I'm back! Maybe!

[6970K]

User name is one of my plates Brendan and my titanium S1 had one that looks similar (G9TOK)

I ordered the 400 without driving one and went auto again which is way better than the auto in the S1. If you are considering the Exige IPS, I have been on one when they came out and the change is slower like the Evora S1 and I didnt feel it suited the Exige (gotta be manual)

The 400 doesn't 'float' over the bumps like the the NA and is bit firmer than the S but still is amazing. I bought it just for the noise even though I had put a 2bular on my S1.

No prizes for guessing what is on order as Lotus No.10 to replace the Evora

One of the reasons I'm changing my car is I've got early beginnings of arthritis, and the heavy clutch pedal is giving me a little pain in my left hip and foot.
I know the Exige is a proper road racer, but my thinking is it's also just a proper 'event' to drive even when driving at a steady pace. The IPS isn't going to be perfect when I'm on it, but it seems like it should be a decent compromise so I'll be more comfortable on a longer run. As a bonus, my wife would like to be able to drive it occasionally, and she just doesn't want to drive a manual anymore.

I'm guessing you're on the list for an Emira then! Looks fantastic, but bad timing for me. They're going a tad more mainstream (in terms of usability) just when I'm looking for something more silly

Issue I had when I drove an Exige IPS Brendan, was if you pulled the paddle at 1st change light it hit the limiter before it changed. This was on track and if you left it in auto would be fine. Just a shame you couldn't get the change speed of the 400.
Yes Emira FE is next and going auto again

[AndyD]

Hello Brendan
I had a V6 IPS for 5 years and had a great time with it. Some observations from those 5 years ..

- When you come to sell it the market will be limited and the inevitable comments about how can it be a real Lotus and Men only drive manuals, its too heavy and Colin would hate it etc will be the majority of feedback to your advert ..
- Make sure its got all the latest software upgrades installed - the later versions did speed the change up and made a big difference, like being able to select 1st when your moving .. you will see from the video its still not instant but you get used to the lag. Also it will not change down if it knows that will overspin the engine so while you may ask it to shift it wont.
- There is no tactile feedback to pulling a paddle, that means you have to be deliberate .. you can see on the video a couple of times changing down it doesn't and that because I didn't pull it hard enough - again you get used to it like you would a sloppy manual box ..
- Drive around day to day in sport and manual mode, you will learn when to change up and how the box works vs where the go pedal is .. meaning the change characteristic varies depending on how and where the accelerator is used. Keep your right foot buried and its fast, lift and it will be slower etc
- DPM modes change the character - Touring and Auto is "old man driving" - Sport means you get to stay in manual mode if you pull a paddle and Race works for the track.
- Don't use the shift lights to know when to change up .. use your ears and it works just fine
- Downshifts are usually fast and timed well
- Get oil in the box changed and the filter if you do track it .. it makes a difference even though everyone will tell you it doesn't ..
- Also check it doesn't "flare" - meaning rev up when changing up ... its a sign something needs dollars spent on it
- Make sure you get cruise control (or reto fit it) - it makes long journeys a breeze - I did a few trips Sydney to Melbourne and back (1000k) no problem - it would make a great touring car
- It works on track as well but obviously its not its best environment - some links follow about that
- I did a Targa Road rally down here in the regularity class with it and it was just perfect for that and really B road blasts it works great.
- I had a convertible but fitted a roof, as we all know an Exige must have a roof, with premium packs and race suspension which is all good for road use. I did change to Ohlin TTX and that spoilt the road manners - standard race set up is good - I think you need to go to Nitron 3 ways to better it.
- You say you dont like supercharger whine but fitting an induction kit does release some horses ( if you get one that works correct - I had the SSC one ) - you will be surprised at how quick off the mark it can be when you hook up the changes right ..

Hope that helps ..

[AndyD]

And here is a stage off the Targa - not great performance but it gives a better idea how quick the up changes are ..

[Brendan]

Hey @AndyD! Nice to hear from you after all these years. Good to see you still have the Lotus bug. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and videos. Looks like you're having fun. You're based in Australia now!? Hope life's treating you well.

Had a test drive in an Elise Sport 220, and a V6 Exige today... the Elise was just as I remembered - beautifully delicate, balanced, feelsome, agile. Brilliant little sports car, but Julie summed it up perfectly when she said "It feels like a step back, not a step forwards". Not really different enough from my previous Elises and Exiges I had way back, and just not what I'm looking for.

