Any one tempted with a Exige Cup Black ed for a fun car.
Discussion
I test drove one at Silverstone last week…
Here’s what I posted on SELOC and The Lotus Forums:
So, my apologies for not updating this thread with my impressions following my drive of the Exige V6 Cup at Silverstone in a more timely fashion – my excuse is that I have been moving house!
I drove the car a week or so ago at Silverstone. The weather was dry and sunny – perfect conditions…
The first car I drove on the day was the Exige V6 Roadster – a nice car; but I didn’t particularly enjoy it on the day. It was too soft on track and the gearing is (certainly felt) longer than the in the Cup, meaning you have to take some corners in 2nd and change up to 3rd sometimes mid-corner exit (which is clearly not ideal) – it was a nice road car, but not for me.
The Cup I really enjoyed – particularly with Andrew Bentley beside me talking me through the lap and when he drove it with me along for the ride.
The car feels at home on track, the shorter gearing really suited the flowing nature of the circuit and it doesn’t lack top end either. It certainly wasn’t out of place.
The day was a track day, but was full of exotica such a McLaren P1, Ferrari 250 GTO, several 997.2 GT3 RS and also a number of race teams (essentially using it as a test day, as because it was an RMA trackday overtaking was allowed on either side etc).
When Andrew drove the car, nothing really outpaced it and it moved around nicely at the limit.
As I said I really enjoyed driving the car and left thinking I would definitely buy the car I had already placed a deposit on with Bell & Colvill – however, as soon as I got home I jumped in to my 997.2 GT3 RS and went for a drive.
As I explained the idea was for me to essentially stop driving the GT3 RS and treat it as an investment – with the Exige V6 Cup taking it’s place as the ‘fun’ car – but as soon as I drove it again I knew I wanted to continue to drive it and that if I bought the Cup it would be an ‘as well as’ and not an ‘in the place of’ purchase…
If I’m honest I am also not sure that the Cup feels like nearly £70k worth of car.
So for now my plan is to use the GT3 RS for special occasions (Le Mans trips to the 24hrs and the Classic and an Alpine tour) and to rent for trackdays.
I still really like the V6 Cup, and I am keen to drive a Lotus again, but given the cost of new versus what I might make on the RS it doesn’t seem to make financial sense at the moment. I may start to look for an S2 Exige at some point…
Finally, a quick mention to Jamie and all at B&C who have been extremely helpful and understanding – I felt really quite bad withdrawing from the purchase, but Jamie was very good about it, and I am sure if I do buy a Lotus in the future it will be from B&C.
Hokum Pokum (a fellow 997.2 GT3 RS owner) was also there test driving as well.
Here’s what I posted on SELOC and The Lotus Forums:
So, my apologies for not updating this thread with my impressions following my drive of the Exige V6 Cup at Silverstone in a more timely fashion – my excuse is that I have been moving house!
I drove the car a week or so ago at Silverstone. The weather was dry and sunny – perfect conditions…
The first car I drove on the day was the Exige V6 Roadster – a nice car; but I didn’t particularly enjoy it on the day. It was too soft on track and the gearing is (certainly felt) longer than the in the Cup, meaning you have to take some corners in 2nd and change up to 3rd sometimes mid-corner exit (which is clearly not ideal) – it was a nice road car, but not for me.
The Cup I really enjoyed – particularly with Andrew Bentley beside me talking me through the lap and when he drove it with me along for the ride.
The car feels at home on track, the shorter gearing really suited the flowing nature of the circuit and it doesn’t lack top end either. It certainly wasn’t out of place.
The day was a track day, but was full of exotica such a McLaren P1, Ferrari 250 GTO, several 997.2 GT3 RS and also a number of race teams (essentially using it as a test day, as because it was an RMA trackday overtaking was allowed on either side etc).
When Andrew drove the car, nothing really outpaced it and it moved around nicely at the limit.
As I said I really enjoyed driving the car and left thinking I would definitely buy the car I had already placed a deposit on with Bell & Colvill – however, as soon as I got home I jumped in to my 997.2 GT3 RS and went for a drive.
As I explained the idea was for me to essentially stop driving the GT3 RS and treat it as an investment – with the Exige V6 Cup taking it’s place as the ‘fun’ car – but as soon as I drove it again I knew I wanted to continue to drive it and that if I bought the Cup it would be an ‘as well as’ and not an ‘in the place of’ purchase…
If I’m honest I am also not sure that the Cup feels like nearly £70k worth of car.
So for now my plan is to use the GT3 RS for special occasions (Le Mans trips to the 24hrs and the Classic and an Alpine tour) and to rent for trackdays.
I still really like the V6 Cup, and I am keen to drive a Lotus again, but given the cost of new versus what I might make on the RS it doesn’t seem to make financial sense at the moment. I may start to look for an S2 Exige at some point…
Finally, a quick mention to Jamie and all at B&C who have been extremely helpful and understanding – I felt really quite bad withdrawing from the purchase, but Jamie was very good about it, and I am sure if I do buy a Lotus in the future it will be from B&C.
Hokum Pokum (a fellow 997.2 GT3 RS owner) was also there test driving as well.
I test drove a normal V6 last year, was slightly compounded on my drive by having both calf muscles pulled so couldnt compare them directly between that and my 996 GT3 though if anything id say the V6 rode the road alot better and wasnt trying to follow all the cambers (if you know what i mean), however the thing that put me off was the build quality (windows not going all the way up into the frame - visible gap) and for £50k, id be expecting alot more plusher interior and not something that belongs in the 'normal models'.
Ive not seen the Evora's interior but maybe that into the V6?
Ive not seen the Evora's interior but maybe that into the V6?
Lotus have a real window of opportunity now to grab some of the enthusiast drivers market.
Rightly or wrongly, there are many that don't want an automatic gearbox or too many nannying controls.
With the right cars and marketing, 'car for real drivers' etc, surely they could increase sales?
Rightly or wrongly, there are many that don't want an automatic gearbox or too many nannying controls.
With the right cars and marketing, 'car for real drivers' etc, surely they could increase sales?
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