Saturday, August 29, 2020

Lotus Evora GT


I've been debating which new car to buy for too long; it's time to make a decision and I have. I'll pull the trigger as soon as a garage I'm building is finished this year. I hope to be in new wheels by Spring.

My passion for McLaren's super-cars is deep but my confidence in the company got shook this year: McLaren almost went bankrupt and was rescued at the last minute by financing from the government bank of Bahrain. Yes, Bahrain, the Kingdom in the Persian Gulf. That dampened my enthusiasm for purchasing an expensive, long-term product from the company. I need a manufacturer to be around in a decade when I need new parts.

The other obvious option is Porsche 911. I acknowledge, as I must, that Porsche is one of the finest cars ever made. Superbly engineered, super-reliable. But... it just doesn't excite me. I'm not attracted to its design. And the car is so common: I see a dozen every day. Boring.

So, what's left? 

Lotus. A company in England that hand-crafts a small number of exotic sports cars. Lotus has racing pedigree and history in Formula One competition.

Lotus automobiles are truly exotic: fewer than 300 are sold in North America. In my lifetime, I've only seen one of the road -- and I live in a neighborhood where Porsches, Lamborghinis and Ferraris pass by daily. 

The model I'm going to buy is the 2021 Evora GT. Its high price may seem an indulgence but, compared to Lotus' new Evija, the car is a bargain: the Evija costs $2.3 Million.

Why am I choosing Lotus? Read these reviews and you'll see how well it suits me:

Car & Driver: "It's a special machine for the hard core. Alive in your hands. Analog in a digital world. And we mean that in the best possible sense."

Automobile: "The Evora GT is no somber experience, rather being a carnival of speed and noise....The Porsche is talented and the Corvette C8 should be as well, but nothing drives like a Lotus....The new Evora GT may be a little irrational and a little expensive, but driving it is one of the few unique experiences left in our rapidly digital motoring world."

Jalopnik: "The Evora GT is a track weapon that fits into most overhead storage bins and happens to be street legal....The car’s a little rough around the edges, unforgiving, and effectively the gold standard of truly extreme driver-focused performance."

Jalopnik: "It’s not meant for the masses, really. It’s for a very specific kind of buyer, someone who appreciates the craftsmanship at work here and doesn’t want to be in something as ubiquitous as a Porsche."

The Lotus can do 188 mph and, yes, it has a stick. As soon as it arrives, I'll give you a ride. You can come with me on a sedate cruise through the neighborhood or a wild adventure at the track (NJ Motorsports). Oh, and I'm naming the car "Bitcoin." :)

17 comments:

  1. A friend just informed me that the sports car driven by Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" is a Lotus. Fun fact which led me to do more research.

    Lotus sports cars appear in two James Bond movies ("The Spy Who Loved Me" and "For Your Eyes Only"), are driven by spy Emma Peel in the Sixties show "The Avengers" and also show up in "Basic Instinct" and "The Prisoner." Cool!

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  2. Replies
    1. Isn't it?! And that matters to me. I want my pulse to quicken when I look at a vehicle.

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  3. Great car. The brand has been around a while so it should continue to be around going forward.

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    1. That's always a concern of mine. Two years ago a large multinational company (which owns Volvo) bought Lotus: they won't let it die and have ample resources to support it for decades.

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  4. I LOVE this- you will look (and feel!) amazing driving around in this super sleek sports car!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

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  5. Nice ride! I wish I could take a spin with you! Enjoy.

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  6. Have you heard about Mate Rimac cars? It's a small company from Croatia that manifucators luxory cars and they are doing quite well for themselves.

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    1. No, I haven't. Thanks for mentioning it: I'll look it up.

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  7. How about Aston Martin if you are going for such expensive cars?
    Greetje

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    1. AM is a good brand. The Lotus is more fun as a driving experience.

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  8. A very rad car! Definitely sounds up your alley. Though a tad safer than a motorbike ;)

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  9. I know very little about cars (being a non-driver) but I know I like cars with friendly faces.
    This one has quite sweet eyes though a rather toothy grin! Nice colour too! Can you tell how little I know about cars yet!?x

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