Lotus Evora S Review: Composed British Brute

Under the hood

Tease open the mid-engined Lotus Evora’s trousers and you’ll find a Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre V6. And because we’ve got our hands on the scorching S model, you’ll also spot a cheeky supercharger.

Power? Yes, lots. The Evora S dishes out 345bhp, which will launch your unsuspecting organs to 62mph in 4.8sec. Top speed is taken care of at 172mph. Sound familiar? Yup, these figures are near identical to those you’ll experience in the road-legal race car that is the Porsche Cayman R. But is that where the comparisons between the two end?

Behind the wheel

Absolutely not. The Lotus Evora S is all the car (and more) we were all hoping for. It’s wickedly wide, blisteringly fast and features an engine and exhaust symphony that’ll make everything stand on end. Everything.

Where the Evora S truly shows its hand, however, is in the corners; this car is an absolute hero through the things, able to devour twists and turns more readily than Man v. Food presenter Adam Richman could inhale a quadruple burger.

The Evora simply glides through obtuse angles with traceless body roll, all the while feeling planted and safe. Switch off the electronics and the Evora’s brilliant road manners continue, thanks to its long wheelbase and super-low centre of gravity, which allow for a surprisingly progressive step-out of its crafted behind.

But something’s got to give, right? The ride’s awful, surely. Nope, not a chance. Remember this is Lotus we’re talking about, so the Evora’s spring and damper rates are top drawer; able to soak up even the roughest of roads, and soothe the loins during long motorway jaunts.

To power now, and the supercharged sportscar’s second calling card. Acceleration is brutal and addictive, which is accompanied by the sweet sound of a mega pair of lungs; Lotus tinkered with the updated Evora’s exhaust system including the addition of a butterfly valve for more bellowing low-end bark. It's simply awesome.

The Evora S steers much like you’d expect. It’s direct, quick and pin-sharp and a great match for the Evora S chassis. The six-speed manual ‘box is a decent driving companion too, although super-fast changes from second to third gear were tricky to master. A faultless Porsche Cayman gearbox this is not.

Splash the cash?

The Lotus Evora S is a British hero. It offers sublime ride and handling, will get you noticed (“nice Ferrari, mate” was my favourite comment) and won’t fail to excite even the keenest of drivers. It does feel very, very wide, however, is pretty impractical (our test car’s rear seats are laughable) and, at over £63k, is an expensive bugger to buy.

But do you really want to be yet another Porsche driver? Thought not…