v6 exige factory trip .... thanks andy jct600 leeds
Discussion
just got back from a 1 to 1 visit at the factory thanks to andy b at jct600 leeds to help get a handle on some of the new colours for 2012. saw all the press ips s's being prepped.
managed to get access to the 'paddock' where they keep their prototype exiges, basically saw all the s2 v6's with the flared arches (blue and green i think) the ones that 90% of people on here wanted as a final design product when this car was announced, the black exige v6 in the video and the autumn bronze v6 (the colour of the car shot in the car park in holland) plus a white (flat, so aspen i think) one on the production line (although not a production car).
they dragged out a body panel in my colour choice from the restricted design area as they couldn't show me it on a car.
managed also to bag a factory tour and chat with an engineer that just got out of a v6 with the trophio setup. he made some interesting comments!!!!
how many other manufacturers would let you do that to help you choose a colour!? lol ...
bloody interesting day and it comes highly recommended ... the last factory tour i took was a work related private / short medium haul aircraft manufacturer where i was kept on an incredibly tight leash, was refreshing to be given a bit more freedom this time round .... and such nice people.
managed to get access to the 'paddock' where they keep their prototype exiges, basically saw all the s2 v6's with the flared arches (blue and green i think) the ones that 90% of people on here wanted as a final design product when this car was announced, the black exige v6 in the video and the autumn bronze v6 (the colour of the car shot in the car park in holland) plus a white (flat, so aspen i think) one on the production line (although not a production car).
they dragged out a body panel in my colour choice from the restricted design area as they couldn't show me it on a car.
managed also to bag a factory tour and chat with an engineer that just got out of a v6 with the trophio setup. he made some interesting comments!!!!
how many other manufacturers would let you do that to help you choose a colour!? lol ...
bloody interesting day and it comes highly recommended ... the last factory tour i took was a work related private / short medium haul aircraft manufacturer where i was kept on an incredibly tight leash, was refreshing to be given a bit more freedom this time round .... and such nice people.
I also enjoyed a factory tour recently.
Now please do reveal more about the tropheo comments!
And what colour are you tempted by?
My current favourites are Motorsports Green, the darker metallic green or Nightfall blue
tempted also to recreate the Cadena GT3 exige colours with a starlight black car and adding yellow and silver vinyl stripes.
Wouldn't normally go for white but it looks so good it would be hard not to at least seriously consider it.
Now please do reveal more about the tropheo comments!
And what colour are you tempted by?
My current favourites are Motorsports Green, the darker metallic green or Nightfall blue
tempted also to recreate the Cadena GT3 exige colours with a starlight black car and adding yellow and silver vinyl stripes.
Wouldn't normally go for white but it looks so good it would be hard not to at least seriously consider it.
sorry, been a bit busy, here goes...
my understanding was press and dealer cars to be delivered in feb/march, our cars march/apr.
engineer couldn't believe just how good the DPM system was in damp and on tropheo tyres (rather him than me and maybe he should be in sales lol). lots of latitude given by the system but works v well apparently, kept repeating this, I’m not into the tropheo option but some on here might spec it so that's good news considering the type of tyre and our great british weather
other comments were basically all about the sheer pace of the thing. just relentless in any gear and it was described as the first scary fast car lotus have built in a very long time. last scarily quick lotus was???? but hopefully this is true and if it is the when the journos get hold of this thing at the price i should imagine they will be bloody impressed but prob gripe at the old s2 interior lol.
other stuff, apparently the carbon pack has been removed as an option for the first load of cars due time-scales effecting production. seemed a fair few amount of italians now running various things at lotus, i guess coco brought them in with him ... this is a good thing as style is almost exclusively an italian word.
to the chaps that lobbied hard on here that the v6 should look like the s2 with airfix wheelarches pre prototype press model (green one), i suggest you go see one in that paddock, it looks, well simply put silly in comparison to the new v6 which thankfully moves the exige forward and not standstill.
having seen a few of these now in semi real world conditions (daylight and dirty) and as diplomatically as i can say this, where the s2 had 'its' presence, this has significantly more. seeing the white one (which is no more than a marketing model really) with a chav 3 sticker on it and red and white detailing under harsh light simply doesn't do the car justice ...
colours - it looked very good in autumn bronze, very good indeed - which is to be the new corp. colour i believe so expect to see a few evora ips s’ in it in the mags come feb in that. the black looked mean as hell but as always with black the car shrinks and you lose most of the detailing, so not for me. strangely unlike the evora it seems less sensitive to colour. it even looked good in that pale metallic blue ! which is saying something for a car of this type.
