Having said that, don’t expect the powertrain to let you down anytime soon. Since 2005, the unit known as 2GR-FE has proven highly dependable and reliable in over 20 different Toyota and Lexus products around the globe. Vehicles like the RAV4, Highlander and RX 350 SUVs, the Sienna minivan, the Venza crossover and the Avalon and Camry sedans use this engine.
Performance definitely fits the bill. Producing 276 horsepower (269 in RAV4 application), the 3.5-litre mill shoots the British bomb from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds according to the manufacturer.
It’s reportedly fuel-efficient, too, although the average of 8.7 L/100 km (city-highway) announced by Lotus does seem exaggerated, especially if the driver decides to push the car even just a little. My very brief, mostly urban road test saw the Evora burn no less than 13 L/100 km.
Or course, typical Lotus owners don’t really care about fuel economy. They are way more interested in performance and driving dynamics, like the Evora’s remarkably short braking distances from 100 to 0 km/h — 36.8 metres.
World-class handling
Power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox, also sourced from Toyota. Shifts are precise even though the throws are a bit long. The clutch offers little to no resistance, which proves quite pleasant when driving in dense traffic. I’m here to report that Lotus will also make a six-speed automatic available in the near future.
Suspension travel is surprising. Much like the Elise, which by no means feels jarring, the Evora delivers an astonishingly compliant ride by sports car standards. The power steering, meanwhile, is razor-sharp and perfectly assisted.
The ultra-rigid, all-aluminum chassis helps the car make a mockery of poorly-maintained roads, the same ones that you would normally avoid with a Ferrari. Ironically, a lot of unwitting people liken the sleek-looking Evora to the more prestigious, Modena-built thoroughbreds!
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| At 161 litres, the trunk is slightly more voluminous than the Mazda MX-5’s! (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
Performance definitely fits the bill. Producing 276 horsepower (269 in RAV4 application), the 3.5-litre mill shoots the British bomb from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds according to the manufacturer.
It’s reportedly fuel-efficient, too, although the average of 8.7 L/100 km (city-highway) announced by Lotus does seem exaggerated, especially if the driver decides to push the car even just a little. My very brief, mostly urban road test saw the Evora burn no less than 13 L/100 km.
Or course, typical Lotus owners don’t really care about fuel economy. They are way more interested in performance and driving dynamics, like the Evora’s remarkably short braking distances from 100 to 0 km/h — 36.8 metres.
World-class handling
Power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox, also sourced from Toyota. Shifts are precise even though the throws are a bit long. The clutch offers little to no resistance, which proves quite pleasant when driving in dense traffic. I’m here to report that Lotus will also make a six-speed automatic available in the near future.
Suspension travel is surprising. Much like the Elise, which by no means feels jarring, the Evora delivers an astonishingly compliant ride by sports car standards. The power steering, meanwhile, is razor-sharp and perfectly assisted.
The ultra-rigid, all-aluminum chassis helps the car make a mockery of poorly-maintained roads, the same ones that you would normally avoid with a Ferrari. Ironically, a lot of unwitting people liken the sleek-looking Evora to the more prestigious, Modena-built thoroughbreds!
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| The Evora delivers an astonishingly compliant ride by sports car standards. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |