| 2010 Lotus Evora vs 2010 Porsche Cayman | June 13, 2010 | AUTORIVALS.NET |
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| The new Evora marks a
change for Lotus. The Evora is their first all-new vehicle in
fifteen years and is more mainstream compared to Lotus'
track-oriented vehicles such as the
Elise and Exige. Lotus says the Evora is the most thoroughly
tested vehicle it has ever built. It is the first of several vehicles Lotus
plans to introduce in the future but is a slight departure from
their "simplify, then add lightness" design philosophy. Instead,
the Evora has been designed with user-friendliness in mind and
comes in over 3,000 pounds configured as a 2+2 layout. A
Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V6 engine is added to power the extra
weight rather than an inline-four like in the Evora's
feather-light siblings. This isn't your typical Camry engine
though as power is pushed to 276 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of
torque. The Evora has some stiff competition mainly from the
Porsche Cayman. The Cayman has been credited as one of the best
handling cars available and offers performance, luxury, and
style priced for the masses. |
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| 2010 Lotus Evora | vs | 2010 Porsche Cayman |
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| The Evora sports an exotic, elegant
design that seemingly combines the styling
of different supercars but the end result is all Lotus. The hood
is a Lotus signature styling element placed on a sleek front
end. Aside from the hood, the front has clean lines with a
simplistically-styled bumper featuring a mouth-shaped grille.
Other Lotus models now share the same design and has become
Lotus' corporate look. The Evora has a modernized design
compared to the traditional-looking Porsche sporting a balanced
combination of sharp lines and curves. The Cayman is and will always will be a Porsche trademark design. Styling is derived form the Porsche 911 but manages to possess a unique style of its own. Larger headlights and tighter proportions help differentiate the Cayman from other Porsches (aside from the Boxster of course). The Cayman's design has evolved slowly due to Porsche tradition but few if any will complain of the Cayman's styling. |
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| Engineering consideration has been developed into the Evora's chassis. The modular front end structure is made of high-tech aluminum and is designed to deform in the event of an accident. It attaches to the main extruded aluminum chassis and allows for easier replacement. Getting in and out is no longer a chore as it is in other Lotus' with wider, taller doors on a 3-inch taller body (compared to the Lotus Elise). The cabin now accommodates drivers and passengers up to 6 ft. 5 in tall which includes 99 percent of the population. | ||
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| The flat front end of the Evora
give it a wedge-shape similar to Lamborghinis but the hood and
curved bumper gives it distinction. The curvy beltline resembles
the new Ferrari 458 but places an air intake just behind the
doors like the Lexus LFA. The A-pillars are blacked out like the
Nissan GT-R while the front windshield is steeply raked and
curved deeply around the cabin. The Evora manages to look sleeker
than the Cayman with a lower front end and taller rear. The Cayman's muscular front fenders connect to the headlights to give it a distinct Porsche look. Like the Evora, the Cayman has a mid-engine layout but remains true to the sports car definition by only seating two. The Cayman shares the iconic shape of the 911 but with tauter sheet metal and trimmed proportions. |
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| The Evora's has a more unique
shape than the Cayman with a interestingly-designed C-pillar that
criss-crosses with the roofline. Muscular rear fenders lead
perfectly into the taller rear end. The Evora is fitted with
18-inch wheels up front and 19-inch wheels in the rear wrapped
in Yokohama tires. The asymmetrical wheel configuration is to
help give the Evora a forward stance. The Evora looks and is
ultralow being 2-inches shorter in height than the already low
Cayman. The Cayman's proportions are nearly perfect though with
perfectly balanced front and rear overhang compared to the long front, short rear overhang of the Evora. |
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| There's more curvature around the Evora's body than the Cayman. The front end sweeps around the headlights and leads into the concave sides and flared rear fenders. The composite roof has an indentation across the middle leading from front to back that not only adds visual appeal, but aids in aerodynamics. There's a significant amount of curvature in the front and rear windshield of the Evora but every line and shape seems to serve a visual purpose. The roof and rear window connect in one direction while the side windows and roof connect in another direction. | ||
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| Lotus places the exhaust pipes rear
and center like Porsche does. The rear end has a common design
with the Exige and Elise with an oval shape encompassing the
taillights and Lotus logo. Backup lights are smaller however and
the spoiler (or as Lotus calls it, "floating rear wing") is the
most prominent feature. Engine bay vents are placed around the
curved rear window which leads into a dip in the rear deck. The Cayman's muscular rear fenders flow toward the LED taillights paralleling the front end design. The roof tapers inward as it flows closer to rear spoiler which is subtle but gets the job done. |
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The Evora's interior is a step-up from other Lotus models with
less emphasis on racing and more emphasis on comfort. Materials
are upgraded with leather and real metal rather plastic that
looks like metal. The Evora's cockpit is driver-oriented with
instrumentation and controls aimed at the driver. The dashboard
is simple and wraps around into the doors creating a fluid look
like the exterior. A flat-bottom steering wheel is included to
help keep in mind that the Evora is first and foremost a sports
car. An Alpine 7-inch touchscreen replaces buttons on the center
stack to control and display audio and video, navigation,
Bluetooth, and rear backup camera. A nice feature is that the
navigation is removable and transportable. The Cayman's interior provides a nice use of materials but the design leaves much to the imagination. Porsche design tradition it seems, includes the interior which has also been slow to evolve. A 6.5-inch navigation screen controls audio, Bluetooth, etc. but is placed low on the center stack. The three gauge cluster design places the tachometer in the center like all other Porsches to help those keep in mind that it too, is first and foremost a sports car. |
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PROS +Elegant looks +Exotic appeal +Provocative shape CONS -A departure from Lotus' design philosophy: "add lightness" -A lot more money for less performance |
PROS +Perfect proportions +Iconic 911 shape with tauter sheet metal CONS -Unimaginative dashboard design |
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