Lotus Exige S
27 April 2009, 01:51 PM
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Lotus Exige S
Finally, after nearly 3 years of lusting I took the plunge and bought an exige s on Saturday. ***** to the credit crunch, recession and worrying about what the future holds 
The money sitting in my savings account was earning about £11 interest per month !!!
All I can say is WOW........what a car. The handling is just incredible, not been brave enough to switch off the traction control yet but planning on doing some proper driver/teaching days.
Straight line performance/acceleration is more than acceptable, probably similar to a re-mapped newage STI or a classic STI.
Strangely enough, considering it's a road going track car it's got the best ICE System I've ever had, nice Alpine head unit with matching speakers and an I-Pod connector
Can't help but grinning like a chesire cat every time I go for a drive, maybe just the new car effect and it will wear off, time will tell.
Best moment so far is stumbling out of the damm thing at a packed tesco's petrol station when filling up. Being 6ft 3 and 17 stone there's no real dignified way of getting out without looking like a bit of a berk
My only complaint is the exhaust note or rather the lack of but will no doubt be investing in a nice 2ubular system in the not too distant future.
Not had time to get any pictures yet but attached a few from the sales add if anyone is interested. These don't do it justice, in the flesh it looks absolutely bonkers
front
side
rear
interior
A very happy Chris
The money sitting in my savings account was earning about £11 interest per month !!!All I can say is WOW........what a car. The handling is just incredible, not been brave enough to switch off the traction control yet but planning on doing some proper driver/teaching days.
Straight line performance/acceleration is more than acceptable, probably similar to a re-mapped newage STI or a classic STI.
Strangely enough, considering it's a road going track car it's got the best ICE System I've ever had, nice Alpine head unit with matching speakers and an I-Pod connector
Can't help but grinning like a chesire cat every time I go for a drive, maybe just the new car effect and it will wear off, time will tell.
Best moment so far is stumbling out of the damm thing at a packed tesco's petrol station when filling up. Being 6ft 3 and 17 stone there's no real dignified way of getting out without looking like a bit of a berk
My only complaint is the exhaust note or rather the lack of but will no doubt be investing in a nice 2ubular system in the not too distant future.
Not had time to get any pictures yet but attached a few from the sales add if anyone is interested. These don't do it justice, in the flesh it looks absolutely bonkers
front
side
rear
interior
A very happy Chris
Last edited by chris singleton; 27 April 2009 at 01:57 PM. Reason: I forgot how to post pictures!!!
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28 April 2009, 11:54 AM
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Damn nice car.
Unfortunately, all my plans for a second "Weekend" car have gone out the window.
Credit crunch has hit our company now.
Unfortunately, all my plans for a second "Weekend" car have gone out the window.
Credit crunch has hit our company now.
Last edited by stilover; 28 April 2009 at 12:00 PM.
28 April 2009, 12:02 PM
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£11k !!!!! I wish 
Double that and add a bit
Me and the Mrs were fighting over the keys as to who drove it today, she won, lol.
Just need Mark to pop along now and tell me about his Gotham ECU upgrade, I must not modify this car, I must not modify this car, I must not modify this car
Double that and add a bit Me and the Mrs were fighting over the keys as to who drove it today, she won, lol.
Just need Mark to pop along now and tell me about his Gotham ECU upgrade, I must not modify this car, I must not modify this car, I must not modify this car
29 April 2009, 08:21 AM
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Very nice Chris. Methinks you will be having a lot of fun in that car. I've never driven an exige/elise, is on my to do list so I can experience this sublime handling that I've read so much about.
Doesn't it do 0 -60 in about 4.5s? So faster than a STi in a straight line I would have thought?
Doesn't it do 0 -60 in about 4.5s? So faster than a STi in a straight line I would have thought?
29 April 2009, 03:01 PM
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I'd recommend you try one, as you can tell I'm absolutely smitten!
I've not come up against any other performance cars yet to compare it to in the real world so not sure exactly how quick it really is. The fact that you're backside is about 1 ft from the floor may give a false perception of how fast it is. Because the power delivery is so linear it's also quite difficult to compare to the scooby I had before (newage sti running around 380/340) as there's no real shove in the back, it's just constant acceleration from 2k revs up to 8k revs.
Not sure on 0-60 times, I've seen some quoted as 4.1 but I think that's very optimistic.
Some people are running honda lumps in elises and exiges running over 300bhp, they must be absolutely mental. I was offered a similar spec car but it was just too modified for my liking, I wanted something quite standard and hopefully (touches wood) reliable. I've done the power chasing in my various scooby/skylines and suffered countless blown turbo's, gearboxs, etc. Was time for something different
I've not come up against any other performance cars yet to compare it to in the real world so not sure exactly how quick it really is. The fact that you're backside is about 1 ft from the floor may give a false perception of how fast it is. Because the power delivery is so linear it's also quite difficult to compare to the scooby I had before (newage sti running around 380/340) as there's no real shove in the back, it's just constant acceleration from 2k revs up to 8k revs.
