RE: The £35k Lotus Exiges: Spotted
Discussion
Tickle said:
ColdoRS said:
What’s the chances of a 6ft5”, 18stone powerfully built company director fitting into and enjoying any mk of the Exige?
Fine, probably a good idea if you are close friends with your passenger though.... you will be after a short journey anyway!The interior is same size on all 3 Models.
S1 has slightly higher sills which are a great place to rest your arm but Don’t help getting in and out.
Exige77 said:
Tickle said:
ColdoRS said:
What’s the chances of a 6ft5”, 18stone powerfully built company director fitting into and enjoying any mk of the Exige?
Fine, probably a good idea if you are close friends with your passenger though.... you will be after a short journey anyway!The interior is same size on all 3 Models.
S1 has slightly higher sills which are a great place to rest your arm but Don’t help getting in and out.
The older S1 & 2’s will be very mileage sensitive. Great cars but you’ll be loathed to use them. So better buying cheaper with higher miles if you can find them.
However the S3 is in a different league. Brutally fast by comparison and any of the £35 to mid 40k cars are performance bargains.
However the S3 is in a different league. Brutally fast by comparison and any of the £35 to mid 40k cars are performance bargains.
Leggy said:
The older S1 & 2’s will be very mileage sensitive. Great cars but you’ll be loathed to use them. So better buying cheaper with higher miles if you can find them.
However the S3 is in a different league. Brutally fast by comparison and any of the £35 to mid 40k cars are performance bargains.
Been fortunate to own all three - each has it's merits but for pure enjoyment and presence it's the S1 Exige that gets my vote - but all 3 are epic )However the S3 is in a different league. Brutally fast by comparison and any of the £35 to mid 40k cars are performance bargains.
From a Lotus fan, its so heart-warming to see the love for these cars and the keen residuals. Certainly two fingers to all those badge snobs who think the only place to stick your hard earned is BMW/Porsche/Mercedes.
Back in early 1997, I hired an S1 Elise for the day from Haydon Cars Salisbury. One of the best days of my life and the highlight was the staff at the local Porsche Dealership coming outside to look at it when it drove past. Back then it was the first Elise most people had seen!!
I'd have any Exige if I had the dosh, but I think the S1 is the prettiest and the S2 Model fave, the one that Clarkson featured on top gear.evading the helicopter. lapped 1.26.9 on a damp TG circuit.....which back in 2004 was really very quick! The supercharged S model tested a few years later was scarcely any faster....
Awesome cars...
Reavenger said:
I'd say this Isotope Green one at 32k and has all the MY10 enhancements is better value and a better car 
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...
That one probably is the better buy but must admit I never liked what they did with the facelift. Front spoiler looks too fussy and rear wing doesn't suit the car as well IMO. Really fancy picking up an S2 Exige some time in 2019. Kermit green would do very nicely thank you. https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...
If you are worried about losing a couple of k compared to a garage queen example by driving the cars, then you are missing out on the joy of them.
The S1 is so rare that even if it has stellar mileage it will be sought after.
S1 with engine conversion is the ultimate for driving enjoyment in my view and really it's about driving enjoyment not looking and polishing.
The S1 is so rare that even if it has stellar mileage it will be sought after.
S1 with engine conversion is the ultimate for driving enjoyment in my view and really it's about driving enjoyment not looking and polishing.
Imafreeman said:
If you are worried about losing a couple of k compared to a garage queen example by driving the cars, then you are missing out on the joy of them.
The S1 is so rare that even if it has stellar mileage it will be sought after.
S1 with engine conversion is the ultimate for driving enjoyment in my view and really it's about driving enjoyment not looking and polishing.
+1The S1 is so rare that even if it has stellar mileage it will be sought after.
S1 with engine conversion is the ultimate for driving enjoyment in my view and really it's about driving enjoyment not looking and polishing.
Seems that you tend to get owners at either end of the scale and hardly anyone in the middle.
So many people I talk to and they quote the mileage they have done that year. Waste of a car really.
Just drive it in the dry, keep it maintained to the highest standard and you cant go far wrong. Got to be better than sitting in the garage or driveway.
An interesting debate, and I am strongly in Exige S3 camp, to the extent that that’s where my money went.
The three cars are actually really quite different, so it depends on your usage on what will appeal to you. I already owned a Caterham when I bought my Exige, so an S1 and S2 Exige would have, in many ways, been a bit similar. Lack of air con in the S1 put me off, as that was frustrating when I owned a VX220.
With hindsight, the S1 would have been the much better investment, but I think I would have got fed up of how extreme it is by now. The S2 does nothing for me personally, it looks worse than the S1 and S3 (to me) and doesn’t really have any benefits over either.
My reasons for the S3:
- more civilised than the others, which means I can use it more
- V6 supercharged engine - lots of torque and good tuning potential. Mine is now running 460hp. Sounds bloody amazing too if you change the exhaust to a 2bular.
- I love the look of it, to me it’s a cross between “mini Supercar” and “race car”.
