First trackday in Exige S
Discussion
Went to Bedford on Saturday for the open pit lane session of the GT circuit - the capabilities of my Exige S just completely blew me away!!!!!!
Never dared hope it would handle as well as it does - the grip is phenomenal from the A048s and the whole chassis is beautifully balanced - even when the back end breaks away it was progressive and easy to catch. Made me feel like a real trackday star as the reduced breaking distances you can take and the speed which you can carry through corners is awesome. Needless to say, whilst the various Porsche GT3s did me on the long back straight, I could outbreak and outcorner almost everyone but the Ariels and the Palmersport jobbie!!
I now fully undertsand the Lotus thing after 3 months of ownership. My friends who came along in other stuff who passengered or drove my car are now also thinking of buying Elises/Exiges.
Cannot wait for the next trackday.
Never dared hope it would handle as well as it does - the grip is phenomenal from the A048s and the whole chassis is beautifully balanced - even when the back end breaks away it was progressive and easy to catch. Made me feel like a real trackday star as the reduced breaking distances you can take and the speed which you can carry through corners is awesome. Needless to say, whilst the various Porsche GT3s did me on the long back straight, I could outbreak and outcorner almost everyone but the Ariels and the Palmersport jobbie!!
I now fully undertsand the Lotus thing after 3 months of ownership. My friends who came along in other stuff who passengered or drove my car are now also thinking of buying Elises/Exiges.
Cannot wait for the next trackday.
Good to hear you got it out on the track and loved every minute of it. Took my Elise out to Brands last night in the wet on the Indy circuit for the first time, and despite initial nervousness, the horrendous weather and an unfamiliar car I really enjoyed myself.
With a bit of tuition I was soon upping my speeds, shortening my braking areas and feeling more confident towards the limit.
Another one in July I hope!
With a bit of tuition I was soon upping my speeds, shortening my braking areas and feeling more confident towards the limit.
Another one in July I hope!
mrdemon said:
Thanks for the ride in the S on Saturday ( david CSL driver)
I was impressed with the grip you managed to get.
I was impressed with the grip you managed to get.
...but not the straight line speed or the Autocar numbers...
At least "it does beat the Astra VXR though".
http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.ph
Perhaps not the most technical way of measuring speed, but I had a blast from standstill in my Exige S against a friends Ferrari 360 (on a private drive) up to about 90mph before we ran out of road and I was absolutely nailed to his backside! Oh and I had a 12 stone (ish) passenger.
The driver admitted he gave it full beans and couldn't shake my little buzz box off his arse.
I know it shouldn't matter but Autocars figures are always disappointing. If an Exige S is about a second slower than Lotus claim then I'm sure it's consistent with most manufacturers.
The driver admitted he gave it full beans and couldn't shake my little buzz box off his arse.
I know it shouldn't matter but Autocars figures are always disappointing. If an Exige S is about a second slower than Lotus claim then I'm sure it's consistent with most manufacturers.
I think the point is that these cars are not dragsters, and the initial post in the thread illustrates perfectly why we buy them... because they are awesome driving cars.
The 0-whatever numbers are for pub-talk only, and if you're that bothered about 0-60 etc. then get a Jap saloon where the computers do it for you.
The 0-whatever numbers are for pub-talk only, and if you're that bothered about 0-60 etc. then get a Jap saloon where the computers do it for you.
Edited by S Works on Friday 30th June 09:25
Thats very true a manufacturer will always see the glass half full. In reality figures dont mean too much apart from on a straight road. I had a play in my S with a couple of track prep M3 CSL's round the nurburgring and left one and kept on the tail of another for a full lap so its really more driver skill and im sure someone with more expierience than me could have gone much much faster. The second I went in an Exige S I knew it wasnt 9.98 seconds to 100mph it just didnt feel fast enough. I was used to a 400bhp evo 8MR too. But round the ring in the Exige i took 42seconds off my best time in the Evo. In a straight line yes a CSL or Evo will beat a S but round a track it will kill an evo and match any CSL.
The one thing I dont understand tho is why the S is so heavy? 875kg standard Exige - 935kg Exige S. Surely the intercooler supercharger and intake manifold are not worth an extra 60kg. Or maybe they are I have never picked up a supercharger?
The one thing I dont understand tho is why the S is so heavy? 875kg standard Exige - 935kg Exige S. Surely the intercooler supercharger and intake manifold are not worth an extra 60kg. Or maybe they are I have never picked up a supercharger?
S Works said:
I think the point is that these cars are not dragsters, and the initial post in the thread illustrates perfectly why we buy them... because they are awesome driving cars.
The 0-whatever numbers are for pub-talk only, and if you're that[/] bothered about 0-60 etc. then get a Jap saloon where the computers do it for you.
The 0-whatever numbers are for pub-talk only, and if you're that[/] bothered about 0-60 etc. then get a Jap saloon where the computers do it for you.
I completely agree and Autocars figures will have no bearing on how I feel about my car. I was just happy to have comfirmed for myself that these little cars can live with the big boys even before the bend arrives. It might entertain some of the other new 'S' owners also.
Hello all,
my first post here. I live in the US and will pick up an Exige or Exige S (if they bring that here) this winter.
I looked on Autocar's website for info on the Exige S, but found nothing. What numbers did they get for the Exige S? I was sceptical about the 9.98s, 0-100 mph time also.
Thanks!
my first post here. I live in the US and will pick up an Exige or Exige S (if they bring that here) this winter.
I looked on Autocar's website for info on the Exige S, but found nothing. What numbers did they get for the Exige S? I was sceptical about the 9.98s, 0-100 mph time also.
Thanks!
shay2nak said:
Hello all,
my first post here. I live in the US and will pick up an Exige or Exige S (if they bring that here) this winter.
