While many people look at an automobile and only see a metal shell, an engine and a couple of headlights, some individuals see something else. A car can be a living, breathing extension of its owner.
Some vehicles have this amazing capability to “speak” to people and engender an emotional connection. One of those vehicles is the 2011 Lotus Evora S.
Although you may be familiar with Lotus and its pint-sized offerings—the Elise and Exige—this new Lotus is different. That’s because it’s a more grown-up version of what a Lotus should be. In fact, you can option the Evora as a two plus two; however, in reality it’s a two plus none since there is only room for extremely small children. Now if you’re not a Lotus lover and aren’t quite sure what makes a Lotus a Lotus, let me clarify.
Lotus became a world-renowned manufacturer thanks to a British bloke named Colin Chapman. If you look into the brand’s previous models, it’s pretty clear there are two central themes: the vehicles are simple driver’s cars and there’s an emphasis on weight… or lack thereof.
Chapman is famous for declaring: “Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you fast everywhere.”
Now this neatly brings us to the Evora S, which is meant to have more refinement and expand the brand’s lineup. Judging by its exterior styling, you’d be hard-pressed to identify it as a British-built car. When you look at other British manufacturers, such as Aston Martin and Jaguar, there’s a certain sense of tradition embedded in their designs. Essentially, Lotus abandoned all of that and produced something with a bit of Italian flair to it.
I am not the only one to think this, either. While driving this baby the most frequently asked question I encountered from curious passersby was, “Is that a Ferrari?”
It kind of goes without saying but this car is an attention getter. And with good reason as the Evora S seems to blend styling elements from a rally-car legend, the Lancia Stratos, with its clamshell roof design and upturned C-Pillar. Simply put, Evora S is likely one of the best-looking products on the road today.
Set up as a mid-engine scream machine, the Evora S is the kind of vehicle that makes people turn their heads as though they’re experiencing an exorcism. It’s safe to say that this Lotus is a thing of beauty, no matter who is doing the looking.
Slipping behind the steering wheel takes a little bit of talent, however. The Evora S’ seats are planted low in the cockpit and make you feel as though your backside is scraping the asphalt. Combine that with a door sill that is wide and tall, and you’ll soon find yourself playing Twister every time you have to get in. But the good news is that once you’re inside, it’s a pretty lovely place to be. The Recaro sport seats keep you in one place without making you feel as though you’re being squeezed to death and the leather-adorned cabin reminds you it’s the real deal every time you receive a waft of hide.
It’s not all sunshine and flowers, though. Disconcerting aspects included interior plastic trim bits that don’t mesh well with the largely leather space and its six-speed manual shifter, which sounded as though it was sourced from an economy car. But if you’re getting tied up with those worries, you’re likely missing the point of this exotic offering.
When you have a proper sports car, you should care about the most important aspect—driving. That, of course, is what the Evora S does best.
Equipped with a motor from a Toyota Camry, you wouldn’t expect the Evora to have much pep, but you’d be mistaken. The 3.5-liter V6 produces 345 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque with the aid of a supercharger. Factoring in Lotus’ low weight mantra—the Evora S weighs just under 3,170 pounds—the S sprints to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds.
Mated with a six-speed manual transmission, this isn’t a vehicle for individuals who want the car to work for them. You have to put in some effort.
One important element of the S is the power of one button labeled “Sport.” After picking up the car at a Closter-based Lotus specialist, RS Motorsports, I motored up Closter Dock Road to 9W for some brief and spirited driving. As I rowed the gears through Tenafly, it occurred to me that the car felt subdued. It was too quiet and not brash enough to match its ferocious design.
I then realized I neglected to activate the Sport mode. Once you push that magical button, it’s as though the car comes alive. The exhaust opens up (at idle it has a bassy boom), the throttle response becomes much sharper and the experience becomes addicting.
But that shows the real versatility of the Evora S. While many sports cars have “Sport” buttons, half of them don’t make a noticeable difference or they make the Sport experience so brutal that you rarely want to engage it. However, with the Lotus it’s a completely new personality because when the button is turned off you could really mistake the calm and collected Lotus for the Camry that its motor is derived from. The V6 power plant is incredibly smooth and quiet around town. Ultimately, you get to have your cake and eat it, too.
That seems to be a new, emerging theme from the grown-up Lotus. While it possesses the looks of a vehicle worth more than three times the Evora S’ $76,000 base price, it is a relative bargain. With the Sport button activated, the Evora S can be a screamer, with an addictive howl at 3,000 revs, or it can stealthily putter around town in its normal settings. You even have space for two more, albeit they would have to be tiny.
Now this leaves me to the second most asked question: “Why would you get this over a Porsche?”
Simple. Because the Lotus makes you feel.
Richard Posluszny is a freelance writer based in Bergen County.
