RE: Lotus Exige S Roadster: Review
Discussion
Gary C said:
What's the point?
To me the exige was the much more track focused ( and therefore solid roofed ) Elise.
Having an open topped version undermines this.
I think the roof of the Exige is more about aerodynamics than rigidity. The upper structural rigidity will be provided primarily by the roll bar and the windscreen header rail - the roof is a relatively flimsy non-structural piece of plastic.To me the exige was the much more track focused ( and therefore solid roofed ) Elise.
Having an open topped version undermines this.
However, with the roof on and working in conjunction with the various aerodynamics and weight-reduction measures, the Exige S is ballistic on track as a result. What they've done with the Roadster is made it more road-focused - the removable fabric roof is easier to live with as it's easier to get in and out of the car, the interior is much more plush, and the lairy motorsport aero addenda has been deleted, making the car look gorgeous in the process.
The result is a need to restrict the top speed as the altered aero will tear the roof off (and I suspect it won't be quite as stable without the rear wing), but Lotus knows the average Exige Roadster buyer won't get anywhere near the top speed anyway and won't care.
The Roadster would seem to be a very sound set of commercial decisions. I've no doubt in years to come we'll look back on it as 'Lotus's comeback car' in the way we saw the original Elise, and before it, the Turbo Esprit.
big_rob_sydney said:
Not really a fan. 53k for 0-60 in sub 4 is good, but this includes compromises for seating multiple people.
A Litchfield subaru will be just as quick, for 40k, and give you 4 doors, and a big boot.
Alternatively, the second hand market has plenty to offer. I've seen some GTR's at 40k that are positively tasty, with a few upgrades.
This?
Pass.
Bizarre. Myopic.A Litchfield subaru will be just as quick, for 40k, and give you 4 doors, and a big boot.
Alternatively, the second hand market has plenty to offer. I've seen some GTR's at 40k that are positively tasty, with a few upgrades.
This?
Pass.
big_rob_sydney said:
Not really a fan. 53k for 0-60 in sub 4 is good, but this includes compromises for seating multiple people.
A Litchfield subaru will be just as quick, for 40k, and give you 4 doors, and a big boot.
Alternatively, the second hand market has plenty to offer. I've seen some GTR's at 40k that are positively tasty, with a few upgrades.
This?
Pass.
You must love cars like the Zafira VXR. As said above my reply...your comments make no bloomin' sense:A Litchfield subaru will be just as quick, for 40k, and give you 4 doors, and a big boot.
Alternatively, the second hand market has plenty to offer. I've seen some GTR's at 40k that are positively tasty, with a few upgrades.
This?
Pass.
"I would really love a fast, great handling sports car that I can take the roof off of"
"I know, I'll buy a Japanese family hatchback with a plastic interior and an aftermarket tuning pack!"
Twincam16 said:
Gary C said:
What's the point?
To me the exige was the much more track focused ( and therefore solid roofed ) Elise.
Having an open topped version undermines this.
I think the roof of the Exige is more about aerodynamics than rigidity. The upper structural rigidity will be provided primarily by the roll bar and the windscreen header rail - the roof is a relatively flimsy non-structural piece of plastic.To me the exige was the much more track focused ( and therefore solid roofed ) Elise.
Having an open topped version undermines this.
However, with the roof on and working in conjunction with the various aerodynamics and weight-reduction measures, the Exige S is ballistic on track as a result. What they've done with the Roadster is made it more road-focused - the removable fabric roof is easier to live with as it's easier to get in and out of the car, the interior is much more plush, and the lairy motorsport aero addenda has been deleted, making the car look gorgeous in the process.
The result is a need to restrict the top speed as the altered aero will tear the roof off (and I suspect it won't be quite as stable without the rear wing), but Lotus knows the average Exige Roadster buyer won't get anywhere near the top speed anyway and won't care.
The Roadster would seem to be a very sound set of commercial decisions. I've no doubt in years to come we'll look back on it as 'Lotus's comeback car' in the way we saw the original Elise, and before it, the Turbo Esprit.
I'm sure is a marketing naming ploy to trade on the cachet of the exige name and open the car to a wider market ( like VW has with the 991 gt3).
Still a nice car though.
It depends on what you want from the car;
Pub bragging rights - you can get faster for cheaper.
