2015 Lotus Evora GTE

This exquisite left-hand-drive Lotus Evora GTE is number 20 of 20 GTE variants built and was sold new by Lotus Cars Ltd Service Department. The included V5 document shows that it was registered on the 1st of October 2015, and since then it’s had a total of two owners. 

Its service schedule indicates that it’s had three services in total; the first after 717 miles (in 2016), the second at 1346 miles (in 2018) and another more recent one at 1380 miles (in February of this current year). It also comes with two keys.  

Lotus aficionados know just how special these cars are, and just as importantly how rarely they come up for sale.

The longer the GTE has been here at The Market, the more we’ve found ourselves drooling over it. What’s its best angle? Side on, it has a hint of Nissan Skyline GT-R to the roofline, but it’s arguably more lithe and sexier. Front three-quarter is belligerent, as is a straight frontal view. For us though, park it up, walk away and you’ll never tire of looking back at that simply stunning derriere – aggressive, delicate and be-spoilered.

Its colour combo is a winner, with the Motorsport Green sporting a deep and hugely pleasing lustre that remains not far off concours. It’s offset by those racy yellow stripes and a huge amount of carbon fibre (including the front spoiler, roof, wing mirrors, air intake vents and rear aerodynamic additions – the best of which is the twin Union Jack endowed spoiler).

Red brake callipers offer colour contrast, peaking out through unmarked 19” front and 20” rear 10-spoke alloy wheels. They wear matching Michelin Pilot Sport tyres, which are 235/35 R19 and 285/30 R20 respectively.

Supremely supportive Recaro race seats dominate the cabin. Park yourself in the driver’s and you immediately know it’s going to provide all the requisite support you need when driving a beast like this.

Both seats are leather trimmed, with red Lotus emblems on the headrests, and matched by a sea of grey Alcantara (headlining, dashboard, centre column) that sports matching red stitching. Up top is yet more of the same material (this time, without the red stitching), and all remains in absolutely tip-top condition.

Are there any other materials used, we hear you ask? Eh, I hope you like carbon fibre, because just as outside there is a lot of it and, as well as saving weight, it lends the GTE a proper racecar aesthetic. The carpets are very good and overall it’s a lovely cabin.

On top of that you get all the modern gizmos including: air conditioning, electric windows, engine start button, sat nav, heated seats, radio, remote activated alarm system, reversing camera, rear parking sensor and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

There’s also a Lotus Motorsport plaque on the nearside sill, which indicates its limited-edition status and No. 20 build number – tres smart, indeed.

The first thing you need to do is go to our video below. Press play and you can luxuriate in the car’s visual strengths, but it’s when the engine cranks up (2 minutes 49 seconds!) that the fun really begins…

It all sounds quite nice and fruity within the cabin, but watch as the camera goes outside and down to the twin-exit exhaust pipes – now you’re talking, the acoustics give an idea of just how brutal this thing sounds.

The good news is that this road burner delivers its wares exactly as it should: that is, in an adrenaline-pounding gamut of sensory-overload. Nothing handles like a Lotus has been a familiar refrain through the ages, and once again, time spent behind the wheel of this car will prove that to be absolutely on the money.

We’ve had occasion to take it for a spin or two, or three… And it drives very well indeed. Power delivery is smooth with vast reserves of torque, and a really lovely deep bass sound to it. The flappy paddle IPS auto ‘box is also a joy to blip through.

It can be a touch skittish on poorer road surfaces, but that’s to be expected, as it’s a bone fide racer for the road. Stick to the good asphalt and it’s nothing but a pleasure – we can only imagine what it’s capable of on a track. The suspension is stiff, although not teeth smashingly so, and brakes supremely strong.

A quick look underneath reveals a plethora of carbon fibre aerodynamic accoutrements to the rear, with the rest covered by a variety of under trays – nothing to see here, all protected and all good.

Unless of course you should wish to nip back down to your garage late at night, crack open a beer and take in that delicious rear end.

Short, sharp and concise describes this car’s history file. The fact is, that given the relatively parsimonious mileage covered since it was new, this Evora hasn’t really lived a life as yet.

As such, as well as the V5 registration document you’ll find a fully stamped service book and the original handbooks (including Owner’s and New Vehicle Warranty – and all in the original folder). There’s also an instruction Compact Disc for the Alpine Stereo system.

For peace of mind in matters of vehicle protection there’s also an installation certificate confirming the fitting of a PDF Electronics Auto Watch automotive security system.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to the very highest standard.

More practical than an Elise, the Evora offers, slightly, less of a compromise and this one is quite a car. It’s an opportunity to buy a very rare limited-edition version, with that bonkers powerful engine, and one that’s in a very striking colour scheme.

It really is a fabulous piece of kit and if you like brutal performers that handle with aplomb then we suggest you get yourself down to our Abingdon HQ, where you can take it in at your leisure before taking you out for a test ride.

We’ve set the estimate for this example at £69,000 - £85,000, which we think is a good opportunity for one of these (the only other example currently for sale is up for £99.5k).

It remains virtually unused, the private registration R20 GTE comes with the car and the next owner can be guaranteed that they’re buying one very special performer.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at The Market HQ in Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.