Exige S V Exige 240 cup V Elise Sc
Discussion
My mystery buyer has resurfaced and promises to complete this week, although I'll wait until I have a cheque in my hand before actually believing it. Which therefore allows me to dream again. My dilemna is that I have been offered five cars, all very interesting. Of the five I'm really interested in two of them. The first an Exige 240 cup,(numbered) in solar yellow with stipes which looks 'stonking'(22K miles) and the second, an Exige S 240 (performance pack) in silver (28K Miles). Various questions spring to mind
1 Do I expect to pay more for the Cup car compared to the Performance Pack Exige.
2 Both have 240 bhp so should I expect the same performance
3 Are there any bits included with the Cup car that I may not find on the Performance Pack Egige
4 The cup car doesn't have air con whereas the Performance Pack car does. I know air con is always one of those 'Issues' On my Elise I had it and used it v rarely. However I took the roof off at every possible moment. I would imagine that in an Exige it's perhaps more of a must have, but am prepared to be swayed either way. I should add that I do quite a lot of road use.
5 Am I naive in thinking that both provide similar comfort to my Elise R (2006)
6 Are there any specific issues to look out for on either car
7 Although it will mainly be for road use, I would be sorely tempted to do at least one track day if the car was properly equipped
8 All cars are RHD which for me living here in France is a slight handicap. This was never a serious problem for me with the Elise. However, does the limited rear vision in an Exige make things mere difficult.
9 My third proposition is an Elise 220 SC, which is marginally cheaper despite having H-top, Air Con etc etc. However I just feel that I want an Exige, but again could be swayed.
Unfortunately, I can't just pop and see them. The Cup is 300 miles away, and the second 550 miles so need to gain some sort of insight from a distance.
1 Do I expect to pay more for the Cup car compared to the Performance Pack Exige.
2 Both have 240 bhp so should I expect the same performance
3 Are there any bits included with the Cup car that I may not find on the Performance Pack Egige
4 The cup car doesn't have air con whereas the Performance Pack car does. I know air con is always one of those 'Issues' On my Elise I had it and used it v rarely. However I took the roof off at every possible moment. I would imagine that in an Exige it's perhaps more of a must have, but am prepared to be swayed either way. I should add that I do quite a lot of road use.
5 Am I naive in thinking that both provide similar comfort to my Elise R (2006)
6 Are there any specific issues to look out for on either car
7 Although it will mainly be for road use, I would be sorely tempted to do at least one track day if the car was properly equipped
8 All cars are RHD which for me living here in France is a slight handicap. This was never a serious problem for me with the Elise. However, does the limited rear vision in an Exige make things mere difficult.
9 My third proposition is an Elise 220 SC, which is marginally cheaper despite having H-top, Air Con etc etc. However I just feel that I want an Exige, but again could be swayed.
Unfortunately, I can't just pop and see them. The Cup is 300 miles away, and the second 550 miles so need to gain some sort of insight from a distance.
It depends what you want the car for. For sure the spec will be better on the Cup car and ohlin suspension will mean it will ride better on the road though slightly firmer. The better spec will only really be of use on track and only really noticeable if you chase times on track. Long term the cup car will hold its value a little bit more but you have to go with your heart, which one gets your juices flowing. The performance pack car will also have a great overall spec and air-con makes it a nicer place to be. I have had both a Cup car and a 240pp Exige and have been very happy with both.
If the Elise is only marginally cheaper I would go Exige.
No offence to any Elise owners but it seems to me that you should see a fairly substantial discount.
Take for example 111R versus an NA Exige - way more for the Exige it seems.
If you can afford it I would get the Cup - they are truly special and as above will hold their value better.
Even with the PP - most people seem to view the Exige S as "just another Exige S" or perhaps more like "an Exige S with a 20bhp upgrade".
The aircon never works anyway!!
No offence to any Elise owners but it seems to me that you should see a fairly substantial discount.
Take for example 111R versus an NA Exige - way more for the Exige it seems.
If you can afford it I would get the Cup - they are truly special and as above will hold their value better.
Even with the PP - most people seem to view the Exige S as "just another Exige S" or perhaps more like "an Exige S with a 20bhp upgrade".
The aircon never works anyway!!
Depends on what I was using the car for... If it's for everyday use or long tours then the Elise SC is the better choice. However for any kind of track work or fast fun weekend drives, the Exige S is the best imho.
I bought my Exige S (with performance pack) and after a few weeks had to take it back to the dealer for some warranty work, they loaned me a brand new Elise SC for a week. And, despite it being a fantastic car, I was so glad to get back behind the wheel of the Exige when I picked it up! It certainly reinforced I had made the right choice.
Also, in an Exige, you need working air con (imho). Mine packed up for a couple of weeks last summer (when we were seeing 30DegC+ daily) and the car was horrible to drive. The cabin heatsoaks very quickly and even with the roof off it was not much fun.
I bought my Exige S (with performance pack) and after a few weeks had to take it back to the dealer for some warranty work, they loaned me a brand new Elise SC for a week. And, despite it being a fantastic car, I was so glad to get back behind the wheel of the Exige when I picked it up! It certainly reinforced I had made the right choice.
