EVO (June) - Exige vs M400 vs GTS RS vs 360CS

An honour to make it to the pricey line-up I’d say.

Without ruining anything for those yet to read it, here’s a caption from under one of the pictures.

“Claims that the S2 Exige is nothing more than an Elise coupe are quickly forgotten as north Wales’ sweeping backroads unfurl. The Lotus feels instantly at home and encourages its driver to explore its limits. It may be the cheapest and least powerful car here, but the Exige is capable of punching far above its weight”

Ian

I read it too and the whole article ought to help S2 sales along.

Still hasn’t stopped me planning my post lottery win spending spree around a 360 Stradale though

“Claims that the S2 Exige is nothing more than an Elise coupe are quickly forgotten as north Wales’ sweeping backroads unfurl. The Lotus feels instantly at home and encourages its driver to explore its limits”

… and an Elise with a roof wouldn’t ? I still fail to see why it’s not called an Elise Coupe

I know what you’re saying David, but look at it this way…

Just how different is a Mk1 Exige from an Elise Sport 190?

Apart from the styling, not really a huge amount. A bit more grip, and significantly less straight line performance.

** I’m looking forward to the response to this comment **

I think EVO were getting at the change to the suspension, as in the difference is more than just a roof.

Brendan, the wheels, price and a place to put a mobile phone under the dash!

Ian

I know what you’re saying David, but look at it this way…

Just how different is a Mk1 Exige from an Elise Sport 190?

Apart from the styling, not really a huge amount. A bit more grip, and significantly less straight line performance.

** I’m looking forward to the response to this comment **

True, but then the sport 190 was very much a special edition Elise whereas the Elise 111R is the new base model.

Actually, the 111R is not the base model, but the new top of the range model
Your point is basically correct, though. The 111R is now a proper production model as opposed to a special limited run of track specials.

But I do think that the biggest problem for the new Exige is not anything fundamentally wrong with it. It’s just that the 111R moves the game on much further from the old Elise than the new Exige does from its predecessor.

This reminds me of the question asked by one of the commentators at Mallory this weekend: “What’s the difference between the Exige and the Elise”
Bearing in mind most of the race Elises have the Motorsport body on them, that’s a bloody good question.

Gentlemen, I put it to you that the Exige Mk1 is just a Mk1 Elise coupe

Gentlemen, I put it to you that the Exige Mk1 is just a Mk1 Elise coupe

Gosh you’re being feisty today!

Well, in the same way that a Cossie is just a Ford and a Ferrari is just a Fiat, I suppose so.

Ian

I’m deliberately being a bit provocative But there is a serious point here: Too many people are judging the new car on the way it looks rather than the way it actually drives. (Surely that’s the bit that really matters).

A couple of quotes from EVO:


“…when we approach a braking area the Exige absolutely annihilates the 911…” (GT3 RS, remember)

“…you can turn in 10mph or sometimes 20mph faster than you believe possible.”

“In terms of sheer cross-country speed, the Exige has no peer.”


Funny, almost sounds more like an Exige than an Elise coupe to me.
The biggest difference I can see in all of the magazine reviews is that they always griped about the Mk1 not being as fast as it should be, but they describe the Mk2 in terms such as “fiercely fast”.

Brendan

I’ve never bought a car I don’t like the look off. I much prefer the looks of the S1. The S2 engine/gearbox is obviously a “sweeter” unit than the K series, but where is the extra performance for the �15K it’d cost me to get an S2 track ready?

Now if it were to be my everyday car…I’d probably get the 111R

It’s OK Pesky, I’m not trying to force anybody to buy one
Isn’t this much the same situation when almost every car gets replaced? It’s a fact of life that cars depreciate, and it costs a lot of money to get a newer one. I don’t see that as a valid criticism of the new Exige.
The extra performance isn’t huge, but it’s certainly there.

