Automotive Einstein

The auto industry moves too fast to fully appreciate the cars it builds. We haven’t even driven the 580-hp Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, and the mere announcement of a 650-hp Ford Shelby GT500 has already hijacked the Chevy’s supercharged, eight-cylinder thunder. We typically wouldn’t take issue with such a competitive market that consistently leads to faster, more efficient, or simply better replacements, but when the Lotus Elise and the Mazda RX-8 left the U.S. market for 2012, there were no replacements. And that’s a problem.

Photo Gallery: Life After 8000 RPM: Lotus Elise and Mazda RX-8 – Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Life After 8000 RPM: Lotus Elise and Mazda RX-8 – Automobile Magazine

The Lotus Evora is essentially a stretched version of the no-longer-sold-here Elise and Exige. Designed for touring rather than track days, the Evora is roomier, more comfortable, and marginally more practical than the Elise and Exige. However, it’s still a Lotus, which means that outstanding driver feedback, sublime handling, and spot-on driving dynamics all come standard. A mid-mounted, Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V-6 provides 276 hp in the Evora; tacking on a supercharger helps the Evora S put out 345 hp. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. There is a new automatic, dubbed Intelligent Performance Shift, that can be manually operated via steering-wheel-mounted paddles. The automatic is available only with the normally aspirated engine, but Lotus purists should really stick with the manual gearbox. There is a long list of changes and tweaks for 2012, including the trickle-down to the base Evora of some items that were previously exclusive to the Evora S, such as a noisier exhaust and a close-ratio transmission. Standard equipment is pretty much limited to such things as power windows and locks; options include touch-screen navigation, a backup camera, heated seats, and seven different wheel designs. The Evora can be specified as a two-seater, with a small bench behind the driver’s seat, or a two-plus-two, but the rear seats in this case are exceptionally tiny. Now that the Elise and the Exige are no longer sold here, the Evora is the only way to get behind the wheel of a new Lotus.

It’s a challenge for anyone to keep up with the constantly changing roster of cars on dealership lots. For car lovers it’s an even tougher task, because beyond knowing that a certain model exists, you need to know where it fits in the automotive firmament. That’s why we’ve gathered every new model due by the first half of 2012 and categorized them, not alphabetically or by some government-defined size class, but by their relevance to buyers, enthusiasts, and the companies that build them. Some cars thrust automakers into new segments, while others drive just like last year’s model. Some cars protect the sanctity of the manual transmission, while others advance performance with the latest technology. Some cars address rising fuel-economy standards, while others disguise obscene speed in stealthy sheetmetal. Here are the 85 new arrivals shaping the automotive world for 2012.

Photo Gallery: New Cars 2012 – Automobile Magazine

A contemporary Lotus will never win a comparison test that values practicality. The sills are too wide, the pedal box is too cramped, and the switch gear is too finicky for daily use. So even though the Evora is the most livable model in Lotus’s narrow lineup, it’s only a daily driver if your commute consists of descending the stairs from the tower to pit lane. Porsche’s Cayman, by almost every measure, is a much more accommodating everyday sports car.

Photo Gallery: Track Toys: Porsche Cayman R vs. Lotus Evora S – Automobile Magazine

If you didn’t notice the more pronounced rear diffuser, matte black door mirrors, and single exhaust, then it’s this Evora’s S badge that gives the game away. The S, of course, means this Evora wears a supercharger atop its mid-mounted Toyota-sourced V-6 engine.

Photo Gallery: 2011 Lotus Evora S – First Drive – Automobile Magazine

At board meetings, on test tracks, and in design studios, decisions are being made today that will influence what you drive tomorrow. Automakers are hard at work creating the next generation of automobiles — cars that are faster, sexier, more efficient — while trying to keep their development secret. Like you, we are nosy as hell. Unlike you, we have a vast network of snoops, gossips, and disgruntled former employees who have helped us uncover the information we present here. Our annual Sneak Preview feature contains the industry’s future products — as far out as 2019 — that are worth saving your milk money for.

Photo Gallery: 2011 Sneak Preview – Automobile Magazine

It’s a tough time for yesterday’s heroes. With the current automotive zeitgeist increasingly focused on economy, weight has become more relevant than sheer power, mechanical and electronic advancements have had an increasing effect on driving pleasure, downsizing has grown in importance, and design and engineering are guided not only by performance but by efficiency issues. That’s why even the two newest members of this group of four performance coupes — the Nissan GT-R and the Lotus Evora — have, for different reasons, already started to show their age. The V-8-engined BMW M3 introduced in 2008 and the Porsche Cayman, which first came to market in 2006, are even longer in the tooth.

Photo Gallery: BMW M3 vs Lotus Evora S vs Nissan GT-R vs Porsche Cayman R – Hot Handlers – Automobile Magazine