Lotus Exige V6 or Porsche Boxster GTS?
Poll: Lotus Exige V6 or Porsche Boxster GTS?
Total Members Polled: 82
Discussion
Depends on the type of driving you do. The Exige is, IMO, the better sports car but the Boxster is considerably better as a GT.
I'd most likely go for the Exige as an only car, but I think Boxster/Seven would be a better combination than Exige/Seven. I'd probably take Evora/Seven over any of the other options, though.
I'd most likely go for the Exige as an only car, but I think Boxster/Seven would be a better combination than Exige/Seven. I'd probably take Evora/Seven over any of the other options, though.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 10th January 11:59
GFWilliams said:
Currently daily driving a Lotus Exige V6 with a Caterham as a weekend toy. Keep thinking of selling both and getting a Boxster GTS.
The problem you've given yourself is IMO owning two cars both of which say "trackday" louder than they say "car".Sell one of them, and buy yourself a more basic Boxster than the ambitiously over-priced GTS.
I would keep the Exige and get something semi-sensible for day to day.
Are you not liking the Exige as much as you expected? There is another chap on here with a liquid yellow V6 and he posted on another forum not long after he got his saying he was having second thoughts and considering changing for an M2.
Are you not liking the Exige as much as you expected? There is another chap on here with a liquid yellow V6 and he posted on another forum not long after he got his saying he was having second thoughts and considering changing for an M2.
Edited by PaulJC84 on Tuesday 10th January 12:20
PaulJC84 said:
I would keep the Exige and get something semi-sensible for day to day.
Are you not liking the Exige as much as you expected? There is another chap on here with a liquid yellow V6 and he posted on another forum not long after he got his saying he was having second thoughts and considering changing for an M2.
I absolutely love the Exige, maybe even more so than I thought I would. Changing the exhaust made it the car it always should have been.Are you not liking the Exige as much as you expected? There is another chap on here with a liquid yellow V6 and he posted on another forum not long after he got his saying he was having second thoughts and considering changing for an M2.
Edited by PaulJC84 on Tuesday 10th January 12:20
I love the way the car drives, but the fuel economy and tiny fuel tank drive me mad when using it as a daily driver. I feel like I have to go to the petrol station on every journey. The other issue is that passengers really struggle to get in and out. While this isn't a problem for me, it does get a bit frustrating...
AyBee said:
Keep the V6 and buy something cheaper than the Caterham as a daily?
Exactly!I have a V6 Exige too.
I also have a daily driver for work..... i am the proud owner of a £500 2005 130k mile 1.5 Nissan Almera. Its glorious in every way..... i mock, but i have grown quite attached to it over the last 2 year and i am in the process of spending more than its worth on its MOT.
I've driven an Exige V6, a Boxster S, a Cayman S and several Caterhams (plus owned two Caterhams), but not specifically the Boxster GTS, although I hear it's very good.
I would go for the Boxster if I did a lot of motorway or town driving, but in every other circumstance I'd choose the Exige without a second thought; I view the Exige as a superior car for virtually everything other than towns and long motorway trips. If you throw a Caterham into the mix as well, you've convinced me even more!!!
On the dilemma itself, I think it might be a step too far to get rid of two of the best driver's cars ever made and get the Boxster GTS just on its own. If you want something more refined or just a slice of Pork, then I'd personally look at getting a cheaper alternative to the GTS, perhaps a used Cayman S, Boxster S or 997C2S, and keep the Exige and 7, or just one of those two if space is an issue.
I would go for the Boxster if I did a lot of motorway or town driving, but in every other circumstance I'd choose the Exige without a second thought; I view the Exige as a superior car for virtually everything other than towns and long motorway trips. If you throw a Caterham into the mix as well, you've convinced me even more!!!
On the dilemma itself, I think it might be a step too far to get rid of two of the best driver's cars ever made and get the Boxster GTS just on its own. If you want something more refined or just a slice of Pork, then I'd personally look at getting a cheaper alternative to the GTS, perhaps a used Cayman S, Boxster S or 997C2S, and keep the Exige and 7, or just one of those two if space is an issue.
So today Romans International kindly let me test drive their Boxster GTS on some of my favourite local roads. I wanted to really like it and was ready to make the swap but unfortunately it left me quite disappointed. I'll try and summarise some thoughts...
For the Boxster:
Lovely place to sit in a comfortable and quiet environment
Lots more boot space, front and back
PDK is just brilliant as I already knew. Gearbox isn't great in the Lotus.
Great Stereo & Heated Seat
Power steering
Quick and good retractable roof
For the Lotus:
Much much faster - the real difference here is the power delivery thanks to the supercharger. The Lotus delivers a lump of torque from low down well as with the Boxster you have to really rev it out and it feels like it's lacking in the mid range. I remember thinking this when I did a road trip in a Cayman S a few years ago.
Sounds much better - a little unfair as I have an aftermarket exhaust, but the Porsche felt a bit flat well as the Lotus is a crazy raspy V6. No competition here at all for me.
Handling - you feel the weight of the Porsche here. I'm not going to say the Porsche was bad because it's not, it's brilliant. The Lotus is just better though.
Placing the car - admittedly something you would get used to with owning the car, but with the Boxster all the edges just fade out of view a bit. In the Lotus you can see the arches above the front wheels which means you can very precisely place the car on the road which gives you more enjoyment.
Steering feel - sometimes too much in the Lotus, but by comparison the Porsche doesn't have any steering feel.
Looks - When I drove back to Romans my Lotus was parked outside and all I could think was "that's more special"
So conclusion is keep the Lotus, I can't sell a car this great! In order to get a faster car I'm going to have to spend quite a lot of money and would have to start looking at things like 997 Turbos which are out of my price bracket for running cost reasons. For now I think sell the Caterham and buy a sensible daily driver with the money.
For the Boxster:
Lovely place to sit in a comfortable and quiet environment
Lots more boot space, front and back
PDK is just brilliant as I already knew. Gearbox isn't great in the Lotus.
Great Stereo & Heated Seat
Power steering
Quick and good retractable roof
For the Lotus:
Much much faster - the real difference here is the power delivery thanks to the supercharger. The Lotus delivers a lump of torque from low down well as with the Boxster you have to really rev it out and it feels like it's lacking in the mid range. I remember thinking this when I did a road trip in a Cayman S a few years ago.
Sounds much better - a little unfair as I have an aftermarket exhaust, but the Porsche felt a bit flat well as the Lotus is a crazy raspy V6. No competition here at all for me.
Handling - you feel the weight of the Porsche here. I'm not going to say the Porsche was bad because it's not, it's brilliant. The Lotus is just better though.
Placing the car - admittedly something you would get used to with owning the car, but with the Boxster all the edges just fade out of view a bit. In the Lotus you can see the arches above the front wheels which means you can very precisely place the car on the road which gives you more enjoyment.
Steering feel - sometimes too much in the Lotus, but by comparison the Porsche doesn't have any steering feel.
Looks - When I drove back to Romans my Lotus was parked outside and all I could think was "that's more special"
So conclusion is keep the Lotus, I can't sell a car this great! In order to get a faster car I'm going to have to spend quite a lot of money and would have to start looking at things like 997 Turbos which are out of my price bracket for running cost reasons. For now I think sell the Caterham and buy a sensible daily driver with the money.
stuno1 said:
How many motorway miles before the exige starts to grate? May be a next car for me when I no longer need 2 seats.
Motorway miles aren't a problem. Done 250 in a day so far and it was absolutely fine. London traffic is what's annoying as the clutch starts to get a bit heavy and I feel a bit of a t*** in a bright yellow lotus... Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff