It’s about time you grew up - think about those poor kids having you to look up to!!!
That is so Cool Ben! 
Envious… me…
YUP!!! 
Just great that even after a decade, all she needs is a bit of TLC and you are smitten again! 
Top Job.
Sounds awesome Ben - is there really that much difference from before ? - it was already SC Honda ?!
Cheers lads. Yes I’m a big kid when it comes to that car.
To answer your question Dave…errr YES! 'm gonna do a write-up over the weekend but it seriously changes the personality of the power delivery.
Be careful out there Best get some ear protection too 
LaLaLaLaLa ! I’m not listening…
I’ve not even used mine this year and I’m having stupid thoughts about adding SC/CC !!
Yeah I’m beginning to think ear defenders are required. Your experiences Tim were certainly in my mind yesterday.
Dave bud, all I can say is that you HAVE to have a drive of my car 
Ben, I think that I HAVE to too!
Awesome!!!
great, can’t wait to see it out there
No more pulling away from you out of roundabouts though 
Great stuff Ben
Wicked Ben !
Gotta say, the difference in my S2 now its a 270 down from a 305 is dramatic. …much more than the figures suggest so I know what you mean when you describe the difference in yours .
Corrected for you John… 
Thought I’d do a quick write-up and will try and get some pics up over the weekend.
Anyone who has bought a car they’ve dreamed of, and saved up for is familiar with that real excitement when pick-up day finally arrives. Well that pales compared to pick-up day arriving for my Exige after another round of fettling. So this Thursday was no exception to a ten year tradition of pick-up days like this. But this was extra special because (as documented in this thread),…well,…ahem,…I’d gone a bit mental with the spec. This was up there then with when I went to pick it up from Martin/Steve after they did the original Honda conversion.
So Matt kindly picked me up from the station and we went to have a look at what he’d been up to. On the outside we’ve not changed anything apart from reinstating an Edward’s splitter that I’d ripped off at Anglesey. Even after ten years of looking at it, the mini-Group-C racer looks of the S1 are on the money in my book. Nearly a year-in the wrap is still looking pretty sharp too. You can see in this pic where I took Gav’s advice and cut back the wrap over the rear arch,…lookin’ good.
Badger about to exit Matt’s workshop
In the engine bay is where the action is for this round of changes, and Matt really has done a fantastic job. Obviously it was my ‘artistic’ input on the black/white/gold colour scheme, but what we’ve ended up with is not some blinged-up ricer, it smacks of pukka motorsport-level prep. It’s clear a lot of time, energy and skill has gone into it. Matt quite rightfully should be proud of a bay that looks like this and produced the dyno results we saw earlier in the thread. The only downer is that the Zircotec coating has come off in a few places. Its obviously not right after dyno runs only and Matt has already been on to Zircotec to get it sorted. I also ordered the wrong number of gold dome-nuts because I’m a muppet.
B L I N G
Nowhere to put my shopping anymore,…who gives a toss
After quite a long chat about things many and various it was time to hit the road.I’m so familiar with the car and I know the way it feels and know every squeak, whine, whir and all the other little idiosyncrasies that they all have. Now OK, I’m back in the same seat looking out at a familiar dash but it’s clear LOTS has changed. Oddly, the first thing that struck me was the lack of squeaks, yips and vibrations it all feels kinda like new and very well screwed together. Then there lots more noise from the engine,…a lot more as the sound deadening on the bulkhead has gone. The new Bosch 044 is whirring away and the cold engine just sound meaner. As things warm up, the new personality of how power gets delivered is already introducing itself. There’s no hesitation or truculence even as we’re just trickling around. A small amount of throttle travel is instantly translated to a gruff gravelly bark and of course acceleration. No fuss, no real drama (we’ll talk about drama in a bit) just an inertia-free piling on of speed. It feels like a much bigger engine when driving like this, probably like the V6 feels in many regards.
Yep things are all nicely warmed though and I’m heading out of some random village, there’s a derestricted sign and then a long stretch of straight road. Drop down to third and there’s that feeling like a dog on a leash when you get to the park,… they know you’re about to let them go. I’ll admit with some degree of trepidation I mash my right foot to the floor. Jeez now this wakes up something completely different! Now its not like the ‘exhaust-note hardens’ and blah blah blah like you read in all the motoring wank mags. Oh no,…you can’t hear the exhaust. Its the induction noise that is front and centre, an intense banshee shriek from the charger like someone is dremelling your head. That may be the first thing that grabs your attention but you’re quickly made aware the car is hurling itself at the horizon at a truly astonishing rate! In a blink, third gear is spent the engine screaming towards 9000rpm with all the shift lights lit. Snatch fourth and the relentless savage power delivery resumes seemingly unabated. Ease off and short shift to fifth, not just because we could easily get into some naughty speeds but to my honest I need to recalibrate my brain. Wowzers, could you ever need more than this? Its like falling off of something.
