fast1

Road & Track April issue compares the two cars and picked the Lotus over the 991. The subjective results put the Lotus on top. Two of the biggest hits against the 991 were steering and exterior styling.Those two items alone accounted for over a 13 point deficit for the 991 in the subjective category. In the performance category the 991 S prevailed. The tested 991 stickered for about $47K more than the Lotus.

I can't see myself paying a $100K for a car with a Toyota Camry engine and transmission.

Hothonda

I've subscribed to Road & Track forever.....

Used to spend a week reading it over & over. Now it's 10 mins & goes to my neighbor.

chuckbdc

It took a minute after seeing the disparity in what they wrote about the performance superiority of the 991 S and the inferiority of the Lotus in each and every measurable dimension- until I realized that test was a April Fool parody of an Automobile Mag road test. Not even Lotus would consider a 991S with the kitchen sink in the same class. The thinness of the April issue must have been part of the joke.

chuck911

Well now this is interesting. R&T has a long history of the April Fools Road Test. But those are always way over the top obvious- the ski area snow cat (steering: plows) or the Porsche tractor. This one, if it is a joke, well chuck spotted it but Lotus is taking it seriously! http://www.lotusofcleveland.com/deal...he-porsche-911
They usually have just the one joke road test, at least as I recall, but maybe they added this parody. Now I need to stop on the way home and check it out.....

fast1

Road & Track really didn't like the 991's steering feedback, but to deduct almost 7 points is ludicrous. Another huge deduction was for the 991's exterior styling because it's so huge. What is it about an inch wider than the 997?

WCE

They deducted big points in a couple of subjective categories that made all the difference. They are supposed to be impartial to price differences, but I bet the writer was put off by the MSRP of that loaded S.
A better comparison would have been a sub $100k Carrera and I have a feeling the results would have swapped!

chuck911

fast1, There's definitely a joke here somewhere! I used to read R&T religiously through my youth and college years, and always considered them the cream of the car review crop. Of course it didn't hurt that a thinly veiled string of Porsche envy seemed to run through nearly everything they wrote, at least through the 70's to 90's. Haven't read as much since but they still seemed to recognize quality and write about it accordingly.

Until now, that is. This article may not be their April Fools joke review, but it comes pretty darn close. The review is SUPPOSED to be about PDK type automatic transmissions, but they admit right off the one in the LOTUS is a clunker that can't even make it out of a parking lot without a lot of unnecessary shifting, and to judge by their comments never does seem to work right anywhere, anytime. PDK on the other hand garners raves! They say the Lotus has a bunch of identical aluminum buttons, a flimsy stalk and some other interior stuff- none of which they say anything good about, appearance or performance-wise - while the 911 interior again is praised. But when it comes time to award points they reward the Lotus! The car they admit has a wind whistle coming from somewhere!

I could go on- and this is just from speed-reading it in the store! Was not about to pay money for this garbage!

The bias is actually worse than you and the others have been saying already. Yes the 911 kills the Lotus overall on objective performance- AND even on the less subjective stuff like brakes and transmission. In fact the one criteria nobody has mentioned, driving involvement, the 10 points differential (only 10 points- HALF!- that's an F! to a 911!?!?) all by itself accounts for the Lotus winning margin.

So, to recap: the Lotus is slower, with a lame Camry motor, flimsy cabin controls, worse brakes and transmission, and wind noises, but we like it better because.... well because we like it better. So there!

Trying to find something positive, and its a stretch, but maybe Porsche will read criticisms like this and fine tune their steering software. I mean, when a publication like R&T, with a decades long record of lauding Porsche and especially the 911 at every opportunity suddenly trashes it so soundly for what is really one thing- steering feel- then maybe Porsche will take the hint and review their settings. It should be easy enough. Reviews already seem to show they've done this with the 4S, and Andreas Preuningers interview confidently saying the new GT3 steering is right there indicates its been done with that model. So odds are its simply a matter of time before improvements show up in the 991 base and S.

Not that they really need to. The bias and shoddy journalism of this article speak for themselves. Anyone- Porsche included- would be justified in showing the writer the scorn he has so well earned. But he's not the only one, merely the most craven. So don't be surprised if we don't see them making some improvements in what already is a fabulously involving 911.

Cogito_Ergo_Zoom

I drove the Evora S just for kicks when I was shopping. The Evora is an interesting car but they must be smoking some serious herb in Hethel if they actually think people shopping in this price range are going to plunk down nearly 90k+ for a car with a Toyota V6 and a barely better than kit car interior. No chance, at least for my money.

The correct comparison is with the Cayman S or the base Carrera.

SSST

The 991 is the better car, but the Evora is sexier than Halle Berry in in a silk neglige.

fester

IMO it's a cayman competitor

jumper5836

The V6 extige would kill a 911 S even with power kit. The Evora is a piece a crap heavy **** car made for American market. I'd take a Boxter S over it.

solomonschris

Peter Egan is the only reason I ever pick R&T up anymore.

holminator

Road and Track. Now there's a contradiction in terms. lol

Toilet paper is the only reason I would pick up R&T.

chuckbdc

Here is everything you need to know about the Evora, through the lens of a car mag that is not on the rocks:

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/...m-test-review/

Lotus makes very involving cars: you drive them wondering what is going to fall off next.

Cogito_Ergo_Zoom

+1 This was exactly what I was talking about in my previous post.

"These days you need more than dynamic brilliance in a £70k car, and that’s where the P-word raises its head. The Evora S will always be chasing the 911, which starts at similar money, and offers the better all-round proposition. But then you cast your eye down the sales lists to the £45k Boxster S and upcoming Cayman. You’d spend £25k more on a Lotus? Really? As regular Evora custodian Ben Pulman says, ‘If you want a proper Lotus, you’d be better off with the Exige S – it’s more raw and more hardcore than the Evora or the Porsches, so it finds its own niche. Get the Evora and it’ll quickly prove that it can’t match a 911 or Cayman for quality, the niggles will frustrate and, steering aside, what does it do better?’

Harsh? Maybe. True? Absolutely."