Lotus Exige S vs 993 RS
Discussion
Got to drive the Exige S round Lotus track at Hethel,.....It was definitely the best Lotus I have driven in years....driving it back to back with the standard Exige it was a revelation.
Having said that I did miss the weight transfer of the 993 and traction out of the bends, i felt i would have been quicker in the 993.
Maybe this was because I didn't have enough time to master the Exige? Personally i would say the 993 just edges it, so i bought another one and am happy with the decision.
I really think the Exige S is perhaps the best new car of this type out there,i would take one over a Cayman for it's involvement any day.
You really need to try a 993RS to make the decision, the only thing is, after several 911 I wasn't amazed by the 993RS immediately.
It took a few months for it to gel....I cancelled an order for a new GT3RS at the time as I couldn't bring myself to part with the 993....However I have since parted with that car and bought one which makes the Exige seem like a Lexus.....I much prefer the communication and solidity of the 993, I did feel I could break the little Lotus, which did not make it a sensible ownership proposition for me.
Having said that I did miss the weight transfer of the 993 and traction out of the bends, i felt i would have been quicker in the 993.
Maybe this was because I didn't have enough time to master the Exige? Personally i would say the 993 just edges it, so i bought another one and am happy with the decision.
I really think the Exige S is perhaps the best new car of this type out there,i would take one over a Cayman for it's involvement any day.
You really need to try a 993RS to make the decision, the only thing is, after several 911 I wasn't amazed by the 993RS immediately.
It took a few months for it to gel....I cancelled an order for a new GT3RS at the time as I couldn't bring myself to part with the 993....However I have since parted with that car and bought one which makes the Exige seem like a Lexus.....I much prefer the communication and solidity of the 993, I did feel I could break the little Lotus, which did not make it a sensible ownership proposition for me.
Good question.
I have a stripped out 993 RS that is very hardcore. My mate has an Exige (190 BHP, not supercharged) and have had a ride in that around the track, but I haven't driven it.
Key things:
1. The Lotus stops just as well as the 993 RS probably due to lightness.
2. The Lotus has a higher turn in speed, probably due to lightness as well, or possibly due to my mate being a better driver than me.
3. The Porsche feels physically stronger than the Lotus. On the move the Exige feels less substantial around you, less strong.
4. The engine in the 993 RS sounds much more exotic.
Like i said, I haven't driven the Lotus. I would guess similar lap times on a tight tack for both cars. I think the Porsche wins it in terms of grunt (but I suspect the power to weight ratios are similar) and traction out of bends, but the Lotus has a very high turn in speed which seems to compensate. I haven't "raced" my mate yet at the track, but he has a racing kart etc and races his Exige in the mid engined sportscar championship.......he is a better driver, so it wouldn't really tell me much.
I have a stripped out 993 RS that is very hardcore. My mate has an Exige (190 BHP, not supercharged) and have had a ride in that around the track, but I haven't driven it.
Key things:
1. The Lotus stops just as well as the 993 RS probably due to lightness.
2. The Lotus has a higher turn in speed, probably due to lightness as well, or possibly due to my mate being a better driver than me.
3. The Porsche feels physically stronger than the Lotus. On the move the Exige feels less substantial around you, less strong.
4. The engine in the 993 RS sounds much more exotic.
Like i said, I haven't driven the Lotus. I would guess similar lap times on a tight tack for both cars. I think the Porsche wins it in terms of grunt (but I suspect the power to weight ratios are similar) and traction out of bends, but the Lotus has a very high turn in speed which seems to compensate. I haven't "raced" my mate yet at the track, but he has a racing kart etc and races his Exige in the mid engined sportscar championship.......he is a better driver, so it wouldn't really tell me much.
clubsport said:
Got to drive the Exige S round Lotus track at Hethel,.....It was definitely the best Lotus I have driven in years....driving it back to back with the standard Exige it was a revelation.
Having said that I did miss the weight transfer of the 993 and traction out of the bends, i felt i would have been quicker in the 993.
Maybe this was because I didn't have enough time to master the Exige? Personally i would say the 993 just edges it, so i bought another one and am happy with the decision.
I really think the Exige S is perhaps the best new car of this type out there,i would take one over a Cayman for it's involvement any day.
You really need to try a 993RS to make the decision, the only thing is, after several 911 I wasn't amazed by the 993RS immediately.
It took a few months for it to gel....I cancelled an order for a new GT3RS at the time as I couldn't bring myself to part with the 993....However I have since parted with that car and bought one which makes the Exige seem like a Lexus.....I much prefer the communication and solidity of the 993, I did feel I could break the little Lotus, which did not make it a sensible ownership proposition for me.
