Powering the Evora is a Toyota-derived supercharged 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine producing a whopping 345bhp through the rear wheels. With only 1,473kg of weight, Lotus Evora S performance will make your eyes water as it can complete the benchmark sprint to 60mph in 4.6s and it has an achievable top speed of 178mph.

As standard, the engine is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox which is a little notchy. There is also an automatic option Lotus calls IPS (Intelligent Precision Shift). This includes steering wheel-mounted paddles so the driver can change gear themselves if they want. Performance figures are slightly blunted with the IPS option but are quick nonetheless: 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds and 167mph top speed.

The steering weight and feedback from the wheel are very good: the driver can feel the front wheels on turn in and the communication levels between the vehicle and driver are high, which should please enthusiasts.

One word: brilliant. Dynamically this car is really well set-up. It has the kart-like handling the Elise and the Exige are famed for and offers plenty of grip on dry roads. You do have to tread with a little more care when the roads become greasy after a rain shower but that’s the case with many sports cars.

Switch the ‘Sport’ mode on and this gives the driver a freer rein before any of the anti-idiot systems kick in. Yes, you have to treat the Evora S with more respect than the less powerful Evora models due to the extra power heading to the rear wheels but if you do it’ll make you smile from ear to ear. After spending time in the car you’ll be inching closer to picking the Lotus over the Cayman – it really is that good.