Build - buy your Porsche Cayman/Boxster.
etc.
The Lotus is about the unfiltered feedback from unassisted steering, the rawness and involvement of the drive. I know the more modern models have abs and traction control but these are safety features and to help when things do go a bit squiffy. The car is still trying to stay true to it's roots in the restrictive environment that it is being sold into.
Look at the newest GT3. A car made to be a track/fastest lap weapon. To make it faster they've embraced the electronic paddle gearbox so that it is as fast/faster than it's rivals. If it fell short people would mention that it isn't as fast as the current gen Aston/Lambo/Ferrari it's to compete with. One of the things slowing it down was the speed in which the gear change took place and that has been fixed by the use of the PDK box.
If someone wants the Exige Roadster they can go buy one, if they would rather the Porsche/GTR/Subaru then no one is stopping them; you pays your money blah blah. Look at the S1 Exige and the premium they now command, a low volume (let's face it, they probably won't sell a huge quantity) modern Exige is bound to retain a fair amount of it's original price over the more mass produced counterparts. I am sure the Exige Roadster with give a huge amount of smiles per mile to whoever owns them. Personally I'm not in the target market and couldn't afford to buy one.
Pub bragging rights - you can get faster for cheaper.
Build - buy your Porsche Cayman/Boxster.
etc.
The Lotus is about the unfiltered feedback from unassisted steering, the rawness and involvement of the drive. I know the more modern models have abs and traction control but these are safety features and to help when things do go a bit squiffy. The car is still trying to stay true to it's roots in the restrictive environment that it is being sold into.
Look at the newest GT3. A car made to be a track/fastest lap weapon. To make it faster they've embraced the electronic paddle gearbox so that it is as fast/faster than it's rivals. If it fell short people would mention that it isn't as fast as the current gen Aston/Lambo/Ferrari it's to compete with. One of the things slowing it down was the speed in which the gear change took place and that has been fixed by the use of the PDK box.
If someone wants the Exige Roadster they can go buy one, if they would rather the Porsche/GTR/Subaru then no one is stopping them; you pays your money blah blah. Look at the S1 Exige and the premium they now command, a low volume (let's face it, they probably won't sell a huge quantity) modern Exige is bound to retain a fair amount of it's original price over the more mass produced counterparts. I am sure the Exige Roadster with give a huge amount of smiles per mile to whoever owns them. Personally I'm not in the target market and couldn't afford to buy one.
DJRC said:
big_rob_sydney said:
Not really a fan. 53k for 0-60 in sub 4 is good, but this includes compromises for seating multiple people.
A Litchfield subaru will be just as quick, for 40k, and give you 4 doors, and a big boot.
Alternatively, the second hand market has plenty to offer. I've seen some GTR's at 40k that are positively tasty, with a few upgrades.
This?
Pass.
It looks better.A Litchfield subaru will be just as quick, for 40k, and give you 4 doors, and a big boot.
Alternatively, the second hand market has plenty to offer. I've seen some GTR's at 40k that are positively tasty, with a few upgrades.
This?
Pass.
Its a roadster.
It handles better.
It rides better.
It DOESNT seat 4 ppl.
People look at you and dont think "there goes a complete "
Nobody ever bought a Lotus because of its 0-60 time ffs.
What cannot be forgotten is the public view of such marques. There will always be the ‘lots of trouble…..’ comment about Lotus just as there was the ‘so unreliable’ comments about TVR.
A lot of people could live with that if they could reply ‘yeah well it only cost 35k’. The public believe in Germany representing quality and Italy representing performance because the vast majority of them have never driven or owned any to make direct comparisons.
However, the comment “they have always done best, when selling for a lower price and offering more performance for it” is exactly the point I was making above.
I can imagine people buying French cars today from PSA Peugeot Citroën without even realising that their financial standing currently makes Lotus look like a gold plated surer than a sure thing investment….
A lot of people could live with that if they could reply ‘yeah well it only cost 35k’. The public believe in Germany representing quality and Italy representing performance because the vast majority of them have never driven or owned any to make direct comparisons.
peter450 said:
Lotus build quality has never really matched there competitors, they have always done best, when selling for a lower price and offering more performance for it
The Esprit Turbo SE was a good example and was one of the higher selling varients of that car.
