Tuesday 10th March 2015

Lotus Exige V6 Cup: Spotted

Just in case that Porsche isn't quite the ticket for your new track toy...

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Even before reading anything about how the Porsche Cayman GT4 drives, everyone sort of knows it will be pretty special. A Cayman with a judicious sprinkling of GT3 components and Porsche Motorsport know-how will make a very talented car.

Can we get rid of the Union Jacks please?

But there are issues. That £64,451 entry price is very tempting but, as it the Porsche way, options will soon see that spiral. Clubsport pack? £2,670 sir, and only possible with the £1,970 bucket seats. A digital radio is £324, but to facilitate that you must add Porsche Communication Management (£2,141) and the Sound Package Plus at £396. And who knows when (indeed if) you will be able to get one?

Don't get me wrong - I'm sure the Cayman will be excellent and I'd love one. But when considering a sports car only for track, what about a Lotus?

Exige Cup versus Cayman GT4 sounds like an enthralling track comparison. A place where everyday usability can go hang, not speccing PCM won't seem so ridiculous and both will remind you why mid-engined cars (and manual gearboxes) are so right.

It will be interesting to see how GT4 buyers use their cars, whether they are regularly used as intended or kept tucked away. As an occasional track plaything rather than a normal sports car the balance surely swings in the Lotus's favour. Those compromises that hamper it as a day-to-day prospect become less important.

When was the last time you drove a car without power steering? Yes, the Exige will be hard work at low speeds but imagine the joy of steering it once up to speed. Porsche electric power steering is very good as those systems go but Lotus still has a knack of making the old methods work exceptionally well.

Well obviously it's pretty bare in here

The Exige is 200kg lighter than the Porsche too, not an insignificant number when considering track dynamics. Oh sure, as an overall proposition the Cayman is probably the one to have but purely for driving thrills it would surely be far, far closer. Hopefully that's a question we can answer soon.

Anyway, to the Exige Cup in question. Handily given the story opened with how expensive the Cayman can be, this Cup is £10K less than its £62,994 list price after 5,500 miles. The catch? This looks to be old press car, just in case that fire needed stoking a little more. The advert describes it as a Lotus Cars 'demonstrator vehicle' but there can't be too many white Exige Cups around, particularly registered two years ago. There is however this Pewter Grey Cup at £56,979 if the press car thing is a real concern. Looks fantastic in grey actually.

There will understandably huge demand for the Cayman GT4, and a huge amount of buyer satisfaction too. But a little thinking outside of the box plus a little bit (alright, probably quite a lot) of compromise could result in something even more enjoyable still. In the right situations. Decisions, decisions!

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LOTUS EXIGE V6 CUP
Engine: 3,456cc V6, supercharged
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 350@7,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 295@4,500rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: March 2013
Recorded mileage: 5,500
Price new: £62,994 (basic price inc. VAT, fully road legal and with limited warranty)
Yours for: £52,950

See the original advert here.

[tim milne]

Can you please sort out this sentence:

"This looks to be old press car, just in case that fired need stoking a little more."

[kultsch88]

Happiest looking car I've ever laid my eyes upon.

What has been seen cannot be unseen...

[The Pits]

Good grief, the voice of reason among the madness.

Worth adding the power:weight

Cayman GT4 - 283 bhp per ton
Exige V6S - 294 bhp per ton (55k new!)
Exige V6 Cup - 313 bhp per ton

Lotus are currently completing a tear down of the Exige to make it even lighter and fit the new 400bhp chargecooled V6. It can't come soon enough!

Edited by The Pits on Tuesday 10th March 15:28

[Krikkit]

kultsch88 said:

Happiest looking car I've ever laid my eyes upon.

What has been seen cannot be unseen...

Gorgeous, I love that grey; it's like trying to pretend to be sensible and failing hugely.

[Matt Bird]

tim milne said:

Can you please sort out this sentence:

"This looks to be old press car, just in case that fired need stoking a little more."

Eurgh yes, sorry about that. Sorted now!


Matt

[zebra]

Krikkit said:

Gorgeous, I love that grey; it's like trying to pretend to be sensible and failing hugely.

I failed:

[soad]

Misleading number plate. For a moment, mistook it for a '08 registration...

[kambites]

Article said:

... but purely for driving thrills it would surely be far, far closer...

If that's true, Lotus have a serious problem on their hands. The Exige needs to beat the Cayman on track by as much as the Cayman beats the Exige on the motorway, if not more.

[Chris71]

Absolutely adore these. Drove a V6 Cup and the track-only Cup R last year at Hethel and it has to be the best handling road car I've ever driven. Great engine as well as an incredible chassis.

As a regular proposition it would be another matter, but as a track toy and occasional Sunday afternoon road car I'd take an Exige over a Cayman or Alfa 4C any day.

