V6 manual Clutch pressure, it's heavy or OK

[roundincircles]

In a recent review of the latest edition of the Evora the reviewer mentions the clutch is heavy, to the point that in traffic it became wearing on his leg. The Emira reviews have mentioned the 'heavy' clutch.

Any views from Evora owners what it is like on a long trip and in traffic?

Currently I have a GT4 manual and it is all day light.

 

[digilotus]

That's a good question.

I'm assuming Evora and Emira clutch feel and weights will be similar, but perhaps there have been some slight adjustments given the "everyday driver" nature of the Emira which would lend itself to having a lighter clutch feel.

I haven't personally driven both back to back (Evora and GT4 manuals that is), but there are mixed reviews on the Evora clutch from "a bit heavy" to "perfect with great feel". As with anything there is an adjustment period, so beyond the force/heaviness aspect there's also the feel aspect of it. There is also personal preference.

I've seen a few reports of the GT4 clutch being "too small" and "slipping from 2nd to 3rd" after about 10,000kms, so I would say its undersized for the power it makes and may therefore be lighter. Those on this forum who have / had a GT4 might want to comment as this is anecdotal.

Never heard of any Lotus installed AP racing clutch used in an Evora or Exige V6 have any issues regards to slippage or premature wear. They seem to be bullet proof too and last a long time if driven sensibly.

 

[Tonyshepp]

I think the Harry Catchpole video (Carfection) said they were going to lighten the clutch to the one he had driven, the prototype.

 

[TXEMIRA]

The Evora clutch (2018) isn’t “heavy” to me. To me it feels “normal” in traffic. My perspective isn’t with any sports cars or super cars or the like but from a users perspective of what would be acceptable it feels good.

It’s not “squishy” that’s for sure.

I cannot wait (weight) to get the Emira clutch going. My Evora is ~4 years old and had at least 2 other previous drivers. They could have worked the “heavy” out of the clutch.

Lots of variables so I’m imagining it’s all user preference. Just excited to get this new one and drive! Traffic or not.

#ForTheDrivers

 

[p.rob]

That's a good question.

I'm assuming Evora and Emira clutch feel and weights will be similar, but perhaps there have been some slight adjustments given the "everyday driver" nature of the Emira which would lend itself to having a lighter clutch feel.

I haven't personally driven both back to back (Evora and GT4 manuals that is), but there are mixed reviews on the Evora clutch from "a bit heavy" to "perfect with great feel". As with anything there is an adjustment period, so beyond the force/heaviness aspect there's also the feel aspect of it. There is also personal preference.

I've seen a few reports of the GT4 clutch being "too small" and "slipping from 2nd to 3rd" after about 10,000kms, so I would say its undersized for the power it makes and may therefore be lighter. Those on this forum who have / had a GT4 might want to comment as this is anecdotal.

Never heard of any Lotus installed AP racing clutch used in an Evora or Exige V6 have any issues regards to slippage or premature wear. They seem to be bullet proof too and last a long time if driven sensibly.

I own a 2016 (981) GT4 and the clutch is quite heavy. Actually, I don't recall ever having an OEM clutch this heavy in any of the cars I owned. Although, all the reviews I read online mention the new 982 GT4 has a much lighter clutch.

As for slippage, mine has 23 000km and been tracking 7-8 track days a year ever since I got it. Still feels like day one.

Personally I love an heavy clutch in a sports car, adds to the experience.

 

[VL3X]

Personally I love an heavy clutch in a sports car, adds to the experience.

Same. I want the trans to feel bulletproof. Firm clutch engagement and notchy short shifts. This doesn't mean I want to kill my leg depressing the clutch, but I'd rather that than it feel like butter or that I might break something if I'm too hard on it.

 

[GetawayDriving]

I felt the clutch on shadow grey model they were carting around the US, and it was quite heavy. Heavier than the Elise/Exige models I've driven (I haven't tried an Evora with a stick). With that said, I wasn't able to adjust the seat and it was pretty far back, so it's possible that a poor angle was reducing leverage and exaggerating the heaviness. It ain't no Miata though, I can tell you that.

I've also heard they're still tweaking this, so I didn't read too much into it. Will the headlights pop out of this thing? Maybe. Will it have questionable fit and finish? Also quite possible. But when it comes to driver interaction with the go-fast bits, I trust nobody more than Lotus to get it right.

The other thing I noticed is the gear shift felt VERY clunky and metallic (as in, metal-on-metal), and I mean that in a good way. It feels like a machine. Old school inputs in a sleek modern cabin.

 

[TomE]

In a recent review of the latest edition of the Evora the reviewer mentions the clutch is heavy, to the point that in traffic it became wearing on his leg. The Emira reviews have mentioned the 'heavy' clutch.

Any views from Evora owners what it is like on a long trip and in traffic?

Currently I have a GT4 manual and it is all day light.

I've got a 2011 Evora S and the clutch is great. It's not too heavy and not too light. It's also pretty linear - I find some clutches require variable effort depending on how far through the pedal travel you are. I hate the very light clutches and indistinct engagement point on a lot of modern mass-produced cars. The Evora engagement point is very clear. Fine for long journeys and stop/start traffic, it's also easy to hold on the clutch at an uphill junction or hill start. I have an uphill slope to my garage, a narrow door opening and then level garage interior and it's fine with the low speed manoeuvring that needs.

The gear change has been a source of criticism on the Evora over the years. It was prone to baulking due to bad adjustment on earlier cars (particularly 3rd to 2nd) and the Series 1 cables were liable to stretching and/or the length varying slightly when hot. Lotus did a revised cable arrangement from MY12 onwards and many earlier cars (mine included) had those retrofitted under warranty. They still need to be adjusted correctly and I've found using an uprated gearbox oil (as recommended by Lotus Motorsport) has eliminated any baulking when cold or hot.

The change is mechanical, as others have described, and it benefits from a deliberate (rather than rushed) change when crossing the gate 2nd/3rd or 3rd/2nd. But it's very rewarding.

More recent Evoras are usually well set up from the factory. As seen in the recent video reviews of the VP007 car, they're still working on getting the last few percent of the gear change setup right for the Emira. That kind of attention to detail is very reassuring.

 

[Johnson]

The change is mechanical, as others have described, and it benefits from a deliberate (rather than rushed) change when crossing the gate 2nd/3rd or 3rd/2nd. But it's very rewarding.

This is heartening. I was disappointed to hear there was no metal gate (I adore the MX-5 shift) but a deliberate linkage is the next best thing.

My only real concern is the spacing of the pedals. I have big feet, and tight spacing has often made me come undone. I drove a Peugeot 205 GTI in the ‘90s that had them so close together I had to drive barefoot.

 

[VL3X]

This is heartening. I was disappointed to hear there was no metal gate (I adore the MX-5 shift) but a deliberate linkage is the next best thing.

My only real concern is the spacing of the pedals. I have big feet, and tight spacing has often made me come undone. I drove a Peugeot 205 GTI in the ‘90s that had them so close together I had to drive barefoot.

They're pretty close together in the Emira.. and a little toward the center of the car.

 

[Cachaco131]

I hope it's not too heavy. My knee will complain. I certainly hope it's less heavy than my Mini R56 which is annoying in traffic.