Hi all
I currently own a 2001 Impreza P1 running around 320bhp! I really want a Lotus Exige but only have around �20,000 to spend!!! Please someone tell me how bad they are and talk me out of buying one…please!! I have only just paid for the P1 and have finally found some financial stability! Lol!
Cheers
Stu
Hi Stu - If I were you I would get yourself to Croft on the 28th. Looks like it will be a massive Exige gathering and if you cant get a good spread of opinions from there you never will.
I use Jap wheels in the week and a two Loti’ at the weekend. I could not cope with the Exige as my only motor but I think some do. I paid a lot less than �20K for my S1 177HP 2000 X with 36K on the clock. Lotus stainless sports zaust, decat pipe, carbon airbox good A048 Yokos just had C service, new windscreen, pads all round all recalls done, type b floor recall etc…and loads of stone chips, it also has factory fit aircon switches and knobs - god knows if they are connected to anything as I cant tell if it’s working yet!
Hope this helps and good luck
Yeah I reckon going from a P1 to an Exige as a daily driver would be a bit of a strain. I don’t use my Exige every day and don’t reckon I could live with it all the time. Although I have to say it is very comfy and the last week has seen it be my main mode of transport.
However if you are into doing track days then the Exige will blow the P1 away. The level of driver envolvment is of the charts.
Come to Croft, mind you with so many great Exiges due to be there, it may be the nail in the coffin of your bank balance.
Sean…
I went from a BMW to an Exige (S2) as my daily driver, best decision I ever made!!
Quote my mate when asking his opinion on whether I should go for it:
“Do you really want to race to work every day?”
Errr… Yes!
LOL
Top reply!!!
Stu, like you i had a jap rally slag (evo 7 fq330) but had previously owned an s2 elise. I thought when i bought the evo that the handling was so much better than an elise and the power stupendous. However, after a while, the car seemed dull. Everyone had one and having to get the thing serviced every 4k and the constant spending to keep the thing in top shape annoyed me. Everyone bangs on about the tunability of these cars but its only if your willin to spend 1000’s on getting the balance between power and engine reliability etc. Personally, i missed the stress free raw driving satisfaction of the elise and found no better replacement than a chrome orange s1 exige. I searched pistonheads and found a good s1 that i bartered down to 19k for a deal. The car is my daily driver and i could not be happier. The handling is quite spooky its that good
answers to questions:
To summarise, get one. And enjoy many discussions on the forum with like minded people
Hi all
I currently own a 2001 Impreza P1 running around 320bhp! I really want a Lotus Exige but only have around �20,000 to spend!!! Please someone tell me how bad they are and talk me out of buying one…please!! I have only just paid for the P1 and have finally found some financial stability! Lol!
Cheers
Stu
Stu
There is no talking you out of it
I moved from a 320bhp scooby P1 to my S1 Exige and its the best decision ive ever made! Having owned an exige for almost 18 months now i still get out of the car at my destination with a cheshire cat style grin on my face every time
do it … you wont regret it!
As above, get yourself to croft and see what its all about.
Ther you go Stu - you have no bloody chance get your scooby advertised - you are only going to delay the inevitable if not
PS big hats off/bow scrape to the Everyday users - my commute is too long - well thats my excuse. I had a go in an S2 and would say thats an easier daily option
I also now think my Exige is a lot nicer (crap word but all encompassing) than my previous S1 Elise 111S - if this helps at all?
driving it everyday causes awesome numb bum but does wonders for the engine. Gets all the sqeaks out too
my S2 exige is my daily ride…and no problem, numb bum?? not really but being a girly have more padding in that department…yes there are niggles but what car hasnt.
Welcome Smanda,…exige owners are rare, girl exige owners are well,…rare birds? Welcome,…and before someone else pipes up,…so you coming to Croft?
so you coming to Croft?
Calm down, calm down, she’s only a woman
[image]http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/entertainment/celebrity/images/michael_winner.jpg[/image]
LOL
Morning guys!!!
You were supposed to talk me out of it!!!
Very tempted now to be honest! Looks like it will be a Series 1 though! What is the highest miles you would buy one with? Seen a nice one for cheap money with 33k on the clock? Where does the engine in the S1 come from?
Cheers
Stu
T’is a Rover K-Series in VHPD guise - although an increasing number of people have ditched these in favour of Honda/Audi units. The K-Series VHPD as standard has 177bhp, a factory upgrade takes it to 192bhp or there are endless other ways of making it more performant. Not the most reliable engine in the world and there is the usual inverse relationship between output and reliability
Still plenty fun to be had in a stock 177bhp car (like mine) and generally brakes and handling are where money goes before more power. The Exige is the kinda car that takes a while to ‘get’ if you catch my drift. The longer you own it the more you understand. The first drive certainly left me with a kind of ‘what the fxxx is that about’. Don’t be tempted to judge it by the parameters used to judge a ‘normal’ performance roadcar.
Do it, you won’t look back. Just look at the number of long-term owners and the number of people who have sold, realised their error and bought another one
me too !! i use my s2 exige as a commute a few times a week and its GREAT! this is my 3rd week of ownership and still find it hard to sleep when i know ill be taking the exige to work 
sad but true i know
but also the best descision ive made moving from a works cooper s to this thing !
just awsome
Andy…
{my first post}
Buy one… you know you want to .
We are in our second week of owning our S2 Exige and couldn’t agree with you more about the animal we own!!! Ours is also red and as its the only one on Guernsey it rules the road!!! Nothing has such road presence as this fantastic true sports machine (not a car)!!
We are in our second week of owning our S2 Exige and couldn’t agree with you more about the animal we own!!! Ours is also red and as its the only one on Guernsey it rules the road!!! Nothing has such road presence as this fantastic true sports machine (not a car)!!
that is until an s1 exige appears and steals your thunder
![http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/entertainment/celebrity/images/michael_winner.jpg[/image]](http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/entertainment/celebrity/images/michael_winner.jpg%5B/image%5D){kind=link}