Driving a Lotus always resets measurables for steering precision, suspension design and calibration, and renews belief in the rare Jedi Knight level of communication that can occur between a tiny aluminum sports car and its happy pilot. Perhaps its the gloomy skies of Norfolk, not far from the English Channel, that cause Lotus suspension engineers to manifest a preternatural sensitivity to the lessons every university student must grasp studying vector dynamics.
Above: Lotus cars are known for impeccable suspension and steering. Next month in Geneva, we expect a new Evora, and other new Lotus products.
At six three I am a market outlier, my lower left leg angled against Evora’s wheel well. Under no circumstances could my size 13s operate a clutch pedal in this car, thus I am most thankful for the paddleshifters behind the steering wheel and the Lotus-calibrated automatic transmission located a few feet behind me.
Roughly comparable in size and weight to a Porsche Cayman but with two tiny jump seats in back, my dark purple 2014 Evora test car has ample headroom in spite of the fact the seat is mounted for a much shorter person, which brings up a key point about specialty sports cars. A Lotus requires fitting, just like a fine suit; for tall folks like myself, the seat must be mounted directly to the floor to bring the field of vision down to the centerpoint of the windshield. Some buyers complain about such steps, but others recognize it represents the intimate connection between driver and car.
Buttons and controls are sloppily scattered across a generic dash, but location of steering wheel, pedals, seat, and paddleshifters are utter perfection. For sports car drivers, Lotus gets the important parts right.
Heading east and north from the Lotus boutique that loaned the car to my favorite mountain climb, Evora walked along a crowded Old Town street with ease. I might as well have been driving a Scion FR-S or an old Toyota MR2. Except for the excellent view of other car’s alloy wheels and rocker panels, there was nothing out of the ordinary driving Evora in traffic. Daily driving might require a degree of religious devotion, but Evora is comfortable and civilized enough that it’s not just a weekend car.
