New Exige, bit too refined?
Discussion
Hey all,
Now then, I'm seriously considering replacing my trusty S2 Elise (K series) with an nice shiny new Exige! I went for a test drive in one yesterday and was impressed by its build quality and refinement compared with my 2001 Sports Tourer. Thing is, part of the reason i love my current car is just that, it's raw! I've got a Hurricane induction kit and a Janspeed exhaust which together make my car sound wicked! the exige on the other hand had a sports exhaust (dunno which one) and no induction kit. It sounded nice don't get me wrong, and the VVT-i engine is sweet and revvy but somehow I felt a little dissapointed. I mean yes, the new exige would leave my car for dead over a long enough straight but it seemed like it was all or nothing! I reckon up to about 5000rpm my car would have the edge on it. and in the real world (not talking track days here which is a different matter entirely) i'm not sure that the Exige would be that much quicker than what I already have.
Yes over 6500 rpm it really flies, but below that...
Anyway, I still think I want an Exige and I reckon that given the high prices of low mileage used examples, the smart move would be to get one through Lotus' 3.9% deal they have on at the moment.
Whaddya think?
Cheers
Andy T
Now then, I'm seriously considering replacing my trusty S2 Elise (K series) with an nice shiny new Exige! I went for a test drive in one yesterday and was impressed by its build quality and refinement compared with my 2001 Sports Tourer. Thing is, part of the reason i love my current car is just that, it's raw! I've got a Hurricane induction kit and a Janspeed exhaust which together make my car sound wicked! the exige on the other hand had a sports exhaust (dunno which one) and no induction kit. It sounded nice don't get me wrong, and the VVT-i engine is sweet and revvy but somehow I felt a little dissapointed. I mean yes, the new exige would leave my car for dead over a long enough straight but it seemed like it was all or nothing! I reckon up to about 5000rpm my car would have the edge on it. and in the real world (not talking track days here which is a different matter entirely) i'm not sure that the Exige would be that much quicker than what I already have.
Yes over 6500 rpm it really flies, but below that...
Anyway, I still think I want an Exige and I reckon that given the high prices of low mileage used examples, the smart move would be to get one through Lotus' 3.9% deal they have on at the moment.
Whaddya think?
Cheers
Andy T
You could easily up the 'rawness' factor by adding an induction kit and sportier exhaust.
If it was a new car, it must have had the Stage 1 on it. The stage 2 is a lot more angry sounding.
If you buy a new one, there is a lot of depreciating to do over the next few years. Whereas your 5 years old ST has done its depreciating and is sat on a plateau at the moment. For £10k, you could put a Honda VTEC in your own car and the Exige wouldn't see which way you went.
New Exige = £30k. Or your own car* £14k plus £10k for engine swap.
*To be honest, I can't see Lotus offering a penny more than £14k on your car and may even offer a good bit less if its done a few miles.
If it was a new car, it must have had the Stage 1 on it. The stage 2 is a lot more angry sounding.
If you buy a new one, there is a lot of depreciating to do over the next few years. Whereas your 5 years old ST has done its depreciating and is sat on a plateau at the moment. For £10k, you could put a Honda VTEC in your own car and the Exige wouldn't see which way you went.
New Exige = £30k. Or your own car* £14k plus £10k for engine swap.
*To be honest, I can't see Lotus offering a penny more than £14k on your car and may even offer a good bit less if its done a few miles.
Hmm..
If i were to get a new Exige it would be under the deal that lotus are doing at the mo. Basically you only pay for half the cost of the car, then after 3 years you can give it back or carry on paying. I've done some the sums and it works out to be cheaper for me to buy brand new than shell out 26K on a used Exige. By quite a way! In my case I think it makes more sense to buy brand new. Plus Lotus will give me a much better PX for a new car than used. More than £14000 for my car.
Not sure about putting a honda engine in the elise. That way works out more expensinve in every way! not to mention nobody will give you an insurance quote thats even half way reasonable.
Plus part of the reason for wanting an Exige is the way it looks and it's better handling characteristics. You'd have to do some serious modifications to an Elises engine, aerodynamics and suspension thus incurring further costs and higher depreciation.
A
If i were to get a new Exige it would be under the deal that lotus are doing at the mo. Basically you only pay for half the cost of the car, then after 3 years you can give it back or carry on paying. I've done some the sums and it works out to be cheaper for me to buy brand new than shell out 26K on a used Exige. By quite a way! In my case I think it makes more sense to buy brand new. Plus Lotus will give me a much better PX for a new car than used. More than £14000 for my car.
Not sure about putting a honda engine in the elise. That way works out more expensinve in every way! not to mention nobody will give you an insurance quote thats even half way reasonable.
Plus part of the reason for wanting an Exige is the way it looks and it's better handling characteristics. You'd have to do some serious modifications to an Elises engine, aerodynamics and suspension thus incurring further costs and higher depreciation.
A
Andy T said:
Thing is, part of the reason i love my current car is just that, it's raw!
Couldn't agree with you more Andy.
I also had a bit of a hankering for an S2 Exige, checked one out at the local dealer - gorgeous looking motor but like you say, too refined.
Just "too much car" for me.
So glad I checked it out because it is now completely out of my system (only to be replaced by plans for a Honda transplant for my S1!)
Dunc
I have to agree with you guy. A fancied a 111R pr exige but went on the track in one and it just seemed so smooth and refined where as mine was really rough and loud and grrrrr, just raw..... I really want the honda supercharged engine in my S1 but I would like the the spec of the Exige. Now that the exige S is available, I think that will be the next one for me but with a loud exhaust and induction system....
i used to own an s2 sports tourer and have just taken delivery or a new exige. the exige or elise as standard sounds poor which ever engine, and you've got to fit a sports exhaust and induction kit. i must admit that the exige doesn't have that low rev, full throttle noise that the elise had, but the stage 2 exhaust loves to pop and bang so seems to add lots of character to the car. you don't get any of that boomy resonance that you got with the k series engine.
its got much more performance than my previous s2 (std 118bhp) and tbh very similar levels of refinement. couldn't comment re a 111s. over the elise i've got aircon and is great for demisting on those cold winter nights.
i went to the dealer and drove both the 111r and the exige. for me the looks of the exige are so much better than the 111r. in my opinion its less feminine, and when parked next to each other the choice was simple.
i would reccomend that you buy an exige obviously, and then if you decide to transplant a sc honda into it at least its a better starting point that a 111s.
you know you want to do it!
its got much more performance than my previous s2 (std 118bhp) and tbh very similar levels of refinement. couldn't comment re a 111s. over the elise i've got aircon and is great for demisting on those cold winter nights.
i went to the dealer and drove both the 111r and the exige. for me the looks of the exige are so much better than the 111r. in my opinion its less feminine, and when parked next to each other the choice was simple.
i would reccomend that you buy an exige obviously, and then if you decide to transplant a sc honda into it at least its a better starting point that a 111s.
you know you want to do it!
cool, thanks for the info in the exhaust noise, the one i drove had a stage 1 and it didn't sound special, no popping or banging on the overrun. I want popping and banging! not so much that I can't do trackdays though. 
Yeah i reckon I still want an exige and i'll have to do some more sums that include a stage 2 exhaust and induction kit. any ideas on prices for those?
cheers
A
Yeah i reckon I still want an exige and i'll have to do some more sums that include a stage 2 exhaust and induction kit. any ideas on prices for those?
cheers
A
You should get some popping and banging on the over-run with stage one exhaust. Mine certainly does. Induction kit is the best bit though, not least because its only loud when youre on the power so no disadvantage on the motorway etc, plus from the outside it doesnt make that much difference so no trackday problems.
I find the car plenty quick enough on the road under 6000rpm but would imagine theres no benefit over the lower powered k-series cars without revving it round onto its 2nd cam thingy.
Simon
PS Find it difficult to imagine anyone finding an exige too refined but i guess everything is relative!
>> Edited by simonk on Sunday 12th March 19:41
I find the car plenty quick enough on the road under 6000rpm but would imagine theres no benefit over the lower powered k-series cars without revving it round onto its 2nd cam thingy.
Simon
PS Find it difficult to imagine anyone finding an exige too refined but i guess everything is relative!
>> Edited by simonk on Sunday 12th March 19:41
depending on the deal you should get aircon, exhaust and induction as no cost options. you'll have to try your luck!
stage 2 exhaust may be a problem on some track days so i've been told.
i'd say the performance was similar upto the 2nd cam. its perfectly usable below the 2nd cam, but if you want the performance you've got to rev it.
one thing i have noticed about the toyota engine is that the temperature doesn't go zooming up like it did on the k series car when in traffic. i feel much more confident that it won't over heat.
the gear change is much better too. and i've the new peddal box with fly by wire throttle. no problems with it at all, and the pedal positions are good for heal and toe.
buy one!
stage 2 exhaust may be a problem on some track days so i've been told.
i'd say the performance was similar upto the 2nd cam. its perfectly usable below the 2nd cam, but if you want the performance you've got to rev it.
one thing i have noticed about the toyota engine is that the temperature doesn't go zooming up like it did on the k series car when in traffic. i feel much more confident that it won't over heat.
the gear change is much better too. and i've the new peddal box with fly by wire throttle. no problems with it at all, and the pedal positions are good for heal and toe.
buy one!