there are only 2 tricks being missed by lotus that i can tell, the exige should have a little more interior personal detailing, small stuff that differentiates the interior of the car and not just door pulls, ie a different colour dash, something, anything... the jornos would buy into that and it would give them an excuse not to gripe about a new car using the old basic spec interior. the other is i still think the car should probably have pas as i cant see it being a light steer at all. but we have to wait and see on the test drives....
footsoldier – production is not yet under way as far as i could tell, held up by homologation issues apparently. I suspect the white one sat fully built at the end of the line maybe for the press but who knows. looked good in aspen white as well....
pits – saw an evora in MS green, looked v good indeed, nice colour. as said i think the car would probably look good in almost any colour. wild or conservative.
my understanding was press and dealer cars to be delivered in feb/march, our cars march/apr.
engineer couldn't believe just how good the DPM system was in damp and on tropheo tyres (rather him than me and maybe he should be in sales lol). lots of latitude given by the system but works v well apparently, kept repeating this, I’m not into the tropheo option but some on here might spec it so that's good news considering the type of tyre and our great british weather
other comments were basically all about the sheer pace of the thing. just relentless in any gear and it was described as the first scary fast car lotus have built in a very long time. last scarily quick lotus was???? but hopefully this is true and if it is the when the journos get hold of this thing at the price i should imagine they will be bloody impressed but prob gripe at the old s2 interior lol.
other stuff, apparently the carbon pack has been removed as an option for the first load of cars due time-scales effecting production. seemed a fair few amount of italians now running various things at lotus, i guess coco brought them in with him ... this is a good thing as style is almost exclusively an italian word.
to the chaps that lobbied hard on here that the v6 should look like the s2 with airfix wheelarches pre prototype press model (green one), i suggest you go see one in that paddock, it looks, well simply put silly in comparison to the new v6 which thankfully moves the exige forward and not standstill.
having seen a few of these now in semi real world conditions (daylight and dirty) and as diplomatically as i can say this, where the s2 had 'its' presence, this has significantly more. seeing the white one (which is no more than a marketing model really) with a chav 3 sticker on it and red and white detailing under harsh light simply doesn't do the car justice ...
colours - it looked very good in autumn bronze, very good indeed - which is to be the new corp. colour i believe so expect to see a few evora ips s’ in it in the mags come feb in that. the black looked mean as hell but as always with black the car shrinks and you lose most of the detailing, so not for me. strangely unlike the evora it seems less sensitive to colour. it even looked good in that pale metallic blue ! which is saying something for a car of this type.
there are only 2 tricks being missed by lotus that i can tell, the exige should have a little more interior personal detailing, small stuff that differentiates the interior of the car and not just door pulls, ie a different colour dash, something, anything... the jornos would buy into that and it would give them an excuse not to gripe about a new car using the old basic spec interior. the other is i still think the car should probably have pas as i cant see it being a light steer at all. but we have to wait and see on the test drives....
footsoldier – production is not yet under way as far as i could tell, held up by homologation issues apparently. I suspect the white one sat fully built at the end of the line maybe for the press but who knows. looked good in aspen white as well....
pits – saw an evora in MS green, looked v good indeed, nice colour. as said i think the car would probably look good in almost any colour. wild or conservative.
Edited by bobo on Wednesday 21st December 14:50
ta for the update bobo,
the interior as per the white show car looked very good to me. similar yes but that's mainly a good thing and no doubt plays a significant part in keeping the price down. as per keeping non assisted steering.
pas would also increase weight and price further no doubt, for that reason plus the fact that the elise/exige steering is so pure, I'm happy to keep it non-assisted.
I'd definitely be up for a trofeo spec
in for a penny, in for a pound!
the interior as per the white show car looked very good to me. similar yes but that's mainly a good thing and no doubt plays a significant part in keeping the price down. as per keeping non assisted steering.
pas would also increase weight and price further no doubt, for that reason plus the fact that the elise/exige steering is so pure, I'm happy to keep it non-assisted.
I'd definitely be up for a trofeo spec
in for a penny, in for a pound!
bobo said:
sorry, been a bit busy, here goes...
my understanding was press and dealer cars to be delivered in feb/march, our cars march/apr.
engineer couldn't believe just how good the DPM system was in damp and on tropheo tyres (rather him than me and maybe he should be in sales lol). lots of latitude given by the system but works v well apparently, kept repeating this, I’m not into the tropheo option but some on here might spec it so that's good news considering the type of tyre and our great british weather
other comments were basically all about the sheer pace of the thing. just relentless in any gear and it was described as the first scary fast car lotus have built in a very long time. last scarily quick lotus was???? but hopefully this is true and if it is the when the journos get hold of this thing at the price i should imagine they will be bloody impressed but prob gripe at the old s2 interior lol.
other stuff, apparently the carbon pack has been removed as an option for the first load of cars due time-scales effecting production. seemed a fair few amount of italians now running various things at lotus, i guess coco brought them in with him ... this is a good thing as style is almost exclusively an italian word.