- has air conditioning (this is a big thing after doing a summer road trip in a Caterham).
- good electronics which mean I’m less likely to crash. I actually drive with them off most of the time since installing the LSD, but they were useful when learning to drive the car properly
I’ve done over 25k miles since I got the car, tuned and modified the car a lot, driven it all over Europe and on track too. The car is brilliant and there’s no way I would have got the same enjoyment from an earlier series Exige. And at the time I bought, I could have got an S2 Exige for £15-20k less...
The three cars are actually really quite different, so it depends on your usage on what will appeal to you. I already owned a Caterham when I bought my Exige, so an S1 and S2 Exige would have, in many ways, been a bit similar. Lack of air con in the S1 put me off, as that was frustrating when I owned a VX220.
With hindsight, the S1 would have been the much better investment, but I think I would have got fed up of how extreme it is by now. The S2 does nothing for me personally, it looks worse than the S1 and S3 (to me) and doesn’t really have any benefits over either.
My reasons for the S3:
- more civilised than the others, which means I can use it more
- V6 supercharged engine - lots of torque and good tuning potential. Mine is now running 460hp. Sounds bloody amazing too if you change the exhaust to a 2bular.
- I love the look of it, to me it’s a cross between “mini Supercar” and “race car”.
- has air conditioning (this is a big thing after doing a summer road trip in a Caterham).
- good electronics which mean I’m less likely to crash. I actually drive with them off most of the time since installing the LSD, but they were useful when learning to drive the car properly
I’ve done over 25k miles since I got the car, tuned and modified the car a lot, driven it all over Europe and on track too. The car is brilliant and there’s no way I would have got the same enjoyment from an earlier series Exige. And at the time I bought, I could have got an S2 Exige for £15-20k less...
GFWilliams said:
An interesting debate, and I am strongly in Exige S3 camp, to the extent that that’s where my money went.
The three cars are actually really quite different, so it depends on your usage on what will appeal to you. I already owned a Caterham when I bought my Exige, so an S1 and S2 Exige would have, in many ways, been a bit similar. Lack of air con in the S1 put me off, as that was frustrating when I owned a VX220.
With hindsight, the S1 would have been the much better investment, but I think I would have got fed up of how extreme it is by now. The S2 does nothing for me personally, it looks worse than the S1 and S3 (to me) and doesn’t really have any benefits over either.
My reasons for the S3:
- more civilised than the others, which means I can use it more
- V6 supercharged engine - lots of torque and good tuning potential. Mine is now running 460hp. Sounds bloody amazing too if you change the exhaust to a 2bular.
- I love the look of it, to me it’s a cross between “mini Supercar” and “race car”.
- has air conditioning (this is a big thing after doing a summer road trip in a Caterham).
- good electronics which mean I’m less likely to crash. I actually drive with them off most of the time since installing the LSD, but they were useful when learning to drive the car properly
I’ve done over 25k miles since I got the car, tuned and modified the car a lot, driven it all over Europe and on track too. The car is brilliant and there’s no way I would have got the same enjoyment from an earlier series Exige. And at the time I bought, I could have got an S2 Exige for £15-20k less...
Stop it! The three cars are actually really quite different, so it depends on your usage on what will appeal to you. I already owned a Caterham when I bought my Exige, so an S1 and S2 Exige would have, in many ways, been a bit similar. Lack of air con in the S1 put me off, as that was frustrating when I owned a VX220.
With hindsight, the S1 would have been the much better investment, but I think I would have got fed up of how extreme it is by now. The S2 does nothing for me personally, it looks worse than the S1 and S3 (to me) and doesn’t really have any benefits over either.
My reasons for the S3:
- more civilised than the others, which means I can use it more
- V6 supercharged engine - lots of torque and good tuning potential. Mine is now running 460hp. Sounds bloody amazing too if you change the exhaust to a 2bular.
- I love the look of it, to me it’s a cross between “mini Supercar” and “race car”.
- has air conditioning (this is a big thing after doing a summer road trip in a Caterham).
- good electronics which mean I’m less likely to crash. I actually drive with them off most of the time since installing the LSD, but they were useful when learning to drive the car properly
I’ve done over 25k miles since I got the car, tuned and modified the car a lot, driven it all over Europe and on track too. The car is brilliant and there’s no way I would have got the same enjoyment from an earlier series Exige. And at the time I bought, I could have got an S2 Exige for £15-20k less...
I desperately want a V6 Exge (a sport 350 would be ample for me) and your write up is merely fuel on the fire!
Having owned an S1 in the past, albeit an Elise over the mighty Exige, I think your points are spot on regarding daily use. The S1 is a special machine, but it’s a tiring thing to punt up the motorway.. In fact I would often drive the night previous to a track day, allowing time to get my head down before the big day.
I gather that the V6 is more refined but is that much better? For example, is it possible to cruise at 60mph and actually hear the radio at a sensible volume? I know we mock such ideas in the Lotus world, but it can be rather tedious to drive to/from a circuit without some accompanying music and sans a migraine.