Not sure on 0-60 times, I've seen some quoted as 4.1 but I think that's very optimistic.
Some people are running honda lumps in elises and exiges running over 300bhp, they must be absolutely mental. I was offered a similar spec car but it was just too modified for my liking, I wanted something quite standard and hopefully (touches wood) reliable. I've done the power chasing in my various scooby/skylines and suffered countless blown turbo's, gearboxs, etc. Was time for something different
29 April 2009, 04:41 PM
#17
Very nice mate, and a proper grown up toy. Its a very hard core car to live with and have utmost admiration for people that own/drive them. But can imagine the reward is great, and a car that you would want to go for drive just for the sake of it.
03 May 2009, 10:15 AM
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Lovely looking car , must say though was a tad disapointed recent when one showed up to meet us for a Sunday morning a/b road blat on some very good roads a lightly modded sti ra was all over it and the Subaru powered murtaya with just a sti3 engine @240 horse made it look totally outclassed.
Tbh it sounded awesome I followed it for a while and loved the soundtrack, I told myself it would maybee go better in some one elses hands as i did not want to squash my admiration for a fine car. !
Tbh it sounded awesome I followed it for a while and loved the soundtrack, I told myself it would maybee go better in some one elses hands as i did not want to squash my admiration for a fine car. !
03 May 2009, 10:21 AM
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Stunning car mate. I did a driving day in an elise at silverstone a couple of years back and they are so well balanced. The Exige filled the gap left by the VX220 turbo and gives the car the power it so desperately needs.
The only thing that put me off is that I'm 6 foot tall and struggled to get in them, although I've taken up running so losing the beer gut will probably help
I'm seriously thinking about one of these as the scooby replacement, but that's a couple of years off yet
The only thing that put me off is that I'm 6 foot tall and struggled to get in them, although I've taken up running so losing the beer gut will probably help
I'm seriously thinking about one of these as the scooby replacement, but that's a couple of years off yet
It'd be a close run thing when it comes to running costs, but on the fun factor I think the Lotus would win hands down
04 May 2009, 12:03 PM
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Lovely looking car , must say though was a tad disapointed recent when one showed up to meet us for a Sunday morning a/b road blat on some very good roads a lightly modded sti ra was all over it and the Subaru powered murtaya with just a sti3 engine @240 horse made it look totally outclassed.
Tbh it sounded awesome I followed it for a while and loved the soundtrack, I told myself it would maybee go better in some one elses hands as i did not want to squash my admiration for a fine car. !
Tbh it sounded awesome I followed it for a while and loved the soundtrack, I told myself it would maybee go better in some one elses hands as i did not want to squash my admiration for a fine car. !
The N/A cars do lack power and aren't that quick in a straight line. Perhaps the chap couldn't drive as they should confortably out handle most scoobs
I can carry so much more speed through corners than I could in my STI - that was a lardy newage though
Last edited by chris singleton; 04 May 2009 at 05:45 PM.
05 May 2009, 06:12 PM
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Lovely looking car , must say though was a tad disapointed recent when one showed up to meet us for a Sunday morning a/b road blat on some very good roads a lightly modded sti ra was all over it and the Subaru powered murtaya with just a sti3 engine @240 horse made it look totally outclassed.
Tbh it sounded awesome I followed it for a while and loved the soundtrack, I told myself it would maybee go better in some one elses hands as i did not want to squash my admiration for a fine car. !
Tbh it sounded awesome I followed it for a while and loved the soundtrack, I told myself it would maybee go better in some one elses hands as i did not want to squash my admiration for a fine car. !
06 May 2009, 12:22 PM
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Just remembered the joys of having a white car. Spent all day saturday waxing it, went for a 40 mile round trip on Sunday and can already write my name on the back
Almost mastered getting in and out without looking like a clown now, bit more tricky in garage as can't open the door fully.
Not sure about the soft top conversion, spoils the looks a bit I think and no doubt doesn't help air flow to the intercooler.
Desperately trying to get a 2bular exhaust ordered for some guaranteed pops and bangs on the over run, you can take the boy out of a scooby but you can't take the scooby out of a boy
Almost mastered getting in and out without looking like a clown now, bit more tricky in garage as can't open the door fully.
Not sure about the soft top conversion, spoils the looks a bit I think and no doubt doesn't help air flow to the intercooler.
Desperately trying to get a 2bular exhaust ordered for some guaranteed pops and bangs on the over run, you can take the boy out of a scooby but you can't take the scooby out of a boy
06 May 2009, 05:42 PM
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Haha quality car mate really looks the dogs 
I think I will have to own an Exige one day. I remember seeing the mk1 at Hethel and thought then that really is the dog's nadgers
I agree with someone else about the speed thing, who cares if it isn't as fast as some of the 4WD uber mob, its got sublime handling and looks
Top motor!!
I think I will have to own an Exige one day. I remember seeing the mk1 at Hethel and thought then that really is the dog's nadgers
I agree with someone else about the speed thing, who cares if it isn't as fast as some of the 4WD uber mob, its got sublime handling and looks
Top motor!!