So some mixed driving now, cross-country to pick up the M1, then passing Silverstone on the A43 and down the M40 into London. Strangely cruising and pootling is now more relaxed because of the additional torque. Just a tiny bit of throttle travel sends you effortlessly picking up speed and passing slower traffic. I think MSC described it like a big hand picking you up and moving you past slower traffic and that’s exactly what it’s like. It only serves to further illustrate the real contrast between the Jekyll and Hyde nature of power delivery now. Prod hard enough and the lazy torquey delivery is replaced by that head-scrambling shrieking rush for the horizon again. You’re in sixth in the fast lane and the car in front indicates left and pulls over. You could just tickle the accelerator and growl past or you could drop down to fourth and go screaming past like a nutcase. I just can’t help myself, every time giggling like a girl.
The handling is spot on too. I’ve not honestly had much chance to explore and figure that on the road is not really the place to do it. There’s lots of big roundabouts on the A43 and I quickly remind myself of the awesome stopping power of the car and that telepathic turn-in which seems a tad-sharper following the fitment of a stiffer ARB. The thing I really notice is that as you start to unwind the lock and depress the loud-pedal that the car just hunkers down, grips and goes,…boy does it go. You can feel that more gratuitous use of throttle quickly brings the rear-end and slippy diff into play. I have a little play but smearing your way out of roundabouts is not good form, I need to get this car on circuit.
Into the West End and the car is behaving itself in traffic which is mildly astonishing given that in reality its a racecar. It also attracts a LOT of attention on the road which I guess is not that surprising seeing as it is very low, very loud and has a bloody sticker of a badger on the back! The thing that really sticks out in my memory is seeing it parked up in the SouthBank Centre car park; its so impossibly small, low and purposeful in a sea of bland crates. I fookin’ love that car and walk back to it with the keys in my hand feeling like a very lucky boy.
So its early doors and the car needs to prove itself on circuit but the first signs are is that the changes are very significant. The closest analogy I can think of is its like a kitchen knife that you’re very familiar with. You’ve made innumerable meals with it and know its weight and action very well. Someone takes the knife away and makes it very very very sharp, like samurai sharp. It still feels like the same knife but now it cuts through things very quickly and you’re aware that if you’re not careful you will chop yer hand off.
Phew I’ve been waffling on, I guess you can see that I’m impressed so I should sign off. Massive thanks to Matt at Matthew Bentley Racing. Its pretty much all his hard work but its been a lot of fun working with a real pro like Matt. I said to him at the start that I was only interested in ‘doing it properly’ and he more than took that to heart. Its turned into a bit of a labour of love and the car is a real credit to him. He was pretty spot on with his estimates too,…its a shame that I laid waste to the budget by increasing the scope every other day. Cheers Jamie for the intro and thanks too to Dr Scuffham who I know was there in the background. Thanks too to Martin/Steve Edwards for refurbing all their bits so quickly and efficiently.
I honestly can’t wait for 2014, with our ‘use-it’ exiges.com mantra. Thanks again Matt, top job bud.
Great write- up, Ben. Really enjoyed it, after all the teasers you’ve dropped. So glad that it was worth all the time(and money) well spent.
I look forward to the official unveiling at Anglesey.
PS: Get those “bling” bolts sorted, for Christ’s sake.
FABULOUS
Kinda good then eh !!
Slippy diff you’ll love x
Ben, it looks bloody AWESOME mate!
I love the obvious attention to detail by Matt… pity some badger could not count!!!
Good for you for deciding to embark on a ‘re-fresh’ mate!!! You must be so exited! Kinda of cruel doing this as winter sets in though!!!
The biggest dilemma in my mind when I read this stuff is having driven Martins car, and thinking that was totally nuts, your description just makes me want to go the Honda route too! BUT I know that I never will because I just love the original character of the VHPD and besides it exceeds my talents as well! 
I guess however there is always the ‘Special K’ route!
I am back mid Dec so would love to meet up…
One word Ben - “Wow!”
Congrats!
Admin can we please ban DaveP from this thread please