RE: Lotus Exige Sport 410: Driven
Discussion
At a guess what seems unlike the majority of people on PH forums these days, last year I actually went out and test drove different cars in my price bracket rather than just 'assuming' what a car would be like from what people say on the I Internet.....
Admittedly Lotus wasn't in the top 5 on my list but was something I wanted to try more out of devilment than anything else, having grown up with people with early S1/S2 Elise's and Exiges's I was interested to see how different the cars are now compared to then.
Cut a long story short, after a test drive of an S3 Elise and Exige, then more test drives of the Elise I ended up buying a new Elise. Any regrets? Absolutely not! It's exceeded my expectations. It's difficult to explain if you haven't experienced one, it's such a joy to drive, it's comfy on long distance stints and no issues as a daily (if you don't need to carry a lot). It's not a track/weekend special, they ride really well on the UK's crappy roads.
What I don't like about it? The attention it gets, I'm a quiet/reserved person and didn't want a car that shouts ooo look at me, the reason I didn't go the cayman route which was my 'dream' car. Having said that I'm now over this as whenever people look and make a comment it's a positive comment towards the car, whether that's at the local supermarket/petrol station or at a car meet. And it's amazing how many people walking turn around as you go buy. Also the respect you get from other road users, they are happy to let you out and dont try cutting/blocking you. There's not that many cars that have that effect these days. I'm not Lotus fanboy, I found a car I liked and took a punt with no regrets.
I appreciate they are not to everyone's taste and that people of a certain build may struggle but for majority of people the whole getting in and out issue is overated Internet chat. Within a week of owning it you just slide in and out like you do any car.
Am I worried it might have another model variant slot in above it, no, it might have another face lift soon, no, it might be replaced with a new Elise in 2020, no (I also don't think they will do a new model of Elise). But what I am doing is getting out and about enjoying the car instead of sitting on internet forums repeating everything that has been said before or slagging off the writing of the articles.
The moral of my story, go out and drive some cars and buy one YOU want and for the RIGHT reasons.
Back to the topic car, love it, if i had that money I would definitely consider the 410. Yes it's quite a sum, but so are high performance saloons. The only issue I'd have with an Exige of that money is it's hardy any different to sit in than the Elise.
Admittedly Lotus wasn't in the top 5 on my list but was something I wanted to try more out of devilment than anything else, having grown up with people with early S1/S2 Elise's and Exiges's I was interested to see how different the cars are now compared to then.
Cut a long story short, after a test drive of an S3 Elise and Exige, then more test drives of the Elise I ended up buying a new Elise. Any regrets? Absolutely not! It's exceeded my expectations. It's difficult to explain if you haven't experienced one, it's such a joy to drive, it's comfy on long distance stints and no issues as a daily (if you don't need to carry a lot). It's not a track/weekend special, they ride really well on the UK's crappy roads.
What I don't like about it? The attention it gets, I'm a quiet/reserved person and didn't want a car that shouts ooo look at me, the reason I didn't go the cayman route which was my 'dream' car. Having said that I'm now over this as whenever people look and make a comment it's a positive comment towards the car, whether that's at the local supermarket/petrol station or at a car meet. And it's amazing how many people walking turn around as you go buy. Also the respect you get from other road users, they are happy to let you out and dont try cutting/blocking you. There's not that many cars that have that effect these days. I'm not Lotus fanboy, I found a car I liked and took a punt with no regrets.
I appreciate they are not to everyone's taste and that people of a certain build may struggle but for majority of people the whole getting in and out issue is overated Internet chat. Within a week of owning it you just slide in and out like you do any car.
Am I worried it might have another model variant slot in above it, no, it might have another face lift soon, no, it might be replaced with a new Elise in 2020, no (I also don't think they will do a new model of Elise). But what I am doing is getting out and about enjoying the car instead of sitting on internet forums repeating everything that has been said before or slagging off the writing of the articles.
The moral of my story, go out and drive some cars and buy one YOU want and for the RIGHT reasons.
Back to the topic car, love it, if i had that money I would definitely consider the 410. Yes it's quite a sum, but so are high performance saloons. The only issue I'd have with an Exige of that money is it's hardy any different to sit in than the Elise.
GTEYE said:
All the current Lotus range are essentially track day/weekend toys - so where is the modern day equivalent of the Elan/Eclat/Elite/Excel etc - something that could go up against a lower end Caymen or Alpine for example?