to the chaps that lobbied hard on here that the v6 should look like the s2 with airfix wheelarches pre prototype press model (green one), i suggest you go see one in that paddock, it looks, well simply put silly in comparison to the new v6 which thankfully moves the exige forward and not standstill.
having seen a few of these now in semi real world conditions (daylight and dirty) and as diplomatically as i can say this, where the s2 had 'its' presence, this has significantly more. seeing the white one (which is no more than a marketing model really) with a chav 3 sticker on it and red and white detailing under harsh light simply doesn't do the car justice ...
colours - it looked very good in autumn bronze, very good indeed - which is to be the new corp. colour i believe so expect to see a few evora ips s’ in it in the mags come feb in that. the black looked mean as hell but as always with black the car shrinks and you lose most of the detailing, so not for me. strangely unlike the evora it seems less sensitive to colour. it even looked good in that pale metallic blue ! which is saying something for a car of this type.
there are only 2 tricks being missed by lotus that i can tell, the exige should have a little more interior personal detailing, small stuff that differentiates the interior of the car and not just door pulls, ie a different colour dash, something, anything... the jornos would buy into that and it would give them an excuse not to gripe about a new car using the old basic spec interior. the other is i still think the car should probably have pas as i cant see it being a light steer at all. but we have to wait and see on the test drives....
footsoldier – production is not yet under way as far as i could tell, held up by homologation issues apparently. I suspect the white one sat fully built at the end of the line maybe for the press but who knows. looked good in aspen white as well....
pits – saw an evora in MS green, looked v good indeed, nice colour. as said i think the car would probably look good in almost any colour. wild or conservative.
Thanks, good write up. The autumn bronze does look good. Will be my colour choice if I get one.my understanding was press and dealer cars to be delivered in feb/march, our cars march/apr.
engineer couldn't believe just how good the DPM system was in damp and on tropheo tyres (rather him than me and maybe he should be in sales lol). lots of latitude given by the system but works v well apparently, kept repeating this, I’m not into the tropheo option but some on here might spec it so that's good news considering the type of tyre and our great british weather
other comments were basically all about the sheer pace of the thing. just relentless in any gear and it was described as the first scary fast car lotus have built in a very long time. last scarily quick lotus was???? but hopefully this is true and if it is the when the journos get hold of this thing at the price i should imagine they will be bloody impressed but prob gripe at the old s2 interior lol.
other stuff, apparently the carbon pack has been removed as an option for the first load of cars due time-scales effecting production. seemed a fair few amount of italians now running various things at lotus, i guess coco brought them in with him ... this is a good thing as style is almost exclusively an italian word.
to the chaps that lobbied hard on here that the v6 should look like the s2 with airfix wheelarches pre prototype press model (green one), i suggest you go see one in that paddock, it looks, well simply put silly in comparison to the new v6 which thankfully moves the exige forward and not standstill.
having seen a few of these now in semi real world conditions (daylight and dirty) and as diplomatically as i can say this, where the s2 had 'its' presence, this has significantly more. seeing the white one (which is no more than a marketing model really) with a chav 3 sticker on it and red and white detailing under harsh light simply doesn't do the car justice ...
colours - it looked very good in autumn bronze, very good indeed - which is to be the new corp. colour i believe so expect to see a few evora ips s’ in it in the mags come feb in that. the black looked mean as hell but as always with black the car shrinks and you lose most of the detailing, so not for me. strangely unlike the evora it seems less sensitive to colour. it even looked good in that pale metallic blue ! which is saying something for a car of this type.
there are only 2 tricks being missed by lotus that i can tell, the exige should have a little more interior personal detailing, small stuff that differentiates the interior of the car and not just door pulls, ie a different colour dash, something, anything... the jornos would buy into that and it would give them an excuse not to gripe about a new car using the old basic spec interior. the other is i still think the car should probably have pas as i cant see it being a light steer at all. but we have to wait and see on the test drives....
footsoldier – production is not yet under way as far as i could tell, held up by homologation issues apparently. I suspect the white one sat fully built at the end of the line maybe for the press but who knows. looked good in aspen white as well....
pits – saw an evora in MS green, looked v good indeed, nice colour. as said i think the car would probably look good in almost any colour. wild or conservative.
Edited by bobo on Wednesday 21st December 14:50
Bobo - thanks for the info. I'll be happy to hear when production actually starts, as it's bad enough waiting til March, so hopefully no delays...
I was told that a lot of paint options are not available because of supply issues caused by Japanese earthquake, which is affecting lots of manufacturers (this could be total rubbish of course!)
I was told that a lot of paint options are not available because of supply issues caused by Japanese earthquake, which is affecting lots of manufacturers (this could be total rubbish of course!)
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