Exige S1 or S2 - £30k
Discussion
Hi,
l fancy an Exige but don't know the differences between a S1 and a S2?
Dick Lovett in Swindon has two very nice examples that l'm considering.
l'm sure this question has been asked a million times before, but please bear with me and advise me accordingly + anything else l should know?
l'd be coming out of a SL55 AMG and it would be my daily drive.
Thanks,
Cycle Si
l fancy an Exige but don't know the differences between a S1 and a S2?
Dick Lovett in Swindon has two very nice examples that l'm considering.
l'm sure this question has been asked a million times before, but please bear with me and advise me accordingly + anything else l should know?
l'd be coming out of a SL55 AMG and it would be my daily drive.
Thanks,
Cycle Si
EVLXGE said:
If its to be a daily and your coming from an SL 55, you'll get a nasty shock if you buy an S1.
Get a nasty shock in an S2 as well!!Seriously SL55 to an S1 or even an S2 is a big culture shock. Once you get over the 1) apparant lack of build quality, 2) noise and sheer rawness, 3) the lack of torque and 4) fact that no-one wants to be a passenger you then have to deal with the level of concentration you need to drive safely and properly.
Not saying you shouldn't do it but if you are still unaware of the difference between and S1 and S2 Exige then you need to do a lot more homework and a good few test drives to make sure it's the right move for you.
Have a good google and mooch about here and on seloc and you will get a lot of good (and bad) advice and opinions.
21TonyK said:
EVLXGE said:
If its to be a daily and your coming from an SL 55, you'll get a nasty shock if you buy an S1.
Get a nasty shock in an S2 as well!!
As Tony said you can never really relax driving about in the Exige. Not that its difficult to drive more to do with the number of other drivers that just dont see you. Believe me even in a Bright orange one with de-catted stage 3 exhaust people still try to drive into you.
Dont be put off though...read up, test drive, buy one and prepare for every journey to be an event.
Edited by EVLXGE on Sunday 15th November 17:01
Just to add.. £30K? S1? Out by about 10K for a sorted track car. For an S2 that would be a near new. If you are looking to pump £30K in to a Lotus be ready to lose £10K over night, especially if it's a track car.
3 years ago I was looking at a new Fezza but thought I should should try a dedicated 2 seater. So I went for a S2 Exige as the Elise wasn't "hard core" enough for me
Three years (and recession) on I'm still in the Exige. Yesterday I could have lapped an F360, if the arrogant tosser had moved over. These cars can be quick.
My advice is to do some serious research. If you want a proper track car then get a Lotus then get something else for the road.
3 years ago I was looking at a new Fezza but thought I should should try a dedicated 2 seater. So I went for a S2 Exige as the Elise wasn't "hard core" enough for me
Three years (and recession) on I'm still in the Exige. Yesterday I could have lapped an F360, if the arrogant tosser had moved over. These cars can be quick.
My advice is to do some serious research. If you want a proper track car then get a Lotus then get something else for the road.
Hmm.. I see the standard Exige and Elise as road cars, not track cars (although they do excel on the track, for a road car that is). This is what the OP wants as well, so it's road use we should be talking about. I used my Elise 111S as my everyday car for three years. The positives are obvious, but the downsides were a lack of boot space and noise on the motorway. For those two reasons alone I now have another car for the motorways etc.
To the OP though, yes, you can use an Exige everyday. The first thing you need to do is to get a test drive and see whether it's the car for you or not. If it's too raw (or too slow in a straight line compared to your SL55), then have a look at the multide of cars that fall between the SL55 and the Exige. They all vary in power and comfort and it's a case of finding the balance that fits you best (the Boxster S or Cayman S are probably the best if you fit in them, or try a Z4M Coupé if you don't).
Finally, the S1 Exige was a lot more raw, so almost certainly it's the S2 you need to look at.
To the OP though, yes, you can use an Exige everyday. The first thing you need to do is to get a test drive and see whether it's the car for you or not. If it's too raw (or too slow in a straight line compared to your SL55), then have a look at the multide of cars that fall between the SL55 and the Exige. They all vary in power and comfort and it's a case of finding the balance that fits you best (the Boxster S or Cayman S are probably the best if you fit in them, or try a Z4M Coupé if you don't).
Finally, the S1 Exige was a lot more raw, so almost certainly it's the S2 you need to look at.
Having had 2 Elises and a SL500 amongst others I can understand the op's train of thought. I swapped the Sl for an Elise in April and didn't regret it for a second. However, you need to get out there and drive one. I would rule out an S1 as a daily driver straight away. The S2 is perfectly fine for day to day driving so long as you don't mind not having cruise control etc
I think the reason why it was mentioned that you need to concentrate more is prob one of the reasons the op wants to ge out of the sl as it can be cosseting to drive and not involving enough but only you will know if YOU can handle driving one daily.
I think the reason why it was mentioned that you need to concentrate more is prob one of the reasons the op wants to ge out of the sl as it can be cosseting to drive and not involving enough but only you will know if YOU can handle driving one daily.
