G'day my friends!

General General Lotus Talk
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Hi my Exige friends!

Can’t remember the last time I was on ‘here’… but just wanted to say 'G’day from sunny Covid free Perth!

It’s just unreal what has happened on our planet over the last year… and even more horrific to hear about the UK situation every day. I hope and pray for you and that all that the vaccines get out there and work… so perhaps this time next year we can all look forward to a return of a more ‘normal’ life in 2022.

Being here in Perth, Western Australia, is as if nothing has changed. We had a 6 week ‘lockdown’ in April… and since then we have been C19 free. So life here is pretty well as normal… aside from not being able to leave OZ or even travel interstate. I feel SO lucky to be here… :pray:

Anyway… To Lotus talk!

I finally scratched the ‘itch’ to own a Porsche back in March. So picked up a really nice 911 996 MY 2002. 3.6 litres and 320 BHP. In my usual Pete757 way, I modded the car to make it ‘my own’… a bit like the RPM Techniq ‘CSR’ range… google that. And guess what… YUP! Sold it after just 6 months! Why? Well, I understand what makes peeps buy Porsche… but for me, it reminds me?? of making love with a condom on! Just NO real feeling for what should otherwise be a great ‘experience’!!

I know I am not the first to comment on this! (probably not literals however!)

Clearly, there is a very special type of person/driver that ‘gets’ and can truly engage with the utter visceral connection with car/driver/road that a Lotus offers! I am in the ‘camp’, I feel because of my RAF jet background… the interaction.

So! as the Porker is now sold, yes of course that can only mean one thing! Yup, time to get back into a proper drivers car!

Lotus here in OZ are about 30% more new and used, than equivalent UK cars. We have crazy additional taxes out here… based upon price! So all new Loti attract a ‘luxury car tax’! Alongside Mercs, BMW’s and other more aptly named ‘luxury cars’! Anyway, that puts most Evora’s out of reach… the 410’s are near as dammit $200k AUD (£115k GBP) and even new Exige 410’s are $185k AUD (£100 GBP)!

So, I am now looking at used Exige 350’s… about 5 years old or so, that can be had here for under $100k AUD… (£60k GBP). What are they like guys?

I am also wondering, now being 61, if there are increasing ‘issues’ with getting in/out! I sat in a 20th Anniversary 410 the other day with no difficulty… (apart from the sales guy saying ‘not too bad for an old man’!) Sale lost LOL! Seriously, a very nice car with lots of cool Johnny F CF everywhere, plus 3 way Nitrons etc… but way above my price point!

So, some further questions!

With the ‘premium pack’ and the convenience pack, NVH is much reduced. But many cars here don’t have the ‘Race pack’ with the 3 way DPM switch, rather they have the ‘rotary’ - DPM + knob… does this access ‘sport mode’ and an open exhaust?

Are they more daily drive usable than an S1 or S2?

Any issues that I should be looking for on a used car?

I am pretty excited about the prospect of returning to Exige ownership…

Cheers!

Pete :>)

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Hello Pete
Nice to know you are still about…Welcome back

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Hey Pete,

Good to see you’re returning to the lotus family. There’s numerous S3 owners on here now so I dare say they’ll be able to highlight any issues.

Gut feel would be they are more liveable day to day than the S1 and 2, as long as you can keep falling in! So you’ll be able to get into a 350 rather than the older V6?

Good news things are better in Perth than over here…miserable weather and lockdowns = :rage:

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Heeey, good to hear from you. I was in Perth last Christmas and took a trip to wanneroo raceway for the first time. Pleasantly surprised, it has some elevation compared to the rest of Perth. Where have you moved to? I was very impressed how Scarborough and Trig are these days. I’d be ok to live there now.

I wouldn’t get hung up on the switch/modes. It’s a great car. I followed Ishy around last year on Steves’ NYLOC alp trip, and the 350 roof off with a big wing is just a simple joyful beasty. It would be easy to bring one over from Melb or Syd so keep that in mind.

I’ve been meaning to post up about the 340R, you’ve motivated me.

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Great to hear you are good and safe down under Pete and getting back into a Lotus again.

You’ll be pleased to hear our Shrek is still about, but Sean who bought it from me now uses it as a ppf demo.

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Hey, Pete, great to hear from you. Welcome back! Hope you find the car that you need and will love. And, as someone who is a few years older than you, I can say that the S1 is still perfectly accessible for me and, from what I remember, you’re hardly the Incredible Hulk.
Keep us posted

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Cheers guys!

Having owned an Evora in the UK, lovely car, I was mulling one of those again. But the ‘lure’ of the rawness of the Exige is too tempting!

One of the biggest ‘issues’ here in Oz begins with ‘C’… COPPERS! They are everywhere, as well as hidden speed cameras etc. So the joy of an early morning ‘B’ road blast that we all enjoy in the UK, is just not here… people have ended up in jail for doing 160kph on an empty country road!

We do indeed have "Wanaroo’ (Barbagello) raceway quite close by. A brilliant track by all accounts and ‘track days’ are not too expensive either.

The 350 I am looking at is the ‘Exige S’, a 2015 model. 345 BHP. Single piece disks. It’s got the ‘premium pack’ and ‘convenience pack’, so lots of leather, cruise control (useful over here!) and a built in USB connection for the iPhone! How exciting! :lolno: And yes, it is indeed ‘over East’ which in ‘normal’ circumstances would not be as complex dealing with as it is now with the Western Australia Border still closed to the Eastern States… we have been C19 free here for 8 months.

The local Lotus dealer has a 410 20th Anniversary in Laser Blue! (The same colour as my awesome S2 SC some may remember). Love the CF and the ‘retro’ seats actually look really cool in the same light ‘powder blue’ as in the S1. 3 way Nitrons make it an appealing package… but $185K AUD does not!

Ozzies also don’t like modified cars! They prefer buying/selling completely factory standard cars. This is interesting, but SSC still seem to do well with their various upgrades, including the larger Harrop TVS 1900 Supercharger. And the charge cooled version sounds awesome.

Anyway, the car that I am looking at is pretty well exactly like this. Quite neat really as my very first ‘Lotus’ was a ‘Spice Yellow’ S1 Bell and Colville 160.

I’ll let you know how the hunt goes!

Pete :>)

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Perth, get one with really good aircon. My S2 was not bad but could not cope with a really hot uk summer day. If I was buying another I would get an S3.

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Pete
Great to hear from you, I think if you preferred the Evora over an S2 Exige then def go for an S3 Exige, from what I have driven it is kind of in between the two, you won’t get the mad buzzy nature of the SC S2 or the Raw feel of an S1 but a more refined torque driven feel and more compliance being a heavier car. Personally I still really miss my S2 but they are out of my price range and an S3 is slightly further but not much! I still think the S2 is the pick of the bunch, more reliable toyota power (as long as you don’t go mad), cheaper to run than an S3 more nimble than an S3 (less weight) whilst still not as good as an S1 in that regard.
I just have to put up with my S1 Elise for Sundays and the Clio to hoon in

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G’day Ade! Great to hear from you too mate.Glad to hear you still have your ‘bargain’ S1 :>)

I will let you know what happens with the Exige… it’s now blowing down to choosing between Chrome Orange or Laser Blue! :crazy: :laughing:

Wishing you guys a great Christmas and lets hope for a C19 free 2021!

Cheers, Pete