Also, in an Exige, you need working air con (imho). Mine packed up for a couple of weeks last summer (when we were seeing 30DegC+ daily) and the car was horrible to drive. The cabin heatsoaks very quickly and even with the roof off it was not much fun.
If you can afford it I would get the Cup - they are truly special and as above will hold their value better.
Even with the PP - most people seem to view the Exige S as "just another Exige S" or perhaps more like "an Exige S with a 20bhp upgrade".
The aircon never works anyway!!
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It remains a dilemna. What does the CUP have that an S + Perf Pack + air con doesn't. For the moment the cup is £2000 more expensive without the aircon. I admit to prefering the CUP as it looks magnificent in yellow and the wheels also look the part. In addition it"s a private sale and it needs tyres and no guarantee so the real difference is even greater. History and condition both seem fine. However, I am concerned about not having Air con. I don't imagine how the car would be once the temperatures break the 30°C.
simpo555 said:
However, I am concerned about not having Air con. I don't imagine how the car would be once the temperatures break the 30°C.
That sentence would be the kicker for me. I've driven the car through Italy in the summer with intermittent A/C and it wasn't comfortable. (Unless you are going to fit a soft top)The biggest problem from the A/C seems to be the pipes running through the sill but my suspected leak (diagnosed by a Lotus specialist) turned out to be nothing (as checked by an A/C specialist) and it's been working fine since.
When my A/C packed up last summer we had a weekend away in Northern France/Belgium. I got a soft top the day before we left as I thought this would make it ok... Even with that, sitting in traffic on the motorway around Brussels at mid day on a 32DegC day was probably the most uncomfortable experience ever in a car. Getting out at the end of the journey covered in sweat was not nice.
I'm someone that usually loves warm weather but this was just awful.
A Cup is great if your going to be spending most of your time tracking it, but in my experience for the best all round useable car and S with all the packs and A/C if the best
My A/C issue turned out to be the pipe running through the sill and the condenser corroded. Luckily it was all fixed under warranty as it was a pretty big job. But, to be honest, even if I was paying I would have had it done immediately!
I'm someone that usually loves warm weather but this was just awful.
A Cup is great if your going to be spending most of your time tracking it, but in my experience for the best all round useable car and S with all the packs and A/C if the best
My A/C issue turned out to be the pipe running through the sill and the condenser corroded. Luckily it was all fixed under warranty as it was a pretty big job. But, to be honest, even if I was paying I would have had it done immediately!
NightDriver said:
When my A/C packed up last summer we had a weekend away in Northern France/Belgium. I got a soft top the day before we left as I thought this would make it ok... Even with that, sitting in traffic on the motorway around Brussels at mid day on a 32DegC day was probably the most uncomfortable experience ever in a car. Getting out at the end of the journey covered in sweat was not nice.
I'm someone that usually loves warm weather but this was just awful.
A Cup is great if your going to be spending most of your time tracking it, but in my experience for the best all round useable car and S with all the packs and A/C if the best
My A/C issue turned out to be the pipe running through the sill and the condenser corroded. Luckily it was all fixed under warranty as it was a pretty big job. But, to be honest, even if I was paying I would have had it done immediately!
Thats one of my main concerns. It worries me to think that for a couple of months every year, just when you think you should be most enjoying the car its not exactly the case. I've still not discounted the CUP car however because it looks so good but I think that it will be a deciding factor, which saddens me a bit. With my Elise I can honestly say I used the aircon no more than about 6 times, it's just that nagging doubt that it would be stupid to buy without it. I'm someone that usually loves warm weather but this was just awful.
A Cup is great if your going to be spending most of your time tracking it, but in my experience for the best all round useable car and S with all the packs and A/C if the best
My A/C issue turned out to be the pipe running through the sill and the condenser corroded. Luckily it was all fixed under warranty as it was a pretty big job. But, to be honest, even if I was paying I would have had it done immediately!
I have a new dilemna. I've discounted the CUP because the car is too expensive. So now the choice is between a 2006 S remapped to 240 bhp with sports exhaust and a 2008 S (240bhp) with performance pack and standard exhaust. The mileages are very similar. Condition and history complete and again very similar. There is a £1500 price difference between the two cars. I'm at the top end of my budget so would prefer the 2006 car as its slightly cheaper. I also prefer the colour. However, I feel the upgrades included in the performance pack and the fact that the car is a 2008 car, probably more than justify the price difference, so that in the longer term it will be the better buy. In addition I'm not 100% sure what is included in the performance pack. Apparently it has the 240 bhp as standard with uprated brakes and reinforced clutch plate. Other than that I dont know. Advice welcome!
I'd go for the 08 performance pack one. The newer interior and being a newer car will , imho, keep it worth more in the long term. Is it the orange one at Newcastle your looking at? Lovely looking car.
Mines got performance, sport and touring pack and the perf includes AP brakes (check the discs as these are pricey to replace), 240bhp map, adjustable traction + Launch control, full length roof scoop and uprated clutch/cover. Think that's everything.
Mines got performance, sport and touring pack and the perf includes AP brakes (check the discs as these are pricey to replace), 240bhp map, adjustable traction + Launch control, full length roof scoop and uprated clutch/cover. Think that's everything.
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