Lotus produced one of those in the original Evora... everyone bought a Cayman which was cheaper because of Porsche's economies of scale and component shaving. Lotus will never be able to compete on price if they go head to head with a company like Porsche which has the full power of VAG's massive component and platform sharing behind it and the people who are willing to pay significantly more in order to get a "British" car simply don't exist in sufficient quantities.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 15th May 18:06
otolith said:
leglessAlex said:
wab172uk said:
Flogging a dead horse comes to mind.
Sure they are selling them, (in small numbers) but their cars are now beyond the means of the average man in the street. So now, they are purely the preserve of the rich who are after a track car. And the rich who clearly may want to change it every couple months to have the latest, fastest one.
If any other manufacturer kept updating their cars every couple months, there would be a thread so long, it would take a year to read it.
January - Audi RS3 400
March - Audi RS3-R 430
May - Audi RS3-RS 460
July Audi RS3-RS-R 500
September - Audi RS3-RS-RS (530)
November - Audi RS3-RS-RS-R (560)
Yet :Lotus do it, and no one bats an eyelid.
I know you're exaggerating it, but I think it's Lotus' release strategy across all the models that creates the issue more than the number of updates themselves. Sure they are selling them, (in small numbers) but their cars are now beyond the means of the average man in the street. So now, they are purely the preserve of the rich who are after a track car. And the rich who clearly may want to change it every couple months to have the latest, fastest one.
If any other manufacturer kept updating their cars every couple months, there would be a thread so long, it would take a year to read it.
January - Audi RS3 400
March - Audi RS3-R 430
May - Audi RS3-RS 460
July Audi RS3-RS-R 500
September - Audi RS3-RS-RS (530)
November - Audi RS3-RS-RS-R (560)
Yet :Lotus do it, and no one bats an eyelid.
If we go though the Exige S V6 releases:
Exige S V6 - Sep 2011 (although it was put forward as a 2012 model)
Exige V6 Cup - Jan 2013
Exige S V6 Roadster - July 2013
Exige Cup 360 - August 2015
Exige Sport 380 - November 2016
Exige Cup 380 - April 2017
Exige Cup 430 - November 2017
Exige Sport 410 - May 2018
So on average, one every six months, and it's not always the same update (as in, it's not a new 'normal' car every six months). Still, I think when you add that to the steady stream of Elises and Evoras, which also seem to get released at random times, it makes the whole company seem a little silly.
https://presse.porsche.de/prod/presse_pag/PressRes...
There are 11 different variants of 911 Carrera. Also 2 Targas. 5 turbos. a GT2RS, GT3, GT3RS, and a 911 R.
Edited by Porsche911R on Tuesday 15th May 18:25
Captain Muppet said:
GTEYE said:
I'm sure I'll going against the grain on here...
This looks like yet another minuscule variation of a car that is more or less Elise derived and going back to 1996....
I'm sure its a great car, but I'm bored now - can we have eventually something genuinely new?
Do you post the same thing on 911 threads? That rear engined thing can be traced back to the 1940s. This looks like yet another minuscule variation of a car that is more or less Elise derived and going back to 1996....
I'm sure its a great car, but I'm bored now - can we have eventually something genuinely new?
Who in their right mind (the answer is a few people and not enough!) is going to buy this or one of the myriad of its very recent predecessors, knowing full well (now) that a better faster and newer model will be out next Wednesday??!!
The development of this car can in no way be compared to the 911's evolution. In my eyes, it has changed very little conceptually from the 1996 Elise. THERE IS NO MONEY AT LOTUS TO DEVELOP NEW CARS...
In 1996 we had the 993 and now we have the 991.2 soon to be replaced. Put them next to each other if you want to see a "proper" evolution of a model. Lotus and Porsche; chalk and cheese.
ETA....and the price!! Close to £100k....just, NO!
Edited by 7795 on Tuesday 15th May 18:39
kambites said:
It does seem odd that some people on Pistonheads seem to feel... threatened I suppose is the word, by the very existence of driver-focussed cars. Yes, Lotus could go and build dull mainstream cars like Audi or to a lesser extent Porsche but why would anyone want them to do that when Audi and Porsche are so good at it?
What is it that offends people so much about Lotus's refusal to cater for the masses who are more interested in whether something is the latest shiny model than how it drives? No-one is trying to force you to buy one, if you want something like an Audi TT or a Cayman, buy an Audi TT or a Cayman.