My biggest concern with the V6 however is track day noise limits.. not that my GT3 is much better... but I hear inconsistent reports from the Lotus community concerning the Exige and noise limits.
Have you driven your Exige at quieter circuits such as Brands Hatch, or even Bedford? I see lots of Exiges at Silverstone but rarely at Snetterton, Donny or Cadwell Park.
Regardless of which model you chose or prefer they’re all special cars, and until you drive or own one, you can’t possibly understand how ‘under the skin’ the marque can become.
Thanks,
Matt
996GT3_Matt said:
Stop it!
I desperately want a V6 Exge (a sport 350 would be ample for me) and your write up is merely fuel on the fire!
Having owned an S1 in the past, albeit an Elise over the mighty Exige, I think your points are spot on regarding daily use. The S1 is a special machine, but it’s a tiring thing to punt up the motorway.. In fact I would often drive the night previous to a track day, allowing time to get my head down before the big day.
I gather that the V6 is more refined but is that much better? For example, is it possible to cruise at 60mph and actually hear the radio at a sensible volume? I know we mock such ideas in the Lotus world, but it can be rather tedious to drive to/from a circuit without some accompanying music and sans a migraine.
My biggest concern with the V6 however is track day noise limits.. not that my GT3 is much better... but I hear inconsistent reports from the Lotus community concerning the Exige and noise limits.
Have you driven your Exige at quieter circuits such as Brands Hatch, or even Bedford? I see lots of Exiges at Silverstone but rarely at Snetterton, Donny or Cadwell Park.
Regardless of which model you chose or prefer they’re all special cars, and until you drive or own one, you can’t possibly understand how ‘under the skin’ the marque can become.
Thanks,
Matt
With the standard Exige S and Sport 350 exhaust, it’s pretty civilised. I have a full aftermarket system so mine drones a little on motorways, but nothing too much of a worry. I drove all the way from Marbella to London in one go in it the other day. 23 hours of driving. It wasn’t a hugely pleasurable experience, but it was possible. I desperately want a V6 Exge (a sport 350 would be ample for me) and your write up is merely fuel on the fire!
Having owned an S1 in the past, albeit an Elise over the mighty Exige, I think your points are spot on regarding daily use. The S1 is a special machine, but it’s a tiring thing to punt up the motorway.. In fact I would often drive the night previous to a track day, allowing time to get my head down before the big day.
I gather that the V6 is more refined but is that much better? For example, is it possible to cruise at 60mph and actually hear the radio at a sensible volume? I know we mock such ideas in the Lotus world, but it can be rather tedious to drive to/from a circuit without some accompanying music and sans a migraine.
My biggest concern with the V6 however is track day noise limits.. not that my GT3 is much better... but I hear inconsistent reports from the Lotus community concerning the Exige and noise limits.
Have you driven your Exige at quieter circuits such as Brands Hatch, or even Bedford? I see lots of Exiges at Silverstone but rarely at Snetterton, Donny or Cadwell Park.
Regardless of which model you chose or prefer they’re all special cars, and until you drive or own one, you can’t possibly understand how ‘under the skin’ the marque can become.
Thanks,
Matt
Epic little machine the Exige S1, the raw racing car feel is like no other experience i can recall in a roadcar, and isn't just theatrics that impress, it has real ability and of course involvement in bucket loads. Unfiltered Motorsport bliss pumped directly into the veins.
This car gives a pure raw thrill but don't expect to be nannyed with traction control or servo assisted brakes however do be prepared for big grins and your eyes on their stalks and perhaps a set of ear plugs !
This car gives a pure raw thrill but don't expect to be nannyed with traction control or servo assisted brakes however do be prepared for big grins and your eyes on their stalks and perhaps a set of ear plugs !
Which one to have?
Maybe the £14k 300bhp VX220 that’s in my garage right now, lighter than the S3 and faster than all 3 and the same weight as an S2, probably not quite as nimble as the S1 but there is a small matter of that car being more than twice the price and then some....not an insignificant thought
Maybe the £14k 300bhp VX220 that’s in my garage right now, lighter than the S3 and faster than all 3 and the same weight as an S2, probably not quite as nimble as the S1 but there is a small matter of that car being more than twice the price and then some....not an insignificant thought
Crippo said:
Which one to have?
Maybe the £14k 300bhp VX220 that’s in my garage right now, lighter than the S3 and faster than all 3 and the same weight as an S2, probably not quite as nimble as the S1 but there is a small matter of that car being more than twice the price and then some....not an insignificant thought
I do love how plenty of Vauxhall VX220 owners seem to have removed the griffin from their cars. I don't see the issue but they obviously don't want people to know their sportscar is a Vauxhall. Very odd.Maybe the £14k 300bhp VX220 that’s in my garage right now, lighter than the S3 and faster than all 3 and the same weight as an S2, probably not quite as nimble as the S1 but there is a small matter of that car being more than twice the price and then some....not an insignificant thought
Back to the Exige - the S1 is a cracking car but does need a few upgrades to truly come alive IMO. As standard they are fine but somewhat uncorked.
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