RE: Lotus Exige 350 Special Edition
Discussion
cib24 said:
Love the car but they need to shrink the door sills like the Evora 400 to allow more leg room and make getting in and out easier. The door sills are stupidly thick.
I'm sure they would have done if they could without seriously compromising structural rigidity; they've already lowered the sills compared to the early 111 cars. 
But how did they manage to do it in the Evora? Surely they could employ similar engineering design to accomplish what they did with the Evora so that structural rigidity is maintained?
I mean looks at how thick the sills are. They will get scratched up in no time from getting in and out of the car. And talk about claustrophobia with your legs.
Lotus Exige Sport 350
Lotus Evora 400
I mean looks at how thick the sills are. They will get scratched up in no time from getting in and out of the car. And talk about claustrophobia with your legs.
Lotus Exige Sport 350
Lotus Evora 400
cib24 said:
But how did they manage to do it in the Evora? Surely they could employ similar engineering design to accomplish what they did with the Evora so that structural rigidity is maintained?
I mean looks at how thick the sills are. They will get scratched up in no time from getting in and out of the car. And talk about claustrophobia with your legs.
Lotus Exige Sport 350
Lotus Evora 400
If you want comfort, buy an MPV/SUV ;-)I mean looks at how thick the sills are. They will get scratched up in no time from getting in and out of the car. And talk about claustrophobia with your legs.
Lotus Exige Sport 350
Lotus Evora 400
Once you get used to it, they are a doddle to get in and out of.
cib24 said:
But how did they manage to do it in the Evora? Surely they could employ similar engineering design to accomplish what they did with the Evora so that structural rigidity is maintained?
I believe the Evora has a structural roof, the Exige does not. How they manage with the Evora Roadster will be interesting. kambites said:
I believe the Evora has a structural roof, the Exige does not. How they manage with the Evora Roadster will be interesting.
Ah, ok. My apologies. I was not aware that the Exige only came with a removable roof. I thought that was an option. Anyway, does the Evora 400 have the same modifications to the gear linkage as the Exige Sport 350? You often read the gear change on Lotus cars are not very good (not like a Honda or Porsche for example) but the Exige Sport 350 apparently made a huge stride in this regard and I wonder if it also affected the 400.
cib24 said:
Love the car but they need to shrink the door sills like the Evora 400 to allow more leg room and make getting in and out easier. The door sills are stupidly thick.
Ain't no doubt about that, despite the "denialists". Building Exige V6 on the Evora chassis would have been too expensive for Lotus so it ended up a bastardised version of the old Exige with an Evora subframe stuck on the back, resulting in a heavily compromised car. When they launched this version at Geneva I thought "that's the car for me" but when I got to try one the access, accommodation and rear visibility were unacceptable. Most particularly the door looks OK from outside the car but when you open it you find that humungous sill,Looks a nice car,
and then you open the door,
Oh dear.
Ozzie Osmond said:
When they launched this version at Geneva I thought "that's the car for me" but when I got to try one the access, accommodation and rear visibility were unacceptable. Most particularly the door looks OK from outside the car but when you open it you find that humungous sill,
In short, you need to MTFU. This is a sports car. Not a 3-series.I'm quite sure no-one, in the history of designing the best sports cars around, lost sleep over slightly diminished rear visibility and the ease of chubbsters to get in and out.
The rear visibility was never an issue really. Occasionally you had to stare a bit closer at the side mirrors to work out if the car behind was the old bill. For parking I did fit a set of reverse sensors which were useful as mine was parked around the city at times so the sensors were a nice addition for parallel parking.
As for the luggage space, it was actually quite plentiful but just the access to the boot was an awkward shape so soft bags only. I am looking at an R8 at the mo and the luggage space in that is no better (if not worse).
As for the luggage space, it was actually quite plentiful but just the access to the boot was an awkward shape so soft bags only. I am looking at an R8 at the mo and the luggage space in that is no better (if not worse).
Contrary to popular belief, the Evora is not simply a "biggered" Elise, it is a new design from the ground up. It is built with three sections and is inherently much stiffer than an Elise.
For that reason Lotus found a way of lowering the sills in the Evora. Also, simply put, the Elise is tiny - an Evora is easier to get in because it's bigger!
For that reason Lotus found a way of lowering the sills in the Evora. Also, simply put, the Elise is tiny - an Evora is easier to get in because it's bigger!
New shape Exige has definitely grown on me, although the rear light arrangement and the undersized spoiler look odd to my eyes. Was next to a black one on the M25 in traffic up to the tolls, so was really absorbing it's looks and road presence..... but still feel the S2 Exige in Lava Orange has always been the one I want....or a mint Laser blue S1 Exige, can't be tempted to sell my 996 Turbo though, not yet!
Ares said:
Ozzie Osmond said:
When they launched this version at Geneva I thought "that's the car for me" but when I got to try one the access, accommodation and rear visibility were unacceptable. Most particularly the door looks OK from outside the car but when you open it you find that humungous sill,
In short, you need to MTFU. This is a sports car. Not a 3-series.I'm quite sure no-one, in the history of designing the best sports cars around, lost sleep over slightly diminished rear visibility and the ease of chubbsters to get in and out.
Another couple of issues is that the interior really isn't nice at all. Lotus have come a huge way in the last few years but the cabin has too many legacies of their post Esprit business model of being as cheap and plasticy as possible. The new management, who are the best thing to have happened to Lotus in 20 years, are having to make do with an awful lot of the 'look we're really cheap!' tat from the previous managers but at least it is clear that they are getting rid of that stuff as quickly as they can afford to.