Having said that I did miss the weight transfer of the 993 and traction out of the bends, i felt i would have been quicker in the 993.
Maybe this was because I didn't have enough time to master the Exige? Personally i would say the 993 just edges it, so i bought another one and am happy with the decision.
I really think the Exige S is perhaps the best new car of this type out there,i would take one over a Cayman for it's involvement any day.
You really need to try a 993RS to make the decision, the only thing is, after several 911 I wasn't amazed by the 993RS immediately.
It took a few months for it to gel....I cancelled an order for a new GT3RS at the time as I couldn't bring myself to part with the 993....However I have since parted with that car and bought one which makes the Exige seem like a Lexus.....I much prefer the communication and solidity of the 993, I did feel I could break the little Lotus, which did not make it a sensible ownership proposition for me.
Thanks for the info!
I don't have the chance to try both car before I make the decision. However, I have driven a GT3 and I like that. I also like the Exige. I really love go kart and MR cars. So maybe Exige suits me more?
Does the RS expensive to maintain? I want a car for driving and I don't want to fix things all the time.
Do you mean the communication and handle of the RS is better than the S?
Do you think the Exige S is better and faster than the S1 Exige?
How was the Toyota SC engine?
johnny senna said:
Good question.
I have a stripped out 993 RS that is very hardcore. My mate has an Exige (190 BHP, not supercharged) and have had a ride in that around the track, but I haven't driven it.
Key things:
1. The Lotus stops just as well as the 993 RS probably due to lightness.
2. The Lotus has a higher turn in speed, probably due to lightness as well, or possibly due to my mate being a better driver than me.
3. The Porsche feels physically stronger than the Lotus. On the move the Exige feels less substantial around you, less strong.
4. The engine in the 993 RS sounds much more exotic.
Like i said, I haven't driven the Lotus. I would guess similar lap times on a tight tack for both cars. I think the Porsche wins it in terms of grunt (but I suspect the power to weight ratios are similar) and traction out of bends, but the Lotus has a very high turn in speed which seems to compensate. I haven't "raced" my mate yet at the track, but he has a racing kart etc and races his Exige in the mid engined sportscar championship.......he is a better driver, so it wouldn't really tell me much.
I have a stripped out 993 RS that is very hardcore. My mate has an Exige (190 BHP, not supercharged) and have had a ride in that around the track, but I haven't driven it.
Key things:
1. The Lotus stops just as well as the 993 RS probably due to lightness.
2. The Lotus has a higher turn in speed, probably due to lightness as well, or possibly due to my mate being a better driver than me.
3. The Porsche feels physically stronger than the Lotus. On the move the Exige feels less substantial around you, less strong.
4. The engine in the 993 RS sounds much more exotic.
Like i said, I haven't driven the Lotus. I would guess similar lap times on a tight tack for both cars. I think the Porsche wins it in terms of grunt (but I suspect the power to weight ratios are similar) and traction out of bends, but the Lotus has a very high turn in speed which seems to compensate. I haven't "raced" my mate yet at the track, but he has a racing kart etc and races his Exige in the mid engined sportscar championship.......he is a better driver, so it wouldn't really tell me much.
Thank you!
The 993RS is so cool, how much to get one in the UK? The price is close to a New Exige S?
The RS reliable?
ExigeS said:
New Exige S vs Used 993 RS
Anyone have driven both?
Which one is faster and have better handling?
Thanks!
Anyone have driven both?
Which one is faster and have better handling?
Thanks!
The 993 will be ultimately more rewarding. It may be a little slower but with a bit of tweeking it should keep up. But in 10 years time the 993 will still be strong, I doubt that the highly stressed Exige will be.
Why buy a Timex when you can have a Rolex for the same money
sleep envy said:
ExigeS said:
Does the RS expensive to maintain? I want a car for driving and I don't want to fix things all the time.
So far *touches wood* my RS has been as reliable as my C2 i.e. it's never let me down and is costing me buttons to run, excluding fuel which it drinks by the litre.
That's wonderful! What about the A/C?
Do you have any photos of your RS?
Do you know around how much and where I can find a good RHD?
First off, the Gt3 is a great car,,,I am not looking to start the usual battle that starts, but having driven both I much prefer the smaller 993 set up, I find it more chuckable,,,,coming from 60/70's Elans...I do enjoy smaller cars..GT3 is best on larger circuits,,,something like hethel where Lotus obviously develop is much better in a smaller car......Trying to keep this Lotus not RS/GT3 based guys...honest 
RS is over engineered and relatively light....main expense is brakes and tyres.....it is effectively the cheapest track car I have ever had as these components last well....there is also the fact that they are certainly not depreciating anymore and may be seen to increase in value helping to offset expenses?
