Evora has finessed. I'm thinking he was talking in terms of its handling as he was saying the dash was still below par for the budget. But I think they were always that good weren't they, in a typical what-you'd-expect-from-a-Lotus kind of way?

[JLv3.0]

That was a brilliant vid from Harry - I thought it would be Evija-focussed which put me off immediately as the car will never be made, but really it's an Elan vid with a bit of made-up car non-love at the end. Elans are just little pieces of perfection, aren't they. Oh - and who saw the numberplate on the 90s Elan in that vid? - very good.

[mik]

@JonMad

The "series1" Evora interior is quite different to the later 4xx cars. Buttons in plastic as opposed to alu etc. 4xx undoubtedly looks more modern, but some claim this was also a cost-down exercise (?).

They also dropped the Recaros and fitted Sparco seats in the 4xx. Lighter, but lots of complaints of squeaks and discomfort. The Recaros are absolutely superb.

Last of the series1


400


From a handling perspective the 4xx are definitely more capable than early cars (suspension a bit stiffer, more grip) but unlike Harry, most hacks seem to feel the earlier cars are sweeter. RobYob may have insights.

[speedingfine]

LOOK AT THIS

https://paulmattysportscars.co.uk/lotus-elan-sprint-3/

[mik]

Oh - and who saw the numberplate on the 90s Elan in that vid? - very good.

Yes very good Although the M100 really was a WWD lowpoint.