Whilst I agree with you, the reality is Lotus would love to build a more mainstream (dull) car if it could generate quick sales and bigger margins. The company is still on its knees financially. Lotus do not have the tools to compete with Audi or Porsche in the mainstream sector - well, not yet.What is it that offends people so much about Lotus's refusal to cater for the masses who are more interested in whether something is the latest shiny model than how it drives? No-one is trying to force you to buy one, if you want something like an Audi TT or a Cayman, buy an Audi TT or a Cayman.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 15th May 16:47
It’s no secret a Geeley/Lotus SUV is on the way.
But a more mainstream product needs huge investment to get build quality, shut lines, NVH etc. to an acceptable level.
They are hoping customers will excuse a lack of refinement in the current range if the trade off is driver engagement.
The truth is of course that the two are not mutually exclusive (Cayman GT4)
Lotus will just have to muddle through as best they can - selling an increasing number of cars to a tiny niche audience - until the new products are ready.
Maldini35 said:
Whilst I agree with you, the reality is Lotus would love to build a more mainstream (dull) car if it could generate quick sales and bigger margins. The company is still on its knees financially. Lotus do not have the tools to compete with Audi or Porsche in the mainstream sector - well, not yet.
Of course they would - every company wants to make a profit. That's not really relevant to the point, though; I wasn't saying Lotus shouldn't go mainstream, I was just bemused why people seem offended that they haven't. We may well see Lotus badges dumped onto more powerful restyled Volvos in much the same way that the Germans operate but that would not, in itself, be a reason to stop selling their existing cars.
As for whether acceptable NVH, etc. and driver focus are mutually exclusive, no but they're expensive. Porsche had an existing platform, engine, etc. to base the GT4 on and I still doubt they made much money on them. In fact I rather suspect that if anyone actually bought a base-spec GT4, Porsche made a loss on it. Besides, whilst I've never driven a GT4 everything I've read implies that it's nowhere near as immersive a drivers' car as the Exige. What Porsche achieve in terms of weight for a big, refined, all-steel car is impressive... but the GT4 is still a third of a tonne heavier than an Exige.
I think the GT4 is better compared to the Evora really, although they're obviously even more expensive. The mainstream car companies don't really make anything to compete with the Exige because the market isn't big enough for it to be worth their while.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 15th May 18:56
wab172uk said:
They have cut costs to make the cars more profitable. Sales have risen slightly due to getting into the US. But I doubt Lotus is flush with cash. Without new cars, and cars that can compete as an everyday proposition, which means easy to get in and out of, well made, reliable, and most of all, cars that are nice to look at that people want to be seen in. Just like the Pic of the proposed all new Elise previously posted.
Without that, Lotus will be just a small car company that sells over priced track and weekend cars to a small minority of car enthusiasts.
You could have said the same about Volvo in 2010. Geely didn't impose sales targets on them or try and micromanage the Swedes, it's just been giving them several hundred million dollars a year each year to get on with making the best cars they can. And I don't know if you've been in any recent Volvos (either the SPA-based XC90/S90/V90/XC60 or the CMA-based XC40) but they're bloody good. Without that, Lotus will be just a small car company that sells over priced track and weekend cars to a small minority of car enthusiasts.
kambites said:
Maldini35 said:
Whilst I agree with you, the reality is Lotus would love to build a more mainstream (dull) car if it could generate quick sales and bigger margins. The company is still on its knees financially. Lotus do not have the tools to compete with Audi or Porsche in the mainstream sector - well, not yet.
Of course they would - every company wants to make a profit. That's not really relevant to the point, though; I wasn't saying Lotus shouldn't go mainstream, I was just bemused why people seem offended that they haven't. We may well see Lotus badges dumped onto more powerful restyled Volvos in much the same way that the Germans operate but that would not, in itself, be a reason to stop selling their existing cars.
As for whether acceptable NVH, etc. and driver focus are mutually exclusive, no but they're expensive. Porsche had an existing platform, engine, etc. to base the GT4 on and I still doubt they made much money on them. In fact I rather suspect that if anyone actually bought a base-spec GT4, Porsche made a loss on it. Besides, whilst I've never driven a GT4 everything I've read implies that it's nowhere near as immersive a drivers' car as the Exige. What Porsche achieve in terms of weight for a big, refined, all-steel car is impressive... but the GT4 is still a third of a tonne heavier than an Exige.
