Exige S3 living outside

[Fokker]

I currently have and am very much enjoying a Cayman R but am considering a more focused drive as its a weekend fun toy.
I don't have a garage, the Porsche copes well as you would imagine but I fear the Lotus will not.

Is owning an Exige S3 without a roof over its head a good idea or should I forget it?

Cheers
Dave

[Paul_M3]

I can't comment on the Exige S3, but I did own a S2 Elise SC for two years.

I don't have a garage so it lived outside, and was never covered up in any way.

The car was used for fun on the road and giving a good work out on track days. I never had a single problem with the car in the two years that I owned it.

[bobo]

Fokker said:

I currently have and am very much enjoying a Cayman R but am considering a more focused drive as its a weekend fun toy.
I don't have a garage, the Porsche copes well as you would imagine but I fear the Lotus will not.

Is owning an Exige S3 without a roof over its head a good idea or should I forget it?

Cheers
Dave

I know 2 that live on the street. Nothing to worry about

[kambites]

You'd probably want air con for demisting purposes; a car with such a small cabin tends to mist up very easily. Otherwise it'll be fine.

[STMM]

S1 Elise with hardtop, owned for 3yrs (several years ago!) and lived outside. Used in almost all weathers, never let a drop of water in while stationary, started every time first time. Brilliant. S2 Exige followed that, also lived outside for 2yrs, never a problem.

[mario328]

Although mine's garaged overnight I drive it all year round in all weathers but I do have air con which I leave on all the time. Funny enough it's only leaked a bit of rain water from the passenger window on the drive home last year from MBworld and hasn't done it since. I'd say go for it.

Got some funny looks scraping ice/snow off it one day

Snow Exige by M ., on Flickr

[Fokker]

Thanks for the responses. That so good to know!

[dcmp]

I have an S3 living outside. I had an S2 before that which also wasn't garaged and the cover I had was rubbish and the cabin misted up.

Now I have the V6 the same cover actually fits better (was an old TVR 350 fitted cover originally) and therefore rolls the rain off better. This in turn means my cabin doesn't mist up - and maybe they made it a tighter cabin too.

All in all the fact that I have a well fitting cover means that I now do not worry about keeping it outside on the drive....but like you I did originally.

Go for it...but get a decent cover.

[Crouchydc]

Mine lives outside year round. No cover of any kind. So far no issues at all.

[djmotorsport]

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What he said - In Glasgow - Over 2 years - No issues

[simpo555]

Take one for a drive. Afterwards you won't care whether you have a garage or not, you'll just know that you have to do it.

Don't forget, it is a car. It can get dirty, wet and have snow on it.

[RYH64E]

My old (2000) S1 Elise was kept in a garage and hardly ever taken out in the rain, I left it outside for a few nights one winter when I needed the garage for something else and the car developed some kind of rash! The paintwork bubbled on the top of the doors, around the sills and on the mirror supports. I was told that the fibreglass had got damp, the water then froze behind the paintwork and caused bubbles about 6-8mm in diameter. It wasn't a cheap fix, I waited until the summer when everything was as dry as it was getting then had the affected areas sanded back and resprayed by a specialist. I've got a 2015 Elise now, and asked the factory whether this paint bubbling was still a problem, they said no, but my car won't be leaving the garage during the winter.