elise 99t or exige?

General General Lotus Talk
1

Last weekend I drove a Lotus Elise MK1 (120bhp) and was stunned how late you could brake with the little elise…Although I drive a Lancer EVO VI now, which I use at the fulliest I would consider buying an elise t99 (which just has been released) or an exige mk1 (should I wait till the mk2 with the 2.0l engine?).As I have a drivers car now I expect just the same from my new car, I’m not a polisher [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/smile.gif[/image]Is there a big difference between 160bhp and 177 bhp and the 192bhp which a motorsport exige has?I do have one problem, I get bored from cars pretty soon (had 6 cars before my EVO VI) and my EVO VI is the only one till now which doesn’t bore me at all (after 1,5 year). I owned before a Lotus Omega which is a master piece too! For those who are interested, it is for sale. Please contact me if you’re intrested.Is there much difference in driving between a elise mk2 and an exige?Thanks for your input…REgards,Kevin

2

The Exige is a more focussed drivers car than the Elise S2. If you ignore looks (IMHO the exige is better looking) then you will be more pleased with the Exige if you plan to use it for more enthusiastic driving and trackdays. If you need a car to trickle around in traffic(more all-around use), then the elise is a better car. Lotus dialed down the snappy nature of the mk1 Elise by fitting narrower front tires to make the car more “user friendly”.If you had asked about the Exige vs mk1 Elise, then that would have been a slightly more difficult question. Those are very similiar but its up to you if you NEED to have a removable roof.If you get bored quickly, why not buy one of the tuned/modified mk1 elises on the market right now for cheap money, enjoy the summer and sell it on?

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how about steering response compared elise mk1/mk2 and exige, is there a big difference in suspension / road holding capabilities.With other words: can I drive a corner fast with an exige then in a mk1/mk2?thanks…kevin http://www.lancer-evo.tk [This message has been edited by lancer-evo.tk (edited 04 March 2003).]

4

A fast corner will definately be quicker in an Exige (as long as your balls are big enough!). Over the Elise you have the sports suspension, real downforce, a slightly wider track and very sticky tires. In EVOs trackcar of the year a couple of years ago it was claimed the Exige had more grip than any other road car (in the dry that is and pre-Radical Ally before you say anything).On a twisty track there’ll be little in it (but you’d look much better in an Exige [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/wink.gif[/image] ).Try one, you’ll grin!Ian [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/smile.gif[/image]

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used to have a 99t elise(titainium/blue leather),then one of the first S2 elise’s to be delivered(gunmetal/red leather+roof),then an exige (yellow192bhp), then a 135 sport S2 (gunmetal/red leather+roof straight through exhaust!)and now a S2 sport 190 (Quartz silver red leather), the reason i ended up with this car is because i loved somthing in all the elise variants i’ve had but as i use my car everyday i needed the strong points of them all, exige (plus) performance+handeling S2 practicality+quality, S2 135 sport noise and the raw appeal and charactor of the S1, which the S2 190 definatly has, the only downside is the price!

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what about an elise mk1/mk2 with the yellow koni suspension? can you compare it with the exige, or has the exige still the edge?What i meant with a 99t was the new version which will be launched on the motorshow in Geneve (yellow one, 160bhp, same colours as the lotus t99 from 1987). But that won’t be cheap either.I just don’t know what to do, keep my EVO VI (because I’m still not bored to it), or go on for an elise/exige which may disappoint me after a couple of months.I do know that you need a brave heart to go threw a fast corner, but I don’t know if it will give the same amount of fun as my EVO…it’s only rear wheel drive and I’m afraid the engine will disappoint me as well.Maybe it’s better to try out both the elise/exige… then I’ll have a little idea what I want.P.S. Is there anyone from you people going to the Nuerburgring this weekend (March 9th?).I will be there in a black EVO VI…Maybe I see one of you then…

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sorry! My advice is you try them for yourself and if i can help please let me know.I get board easly to (and i also do a lot of miles), which is why that in the last 2 years i’ve had 5 lotus’s! but the S2 190 is definatly the car i’ll have longest/4 ever? and if your serious about your trackdays then lotus has never made anything better (340R? never try’d one!) as for the “koni Suspension”, if thats what is used in the last generation LSS then its perfect for road but to soft for serious track use.You’ve probebly gone as far as you can with the EVO, retire it for road use and start out on a new journey with a motorsport lotus!!!

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I had an Evo 6 before my Exige and can compare them directly if you want to mail me ([email protected]), but in short the Exige I found a much more entertaining car that gave me more to learn almost every time I took it out, and on the track it was phenomenal.To be honest though I got bored of the Evo (It was a GSR) and one thing you need to be aware of is that the Exige is less of a day to day car than an Evo. It can be used day to day, but expect to have to compromise.

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That’s a very valid point. I use my 111s as an everyday car, and the only issue I have is worrying about where I have to leave it (especially if I have to leave it in the rain). Other than that, I look forward to my drive to and from work everyday.