The V6...Blimey! What's wrong with the steering? Heavier than a photocopier! Until you get a little speed on, then it comes good. Weighty, but with a nice feel. Not at all like the Elise, other that that it's just as polished as you'd expect from Lotus. Then there's the engine noise. Lovely! Definitely sounds a bit more sophisticated than the Elise. Especially when you get all those lovely cracks and whoops on changing gear. Oh, engine's warmed up. Time to feel the power... not quite as neck-snapping as I expected, but more than enough to get me intro trouble
The automatic gearbox is something I was particularly interested to try, and I entered into this test drive with mixed expectations. Most of which were not really met! I was led to believe the gearbox works really well in auto mode, but that the slow change spoils it when using the paddles. First impression was that it's smooth enough pulling away, and driving steadily, but even in normal touring mode, changes feel quite aggressive when you put your foot down a bit to overtake. Feels like a teenager driving a manual car, but trying to show off how fast he can shift gears
Ok, let's try it with the paddles... As expected, the feel of the paddles was disappointing. They need to click! But the bonus here is that you can feather the throttle a bit, and smooth out the changes nicely. This is good news. Some say autos detract from the engagement of driving, but this thing still needs some finesse from the driver to make the most of it.
Sport mode next. Gear changes are even more brutal, but by god this thing feels exciting! Lots of learning to do to really get the best out of the gearbox.
One thing I always hate with autos is if I have a decent amount of torque available, I want to be able to use it. Cruising along on a bit of dual carriageway, it might be nice to leave it in 6th gear, ease the power on, and breeze easily past the car in front. What actually happens is the car begins accelerating, then decides to drop down a cog, and make far too much fuss about it all. Just when I'm beginning to curse it, it drops another gear, and now it looks like I'm in a race. Nice thing with the paddles in the Exige is that a quick flick of the right paddle is enough to tell it to leave it in top gear for a while.
In summary, the Elise gave me a smile. The V6 changed it to a grin

As you can probably tell from all the rambling, I've fallen in love with the V6 auto! I've put a holding deposit on the car, but I'm going to wait a week to see another car before making a final decision. Whatever happens, it looks like I should be removing the "maybe" from the thread title.

[Brendan]

@AndyD what's the story with the dash on your Exige in the videos? Looks like you've got a nicely integrated double din head unit!? What's the story with that? One thing I'll really miss from the Evora is Apple CarPlay, so any chance I can install a proper screen in the Exige is very interesting to me.

[thommo]

Great to hear all this, fellas. Such long-standing enthusiasm . . .

[AndyD]

@

@AndyD what's the story with the dash on your Exige in the videos? Looks like you've got a nicely integrated double din head unit!? What's the story with that? One thing I'll really miss from the Evora is Apple CarPlay, so any chance I can install a proper screen in the Exige is very interesting to me.

Hey Brendan, yeah down in OZ, currently in Canberra.
Still have the S1, shipped in down here.
Pleased you liked the auto, it has its quirks but as you found out you need to understand how to get the best from it.
So the double din facia was from SSC down here . They used the original Tesla facia and made a kit for a double din unit. I had an Alpine iLX 107 wireless carplay with reverse camera, made for a civilised set up. The SSC kit is no longer available though as far as I know.. most people are fitting the Alpine Halo or similar in the single Din slot now.

[Brendan]

Hey Brendan, yeah down in OZ, currently in Canberra.
Still have the S1, shipped in down here.
Pleased you liked the auto, it has its quirks but as you found out you need to understand how to get the best from it.
So the double din facia was from SSC down here . They used the original Tesla facia and made a kit for a double din unit. I had an Alpine iLX 107 wireless carplay with reverse camera, made for a civilised set up. The SSC kit is no longer available though as far as I know.. most people are fitting the Alpine Halo or similar in the single Din slot now.

Thanks Andy. Unfortunately the halo seems too big for my liking. Don’t want anything to cover the heater controls or vents. Wondering if there’s anything with a 7 inch screen with wireless CarPlay.

[AndyD]

Agree on the Halo .. my pet hate on current cars is a tablet thrown at the IP without any real thought of integration.

If you are serious about a double DIN the people mentioned in this thread may also be able to help, but bear in mind there is quite a bit of surgery needed to get it to fit and I'm guessing parts are not easy to find and relative expensive these days.

https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads ... ck.184706/

[Brendan]

Thanks Andy. Don't really want to go to that expense and hassle. Will look at other options.