I think the GT4 is better compared to the Evora really, although they're obviously even more expensive. The mainstream car companies don't really make anything to compete with the Exige because the market isn't big enough for it to be worth their while.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 15th May 18:56
Chances are they’ll be dropped with no direct replacement as soon as Gales can do it.
The margin and market just isn’t big enough. He won’t take up valuable factory capacity to make cars generating tiny margins when he could be making much more profitable models.
Like any car company CEO, Gales will say all the right things now but he doesn’t give a damn about making affordable drivers cars for enthusiasts. He just wants to make money. If that means deserting the traditional Lotus fanbase to chase Porsche sales, then that’s what he’ll do.
The Elise and Exige are fine cars but like the Land Rover Defender, they won’t be around for ever.
I’ll certainly be looking to buy one in the next 18 months.
Maldini35 said:
Again, I agree with everything you say - the only note of caution - the Elise & Exige models are not sacred cows.
Chances are they’ll be dropped with no direct replacement as soon as Gales can do it.
Yes they may well be. I wouldn't be surprised if they keep the 3-11 running as a halo model until they can no longer sell the Toyota engine in the EU due to emissions, but the bread-and-butter Elise and Exige are probably not long for this world. The question is whether they're replaced or not. Chances are they’ll be dropped with no direct replacement as soon as Gales can do it.
I can't say I really care either way. I won't buy another 111 based car and I'm highly unlikely to buy its replacement if there is one. Beyond obviously not wanting people to lose their jobs, I don't particularly care whether the company survives either, for that matter. Certainly the difference between them surviving as a mainstream manufacturer and not surviving is moot from the point of view of their contribution to the market, as far as I can see.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 15th May 19:23
otolith said:
Yep, wasn't disagreeing with you, just adding some comparative data.
That site lets you download a press release for each of those Porsches, but I guess the media don't really bother covering most of it. Maybe if Lotus released as many variants their press releases wouldn't be newsworthy either?
Ah, I had realised that, sorry if you thought I was trying to correct you. That wan't my intention at all That site lets you download a press release for each of those Porsches, but I guess the media don't really bother covering most of it. Maybe if Lotus released as many variants their press releases wouldn't be newsworthy either?
I think with Porsche it's an issue of timing. Many of their models get refreshed or introduced at once, they very clearly stated at release that the 991 would have all these variants like Turbo, Targa, Cab and so on. In addition to that, everyone knew that over the next 4/5 years the GT3, GT3 RS and GT2 would come along, and then after that the 991.2. The predictability means it just isn't surprising.
I think Lotus' problem is that these models get announced seemingly without any clear plan, and no one knows which one is coming next or what it will be. We've had the Cup line, which went V6 Cup, 360 Cup, Cup 380, Cup 430 and then the Sport line, which has gone Sport 350, Sport 380, Sport 410. There hasn't always even been a clear idea of whether a Cup or a Sport will be coming next and what power/features it'll have.It hasn't always been comparable to the releases of the Elise or Evora either, the Evora has a Sport model but no Cup model, the Elise has had Sport and Cup models but not with equivalent numbers (there's been a Sport 220 but a Cup R, 250 and 260).
Keith ctr said:
At a guess what seems unlike the majority of people on PH forums these days, last year I actually went out and test drove different cars in my price bracket rather than just 'assuming' what a car would be like from what people say on the I Internet.....
Admittedly Lotus wasn't in the top 5 on my list but was something I wanted to try more out of devilment than anything else, having grown up with people with early S1/S2 Elise's and Exiges's I was interested to see how different the cars are now compared to then.
Cut a long story short, after a test drive of an S3 Elise and Exige, then more test drives of the Elise I ended up buying a new Elise. Any regrets? Absolutely not! It's exceeded my expectations. It's difficult to explain if you haven't experienced one, it's such a joy to drive, it's comfy on long distance stints and no issues as a daily (if you don't need to carry a lot). It's not a track/weekend special, they ride really well on the UK's crappy roads.
