Lotus Exige S2 - what to have and what not to have.
Discussion
Hi everyone.
I have just had a private sale fall through for an Aston Martin Vantage and it has brought my attention back to a Lotus Exige.
Realistically, a S2 Exige would be a much more sensible option. And, i am having trouble matching the deal i had on the Vantage without increasing the budget quite a lot.
I know that the Exige is a balls out sports car, but what are the optional extras that make a difference? What are the must haves? as in, service history etc.
I have asked a similar question quite a few months back and got a really friendly response. Hopefully this post will return much of the same.
Also, any recommendations on specialist sales places or main dealers would be appreciated.
I live in South Wales and i am not immediately aware of anything too close to me.
I have never owned a Lotus so this would really be a new experience for me. Oh, and it will be a second car not an every day driver. :-)
Any info appreciated.
I have just had a private sale fall through for an Aston Martin Vantage and it has brought my attention back to a Lotus Exige.
Realistically, a S2 Exige would be a much more sensible option. And, i am having trouble matching the deal i had on the Vantage without increasing the budget quite a lot.
I know that the Exige is a balls out sports car, but what are the optional extras that make a difference? What are the must haves? as in, service history etc.
I have asked a similar question quite a few months back and got a really friendly response. Hopefully this post will return much of the same.
Also, any recommendations on specialist sales places or main dealers would be appreciated.
I live in South Wales and i am not immediately aware of anything too close to me.
I have never owned a Lotus so this would really be a new experience for me. Oh, and it will be a second car not an every day driver. :-)
Any info appreciated.
I'd never consider a car without a FSH. Not only for my own satisfaction but for resale too.
Should a FSH include every year or just on mileage?
With the Aston's it is very desirable to have a service stamp every year, regardless of mileage done. is this the case with the Lotus?
Should a FSH include every year or just on mileage?
With the Aston's it is very desirable to have a service stamp every year, regardless of mileage done. is this the case with the Lotus?
Edited by Robbie_FRS on Monday 23 February 10:16
No dealers in Wales at the moment so the nearest to us is Williams in Bristol. Aside from what has been said air-con is a definite must and I would give the NA cars a miss and go for one of the 'S' models 220/240/260. Might be worth registering for SELOC as there are a few dealers on there who can source cars for you. There is also an independent near Bridgend who is the place to go for servicing and repairs in S Wales. Might want to take a look on CLSW (Club Lotus South Wales) also.
Robbie_FRS said:
I'd never consider a car without a FSH. Not only for my own satisfaction but for resale too.
Should a FSH include every year or just on mileage?
With the Aston's it is very desirable to have a service stamp every year, regardless of mileage done. is this the case with the Lotus?
Exige service schedule is 9k miles or every 12 months whichever comes first. Should a FSH include every year or just on mileage?
With the Aston's it is very desirable to have a service stamp every year, regardless of mileage done. is this the case with the Lotus?
Edited by Robbie_FRS on Monday 23 February 10:16
If you buy a 6 year old car it should have at least six stamps etc etc
To be fair they're usually oil and brake fluid changes yearly and sc belt every 4 I believe so hardly the end of the world if not done due to very low mileage(which plenty will have)
As above - I would get a factory supercharged version.
Otherwise you will just end up paying £4k to supercharge an NA and not see the money back on resale.
The main options are 220/240/260 - I had a 220 and it was huge fun.
If the aircon doesn't work AVOID as it is c.£1-2k to fix owing to the need to take the clam off.
Everyone seems to want aircon though - mostly to help with demisting!
As with all Elise variants there are plenty of options.
Touring/Sports Pack/Performance Pack etc... you will have to google exactly what comes with each.
The other issue is the exhaust. The stock one sounds TERRIBLE. Not impressive at all.
So most people either get a stock Lotus sports exhaust or aftermarket - 2bular seem preferred.
TRD airbox is also popular to go with it. Just be careful which exhaust you have since some will be too noisy for various track days.
Generally suspension needs to be fully refreshed at around 50k miles. That can be expensive.
Also the big brake kit (AP) is popular but VERY expensive at refresh time. B&C quoted £2k last I heard.
And finally, mine had harnesses but no driver regular 3-point seat belt - TOTAL NIGHTMARE.
Do NOT get one without a regular seatbelt for the driver!
I miss mine every day. They are amazing. They are cheap. They are rare. They look phenomenal...
I want another one. Dammit.
Otherwise you will just end up paying £4k to supercharge an NA and not see the money back on resale.
The main options are 220/240/260 - I had a 220 and it was huge fun.
If the aircon doesn't work AVOID as it is c.£1-2k to fix owing to the need to take the clam off.
Everyone seems to want aircon though - mostly to help with demisting!
As with all Elise variants there are plenty of options.
Touring/Sports Pack/Performance Pack etc... you will have to google exactly what comes with each.
The other issue is the exhaust. The stock one sounds TERRIBLE. Not impressive at all.
So most people either get a stock Lotus sports exhaust or aftermarket - 2bular seem preferred.
TRD airbox is also popular to go with it. Just be careful which exhaust you have since some will be too noisy for various track days.
Generally suspension needs to be fully refreshed at around 50k miles. That can be expensive.
Also the big brake kit (AP) is popular but VERY expensive at refresh time. B&C quoted £2k last I heard.