Andy T said:
cool, thanks for the info in the exhaust noise, the one i drove had a stage 1 and it didn't sound special, no popping or banging on the overrun. I want popping and banging! not so much that I can't do trackdays though.
If you have a stage 1 and a induction kit, and you take away the cat(decat?) you should have nice sounds out your exhaust
also remember when you shift down and brake on the engine(high revs) just keep your foot just a bit(a few mm) on the accelerator pedal
that helps popping too! just try that... GTRene
swilding said:
if you decide to transplant a sc honda into it at least its a better starting point that a 111s.
????
Seems like a complete waste of money to me?
Whereas, fitting a Honda into a well sorted 12K S1 makes perfect sence and being almost 200kg lighter than an S2 Exige I know which one I think would be quicker!
Dunc
yup - fastest Honda cars are the S1 Elise with.....
personally the cheapest way of getting into a really fast, sorted Elise is to buy one ready done ..where someone else has spent £20K fully sorting it and then moved on ...occasionally they come up for sale - most people who have the engine translplants have already done the rest of the car ...£16K will get you in a nice Audi S1...Hondas seem to go for a few grand more (very popular)
personally the cheapest way of getting into a really fast, sorted Elise is to buy one ready done ..where someone else has spent £20K fully sorting it and then moved on ...occasionally they come up for sale - most people who have the engine translplants have already done the rest of the car
...£16K will get you in a nice Audi S1...Hondas seem to go for a few grand more (very popular) Hi Andy
I think there are two basic trains of thought here - one that comes from the viewpoint of a basic raw and less depreciating school and the other that is a desire for the latest offerings, updates and desirability
I think from reading your comments that the latter appeals to you most right now. You want a new one that's yours, only ever has been yours and will be yours alone for as long as you decide. I've just got an 06 plate SportsRacer as my first ever Lotus and first ever new car. Did it make sense? Of course not! No new car ever will... but I watched the £5k slide off the back as I left the showroom fully aware and at ease with that fact. Some people will never understand that and I can't blame them either. You're cool with it, or you're not (I think you are!)
The current finance deal is stunning and is working. As I see it, your biggest quandary when considering a new Exige will be the lure of the Exige S... but I heard today that 3.9% isn't available on the S, so that could be that little dilemma quickly sorted for you!
As for the pops and whizzes, trust what the other guys here are saying - I'm too new to have any experience to impart on that score. Stage 1 or 2 / Larini / Hurricane etc etc I'm sure will soon start getting those boxes ticked for you
All nice cars are bought with the heart not the head so don't try to see it any other way. Follow what you really want and as said before, just do it!
(just for the pre-record... I bet it'll be a new Exige with some toys that ends up on your drive and not a feather-light Honda'd S1. I haven't got a problem with either, but your 'sold' tone gives it all away! Enjoy looking)
I think there are two basic trains of thought here - one that comes from the viewpoint of a basic raw and less depreciating school and the other that is a desire for the latest offerings, updates and desirability
I think from reading your comments that the latter appeals to you most right now. You want a new one that's yours, only ever has been yours and will be yours alone for as long as you decide. I've just got an 06 plate SportsRacer as my first ever Lotus and first ever new car. Did it make sense? Of course not! No new car ever will... but I watched the £5k slide off the back as I left the showroom fully aware and at ease with that fact. Some people will never understand that and I can't blame them either. You're cool with it, or you're not (I think you are!)
The current finance deal is stunning and is working. As I see it, your biggest quandary when considering a new Exige will be the lure of the Exige S... but I heard today that 3.9% isn't available on the S, so that could be that little dilemma quickly sorted for you!
As for the pops and whizzes, trust what the other guys here are saying - I'm too new to have any experience to impart on that score. Stage 1 or 2 / Larini / Hurricane etc etc I'm sure will soon start getting those boxes ticked for you
All nice cars are bought with the heart not the head so don't try to see it any other way. Follow what you really want and as said before, just do it!
(just for the pre-record... I bet it'll be a new Exige with some toys that ends up on your drive and not a feather-light Honda'd S1. I haven't got a problem with either, but your 'sold' tone gives it all away! Enjoy looking
)You read me like a book!