What I don't like about it? The attention it gets, I'm a quiet/reserved person and didn't want a car that shouts ooo look at me, the reason I didn't go the cayman route which was my 'dream' car. Having said that I'm now over this as whenever people look and make a comment it's a positive comment towards the car, whether that's at the local supermarket/petrol station or at a car meet. And it's amazing how many people walking turn around as you go buy. Also the respect you get from other road users, they are happy to let you out and dont try cutting/blocking you. There's not that many cars that have that effect these days. I'm not Lotus fanboy, I found a car I liked and took a punt with no regrets.
I appreciate they are not to everyone's taste and that people of a certain build may struggle but for majority of people the whole getting in and out issue is overated Internet chat. Within a week of owning it you just slide in and out like you do any car.
Am I worried it might have another model variant slot in above it, no, it might have another face lift soon, no, it might be replaced with a new Elise in 2020, no (I also don't think they will do a new model of Elise). But what I am doing is getting out and about enjoying the car instead of sitting on internet forums repeating everything that has been said before or slagging off the writing of the articles.
The moral of my story, go out and drive some cars and buy one YOU want and for the RIGHT reasons.
Back to the topic car, love it, if i had that money I would definitely consider the 410. Yes it's quite a sum, but so are high performance saloons. The only issue I'd have with an Exige of that money is it's hardy any different to sit in than the Elise.
Spot on. Admittedly Lotus wasn't in the top 5 on my list but was something I wanted to try more out of devilment than anything else, having grown up with people with early S1/S2 Elise's and Exiges's I was interested to see how different the cars are now compared to then.
Cut a long story short, after a test drive of an S3 Elise and Exige, then more test drives of the Elise I ended up buying a new Elise. Any regrets? Absolutely not! It's exceeded my expectations. It's difficult to explain if you haven't experienced one, it's such a joy to drive, it's comfy on long distance stints and no issues as a daily (if you don't need to carry a lot). It's not a track/weekend special, they ride really well on the UK's crappy roads.
What I don't like about it? The attention it gets, I'm a quiet/reserved person and didn't want a car that shouts ooo look at me, the reason I didn't go the cayman route which was my 'dream' car. Having said that I'm now over this as whenever people look and make a comment it's a positive comment towards the car, whether that's at the local supermarket/petrol station or at a car meet. And it's amazing how many people walking turn around as you go buy. Also the respect you get from other road users, they are happy to let you out and dont try cutting/blocking you. There's not that many cars that have that effect these days. I'm not Lotus fanboy, I found a car I liked and took a punt with no regrets.
I appreciate they are not to everyone's taste and that people of a certain build may struggle but for majority of people the whole getting in and out issue is overated Internet chat. Within a week of owning it you just slide in and out like you do any car.
Am I worried it might have another model variant slot in above it, no, it might have another face lift soon, no, it might be replaced with a new Elise in 2020, no (I also don't think they will do a new model of Elise). But what I am doing is getting out and about enjoying the car instead of sitting on internet forums repeating everything that has been said before or slagging off the writing of the articles.
The moral of my story, go out and drive some cars and buy one YOU want and for the RIGHT reasons.
Back to the topic car, love it, if i had that money I would definitely consider the 410. Yes it's quite a sum, but so are high performance saloons. The only issue I'd have with an Exige of that money is it's hardy any different to sit in than the Elise.
Around 5 years ago I was going to buy a Cayman S. It was a great car. Suddenly I spotted a bright orange Evora S up for sale for similar money so thought at least I should try it. I was blown away by the car and bought it. 5 years later I’ve also now owned an Esprit GT3, 2-11 SC , Evora 400, Exige V6S , Exige 350 and last one Exige 380. Before anyone asks, yes I change cars a lot
Lotus are true drivers cars. Until you’ve tried one you don’t know what you are missing out on.
If you haven’t driven one, why don’t you grab a test drive and then come back and write something based on real life experience of the cars.
Did someone really mention weekend car and the Audi TT as being better not at the weekend ............so it was better than a Lotus?
German cars are best as they make a good sound on the gravel drive way in front of your mock Tudor house before sitting in front of of the 65 inch LED OLED PLASMA VISION tv watching a car go fast on youtube. DTM series?
German cars are best as they make a good sound on the gravel drive way in front of your mock Tudor house before sitting in front of of the 65 inch LED OLED PLASMA VISION tv watching a car go fast on youtube. DTM series?
GTEYE said:
I'm sure I'll going against the grain on here...
This looks like yet another minuscule variation of a car that is more or less Elise derived and going back to 1996....