Now for me, the 111R just doesn’t register. I’m not interested in a convertible (I can use the wife’s SLK if I want my hair messed up). I’d rather have a car that looks a bit more aggressive, has a more track biased setup, and is a bit more exclusive. For me, the new Exige wins that contest hands down.

Just to add a bit of fuel to the fire when people ask;
“oh a Lotus eh? What one?”
“An Exige”
“A what”
“An EXIGE”
“What’s that?”
“You know the little plastic Elise car?”
“Yep”
“It’s like a hardtop elise on drugs…”
“Um…”
“Like a motorsport Elise”
“OK… I’ll have to see it”

So the best way to describe the S1 Exige to the unknowning peons is basically as an Elise coupe

The extra performance isn’t huge, but it’s certainly there.

This is the bit that bothers me. I don’t see how the performance can be improved when the new car has no more power, weighs more and has half the downforce?? I can believe that the new car is easier to drive to it’s limits but I would be very suprised if it is as quick around a race track.

Suspension and brakes? Drag co-efficient?

Cheers

Independant magazine tests of the 111R suggest it’ll out accelerate the Mk1 Exige to both 60mph and 100mph. I don’t understand this, maybe it’s down to better gearing, and the fact that most Exiges don’t really make 190bhp as claimed. It probably doesn’t help that the standard Exige clutch is absolute rubbish.
The claimed top speed of the new Exige is at least 10mph higher than the old one, so it should make better speed on the really fast sections on track.
The new car has supposedly got much better mechanical grip with significantly reduced understeer, and I’ve no doubt the new servo and ABS will make a big difference (at least to most people, maybe not for the most gifted of drivers)
In the real world, it will certainly help that drivers will be confident in using all of the revs without fearing for the engine
Obviously, most Exiges have uprated brakes, tyres etc, and will be at least a match for the new car, but that’s not a fair comparison.

Obviously, most Exiges have uprated brakes, tyres etc, and will be at least a match for the new car, but that’s not a fair comparison.

It’s a fair comparison for me in my situation, & I just happen to prefer the looks of the S1. (Doesn’t mean I don’t like the S2, as I’ve said before, the S2 will be a cracking (mainly)road car)

Like you, I’m deliberately being a bit provocative (purely for a bit of fun), & merely expressing my own personal view.

You’re spot on, Pesky.

My point (which I may have meandered from somewhat) is simply that the new Exige is a damned fine car for road and track use, and IMHO a worthy successor to a fantastic original.

Doesn’t mean I don’t wish it looked a bit more aggressive, and had a bit more power. It’s not perfect, and it’s not everything I could wish for, but it doesn’t deserve all the negative comment it’s been getting.

“In terms of sheer cross-country speed, the Exige has no peer.”

…magazine reviews…always griped about the Mk1 not being as fast as it should be, but they describe the Mk2 in terms such as “fiercely fast”.

Perhaps in that group, but they say that quite often. They say it most about Scoobies/EVOs.

They moaned the most about the S1 in the wet. Richard Meaden’s original S1 review was the virtually the most glowing EVO review I’ve ever read (I should copy and post it).

Ian

…but it doesn’t deserve all the negative comment it’s been getting.

Not sure I agree with that. I really wanted to want this car but I don’t. I’m not negative towards the car, mine is directed at Lotus.

They stopped selling the S1 Exige because people stopped buying it, so why make a new one so similar and expect it to sell??! It would have been so easy to make it more.

Same thing happened to the new shape Scooby. It lost its looks (those silly bug eyes), put on a bit of weight, added just a touch of power and even though it was better people shrugged. So they didn’t sell any until they remodelled the front. In last months EVO was a review of Scoobies and the old P1 was prefered to the new WR1 (both Prodrive specials).

Ian

Independant magazine tests of the 111R suggest it’ll out accelerate the Mk1 Exige to both 60mph and 100mph.

6 speed box will do that… easily

Plus as it rev’s higher still it’ll be exerting postive leverage from the 'box for longer (or to a greater speed) IYSWIM.