Exige 350 / 380 / 390 / 410

[ecain63]

Valves open on startup to protect the engine. Same reason they open at 4500rpm

[Autobantz]

Mr R said:

Thanks for all of the info everyone.

Paul - that's great to hear that you can make a set of tyres last across multiple track days as I would like to do more in the coming years. Also thanks for sharing the video, certainly looks like good fun!

Rick - thanks for the info on potential upgrades, I think my preference would be to go for one of the higher power factory setups but it's worth knowing that there's options.

Keo - that's very kind of you to offer, unfortunately I'm in the South East near the Berkshire / Surrey borders.

Think I need a trip to Bell & Colvill in the next few weeks to do some further research.

Thanks again everyone!

I’m late to the party on this one. What did you end up doing? Did you get a Lotus?

I’ve just bought a 410 Exige 20th Anniversary, having previously owned both 996 and 997 GT3s.

The 997 was a better all round car but a bit heavy on consumables with heavy track use. I preferred the rawness of the 996 when really on it.

Had a bit of a sports car hiatus to have kids etc, at which point the idea of an automatic GT3 (991) just didn’t feel right. Now of course, a manual 992 is at least double the price of a new Exige, so it’s rather a moot point.

That being said, the Exige is probably a better drivers car than the GT3 at 10/10ths. It’s an amazing thing to really throw about and get stuck into. And there’s a real sense of integrity to the build quality and depth of engineering too (which surprised me). Obviously not Porsche levels, but it does feel like Lotus products are now genuine alternatives to the typical Germans/Italian sports car options.

Overall, the Exige feels like a junior Group C racer for the road. It’s an unmatched driving experience for the price point.

[Mr R]

Hi Everyone,

OP here. Thanks for the reminder to update this thread.

I ended up in a 718 Spyder, mainly because I managed to get a favourable part-ex price on my GT3 having not had any luck trying to sell it privately or via CarWow / Motorway, and I was very conscious about coming to the end of the 10yr engine warranty period so it was almost a no-brainer.

Unfortunately I am not really gelling with the Spyder. It looks awesome and by all objective measures it is an incredible car, it just doesn't excite the same way as the GT3, mainly because it feels too civilised. I had a 981 Spyder before which surprisingly had more character.

So I'm still keeping an eye on the classifieds pretty much daily with a view to changing again in March / April once the Spring market starts to pick up. An Exige is definitely on the short-list and the Autumn Gold 410 currently for sale is very tempting...

I'm also tempted to go back in to a 991.1 GT3 if I can find one with a replacement engine as I really miss the sensation of ringing out to 9000rpm. I really want a 991.2 GT3 but the price jump is just too big.

The wildcard is an Alpine A110 which could free up some cash whilst still providing lightweight thrills. I do worry that I'll find the engine and drive train rather normal though.

I did test drive an Emira which was ok. Loved the looks and the interior is lovely but I didn't find it very exciting and strangely it didn't feel that quick. I say strangely as I have previously driven an Evora 410GT which felt proper rapid by comparison.

I think the next step is to go and have a proper look at some Exiges and try and get a test drive as it definitely feels like an itch that needs scratching at some stage!

I'll keep the thread updated with any further progress in the coming months

[Implus1]

Mr R said:

Hi Everyone,

OP here. Thanks for the reminder to update this thread.

I ended up in a 718 Spyder, mainly because I managed to get a favourable part-ex price on my GT3 having not had any luck trying to sell it privately or via CarWow / Motorway, and I was very conscious about coming to the end of the 10yr engine warranty period so it was almost a no-brainer.

Unfortunately I am not really gelling with the Spyder. It looks awesome and by all objective measures it is an incredible car, it just doesn't excite the same way as the GT3, mainly because it feels too civilised. I had a 981 Spyder before which surprisingly had more character.

So I'm still keeping an eye on the classifieds pretty much daily with a view to changing again in March / April once the Spring market starts to pick up. An Exige is definitely on the short-list and the Autumn Gold 410 currently for sale is very tempting...

I'm also tempted to go back in to a 991.1 GT3 if I can find one with a replacement engine as I really miss the sensation of ringing out to 9000rpm. I really want a 991.2 GT3 but the price jump is just too big.

The wildcard is an Alpine A110 which could free up some cash whilst still providing lightweight thrills. I do worry that I'll find the engine and drive train rather normal though.

I did test drive an Emira which was ok. Loved the looks and the interior is lovely but I didn't find it very exciting and strangely it didn't feel that quick. I say strangely as I have previously driven an Evora 410GT which felt proper rapid by comparison.

I think the next step is to go and have a proper look at some Exiges and try and get a test drive as it definitely feels like an itch that needs scratching at some stage!

I'll keep the thread updated with any further progress in the coming months

OP, I’ve just got into a 430 Cup from a 718 Spyder and it’s in a different league of excitement compared to the Porsche and right up there with my old 570S Spider IMO.