I looked on Autocar's website for info on the Exige S, but found nothing. What numbers did they get for the Exige S? I was sceptical about the 9.98s, 0-100 mph time also.
Thanks!
my first post here. I live in the US and will pick up an Exige or Exige S (if they bring that here) this winter.
I looked on Autocar's website for info on the Exige S, but found nothing. What numbers did they get for the Exige S? I was sceptical about the 9.98s, 0-100 mph time also.
Thanks!
11.87, see above.
I dont want to turn this into a CSL v exige post.
but when people say a exige can keep up with a track spec CSL on the ring when a standard CSL can post 7.50
is a bit daft.
or to say it can out drag a 360 ( which is a 9 second 100 mph car) with 2 up and a 12 stone passenger in it is daft.
We all know the Exige is a fab car
We all know its no faster on the track than a standard Exige it 60kgs more weight and only 18 BHP more.
we all know the SC makes it a fab road car ( unlike the standard exige)
We all know Lotus lied about a sub 10 seconds car for some reason.
We all know it can handle 280 bhp easy.
Enjoy it for what it is :-)
but when people say a exige can keep up with a track spec CSL on the ring when a standard CSL can post 7.50
is a bit daft.
or to say it can out drag a 360 ( which is a 9 second 100 mph car) with 2 up and a 12 stone passenger in it is daft.
We all know the Exige is a fab car
We all know its no faster on the track than a standard Exige it 60kgs more weight and only 18 BHP more.
we all know the SC makes it a fab road car ( unlike the standard exige)
We all know Lotus lied about a sub 10 seconds car for some reason.
We all know it can handle 280 bhp easy.
Enjoy it for what it is :-)
Ah, but you always do... and you nearly always fail to grasp the simple fact that a CSL or a 360 driven with little skill could possibly be slower than a.n.other car driven by a driver with great skill.
I'm sorry, but you're one of the biggest trollers on here and SELOC with regard to this subject. I recall it being exactly the same with the TT you had, and now with the "CSL - Real Power" nonsense that you continue to peddle day-in, day-out.
I look forward to you getting your Audi-Elise so you can tell everyone what a better/faster car this is than a CSL on track/road/wherever.
I'm sorry, but you're one of the biggest trollers on here and SELOC with regard to this subject. I recall it being exactly the same with the TT you had, and now with the "CSL - Real Power" nonsense that you continue to peddle day-in, day-out.
I look forward to you getting your Audi-Elise so you can tell everyone what a better/faster car this is than a CSL on track/road/wherever.
:-)
not Trolling just simple facts.
saying an Exige is faster than a CSL or a 360 IS Trolling imo i have yet to see a standard lotus post a sub 8 minute ring time.
also when i had the tuned TT it was faster in a straight line than a standard Elise ( just simple facts again why people get nasty about it is odd I had it all data logged at 14.5 seconds to 100 mph)
ofcourse its down to the driver skill for a fast lap time.
I am not brand loyal I just buy the fastest car which is the best value for money at the time I hate BMW as a brand but love the CSL as a car.
And ofcourse a tuned up Audi Elise will be faster than a CSL I would not bother to build one if it was going to be slower lol.
not Trolling just simple facts.
saying an Exige is faster than a CSL or a 360 IS Trolling imo i have yet to see a standard lotus post a sub 8 minute ring time.
also when i had the tuned TT it was faster in a straight line than a standard Elise ( just simple facts again why people get nasty about it is odd I had it all data logged at 14.5 seconds to 100 mph)
ofcourse its down to the driver skill for a fast lap time.
I am not brand loyal I just buy the fastest car which is the best value for money at the time I hate BMW as a brand but love the CSL as a car.
And ofcourse a tuned up Audi Elise will be faster than a CSL I would not bother to build one if it was going to be slower lol.
Spectacularly missing the point again. I was using your TT to illustrate my point dear boy, and you further contributed to me proving mine by adding in even further drivel in your previous post. I'll make it very clear for you.... You are not comparing 2 standard cars. You make broad-brush comments which veer from one side of an arguement to another within one or two posts.
The fact is, and frankly what irritates me as a casual observer, your constant drivel about Lotus cars defies belief to me. You don't want one, you don't think they're worth the money, you don't think they're fast enough, practical enough, light enough etc. etc. but yet you continue to drivel on about them and compare them to your current "fastest car for the money".
I can only assume you spend more time in the pub talking 0-60 times and stats than you do actually driving. You appear to me to be the antithesis of "EVO", despite having one of the most "EVO" cars that money can buy.
Confused.com
The fact is, and frankly what irritates me as a casual observer, your constant drivel about Lotus cars defies belief to me. You don't want one, you don't think they're worth the money, you don't think they're fast enough, practical enough, light enough etc. etc. but yet you continue to drivel on about them and compare them to your current "fastest car for the money".
I can only assume you spend more time in the pub talking 0-60 times and stats than you do actually driving. You appear to me to be the antithesis of "EVO", despite having one of the most "EVO" cars that money can buy.
Confused.com
The point of my post about the 360 is to show that printed figures and manufacturers claims aren't worth the paper they are written on.
Driver skill had nothing to do with it either. It was a dead straight line, we both accelarated hard from 1st gear and the Exige S DID stay within 2 or 3 yards of the 360 the whole way.
I will never know if that means the Lotus is faster than it should be or the Ferrari slower, but it was very good fun and a good little story to tell my 9 year old son.
Driver skill had nothing to do with it either. It was a dead straight line, we both accelarated hard from 1st gear and the Exige S DID stay within 2 or 3 yards of the 360 the whole way.
I will never know if that means the Lotus is faster than it should be or the Ferrari slower, but it was very good fun and a good little story to tell my 9 year old son.
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