Exige V6 roadster Manual or Auto ?

[Dazza N]

Hi Guys

I am looking at either a Alfa 4c or and Exige V6 roadster but I am leaning towards the Exige just for the pure fun of it.

I wondered what people's thoughts are on the Auto version and what the gearbox is like ?

I run a new c63 as a daily so have a really good Auto already but there is a nice grey V6 for sale at Silverstone that has me interested.

I drove an anniversary 4c spider last week which was great fun and easier to get in and out than the Lotus but I'm not sure which is better. .?

Your thoughts.

[MrVert]

If it's for fun, Exige all day long....and manual.

That's about it

[Munkeyfeet]

https://youtu.be/KR1zDM7gUaA

Review by mr Delaney comparing a 4c to his 380.

Have to say I agree with all his points and my comparison was a 350 not a 380.

4c although a nice car felt like a poor mans exige. If you can't afford an exige then you will be very happy with it, if you can then I would guess regrets would creep in very soon.

I test drove them back to back and it was a very easy decision to make, the 4c wasn't even close - only reason was to save some money and well, you don't buy cars like this to save money, it's all about the fun and emotion.

6 weeks in an exige and the car just gets better and better.

[Dazza N]

Thanks for the feedback. Does anyone have an opinion on the automatic ?

[Munkeyfeet]

Modern versions are meant to be very good but older ones were quite slow.

Not driven one personally so unsure if you would find them slow/fast as it's subjective.

Personally I think the exige has to be a manual, plus the roof comes off the normal exige anyway - around £7/800 for a dealer to make it soft top. I use my hardtop only for winter.

[dulcinea]

I bought an auto recently and really enjoy it. I tried both and loved both and just fancied trying the auto having had manual S2's and other cars. The downshift in Sport is great and I think on a track I will be faster (being a relative novice not having to focus on downshifting etc). It is not the end word in sophistication though and the box on my wife's Mini is better and it is decades behind the DCT I had in an M3. You learn around it though and for instance learn to shift up when the first light comes on so that it has completed by the time of the third. It is really only the upshifts that I find a bit disappointing and some of that is not the speed of the box but the rather woollen feel to the paddle movement.

[foxsasha]

I did multiple track days, an Alps trip and around 7k miles in a V6 auto and now have a manual 360 Cup that I've done 3500 miles in including multiple track day. I loved the auto for road use but it would get confused periodically on track. I'm an auto man and if it was a road car I'd go auto, for a road car with very occasional track work I'd go auto, for car that's going to be used a fair bit on track I'd go manual.

As mentioned above you can remove the roof from the coupe, it just unbolts. I did it on my auto, no issues at 130+mph or with handling on track with the soft top fitted (it's said the aero gets messed up on the coupe with a soft top, it doesn't, at least not below 130mph). You can fit the soft top, just need £20s worth of fittings for the rear bulk head, two roof support bars (£60) and the soft top roof itself. I picked up a new bargain soft top roof from EBay, you need to keep your eyes open as they aren't cheap from Lotus. The front clam has the soft top roof mounting points already. Or you can just remove the roof for the occasional drive and not bother with the conversion. You can get a shower cap for when you're parked up, around £70 delivered.

Fittings:

https://www.eliseparts.com/products/show/18/1389/s...

Roof support bars:

https://www.eliseparts.com/products/show/18/854/s2...

Showercap:

http://www.ebay.at/itm/Shower-Cap-Abdeckung-LOTUS-...

Taking the roof off completely alters the character of the car, fantastic experience. I kept the conversion bits from my auto and will be fitting them to my 360 when I get round to it. I'll dig out the guide if you want to do it.

Edited by foxsasha on Monday 22 May 08:14

Edited by foxsasha on Monday 22 May 08:15

Edited by foxsasha on Monday 22 May 08:16

[_Leg_]

Manual, V6 Supercharged Exige 350 and stick Nitron 3 way adjustable suspension on it from Seriously Lotus.

To whet your appetite, track day at Hethel a couple of weeks ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20IJmohboUU

[foxsasha]

I've got some new 360 Cup Nitrons for sale if anyone's looking for some. Came off my car.

_Leg_ said:

Manual, V6 Supercharged Exige 350 and stick Nitron 3 way adjustable suspension on it from Seriously Lotus.

To whet your appetite, track day at Hethel a couple of weeks ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20IJmohboUU

Got any more track days booked in it? Would be fun to play with another V6.

[gashead1105]

foxsasha said:

Got any more track days booked in it? Would be fun to play with another V6.

What did you put on instead of the Nitrons?

[foxsasha]

gashead1105 said:

What did you put on instead of the Nitrons?

Ohlins, swapped them from the red auto in the pictures to the 360. I wanted the ability to alter the dampers from inside the cabin and thats not an option with the Nitrons.

[gashead1105]

foxsasha said:

Ohlins, swapped them from the red auto in the pictures to the 360. I wanted the ability to alter the dampers from inside the cabin and thats not an option with the Nitrons.

Those sound great (although no doubt pricey!). Where did you get them from, do you have a link?

[JesusSaves]

I had a V6 roadster and hankered after the 4C.

Did nothing for me, and the farty exhaust noise on the gearshifts really grated on me after only a few miles. (and it's much wider than the Exige!)
Ended up changing my roadster for a lovely orange 350 Sport instead.

Much prefer the coupe, and as has been said, can easily take the roof off anyway.

Sadly, there'll soon be a lovely, lightly used orange 350 for sale at a very favourable price due to change of circumstances