Review: Lotus Evora

Ok, its sports car time! Your insurance premium has just gone down enough for you to have a little fun on the road, but in a world where even Fiat’s have sports models what do you buy? A Lotus is the answer! This is a company that is so good at nimble handling cars that even the world’s biggest manufacturers come to them for chassis set-ups. The Norfolk based company have competed in everything from F1 to Indy Car with massive success, a true example of British engineering. So Lotus can help you, but what about the kids? There is no way your wife is going to let you buy a two seater, and let’s face it the Exige’s rear wing isn’t the safest play for them to be…

Thankfully help comes in the form of the Lotus Evora. The new 2+2, or 2+0.5 in my books, ticks all the boxes. Whilst the kids are conveniently squashed into the back, you can enjoy what this car has to offer. The Evora comes packed with a mid-mounted 3.5 litre V6 producing 276BHP. That may not sound like a lot, and wellthat’s because it’s not, but with the Evora’s weight being the equivalent  to that of an eyelash it drives like a flying fish. The car has all the great attributes of the Exige and Elise, meaning the cornering is needle sharp and the power is delivered in ample amounts.

The interior is modest yet extremely functional, with its leather bolstered seats. However the best feature of the cabin is the gear knob. No, I haven’t gone mad, that is my favourite part. You just can’t beat the giant silver ball bearing gearstick! It just fits in your palm perfectly; every gear change is like you have just thrown the winning punch against Muhammad Ali. It’s sensational!

Our bright yellow bonanza can get you to 60MPH in 4.9 seconds and would set you back just over £50,000, however ours had every toy on the option list and so you can get an Evora for as little as £45,000. Not bad considering its Ferrari rivalling performance, and let’s be honest, it’s a dam sight more exciting than the Audi your wife wants you to buy.

So there you go, if you’re going to have a mid-life crisis… Do it properly.