They are all 10+ years old now, so some fettling is required...most have been on track some more than others.
Personally I preferred the communication/handling of the RS over the Exige, maybe that is because I knew it better, however, with the rigidity and raw nature of the clubsport versions it is no contest....the Exige is but a Lexus as mentioned above.....no joke!
To answer the engine dilemma,,,the Exige S1 I drove was 190bhp (allegedly) VHPD.....nice car with serious intent....but an incredibly small power band at the top of the range, made it hard to drive consistently, plus those engines have been known to be a little fragile.
The 190 Exige S2 with the Toyota lump I also drove at Hethel, was a nice car...I appreciate it has some VVVariable intake mullarkey on it.....but it worse worse than Turbo lag, coming out of a turn with 4-5000 rpm there was so little happening until it came on cam and picked up.....after a few laps and driving on the road I got to drive round this a little but it was still there.
The Exige S was a revelation as the S/charger gave much more torque out of turns and screamed up to about 8750 rpm before the cutout came in (great fun in the torrential rain).....I think the S just highlights the relative short comings of the regular Exige and with the price differential doubt they will sell too many non S cars...
As I said I really enjoyed the Exige and have a healthy respect for what Lotus have now achieved, however it still felt a little dumbed down compared to a proper RS to me.
**Edited as I forgot the non....
RS is over engineered and relatively light....main expense is brakes and tyres.....it is effectively the cheapest track car I have ever had as these components last well....there is also the fact that they are certainly not depreciating anymore and may be seen to increase in value helping to offset expenses?
They are all 10+ years old now, so some fettling is required...most have been on track some more than others.
Personally I preferred the communication/handling of the RS over the Exige, maybe that is because I knew it better, however, with the rigidity and raw nature of the clubsport versions it is no contest....the Exige is but a Lexus as mentioned above.....no joke!
To answer the engine dilemma,,,the Exige S1 I drove was 190bhp (allegedly) VHPD.....nice car with serious intent....but an incredibly small power band at the top of the range, made it hard to drive consistently, plus those engines have been known to be a little fragile.
The 190 Exige S2 with the Toyota lump I also drove at Hethel, was a nice car...I appreciate it has some VVVariable intake mullarkey on it.....but it worse worse than Turbo lag, coming out of a turn with 4-5000 rpm there was so little happening until it came on cam and picked up.....after a few laps and driving on the road I got to drive round this a little but it was still there.
The Exige S was a revelation as the S/charger gave much more torque out of turns and screamed up to about 8750 rpm before the cutout came in (great fun in the torrential rain).....I think the S just highlights the relative short comings of the regular Exige and with the price differential doubt they will sell too many non S cars...
As I said I really enjoyed the Exige and have a healthy respect for what Lotus have now achieved, however it still felt a little dumbed down compared to a proper RS to me.
**Edited as I forgot the non....
Edited by clubsport on Thursday 27th July 11:08
Exige,,,,small problem on the rhd front....they made 41 RS and 7 of the clubsports for the UK.
There are a few "repaired" rhd cars around in the low £50k's and top condition cars go for mid to late £60k's.
apparently there are 5/7 rhd clubsports left, you would need to be looking to spend £85k+ to prize one of the better ones away from their owners.....on the basis of this the Exige S does look a good deal, but as mentioned if you buy a decent Rs it is as good as money in the bank only much more fun
There are a few "repaired" rhd cars around in the low £50k's and top condition cars go for mid to late £60k's.
apparently there are 5/7 rhd clubsports left, you would need to be looking to spend £85k+ to prize one of the better ones away from their owners.....on the basis of this the Exige S does look a good deal, but as mentioned if you buy a decent Rs it is as good as money in the bank only much more fun
ExigeS said:
New Exige S vs Used 993 RS
Anyone have driven both?
Which one is faster and have better handling?
Thanks!
Anyone have driven both?
Which one is faster and have better handling?
Thanks!
I've also tracked the 'S' at Hethel & absolutely loved the thing, soooooo much better than regular rather frustrating Exige, however I did feel I would quickly be able to drive it as quickly as my limited abilities would allow & could certainly drive it more quickly & with more confidence within mins of jumping in it than an RS.
