Was the new Lotus Evora able to keep up in a pack of Lotus' on a 40 mile drive?
Posted on Mon, Jun 21, 2010 @ 09:01 AM
18 Lotus cars and their Lotus enthusiast drivers from the Golden Gate Lotus Club departed in a colorful line from Santana Row in San Jose, CA for a 42 mile drive to the Ruby Hill Winery in Livermore, CA. Many participating in the drive had never seen the new V6 4 seater Lotus Evoraoutside the shiny pages of automotive magazines. The reviews from the Lotus enthusiasts were mixed with a few saying the fancier new Evora at just a hair over 3,000 pounds wouldn't handle like the lighter Go-Kart-like Lotus Elise and Exige models. Others were in awe over the Evora's beautiful body style, the more practical 4-seat option, significant boot space and all of the modern technology offered such as the satellite navigation, bluetooth and a rear view camera. Lucky for the Evora the much anticipated drive through the curvy, mountainous roads to the winery in Livermore was the perfect opportunity to show them just how Lotus the Evora truly was. The time came to hit the road and the first noticeable difference in the new Evora was the ease in entering the vehicle, whereas Elise and Exige owners likely feel the need to practice Yoga regularly to contort through their car's narrow doorways to enter and exit. A hard shift to left put the Evora in to reverse and prompted the rear view camera from the optional technology package to come on the screen to help back out. After 15 highway miles of following the leader in a straight line of 18 Lotus' we exited and turned on Callavaras road. Traffic and busy bay area life diminished as we got to drive hard up and down through this tight scenic road filled with many s curves and hairpin turns. The ample power from the new 276hp mid-engine V6 gave plenty of power for passing the slower Elise drivers when the opportunity arose, but what was more impressive was the agile handling around tight corners and steep inclines. The group began to kick up the speed on the already tight roads that often curved dangerously close to the edge of cliffs with no fencing. A push of a button engaged the optional Sport mode to tighten the suspension and made all the difference....this car should not be ordered without this option. 25 miles of really fun invigorating shifting later we arrived in a pack at the Ruby Hill Winery. The group was impressed with the Evoras handling and beautiful styling and welcomed the new Evora in to the Lotus Familly.