Lotus Exige 20th Anniversary
Discussion
Having owned my Exige V6S Roadster for two years, a bit of "you only live once" thinking saw me recently take the plunge and trade it in against a brand new 410 Sport 20th Anniversary.
The old...
...and the new, on collection day at Castle Sportscars
I did have some reservations about the Laser Blue colour having only seen it in pictures, but I was blown away by it when I saw it in person.
A few more pics...
The V6S was hands down the best car I've owned and had taken me and my partner on some very memorable trips, so there's big shoes to fill for the 410.
First impressions are that there have been many small improvements made across the whole car: the gearbox is slicker; the clutch lighter; the steering more direct; the brake pedal more feelsome; and the fit and finish of the interior, although still relatively spartan, much improved. Whilst it is ultimately the same car underneath, I'm amazed by just how much of a big step on it feels. I'm absolutely over the moon with it.
I'm normally pretty terrible at maintaing these Readers Cars threads, but I'll do my best to keep this one up to date as and when I can.
The old...
...and the new, on collection day at Castle Sportscars
I did have some reservations about the Laser Blue colour having only seen it in pictures, but I was blown away by it when I saw it in person.
A few more pics...
The V6S was hands down the best car I've owned and had taken me and my partner on some very memorable trips, so there's big shoes to fill for the 410.
First impressions are that there have been many small improvements made across the whole car: the gearbox is slicker; the clutch lighter; the steering more direct; the brake pedal more feelsome; and the fit and finish of the interior, although still relatively spartan, much improved. Whilst it is ultimately the same car underneath, I'm amazed by just how much of a big step on it feels. I'm absolutely over the moon with it.
I'm normally pretty terrible at maintaing these Readers Cars threads, but I'll do my best to keep this one up to date as and when I can.
Edited by clowesy on Thursday 29th April 14:44
G111MDS said:
Very, very nice! Any pictures of the interior?
I've not taken any myself, but here's a few from the original ad...
It's still very basic, but I'm a really big fan of the interior, especially the blue accents.
Beefmeister said:
Stunning car and lovely colour. Are you going to be getting the kit for the roof so it can be removed like on your Roadster?
Best of both worlds!
I had Castle Sportscars carry out the soft top conversion prior to collection, but the roof itself is on back order so I should hopefully receive that some time in the next few weeks. I've really enjoyed it with the hardtop, but the Roadster has completely converted me to open top driving so I can't wait to get it. I'll probably run that through summer and put the hardtop back on over winter.Best of both worlds!
GroundZero said:
Do these cars come with a limited slip diff?
Great colour by the way, really suits the car.
No, not on the Exige; I think the Evora 410 got an LSD, though. Can't say as I've ever felt the need for one, particularly on the road which is where I'll primarily be using the car.Great colour by the way, really suits the car.
I collected the car today from Signature Group here in Stoke after having some XPEL Paint Protection Film fitted.
I've gone for the same level of protection that was fitted to my previous V6S, which is about the cheapest option available. It covers the front clam up to the access panel and about 3/4 of the way up the wheel arch as well as the headlights and the carbon fibre splitter and inlays. Whilst I would have loved to have the entire car covered in the stuff, I just can't stomach the cost. The paint on my V6S was still in very good condition even after 42k miles with only one noticeable chip on the side skirt so I'm fairly happy that I've covered the most vulnerable areas.
Incidentally, the service from Signature was great and I'd highly recommend them. They'll be having the car back in a few weeks time for a complementary wash and check of the PPF install which is a nice touch.
Washing...
Drying... or vacuuming the air? (Sneaky LFA in the background)
And the finished article. The downside with this kit is that there is a visible seem below the access panel, but this colour is much more forgiving than the previous yellow and it's not really noticeable.
Next task is to get the rest of the car polished and ceramic coated which I'll be doing myself.
I've gone for the same level of protection that was fitted to my previous V6S, which is about the cheapest option available. It covers the front clam up to the access panel and about 3/4 of the way up the wheel arch as well as the headlights and the carbon fibre splitter and inlays. Whilst I would have loved to have the entire car covered in the stuff, I just can't stomach the cost. The paint on my V6S was still in very good condition even after 42k miles with only one noticeable chip on the side skirt so I'm fairly happy that I've covered the most vulnerable areas.
Incidentally, the service from Signature was great and I'd highly recommend them. They'll be having the car back in a few weeks time for a complementary wash and check of the PPF install which is a nice touch.
Washing...
Drying... or vacuuming the air? (Sneaky LFA in the background)
And the finished article. The downside with this kit is that there is a visible seem below the access panel, but this colour is much more forgiving than the previous yellow and it's not really noticeable.
Next task is to get the rest of the car polished and ceramic coated which I'll be doing myself.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff