Only just joined the forum after lurking around SELOC for a while and wanted to introduce myself.
Currently on the look out for an S2 Exige S having recently sold my previous toy, a B7 Audi RS4. While the B7 was great fun, practical and served me well the last 5 and a half years, I felt it was time for a change.
Being a self confessed petrol head, I have always had an itch for a lotus, in particular an Exige. While the v6’s are still just out of my price range (wife’s tolerance to me wasting money on another toy for the garage) a tidy series 2 Exige S is well in the realms of doable.
I have been on the look out for a few months and not a great deal happening in the market. Ideally looking to buy a cherished example from an enthusiast. I’m after something on the lairy side of the colour spectrum, chrome or burnt orange, krypton green etc but I am open to other colours aswell.
What I would say however is, I have never been out in one and would love to have a chat to a member about their car, a look round and maybe even a quick passenger ride although I appreciate most are tucked up for winter.
I live in central Scotland and would be great to meet someone local. Alternatively if you have one and thinking on selling over the winter months, please get in touch as I have the cash waiting.
Thanks for the reply Andy and appreciate the offer.
Shame you are so far away or I would have bit your hand off for a look round the car!
How long have you had it?
Yeah spoken with Jon, he has a white one just now that I’ve as tempted by but feel like my heart is set on orange or green. Equally Will Blackham has a lovely laser blue one but again I feel like I should be waiting on the colour/spec I want.
I would recommend buying on spec/condition rather than colour but I know that’s easier said than done. Plus I’m a bit of a laser blue fanatic and both of mine have been in that colour. Coincidence or me buying based on colour? Who knows
If you’re interested in some thoughts on spec/options, there are a few trim levels that I’m sure you’ve researched but I feel the big ones come down to the sports seats (with harness cut-outs) and air-con.
Air-Con in an Exige is very valuable for those summer weeks(days?) but since Scotland… maybe not? The main problem is that if you own the car long enough, AC WILL break - and it could be a big job to fix. My Elise had no AC but my Exige has it, in France earlier this year it was a life saver but if it ever died on its arse I’m not sure what lengths I would go to in order to restore it.
The seats I consider fairly valuable because they’re so damn expensive to add later - and they don’t necessarily add that same resale value to the car (so for example a non-sports seat car may be £500 cheaper on the market, but to add the seats is closer to £1500 if you can find them). I don’t consider them any more comfortable, but if you want to add harnesses - there are no real (good) options for doing it on the base spec seats.
The 240pp cars got some nice wheels and the AP 4pot calipers, from what I understand they don’t add much (if anything?) to braking performance but that depends on who you ask. They look a hell of a lot nicer though than the original items. You’re further narrowing your colour options by pinpointing this particular version though.
Other stuff such as carpets is just all a bit ‘meh’ either way. Doesn’t add much weight, doesn’t add much comfort - I could take or leave.
One final note if coming from a performance Audi, your Lotus WILL feel cheap. Whether you go for the older style dash or the newer style, it’ll rattle - somehow, somewhere it will rattle and both options are made with rather cheap materials. Windows may leak (but can be adjusted, so don’t let it put you off) and the hardtop will probably creak and groan with temperature changes. Many of these quirks can be fixed with liberal use of grease/felt tape/foam/etc - but it will consume you if you try to fix all of the problems. (also don’t let anyone tell you that the newer S3 cars are significantly better in this area - they really aren’t, I think some people are just more tolerant than others and generally given enough mileage they all develop noises eventually)
You’ve hit the nail on the head with a lot things.
Seats - prefer the sports seats to standard although my mate has a pair of tillet carbon fibre which will likely be going so that is always an option.
AC - not too fussed for the amount of driving time I’ll have where it is required. I would say the same as yourself in that if I did specify it as a must and then it packed in, I’m not sure how much money and time I would spend on it to reinstate it.
Cabin quality - understand that its miles away from the heated recaro buckets, lashings of carbon fibre and excellent build quality of the B7 but again that’s not what I’m buying it for. I am also well accustomed to the rattles and poor build quality as my other toy is a mk2 escort RS2000. Not much on the way of driver convenience in there haha
Colour wise - hearts set on something bright (precious car to the Daytona grey RS4 was an electric orange ST3 which I loved)
Totally open to suggestions and will make the decision as soon as the right car at the right price crops up. Just trying to be patient for now
Having access to the tillets certainly opens up your options!
Re: Cabin Quality, there are some issues in some cars which can be easily resolved (and should be) - it’s just a case of knowing when to stop! Some people claim to have fixed ‘all of the rattles’ but in my experience it’s just like whackamole, you fix one and another pops up - then when the temperature swings 5 degrees, a whole new set appear! It doesn’t ruin the experience though, particularly if you go in with open eyes.