A 25 year old model is not representative of current production. My V8 is vastly better than any SE I have ever been in. It is also better than most Ferraris that I test drove before making the choice.The Esprit Turbo SE was a good example and was one of the higher selling varients of that car.
However, the comment “they have always done best, when selling for a lower price and offering more performance for it” is exactly the point I was making above.
unpc said:
Am I the only one who thinks this is spectacular VFM? OK the ingress egress issue is still a pain but this is GT3 fast and a Boxster/Cayman wouldn't see which way this went..
You are not alone. This is the level of performance of the last TVR Sagaris and look at the prices they were sold at – again 7/8 years ago.chevronb37 said:
The thing is absolutely batsh*t mental, the way it covers the ground is borderline unhinged.
Absolutely, unfortunately it is also British so we are obliged to knock it and find fault.I can imagine people buying French cars today from PSA Peugeot Citroën without even realising that their financial standing currently makes Lotus look like a gold plated surer than a sure thing investment….
Le TVR said:
However, the comment “they have always done best, when selling for a lower price and offering more performance for it” is exactly the point I was making above.
Thing people always forget is, the 'lower price' of the Lotus is ALWAYS relative to the performance, rather than representing a low price itself.It has always been this way. The Elan cost not far off E-type money in the Sixties, but that didn't matter because it offered E-type performance despite only having four cylinders. Sixties Lotuses also offered the public genuine single-seater-derived technology - the Lotus twin-cam may have had a Ford block, but it was essentially a Formula 3 engine. The modern equivalent would be a Millington Diamond on throttle bodies, or a crate NGTC engine. The first 'cheap' Lotus was the Renault-engined Europa, and even that was canned pretty quickly after they realised people preferred it with the twin-cam.
So yes, the Exige may seem expensive, but given that it offers GT3 performance, it's cheap for what it is.
Really, people who think the Exige is expensive need some kind of reality check, something is wrong with their perception.
This is a very sophisticated car now. It has the very, very latest state-of-the-art Bosch management systems, in some respects more modern and effective than a 458, and with the same kind of control switch on the dash. This is NOT some low-tech "made by blokes in a shed" tubular scaffolding pole chassis and a big engine style pseudo kit car.
It is very fast. Made in limited numbers in the UK, not some low wage corner of the developing world.
It is a Proper Sportscar.
And it does 0-100 in 8 seconds or so.
It is a bloody bargain.
This is a very sophisticated car now. It has the very, very latest state-of-the-art Bosch management systems, in some respects more modern and effective than a 458, and with the same kind of control switch on the dash. This is NOT some low-tech "made by blokes in a shed" tubular scaffolding pole chassis and a big engine style pseudo kit car.
It is very fast. Made in limited numbers in the UK, not some low wage corner of the developing world.
It is a Proper Sportscar.
And it does 0-100 in 8 seconds or so.
It is a bloody bargain.
toppstuff said:
Really, people who think the Exige is expensive need some kind of reality check, something is wrong with their perception.
This is a very sophisticated car now. It has the very, very latest state-of-the-art Bosch management systems, in some respects more modern and effective than a 458, and with the same kind of control switch on the dash. This is NOT some low-tech "made by blokes in a shed" tubular scaffolding pole chassis and a big engine style pseudo kit car.
It is very fast. Made in limited numbers in the UK, not some low wage corner of the developing world.
It is a Proper Sportscar.
And it does 0-100 in 8 seconds or so.
It is a bloody bargain.
This. I'd chop my S2 Exige (MRSP new in 2008: c£44k - which puts the new Exige in a further positive light in my opinion) in for one tomorrow if the wife would authorise it. Look how some German manufacturers have increased their prices for their current generation of cars compared to the previous one.This is a very sophisticated car now. It has the very, very latest state-of-the-art Bosch management systems, in some respects more modern and effective than a 458, and with the same kind of control switch on the dash. This is NOT some low-tech "made by blokes in a shed" tubular scaffolding pole chassis and a big engine style pseudo kit car.
It is very fast. Made in limited numbers in the UK, not some low wage corner of the developing world.
It is a Proper Sportscar.
And it does 0-100 in 8 seconds or so.
It is a bloody bargain.
Edited by gashead1105 on Tuesday 9th July 10:23
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