Excellent feedback Guys - thanks. Most of you obviously think l'm mad thinking about selling my SL55.
l had an AC Cobra for 12 years so l'm kinda use to 'raw'. However, l would obviously miss much about the Merc so maybe l'll test drive a S2 and take it from there.
Thanks again for the advice - much appreciated. Going to see if the new series of 'Top Gear' inspires me.....
l had an AC Cobra for 12 years so l'm kinda use to 'raw'. However, l would obviously miss much about the Merc so maybe l'll test drive a S2 and take it from there.
Thanks again for the advice - much appreciated. Going to see if the new series of 'Top Gear' inspires me.....
BTW, this what l have in mind (with the Performance and Touring packs & A/C):
http://www.dicklovett.co.uk/cgi-bin/gdetail.cgi?te...
http://www.dicklovett.co.uk/cgi-bin/gdetail.cgi?te...
Good choice. An S is a prerequesite coming from and SL55. Personally, I would be tempted by a slightly older car, may an 07/8. No techincal advantage over an '09 car and both would still be pre '10 car whichi is "the facelift version". However, a slightly older car would leave cash in the bank for a 240 upgrade (circa £1500 all in) and would give you the extra grunt.
Add to this a few hundred for brakes and you have a serious car.
Add to this a few hundred for brakes and you have a serious car.
S2 Exige, with the blower and aircon (i.e. an S with the touring pack, performance pack optional in this case) is a *perfectly* fine daily driver as long as three criteria are met:
1. You can drive, and you enjoy driving, and don't rely on the electronics in all situations;
2. You swap the idiotic A048Rs to something appropriate in the winter months;
3. You value driving fun over snooze-inducing comfort.
The later S2 Exiges don't leak (they shouldn't - if one does, it's faulty) and water ingress is usually when you get into the car. This is due to water pooling on the roof, and when you sit on the sill to swing your body into the car (getting in and out *is* tricky compared to lots of other cars, but on an S2 it's not that hard) then the suspension shifts, and the water pours onto your lap. Simple solution to this - buy a water blade from Halfords and keep it in the car. On approaching the car if it's been raining, open the door without moving the suspension, pick out the water blade, close the door, blade off the water from the roof, open door, get in car, job done. Haven't had water in my lap since (lesson learnt with a VX220 turbo years ago!).
If it's left outside and you've let it get damp inside, then it'll get bad windscreen condensation. This is a stopper for daily use in the S1s as I simply don't have 30 minutes in the morning to demist the car, nor do I want to smear the windscreen with a dodgy chamois that's been in the car since I've bought it... the S2 Exige with air-con clears the windscreen in less than 5 minutes. Easy.
You'll kill yourself eventually in winter on the standard fit tyres - or you'll be late everywhere driving like a pussy. Get proper tyres for winter. I'm using 'real' winter tyres (Pirelli Snowsport / Sottozero) and they *laugh* at our winters. I can push the thing to the limits in lousy British weather, leaf mulch on the road, deep standing water, whatever. The tyres do the job. If I tried it on A048Rs then I'd be picking bits of my Lotus out of the scenery (assuming I survived).
Fundamentally though - whilst everyone else is stuck in a winter traffic jam coming home from work, in the dark, rain pelting down, I blip the throttle, look sideways to a nearby shop front and see my yellow Exige rolling along. I've had it (and similar type cars) for years, but the thrill never subsides. It's the ultimate feel-good car - nothing I've had hit the spot in the same way (I've had a reasonably varied history of cars - check profile - but never a Ferrari or whatnot, that could skew the balance). The difference is that the S2 Exige *should* be damn full-on reliable. There aren't constant whinges about 'niggles' in the Lotus forums (unlike, say, the TVR forums) and certainly not with the Toyota engines and the later S2s. Mostly it's about buying the right car, and what modifications to do next to soup it up!
If you love driving, an S2 Exige is *definitely* a daily driver. I'd run away from an S1 Exige as a daily though
ETA - I paid £24k IIRC for mine last year (October 2008), it's a 2006 model supercharged touring-spec car, from a main dealer. You won't need to pay £30k unless you want one of the specials. You should be able to get a car like mine for £20-22k and it'll be a cracker. I'm in love with my car, and I've been badly hurt by Lotus in the past (owned 4 if you include the VXT) - along with the VXT, these cars are reliable enough to be treated like a normal 'car' and not some 'amateur engineer's toy' like TVRs, but also deliver thrills up there with the best of them. And yes, on a track day, if you can drive, you will be making some *very* expensive machinery look like all mouth and no trousers. The Exige is all trousers - if you can drive, the only things that will pass you will be faster Lotuses and non-road stuff like Caterfields and Radicals. Oh yeah, watch out for GT3s though... if owned by a decent driver and not a poseur, the Porker GT3 is seriously hard work to stay with, they have a reputation for a reason
1. You can drive, and you enjoy driving, and don't rely on the electronics in all situations;
2. You swap the idiotic A048Rs to something appropriate in the winter months;
3. You value driving fun over snooze-inducing comfort.
The later S2 Exiges don't leak (they shouldn't - if one does, it's faulty) and water ingress is usually when you get into the car. This is due to water pooling on the roof, and when you sit on the sill to swing your body into the car (getting in and out *is* tricky compared to lots of other cars, but on an S2 it's not that hard) then the suspension shifts, and the water pours onto your lap. Simple solution to this - buy a water blade from Halfords and keep it in the car. On approaching the car if it's been raining, open the door without moving the suspension, pick out the water blade, close the door, blade off the water from the roof, open door, get in car, job done. Haven't had water in my lap since (lesson learnt with a VX220 turbo years ago!).
