Lotus Evora & Europa S

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Two new models which you may have not seen but are crackers and good value. The Europa S is essentially a bigged up Exige with 2+2 seating while the Evora is its all new bigger brother offering more space and refinement (in two or four-seat guises), aided by a velvety Toyota V6 power and a brilliant automatic called IPS. If you’ve grown out of an Elise or Exige but still want all the thrills and looks, here you have it.

Driving

So long as you don’t mind the fact that the Europa S is more Vauxhall VX220 than Lotus, you’ll love one and the 197bhp 2-litre turbo isn’t wanting for pace and while the handling lacks the ultimate excellence of the Exige, it’s still highly impressive. Less so is the car’s refinement levels for a family GT and the Lotus lags behind rivals such as the Audi TT, for instance, despite carpets and an optional Luxury Touring Pack.

The hardly related Evora has an entirely different look and character – more like a Ferrari rival. The 3.5-litre V6 has 276bhp as standard but 350bhp in supercharged form and as much as 438bhp in rare GTE guide. The IPS auto with manual override is said to suit the V6 supremely well, with special Lotus gears in 2012.

Values

Compared to the Elise and Exige, these later Lotuses look pretty tempting. Europas seem to have risen in value of late but can be bought for under £20,000 on the forecourts and you may well find them for 15 grand privately. Top special edition Evoras have been known to change hands for six figures (GTEs), otherwise you’re looking at around £25-£35,000 depending upon year, mileage and specifications. Given such pedigree and performance, you can’t find such Ferrari-beating prowess anywhere else for the money although later 400 cars can be easily worth double this.

Timeline

2006 Europa S launched; based upon the Lotusdesigned Vauxhall VX220 including running gear but with larger 2+2 interior

2008 Showcased at the London Motor Show, Evora customer deliveries didn’t start until a year later. With an entirely new platform and powered by Toyota V6 engines, initially 276bhp, it was to signal a handful of new Lotus models. Retuned and revised Europa SE is a limited run of 500 cars

2010 Standard six speed manual is joined by Toyota based IPS Intelligent Precision Shift automatic plus Evora S; a supercharged version initially as manual only

2015 Evora 400 replaces both older models and packs 400bhp with revised running gear with later GT430 and 430 Sport offshoots

Best models

Europa S

Fine value alternatives to Elise and Exige, touring pack is desirable. Europa SE answered criticisms of original with 225bhp plus a reworked chassis

Evora

Generally seen as the better car to the Europa, all are fast enough although S model benefits from better gearing and larger tyres which aids resales

Specials

First 450 were called Launch Edition with special options. The 400 replaced old Evoras with 400bhp, a limited slip differential and bigger brakes

Top five faults

History

Given their newness, the majority should be looked after by Lotus dealers or a specialist. And check items like tyres and brakes because they are seriously expensive come replacement time

Body

Too young to really display any problems other than general neglect and hard use; Europas have more in common with Exige while Evoras are said to be much harder to repair properly. On all, check for accident damage

Engine

All are robust with the Toyota said to be bomb-proof, even higher powered turbos. Just check for solid service histories.

Running gear

Europas had a recall on the rear hubs – check it’s been attended to. Check chassis for worn dampers, bushes etc as you would any hard driven Exige. Manual transmission Evoras can have gear linkage issues

Details

Build is best yet from Lotus. However, some design woes are well known, such as deteriorating door handles and hinges along with water leaks (and collection in the sills) and flagging trim. Check the electric windows and central locking work as they should