I'm sure its a great car, but I'm bored now - can we have eventually something genuinely new?
Piss take. They'll sell 7 of them.This looks like yet another minuscule variation of a car that is more or less Elise derived and going back to 1996....
I'm sure its a great car, but I'm bored now - can we have eventually something genuinely new?
GTEYE said:
But it would be nice to at least have the choice of a British sports car that is maybe a little more road focused and could be that every day car.
All the current Lotus range are essentially track day/weekend toys - so where is the modern day equivalent of the Elan/Eclat/Elite/Excel etc - something that could go up against a lower end Caymen or Alpine for example?
They don't need to sell their soul but just something a little more road focused and less "trackday". And that doesn't have to mean dull.
It's called the Evora. It's like a heavy Exige and tall/fat people can actually get in them...All the current Lotus range are essentially track day/weekend toys - so where is the modern day equivalent of the Elan/Eclat/Elite/Excel etc - something that could go up against a lower end Caymen or Alpine for example?
They don't need to sell their soul but just something a little more road focused and less "trackday". And that doesn't have to mean dull.
Edited by GTEYE on Tuesday 15th May 17:18
leglessAlex said:
I know you're exaggerating it, but I think it's Lotus' release strategy across all the models that creates the issue more than the number of updates themselves.
If we go though the Exige S V6 releases:
Exige S V6 - Sep 2011 (although it was put forward as a 2012 model)
Exige V6 Cup - Jan 2013
Exige S V6 Roadster - July 2013
Exige Cup 360 - August 2015
Exige Sport 380 - November 2016
Exige Cup 380 - April 2017
Exige Cup 430 - November 2017
Exige Sport 410 - May 2018
You missed out at least:If we go though the Exige S V6 releases:
Exige S V6 - Sep 2011 (although it was put forward as a 2012 model)
Exige V6 Cup - Jan 2013
Exige S V6 Roadster - July 2013
Exige Cup 360 - August 2015
Exige Sport 380 - November 2016
Exige Cup 380 - April 2017
Exige Cup 430 - November 2017
Exige Sport 410 - May 2018
Exige V6 LF1
Exige V6 Club Racer
Exige Sport 350
Exige Cup 430 Type 25
Exige Sport 410 Roadster (which weirdly doesn't have the mounts for the soft top in any of their photos?)
Regardless of all the above etc, the Exige is a fantastic car. No, I wouldn't pay so much for a new one, but when you compare them to other manufacturers as a pure driving experience, you don't get anything close without spending over £200k IMO.
DaveGB said:
Keith ctr said:
At a guess what seems unlike the majority of people on PH forums these days, last year I actually went out and test drove different cars in my price bracket rather than just 'assuming' what a car would be like from what people say on the I Internet.....
Admittedly Lotus wasn't in the top 5 on my list but was something I wanted to try more out of devilment than anything else, having grown up with people with early S1/S2 Elise's and Exiges's I was interested to see how different the cars are now compared to then.
Cut a long story short, after a test drive of an S3 Elise and Exige, then more test drives of the Elise I ended up buying a new Elise. Any regrets? Absolutely not! It's exceeded my expectations. It's difficult to explain if you haven't experienced one, it's such a joy to drive, it's comfy on long distance stints and no issues as a daily (if you don't need to carry a lot). It's not a track/weekend special, they ride really well on the UK's crappy roads.
What I don't like about it? The attention it gets, I'm a quiet/reserved person and didn't want a car that shouts ooo look at me, the reason I didn't go the cayman route which was my 'dream' car. Having said that I'm now over this as whenever people look and make a comment it's a positive comment towards the car, whether that's at the local supermarket/petrol station or at a car meet. And it's amazing how many people walking turn around as you go buy. Also the respect you get from other road users, they are happy to let you out and dont try cutting/blocking you. There's not that many cars that have that effect these days. I'm not Lotus fanboy, I found a car I liked and took a punt with no regrets.
I appreciate they are not to everyone's taste and that people of a certain build may struggle but for majority of people the whole getting in and out issue is overated Internet chat. Within a week of owning it you just slide in and out like you do any car.
Am I worried it might have another model variant slot in above it, no, it might have another face lift soon, no, it might be replaced with a new Elise in 2020, no (I also don't think they will do a new model of Elise). But what I am doing is getting out and about enjoying the car instead of sitting on internet forums repeating everything that has been said before or slagging off the writing of the articles.
The moral of my story, go out and drive some cars and buy one YOU want and for the RIGHT reasons.
Back to the topic car, love it, if i had that money I would definitely consider the 410. Yes it's quite a sum, but so are high performance saloons. The only issue I'd have with an Exige of that money is it's hardy any different to sit in than the Elise.
Spot on. Admittedly Lotus wasn't in the top 5 on my list but was something I wanted to try more out of devilment than anything else, having grown up with people with early S1/S2 Elise's and Exiges's I was interested to see how different the cars are now compared to then.
Cut a long story short, after a test drive of an S3 Elise and Exige, then more test drives of the Elise I ended up buying a new Elise. Any regrets? Absolutely not! It's exceeded my expectations. It's difficult to explain if you haven't experienced one, it's such a joy to drive, it's comfy on long distance stints and no issues as a daily (if you don't need to carry a lot). It's not a track/weekend special, they ride really well on the UK's crappy roads.
What I don't like about it? The attention it gets, I'm a quiet/reserved person and didn't want a car that shouts ooo look at me, the reason I didn't go the cayman route which was my 'dream' car. Having said that I'm now over this as whenever people look and make a comment it's a positive comment towards the car, whether that's at the local supermarket/petrol station or at a car meet. And it's amazing how many people walking turn around as you go buy. Also the respect you get from other road users, they are happy to let you out and dont try cutting/blocking you. There's not that many cars that have that effect these days. I'm not Lotus fanboy, I found a car I liked and took a punt with no regrets.
I appreciate they are not to everyone's taste and that people of a certain build may struggle but for majority of people the whole getting in and out issue is overated Internet chat. Within a week of owning it you just slide in and out like you do any car.
Am I worried it might have another model variant slot in above it, no, it might have another face lift soon, no, it might be replaced with a new Elise in 2020, no (I also don't think they will do a new model of Elise). But what I am doing is getting out and about enjoying the car instead of sitting on internet forums repeating everything that has been said before or slagging off the writing of the articles.
The moral of my story, go out and drive some cars and buy one YOU want and for the RIGHT reasons.
Back to the topic car, love it, if i had that money I would definitely consider the 410. Yes it's quite a sum, but so are high performance saloons. The only issue I'd have with an Exige of that money is it's hardy any different to sit in than the Elise.
Around 5 years ago I was going to buy a Cayman S. It was a great car. Suddenly I spotted a bright orange Evora S up for sale for similar money so thought at least I should try it. I was blown away by the car and bought it. 5 years later I’ve also now owned an Esprit GT3, 2-11 SC , Evora 400, Exige V6S , Exige 350 and last one Exige 380. Before anyone asks, yes I change cars a lot
Lotus are true drivers cars. Until you’ve tried one you don’t know what you are missing out on.
If you haven’t driven one, why don’t you grab a test drive and then come back and write something based on real life experience of the cars.
This is for the ill-informed to post knee jerk reactions based on little to zero knowledge of cars they can’t afford or have no intention of buying.
What were you thinking?
Now, for my view - I think the Elise is an overpriced unreliable track-day focussed impractical car. Lotus are tinkering at the edges as they flog a dead horse because they can’t afford to develop new platforms and I wouldn’t buy one even if I could afford one if I could have a....blah blah....
wab172uk said:
They have cut costs to make the cars more profitable. Sales have risen slightly due to getting into the US. But I doubt Lotus is flush with cash. Without new cars, and cars that can compete as an everyday proposition, which means easy to get in and out of, well made, reliable, and most of all, cars that are nice to look at that people want to be seen in. Just like the Pic of the proposed all new Elise previously posted.
Without that, Lotus will be just a small car company that sells over priced track and weekend cars to a small minority of car enthusiasts.
Well no, they cut costs to make them profitable. One thing they did indeed do was identify that sales were partly small due to a lack of global dealerships, not just in the USA, and this has helped a lot. The world is a big place and so more than capable of helping grow their sales.Without that, Lotus will be just a small car company that sells over priced track and weekend cars to a small minority of car enthusiasts.
Flush with cash though? They are now (relatively). They are owned by Geely who put all the £££ into Volvo to make it the outstanding brand it is today. Lotus won't get the same level of investment but it will have more than it ever had by a long way and they can also leverage Volvo's tech in the same way Lambo did with Audi.
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