Not driven a 993Rs in well over a yr but ive driven a fair few & with an RS I've never felt I could drive it in quite the same manner- much more so than 964Rs tho, (that is however mainly coz im inept) not without many yrs of tracking it under my aRSe, that mastering it thang is however why those who could afford far more exotic things do love the RS's.
My often confused tiny little reptile brain did feel however that a good regular RS was gruntier (remember most un fettled RS's are down on power- mainly cam slip & variospam issues)& thus quicker straight line than the 'S' (& given GT3 are now in the same price bracket & must be worthy of consdieration too, despite the GT3 lardbuckets near half a ton extra weight over the exige- & a GT3 definatly has more punch, as you'd expect given its power) an RS is no rocket as stock but does have a muscular pull that I felt lacking in the 'S' 'S' however is (significantly) lighter & I felt noticably more agile & easier to drive.
I can't see that the exige would shrug off its track abuse quite as easily as the porker tho,
I rate the exige 'S' very very highly, but in yr position, GT3, RS or 'S' (& got to think of GT3 also, & maybe M3 CSl too tho I dont wanna open that can of worms here) well its a win win situation really!
ExigeS said:
Does the RS expensive to maintain? I want a car for driving and I don't want to fix things all the time.
if money is an issue, (when isn't it?), its also worth considering that an exige s will almost certainly depreciate (although the mk1 exige held its value well once it hit low 20's). in contrast the 993rs is unlikely to cost less in a few years (general state of the economy witholding).
contrary to most posters though i guess the supercharged exige will be a lot faster on track - there are a couple of regular track dayers with honda v-tec or audi 1.9t elises which are fec4ing rapid.
Before I bought my RS I used to have a slightly modified ( Nitron suspension, exhaust induction kit etc etc ) S1 Elise 111s and I have got a number of mates with Elises including the Sport 190 and S2 Exiges, but not Exige S.
I would say that it is easier to jump into an Exige and learn to drive it quickly in less time than a Porsche, particularly 964RS and earlier.
Exiges are fantastic cars no question and I agree that a well driven one would more than likely be faster than an RS BUT there is a real sense of achievement when you start to feel things happening in the RS - getting used to the weight transition and using it for your benefit, keeping smooth and feeling the traction out of corners when you put the power down. It is just brilliant. My RS has a quite a few miles on it and yes it has been well looked after through all its life and I've just had a lot of work done to the car to keep it at that condition but it feels like a new car still.
Not sure how much rubber is for an Exige S but for my old elise it was about 400 quid for a set of advans all round. For a set of Pirelli Corsa track tyres for the RS you are talking around 900 for a set.
Have a look at www.gtclassics.co.uk for a good idea of cars prices and variants of RS. Have a look at the "cars previously sold" section too.
Think you've just got to get out in both cars and drive them. Either way you'll know as soon as you start driving.
Jimmy
I would say that it is easier to jump into an Exige and learn to drive it quickly in less time than a Porsche, particularly 964RS and earlier.
Exiges are fantastic cars no question and I agree that a well driven one would more than likely be faster than an RS BUT there is a real sense of achievement when you start to feel things happening in the RS - getting used to the weight transition and using it for your benefit, keeping smooth and feeling the traction out of corners when you put the power down. It is just brilliant. My RS has a quite a few miles on it and yes it has been well looked after through all its life and I've just had a lot of work done to the car to keep it at that condition but it feels like a new car still.
Not sure how much rubber is for an Exige S but for my old elise it was about 400 quid for a set of advans all round. For a set of Pirelli Corsa track tyres for the RS you are talking around 900 for a set.
Have a look at www.gtclassics.co.uk for a good idea of cars prices and variants of RS. Have a look at the "cars previously sold" section too.
Think you've just got to get out in both cars and drive them. Either way you'll know as soon as you start driving.
Jimmy
Just to let you chaps go that the original poster 'ExigeS' is unavailable for feedback as he is the troll called 'GT2' we had a little while ago. You know the one. He used to be the timewaster who asked short questions that demanded long answers, and made feck all contribution himself.
Needless to say, it was an interesting topic that has elicited some top answers, so we'll keep this thread for a future FAQ or something. The Exige S vs 993RS debate is a good one.
He's been banned as he had no interest in purchasing any of the cars and we don't need another Dokic character. MHM may also have left the building for similar reasons.
Needless to say, it was an interesting topic that has elicited some top answers, so we'll keep this thread for a future FAQ or something. The Exige S vs 993RS debate is a good one.
He's been banned as he had no interest in purchasing any of the cars and we don't need another Dokic character. MHM may also have left the building for similar reasons.
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