The other big issue that again the current management are fully aware of and redressing as they can afford to is that for decades Lotus cars have been built for malnourished Hobbits, a pretty niche market.
. But also, as well as physically excluding a large number of potential buyers they have failed to understand that at the same time a large number of short blokes don't rush to buy things that draw draw attention to their shortness, such as flat soles shoes or Lotus cars. Most short blokes tend to want to buy things that intimate they are taller than they actually are. Lotus are making the best cars they have in decades but crucially the management know what they have to do to increase sales volumes. It will involve auto boxes, easier access, bigger stats and fancier interiors as they do seem to clearly understand what it takes in the image is everything 21st century to sell debt packages with a free personal image enhancing product thrown in.
There's no doubting that the Exiges sills keep it from being a mainstream choice... but does it need to be? Of course they could have produced a more comfort focussed car with lower sills without compromising chassis stiffness; in fact they did, it's the Evora. I don't really see a reason to change the Exige because I think the Exige is already what it should be, which is not a mainstream car. Whether they need another car to sit between the Evora and Elise/Exige range (personally I think the gap is probably too narrow to be worth the cost) is debatable but that car shouldn't be the Elise or the Exige and nor should it stop the Elise or the Exige from existing. Complaining the Exige is flawed because it's hard to get in and out of is a bit like complaining the 987 Boxster Spyder is crap because of its roof - it's true, but it's rather missing the point.
The single biggest thing the Lotus range is crying out for at the moment is a convertible version of the Evora, IMO.
Edited by kambites on Friday 7th October 08:02
The Lotus business structure is geared for considerably more volume than they currently deliver. If they could afford to make the changes to the Exige and increase sales volumes then I suspect they would as they need to.
From the perspective of the current pool who'd buy an Exige you are spot on but the reality is that a few smart changes would increase the size of that pool considerably.
Agree that a convertible Evora will be beneficial but I still have the view that after over two decades of destroying all prestige held by the brand by adopting a 'we are cheap' sales mantra at a time when every one else on the planet realised that we are at the zennith of the consumer age where people will buy cheap in unstoppable abundance but only if you tell them that it's expensive. The long and short of it being they still need a halo model. The Evora just isn't it. It has the absolutely perfect under pinnings to be so but they need to clothe it in a far more sleek and expensive wrapper. Having a genuine premium halo car will be the quickest way to increase sales of the current cars.
From the perspective of the current pool who'd buy an Exige you are spot on but the reality is that a few smart changes would increase the size of that pool considerably.
Agree that a convertible Evora will be beneficial but I still have the view that after over two decades of destroying all prestige held by the brand by adopting a 'we are cheap' sales mantra at a time when every one else on the planet realised that we are at the zennith of the consumer age where people will buy cheap in unstoppable abundance but only if you tell them that it's expensive. The long and short of it being they still need a halo model. The Evora just isn't it. It has the absolutely perfect under pinnings to be so but they need to clothe it in a far more sleek and expensive wrapper. Having a genuine premium halo car will be the quickest way to increase sales of the current cars.
DonkeyApple said:
The long and short of it being they still need a halo model. The Evora just isn't it. It has the absolutely perfect under pinnings to be so but they need to clothe it in a far more sleek and expensive wrapper. Having a genuine premium halo car will be the quickest way to increase sales of the current cars.
The SUV?DonkeyApple said:
The Lotus business structure is geared for considerably more volume than they currently deliver. If they could afford to make the changes to the Exige and increase sales volumes then I suspect they would as they need to.
From the perspective of the current pool who'd buy an Exige you are spot on but the reality is that a few smart changes would increase the size of that pool considerably.
You may be right, but personally I can't imagine what "smart" changes they could make? They can't ease access without significantly increasing weight and/or price which would push the thing so close to the Evora that it would be pointless. From the perspective of the current pool who'd buy an Exige you are spot on but the reality is that a few smart changes would increase the size of that pool considerably.
Personally I think their choice is between ditching the Exige/Elise line-up completely or leaving it pretty much as it is. Right now the Exige at least is selling so they have little incentive to get rid of it.
Edited by kambites on Friday 7th October 08:42
kambites said:
There's no doubting that the Exiges sills keep it from being a mainstream choice... but does it need to be? Of course they could have produced a more comfort focussed car with lower sills without compromising chassis stiffness; in fact they did, it's the Evora. I don't really see a reason to change the Exige because I think the Exige is already what it should be, which is not a mainstream car. Whether they need another car to sit between the Evora and Elise/Exige range (personally I think the gap is probably too narrow to be worth the cost) is debatable but that car shouldn't be the Elise or the Exige and nor should it stop the Elise or the Exige from existing. Complaining the Exige is flawed because it's hard to get in and out of is a bit like complaining the 987 Boxster Spyder is crap because of its roof - it's true, but it's rather missing the point.
The single biggest thing the Lotus range is crying out for at the moment is a convertible version of the Evora, IMO.
Edited by kambites on Friday 7th October 08:02
With regard to the sills, personally I like them - an Exige is a bone fide sports car with no compromises made (something Porsche have been slated for many times), for me, it adds to the sense of occasion and overall experience of it. Once you are in, there is more than enough room and the probax seats are without doubt the most comfortable I have ever sat in.
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