And finally, mine had harnesses but no driver regular 3-point seat belt - TOTAL NIGHTMARE.
Do NOT get one without a regular seatbelt for the driver!
I miss mine every day. They are amazing. They are cheap. They are rare. They look phenomenal...
I want another one. Dammit.
Whats your budget? Budget will dictate the type of car you go for and also what type of use you want it for and how long you intend to keep it.
There are two approaches to the Exige market (its a very peculiar one) If you want to own a car and drive the wheels off it find one with 40 odd k on the clock and decent history for not too much money and go have some fun.
If you want to own it for high days and holidays and possibly look for it to go up a bit in value you'll need to go hunting for one with 20k on the clock. Such cars are getting pretty hard to come by and values at that end of the market are firming. I'm a trader (see profile) I dont have any Exiges in at the moment but have just sold a sub 20k Exige for not far off 30k this one never made it to the open market as I had details of a few people looking.
Sport pack really helps with these cars. The doors can be prone to getting paint blistering if stored outside. If the AC works its only a matter of time until it breaks again so again depending on use I would take AC with a pinch of salt unless its a stand out car in which case you'll need to keep on top of it. Ditto with service history.
Personally I would go with an SC car. The 220 is fairly quick although maybe not as quick as you'd think. The 240/260 cars are pretty rare and command higher prices still. The 190 suffers from the same issue as the Elise 111R with the silly second cam power delivery thing making it frustrating to use on the road. Still a good car but there are more fulfilling cars in the range.
There are two approaches to the Exige market (its a very peculiar one) If you want to own a car and drive the wheels off it find one with 40 odd k on the clock and decent history for not too much money and go have some fun.
If you want to own it for high days and holidays and possibly look for it to go up a bit in value you'll need to go hunting for one with 20k on the clock. Such cars are getting pretty hard to come by and values at that end of the market are firming. I'm a trader (see profile) I dont have any Exiges in at the moment but have just sold a sub 20k Exige for not far off 30k this one never made it to the open market as I had details of a few people looking.
Sport pack really helps with these cars. The doors can be prone to getting paint blistering if stored outside. If the AC works its only a matter of time until it breaks again so again depending on use I would take AC with a pinch of salt unless its a stand out car in which case you'll need to keep on top of it. Ditto with service history.
Personally I would go with an SC car. The 220 is fairly quick although maybe not as quick as you'd think. The 240/260 cars are pretty rare and command higher prices still. The 190 suffers from the same issue as the Elise 111R with the silly second cam power delivery thing making it frustrating to use on the road. Still a good car but there are more fulfilling cars in the range.
langy said:
No interior shots?Do you just stand outside and look at it?
Wait... SORN since November 14 - that IS what you do with it!!
Fair enough.
Lovely, lovely car.
langy said:
Great looking car. Would have thought that you shouldn't have too much difficulty finding a buyer. Sad it has to go, but if you're not using it. Hope your not moving to the dark side
walm said:
No interior shots?
Do you just stand outside and look at it?
Wait... SORN since November 14 - that IS what you do with it!!
Fair enough.
Lovely, lovely car.
Thanks for your comments Do you just stand outside and look at it?
Wait... SORN since November 14 - that IS what you do with it!!
Fair enough.
Lovely, lovely car.
Will add an interior photo when I get chance. It's an Exige with probax seats, nothing out of the ordinary inside.
It's a case of change in priorities and lack of use, hence it's time to sell it.
Your choice is quite diverse (I commend you on your impeccable taste though). One is a comfort orientated GT and the other is a pretty hard core sports car.
I'd have air-con (well I do on mine) - the Exige cabin is small and it will get v hot. The air-con is a nice way to stay nice and chilled even when pottering round town.
As standard the Exige is already fairly focussed for use on a road. Unless you want to do a lot of track days (in which case you'll catch 'upgrade'itis') then simply buy on condition. It's a Toyota engine after all and you can always visit a specialist (or one of the garages that support LoTRDC) for any bits and bobs that take your fancy. Unfortunately I don't know of any specialists in S Wales but I'm sure others will have better knowledge.
It's a fabulous little car in every respect and IMO punches well about it's weight (excuse the pun) for the money. But don't expect it to be anything other than a hard core sports car if you're comparing it to a V8V.
If you buy one for the joys of using it's potential then you're guaranteed to be in for a roller coaster of a drive - it's every bit as good as they say.
I'd have air-con (well I do on mine) - the Exige cabin is small and it will get v hot. The air-con is a nice way to stay nice and chilled even when pottering round town.
As standard the Exige is already fairly focussed for use on a road. Unless you want to do a lot of track days (in which case you'll catch 'upgrade'itis') then simply buy on condition. It's a Toyota engine after all and you can always visit a specialist (or one of the garages that support LoTRDC) for any bits and bobs that take your fancy. Unfortunately I don't know of any specialists in S Wales but I'm sure others will have better knowledge.
It's a fabulous little car in every respect and IMO punches well about it's weight (excuse the pun) for the money. But don't expect it to be anything other than a hard core sports car if you're comparing it to a V8V.
If you buy one for the joys of using it's potential then you're guaranteed to be in for a roller coaster of a drive - it's every bit as good as they say.
Edited by bjc388 on Saturday 14th March 09:56
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