[RobM77]

I've driven the standard Exige V6 and much preferred it to a Cayman S (of which I tried two with a view to buying a few years ago). Whilst I've not tried a GT4 Cayman (unsurprisingly), that's a great article and I agree with everything in it . I wouldn't be at all surprised if I preferred the Exige Cup to a Cayman GT4 (and the awesome everyday car you could buy with the change if you buy a lightly used Cup instead of a new Cayman GT4 with a few options... That's a silly point I know, but is a new track car to spank ever as appeaing as a brand new road car to cherish?). Hopefully I'll get to try an Exige Cup at some point

[The Pits]

kambites said:

If that's true, Lotus have a serious problem on their hands. The Exige needs to beat the Cayman on track by as much as the Cayman beats the Exige on the motorway, if not more.

For you maybe. Some people like their cars raw, loud and communicative. Others prefer numb, fast, refined and luxurious. The former camp will enjoy the Exige more on both the road and the track and the latter will prefer the GT4. The Exige is a thrilling car to drive. The Cayman S is merely impressive.

[kambites]

The Pits said:

kambites said:

If that's true, Lotus have a serious problem on their hands. The Exige needs to beat the Cayman on track by as much as the Cayman beats the Exige on the motorway, if not more.

For you maybe. Some people like their cars raw, loud and communicative. Others prefer numb, fast, refined and luxurious. The former camp will enjoy the Exige more on both the road and the track and the latter will prefer the GT4. The Exige is a thrilling car to drive. The Cayman S is merely impressive.

Well yes, that was my entire point? The Exige needs to be better than the Cayman on track. The original article implied it might just be as good as it.

[RobM77]

The Pits said:

kambites said:

If that's true, Lotus have a serious problem on their hands. The Exige needs to beat the Cayman on track by as much as the Cayman beats the Exige on the motorway, if not more.

For you maybe. Some people like their cars raw, loud and communicative. Others prefer numb, fast, refined and luxurious. The former camp will enjoy the Exige more on both the road and the track and the latter will prefer the GT4. The Exige is a thrilling car to drive. The Cayman S is merely impressive.

I agree with you entirely regarding the Cayman S and Exige (see my post above), but surely we should give the new GT4 Cayman the benefit of the doubt? From past experiences with Porsche and Lotus, I suspect I would prefer the Lotus, but I'm reluctant to comment having not driven a GT4 specifically.

[hughcam]

This would (and will) be my choice over the Cayman GT4.

Not that the Cayman isnt a better all rounder I just much prefer the focus of the Lotus Exige (not to mention the reliability and cheaper consumables)

[Dblue]

The Pits said:

Good grief, the voice of reason among the madness.

Worth adding the power:weight

Cayman GT4 - 283 bhp per ton
Exige V6S - 294 bhp per ton (55k new!)
Exige V6 Cup - 313 bhp per ton

Lotus are currently completing a tear down of the Exige to make it even lighter and fit the new 400bhp chargecooled V6. It can't come soon enough!

Edited by The Pits on Tuesday 10th March 15:28

Power to weight is absolutely not what either of these is about though.

But FWIW I reckon the Lotus will be just as good as a road car as the GT4 and its going to be a real close run thing dynamically. The new Evora might be a real contender too and is certainly as liveable with as the Cayman

[Matt Bird]

kambites said:

The Pits said:

kambites said:

If that's true, Lotus have a serious problem on their hands. The Exige needs to beat the Cayman on track by as much as the Cayman beats the Exige on the motorway, if not more.

For you maybe. Some people like their cars raw, loud and communicative. Others prefer numb, fast, refined and luxurious. The former camp will enjoy the Exige more on both the road and the track and the latter will prefer the GT4. The Exige is a thrilling car to drive. The Cayman S is merely impressive.

Well yes, that was my entire point? The Exige needs to be better than the Cayman on track. The original article implied it might just be as good as it.

Having not driven either (yet!) I was hedging my bets a little. As also mentioned, we'll hope to get both on track asap to establish just what the differences are. I would hope the Lotus is actually a fair bit more exciting on track but let's see!


Matt

[Dblue]

Also, the Cup is very much a track biased car that can be used on the road and has considerably less NVH and creature comforts than even the regular Exige V6.

The direct comparison with the GT4 is the regular V6S surely (Or even the EVORA 400)

[MrTappets]

While I respect and admire the new Cayman GT4 a great deal, when it comes down to it, my God I want one of these! News of 400hp + extra lightness has got me genuinely quite excited purely at the principle of it.

[PhilboSE]

That Exige engine looks a bit short of puff - supercharged and still only 100bhp/litre?

£10k difference for second hand Exige vs new Cayman GT4 wouldn't be enough to sway me, I'm afraid.

[Europa1]

PhilboSE said:

That Exige engine looks a bit short of puff - supercharged and still only 100bhp/litre?

£10k difference for second hand Exige vs new Cayman GT4 wouldn't be enough to sway me, I'm afraid.

Short of puff Exige 294bhp per tonne, Cayman GT4 283bhp per tonne.