If it's left outside and you've let it get damp inside, then it'll get bad windscreen condensation. This is a stopper for daily use in the S1s as I simply don't have 30 minutes in the morning to demist the car, nor do I want to smear the windscreen with a dodgy chamois that's been in the car since I've bought it... the S2 Exige with air-con clears the windscreen in less than 5 minutes. Easy.
You'll kill yourself eventually in winter on the standard fit tyres - or you'll be late everywhere driving like a pussy. Get proper tyres for winter. I'm using 'real' winter tyres (Pirelli Snowsport / Sottozero) and they *laugh* at our winters. I can push the thing to the limits in lousy British weather, leaf mulch on the road, deep standing water, whatever. The tyres do the job. If I tried it on A048Rs then I'd be picking bits of my Lotus out of the scenery (assuming I survived).
Fundamentally though - whilst everyone else is stuck in a winter traffic jam coming home from work, in the dark, rain pelting down, I blip the throttle, look sideways to a nearby shop front and see my yellow Exige rolling along. I've had it (and similar type cars) for years, but the thrill never subsides. It's the ultimate feel-good car - nothing I've had hit the spot in the same way (I've had a reasonably varied history of cars - check profile - but never a Ferrari or whatnot, that could skew the balance). The difference is that the S2 Exige *should* be damn full-on reliable. There aren't constant whinges about 'niggles' in the Lotus forums (unlike, say, the TVR forums) and certainly not with the Toyota engines and the later S2s. Mostly it's about buying the right car, and what modifications to do next to soup it up!
If you love driving, an S2 Exige is *definitely* a daily driver. I'd run away from an S1 Exige as a daily though
ETA - I paid £24k IIRC for mine last year (October 2008), it's a 2006 model supercharged touring-spec car, from a main dealer. You won't need to pay £30k unless you want one of the specials. You should be able to get a car like mine for £20-22k and it'll be a cracker. I'm in love with my car, and I've been badly hurt by Lotus in the past (owned 4 if you include the VXT) - along with the VXT, these cars are reliable enough to be treated like a normal 'car' and not some 'amateur engineer's toy' like TVRs, but also deliver thrills up there with the best of them. And yes, on a track day, if you can drive, you will be making some *very* expensive machinery look like all mouth and no trousers. The Exige is all trousers - if you can drive, the only things that will pass you will be faster Lotuses and non-road stuff like Caterfields and Radicals. Oh yeah, watch out for GT3s though... if owned by a decent driver and not a poseur, the Porker GT3 is seriously hard work to stay with, they have a reputation for a reason
Edited by cyberface on Sunday 15th November 20:58
21TonyK said:
Good choice. An S is a prerequesite coming from and SL55. Personally, I would be tempted by a slightly older car, may an 07/8. No techincal advantage over an '09 car and both would still be pre '10 car whichi is "the facelift version". However, a slightly older car would leave cash in the bank for a 240 upgrade (circa £1500 all in) and would give you the extra grunt.
Add to this a few hundred for brakes and you have a serious car.
l thought the Performance pack gave you 240 bhp and that the brakes are AP Racing with ABS - surely the standard brakes are more than good enough?Add to this a few hundred for brakes and you have a serious car.
Cyberface,
That is a full, excellent, detailed reply and exactly what l was after so many thanks.
For those wondering, just because l'm currently in a SL55 it doesn't mean to say l'm a hairdresser.
Having been to the 'Ring several times l'm currently on a 8:58 lap in my Cobra (with 'suspect' brakes) and 9:02 in the SL (with lots of traffic) so consider myself a reasonably competent driver.
A S2 with the spec. l outlined could work for me but l shall also look at a slightly older S2 as you've suggested.
Cheers.....
That is a full, excellent, detailed reply and exactly what l was after so many thanks.
For those wondering, just because l'm currently in a SL55 it doesn't mean to say l'm a hairdresser
.Having been to the 'Ring several times l'm currently on a 8:58 lap in my Cobra (with 'suspect' brakes) and 9:02 in the SL (with lots of traffic) so consider myself a reasonably competent driver.
A S2 with the spec. l outlined could work for me but l shall also look at a slightly older S2 as you've suggested.
Cheers.....
cyberface said:
You should be able to get a car like mine for £20-22k and it'll be a cracker.
I've been looking for a while and have yet to see any at this kind of price (I want an S, preferably black). £19-20k seems to be the standard asking price for non-S 2006 models. I guess there must be some deals to be had in the winter though.
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