Yeah I think I am lured by the new shinyness factor and the fact that I can spec out what I want and not have to settle for finding a used example that fits the bill. I'm not bothered at all about the depreciation and losing 5k as I drive away from the dealership (the deal they have on at the mo offsets that anyway) your'e right, these sorts af cars are not investments. I know mine will be used every day like my current Elise is! It will be taken on as many track days a I can afford and also driven down to Le Mans this year! Wind, rain, snow (well maybe not too much snow!) doesn't stop me from going out for a drive!
Out of interest, did you go for the 3.9% deal thingy? what sort of deal did you get?
A
Yeah I think I am lured by the new shinyness factor and the fact that I can spec out what I want and not have to settle for finding a used example that fits the bill. I'm not bothered at all about the depreciation and losing 5k as I drive away from the dealership (the deal they have on at the mo offsets that anyway) your'e right, these sorts af cars are not investments. I know mine will be used every day like my current Elise is! It will be taken on as many track days a I can afford and also driven down to Le Mans this year! Wind, rain, snow (well maybe not too much snow!) doesn't stop me from going out for a drive!
Out of interest, did you go for the 3.9% deal thingy? what sort of deal did you get?
A
Yeah I nabbed the 3.9 while it was there - cheap money in anyone's book (ok, not as cheap as straight out cash that you'd have pulled from your mattress, but I wasn't about to scrimp for five years only to get flattened by a bus the day before emptying said mattress!! )
Well for the me, real selling points came in all the kit that got bundled in the SportsRacer edition. To start from a base 111R and add all the bits and pieces (Lotus extras price list) would have topped this car out at over £36K
But being four grand less, made it a more attractive (again, people will argue whether its all too overpriced anyhow, but that wasn't in my thoughts)
That doesn't really help you too directly when considering an Exige, but of course if your 'doing the Dealer a favour' by taking a 'now less-desirable' non-S model off his hands, then you could well bag a pretty good deal
It doesn't seem like your going to be battling any 'sensible' demons on this, so just see if you can get a deal that floats your boat and really works for you… you’re the one that matters
Cheers!
>> Edited by Janitor on Monday 13th March 12:17
) Well for the me, real selling points came in all the kit that got bundled in the SportsRacer edition. To start from a base 111R and add all the bits and pieces (Lotus extras price list) would have topped this car out at over £36K
But being four grand less, made it a more attractive (again, people will argue whether its all too overpriced anyhow, but that wasn't in my thoughts) That doesn't really help you too directly when considering an Exige, but of course if your 'doing the Dealer a favour' by taking a 'now less-desirable' non-S model off his hands, then you could well bag a pretty good deal
It doesn't seem like your going to be battling any 'sensible' demons on this, so just see if you can get a deal that floats your boat and really works for you… you’re the one that matters
Cheers!
>> Edited by Janitor on Monday 13th March 12:17
Hey Andy. seems to me your after a big power lotus, and nothing says power like a Chevy v8, Seriously I dropped one these baby's into my 2000 S1, Their power increase was amazing 320 bhp with the ramshorn exhaust manifold, kicking out about 360 lb ft. The most notable change was the handling, nobody can say the Elise is a poor handling car, but you stick a Chevy in back and your in a whole new world. It corners flatter, the car feels lighter, more agile and oversteer is almost a thing of the past. Go for Chevy power.
Brad
Brad
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=251514&f=15&h=0
Too refined or not refined enough...
How can you win?
Too refined or not refined enough...
How can you win?
Brad111 said:
Hey Andy. seems to me your after a big power lotus, and nothing says power like a Chevy v8, Seriously I dropped one these baby's into my 2000 S1, Their power increase was amazing 320 bhp with the ramshorn exhaust manifold, kicking out about 360 lb ft. The most notable change was the handling, nobody can say the Elise is a poor handling car, but you stick a Chevy in back and your in a whole new world. It corners flatter, the car feels lighter, more agile and oversteer is almost a thing of the past. Go for Chevy power.
Brad
ROFLMAO
...wow...similar power output to a 1.8 Audi turbo from an engine that weighs 3x as much !
You Europeans have no idea, you think your lightweight, low output, eco friendly engines are where it's at. They really cant compare to American muscle, that's why I had to replace the K-series with a V8. Anyway I just looked up the output of a Audi 1.8T its only 180 bhp, that's nothing!!! Give me raw American power anyday..
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