You Can Buy An Awesome Lotus Evora For The Price Of A New GR Corolla

If you want a sports car with rear seats that isn’t a Porsche 911, your options are slim. Most two-plus-two coupes are more focused on grand touring, meaning you’ll be able to take the kids or the dog with you, but it won’t carve corners quite like you might wish. Happily, there is a left-field solution, and it might share an engine with your daily driver. Remember the Lotus Evora?

This handmade sports car with optimistic rear seats is a bit of a sleeper, because its simultaneously amazing yet often forgotten. Alright, the stereo is sourced from an aftermarket supplier, and the engine is from Toyota, but with telepathic handling and just enough practicality to use everyday, it’s a great left-field option. Plus, you can now buy one for the price of a new Toyota GR Corolla. Interested? Let’s dig in.

What Are We Looking At?

Back in 2006, iconic British sports car brand Lotus hatched a plan to broaden its appeal. The featherweight Elise and its hardcore Exige brother were fantastic, but they were a bit raw for everyday use. The idea was a new model offensive to try and steal sales from major competitors, and the last big swing was the Evora. In this case, the big swing was literal, with a larger footprint than any other Lotus of the time, tiny occasional-use rear seats, and the usability to go after the Porsche 911.

Obviously, with a car weighing 3,049 pounds and priced in serious territory, the Toyota four-cylinder engines in the Elise and Exige wouldn’t quite hack it in the Evora. However, Toyota doesn’t just make four-bangers, so Lotus got its hands on the 2GR-FE V6 also seen in the Sienna minivan. While that doesn’t sound hugely auspicious, we’re talking about a famously reliable timing chain-driven 3.5-liter quad-cam V6 making 276 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque without any forced induction assistance. Hitched to a six-speed manual transmission, the resulting production car that launched for the 2010 model year zipped from zero-to-60 mph in 4.8 seconds during Car And Driver instrumented testing, a tenth quicker than the GR Corolla but without the hideously abusive redline clutch-dump launch. Oh, and the handling? Textbook Lotus, as the magazine wrote.

Grip from the Pirelli P Zero rubber feels endless, and, like any car carrying the Lotus badge, this one is perfectly untroubled by high-speed turns. Braking, from the natural pedal feel to the 151-foot stops from 70 mph, is on par with that of the best sports cars in the world. But it’s the Evora’s precise and communicative steering that distinguishes the driving experience. As cornering loads build on the front tires, the steering effort through the hydraulically assisted rack-and-pinion steering increases—it feels spring-loaded, as if you’re winding up a giant toy, the tension increasing. When the front tires begin to relinquish grip, the steering releases as though the spring has been wound too far. Provoke the rear end, by abruptly lifting off the throttle or hammering it, and the Lotus will delicately and slowly drift its rear tires outward. A polished and slick skidpad surface resulted in a so-so 0.92 g; we fully expect the Evora to get closer to 1 g at our usual test venue.

Superlative, joyous sports car handling isn’t shocking, though. The big draw to the Evora was its comfort, and indeed, here was a Lotus you could actually grand tour in without risking your hearing or your back. The ride quality was remarkable, the NVH was reasonable for a sports car, and you even had space for luggage. So, exotic excitement, reasonable livability, and a rock-solid powertrain shared with just about every Toyota under the sun. Speaking of Toyotas, you can now buy an Evora for GR Corolla money. Tempting, isn’t it?

How Much Are We Talking?

For 2025, a mid-range GR Corolla Premium stickers for $42,575 including freight before you add an extra sub-radiator or an actual color. Can you find a Lotus Evora for that money? Sure. Just check out this Solar Yellow 2010 model that sold on Bring A Trailer for $41,500. With just 29,000 miles on the clock, a great color, and a clean Carfax, it looks like a whole lot of fun for new hot hatch money.

Then again, not everyone likes the attention of driving a Skittle. How about a more demure spec? This black 2010 Evora sold on Cars & Bids for a mere $36,200, although part of that bargain’s due to modifications. A full exhaust system, remap, lightweight flywheel, baffled oil pan, and InoKinetic short shifter mean this thing’s ready to rip, and with 23,600 miles on the clock, it hasn’t exactly been to the moon and back.

Oh, and if you’re not one to wait around for an auction, options do exist in the used car classifieds. This red 2011 Evora is up for sale in Colorado for $38,500, and although it does have 81,000 miles on the clock, it already sports an upgraded clutch and supporting hardware, so that major expense has been dealt with.

What Can Possibly Go Wrong On A Lotus Evora?

By now, you know that the Lotus Evora is handmade in England. That’s normally not a fantastic sign, but most common failure points are fairly minor. There’s a drain tube for the air conditioning up on the front bulkhead that can get blocked and lead to water in the footwells, but the fix is basically free if you can wrench. Owners report simply pulling the undertrays and removing the filter on the end of the tube cures the problem. Likewise, reports of trim and panel alignment issues can be fixed at home.

As for things that cost money, air conditioning compressors are known to fail on occasion. Thankfully, that part’s shared with a late-aughts Toyota RAV4, so although you’ll be looking at about $1,500 at an independent shop, it’s not ruinous. More concerning are the window regulators, which run more than $700 each. Oh, and clutch master cylinders are known to fail, but an upgraded Wilwood kit is available aftermarket for a reasonable $339. Still, it seems like common Evora issues are largely isolated to body equipment, with the powertrains appearing remarkably robust. Just remember to budget for the inevitable clutch replacement because it’s an incredibly involved process calling for 35 hours of labor. A good independent shop will be your best friend here.

Should you buy a Lotus Evora For GR Corolla Money?

If you can budget for the clutch, god yes. Okay, it probably won’t be as reliable as a GR Corolla, but the Evora doesn’t have any truly ruinous issues, and it’s an absolutely fantastic mid-engined sports car. Think of it as a spiritual cousin to the MR2, and you’re on the right track, except it already comes with the engine people want to swap into SW20s. Plus, unlike a 997.1 Porsche 911, you’ll be able to drive an Evora, fix things as they come up, and sleep soundly knowing the bones are rock-solid. How cool is that?

Top graphic image: Bring A Trailer

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