I can’t advise you on being patient, I’m bloody terrible at it and usually buy the first car I look at. The Lotus market seems to swing a lot between being a buyers market and then a sellers market - right now things have just slowed down a bit. ‘B’ word? I dunno, but compared to this time last year it seems like the market is quite static… but that should mean that prices fall a bit to try and encourage some movement.
The tillets are stunning, they are in my mates mx5 which he built for track work a year ago… Then never went on the track!
He’s not selling them as yet, but I’m sure his interest is gone in the mx5 so potentially take them off his hands. They are quite comfortable aswell which I was surprised at.
I check all the classifies and all the forum’s once or twice per day in the hope that something new appears. The last few have been 240’s, low mileage, high spec and out of my price range unfortunately.
Can only live in hope that the right thing pops up eventually.
I have had my shed for around 16 months now and cannot see me selling it unless an Audi SportQuattro comes up cheap which TBH doesnt seem that likely.
I am going to be opposite to [mention]Fonzey[/mention] here with the aircon. I had it for 12 months on my exige and it was shite at best. Good for demisting windows but I have a cloth for that.
Its bust now and not worth the cost to fix for the “benefit”
That was my main point tbh - I do think mine is effective whilst it’s working, but I know that eventually it will die - and when it does, I don’t love it enough to bother fixing/replacing it unless it’s a quick/easy fix. I’d rather shed the weight and live with a bit of a sweatbox.
My dad had both a 10v UR quattro and a 20v RR quattro. Pretty awesome note off the 5 pot and definitely a head turner. He restored the 20v RR to near concourse condition and found he didn’t want to drive it. Ended up selling to the same guy who bought the 10v UR some years previously.
Still see it on the road locally from time to time. Would love to buy it off the guy but would be in the region of £50k now
Colour can be important to people and rightly so… But I would also ‘now I have experience’ choose as Fonzey rightly says… Spec over colour… Unless of course the colour is an absolute 100% NO!
You mentioned budget being too low for some cars for sale… What budget do you have in mind?
Yeah certainly agree on spec, there are certain things I am looking for however I am trying to be as open to options as possible. Same applies with colour although there are some colours that wouldn’t interest me and wouldn’t be considered such as blacks, reds, greys.
What did you get yourself when you talk about having experienced it now? Is it a recent purchase?
Budget has a few factors as it does with each person individually. Wouldn’t spend more than £30k on what is essentially a toy. Plus at low £30’s 996 turbos, V8 R8’s sneak back into play in the classifieds.
I feel as though all car sales have slowed significantly in the last year. Whether it’s Brexit and uncertain outlook for a lot of people financially or maybe the fact that a lot of sales, especially performance cars are PCP where people are happy to get VW golf R’s, BMW M2’s or Audi RS3’s on a cheap lease deal for 3 years then simply give the car back at the end of it and start again. My estate is full of them. My RS4 sold quickly as I priced it lower than others of similair mileage and spec. Could have gotten closer to £20k for it but I would have been like the 30 or so others online that have sat for 3-6 months plus!
The market place is full of performance cars that don’t seem to be selling as quickly right now. Great time to be a buyer. Hence selling the RS4 to free up some more cash.
Thanks, keeping my fingers crossed the right thing pops up.
In no rush really as whatever I end up with will be getting tucked up for the worst of the weather.
It wasn’t my first choice of colours but realise now how nice the white is now with the pearl colouration and little gold fleck in the paintwork finish…
My car is a touring pack car so great if you want to have a few added comforts… Only thing i’d add to the car is harness seats as mine has the lovely probax but standard not harness hole style.
Colour wise I too wanted a bright colour such as scandal green/chrome orange but found the cars I saw either had high mileage/high price still due to colour type… or just high price full stop…
This car wasn’t cheap but it is lowish mileage and in good overall condition… I’d certainly take condition/spec over colour but also factor in price…
You’re indeed correct with the market slowing… It could be any number of reason 'many of which you’ve mentioned;… It could also be partly due to us being force fed the idea of going green and getting hybrid/electric cars… People are perhaps fearful of putting a large chunk of money into a petrol car with the current uncertainties.
My problem with cars is trying to keep them clean and not stone chipped… Not something you can maintain with such a low down sports car with soft/thin factory paintwork.
I’m not actually sure which ones come with traction control… I know that mine does and for the most part I keep it on… I’ve been told by a friend of mine that when they took it off on a trackday the car they drive was more usable and therefore faster lap times were achieved.
The main problem is that if you own the car long enough, AC WILL break - and it could be a big job to fix. My Elise had no AC but my Exige has it, in France earlier this year it was a life saver but if it ever died on its arse I’m not sure what lengths I would go to in order to restore it. 
