Exige S2 - No aircon - really that bad?

[burnt]

So I've done a silly thing. I've sold my car and am now without. I didn't realise quite how difficult find the right spec Exige would be.

I've seen a nice 06 touring, ticks all the right boxes but has no aircon. I've read here that this is a 10 ft barge pole job. Really?!!?!?

[LivinLaVidaLotus]

Personally I wouldn't. I've been sweating like mad in my 111R the past few days, when I couldn't take the roof off (nowhere to put it).

[21TonyK]

Nor would I, especially with cars line this around...

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/536279.htm

[Lawrence5]

Heat soak is worse in the Exige than elise but it really isn't too much of an issue. Trouble is reselling it without air-con.... because people think they need it you have to have it

[burnt]

Yep I have come to that conclusion after reading a few posts.

In which case who has a Graphite Grey 06+ car they want to sell me?

;)

[111KAB]

Got stuck in traffic jams out of Birmingham and up M42/A42 yesterday. Air con was on constantly - without it I would have fried. Not too bad with windows down if you are flying along but without airflow in hot weather air-con is a must IMO

[tricky 100]

Absolute kiss of death for resale values.

[lincoln lad]

Like anything - depends on use, type of journeys, mostly track days etc...

I use mine for track days and occasional weekends, so no air con is fine. Also your asking the question in a rare moment of good weather, which for most of the year we never see.

[hueandcry71]

LivinLaVidaLotus said:

Personally I wouldn't. I've been sweating like mad in my 111R the past few days, when I couldn't take the roof off (nowhere to put it).

I just open the windows and everything is fine.

[TonyHetherington]

I've had aircon in both my eixige and my old elise; I'd say it it's really worth it. Yes, you can do without, but why do without if you don't have to?

Resale value is hit slightly but you will of course pay less for it to begin with - it's more the speed at which you'll sell it I think.

My suggestion would be to get air con

[Jez O]

I don't have it in mine but then it's only for weekends and fun- I don't have to use it to get to work. I saved £1500 (and 15kg) when I bought the car by not having it so not that bothered. If it's worth that much less when/if I sell then I haven't lost out. I have seen there are lots of buyers with lots of different planned uses for these cars, so I guess there's always a buyer somewhere.

In summary: used for work = yes it's a must.
pleasure only = no it's not.

[eowen]

A must. Esp for resale. Plenty about. Buy in haste, repent at leasure.

[burnt]

Daft thing is the car I saw had the super touring pack but no air con which is daft to me. Super touring = road use only but why not specify air con. Can you tell I'm mad?!

The search continues.

I'm now thinking about a performance pack and retro fitting sound proofing if the other half isn't impressed. Anybody done this?

[21TonyK]

burnt said:

Daft thing is the car I saw had the super touring pack but no air con which is daft to me. Super touring = road use only but why not specify air con. Can you tell I'm mad?!

The search continues.

I'm now thinking about a performance pack and retro fitting sound proofing if the other half isn't impressed. Anybody done this?

See my previous post, you could easily add sound proofing to that. Somewhere on SELOC there is a thread about someone who bought all the bits from a dealer. Pretty cheap if I remember rightly.

[R.P.M]

NO AIRCON = MUCH DISCOMFORT MOST OF THE TIME!

I always leave mine ticking over even on not so warm days. It's amazing how warm it can get in the cabin.

Also It's a god send come winter time for de-misting your screen.

I wouldnt entertain any exige without a/c.

Rpm

[jfrf]

3.5 years later and Im surviving fine without aircon.

windows down or even sometimes roof off.

[nsm3]

R.P.M said:

NO AIRCON = MUCH DISCOMFORT MOST OF THE TIME!

I always leave mine ticking over even on not so warm days. It's amazing how warm it can get in the cabin.

Also It's a god send come winter time for de-misting your screen.

I wouldnt entertain any exige without a/c.

Rpm

What he said

[island s2]

nsm3 said:

R.P.M said:

NO AIRCON = MUCH DISCOMFORT MOST OF THE TIME!

I always leave mine ticking over even on not so warm days. It's amazing how warm it can get in the cabin.

Also It's a god send come winter time for de-misting your screen.

I wouldnt entertain any exige without a/c.

Rpm

What he said

Agree too. My aircon is currently being fixed as I write and in hot weather and in wet winters it really is good to have.

I've come from an elise which didn't have it but the heat soak from the exige makes a big difference. I recently had the dubious pleasure of a trip from liverpool to london for a bank holiday weekend and it was fairly warm.

Even with both windows open (which is loud at motorway speed, especially when combined with a larini and pipercross), let's just say if I was dieting, I would have been pleased with the result.

[Phil-CH]

burnt said:

Yep I have come to that conclusion after reading a few posts.

In which case who has a Graphite Grey 06+ car they want to sell me?

;)

I've got a Graphite one, but am not selling. :P

From my perspective, A/C probably isn't an absolute necessity, but helps a lot when you want to sell it again later on or find yourself on a realyl hot day. I drive my car (with S/C, so it gets hotter inside) without A/C for 99% of the time, but am so glad to have it for that 1% when it is really hot or just to cool the temperature down again every now and then.

Note though that I don't use the car as a daily drive, so perhaps driving without A/C is a worthwhile compromise in my case while it probably isn't if you use the car more often. If you are willing to use it as a focused mostly trackday only car and don't intend to sell, go for it without A/C if you don't think you'll need it.