Exige V6 - Talk to me ....
Discussion
Opening this up to the PH massive or masses because I value your thoughts.....................
I have never owned a LOTUS. A Caterham yes , but that does not really count. I came very close to buying a LOTUS Exige a few years ago but was put off the car when it was full of water and still a ton of money. I feel I need a LOTUS as they seem to tick all the right boxes , light weight , lots of power , track focused etc etc
HOWEVER .............
There are many to choose from. I have recently been cynical of the way LOTUS keep bringing out almost monthly a new special edition or some such tweak on a regular car and all it has done is confuse me. I understand the base car is a V6 350 and to that you can add various packs i.e. , sport , track & touring. This has the same engine as all the others but in a standard state of tune.
The Komo-Tec upgrades are available to tune the car but then the 380 has this as standard fit ??
Also , they have now released the 410 which is another leap in performance but otherwise standard offerings inside the cabin.
Not really interested in the CUP cars as I want to use it on the road and drive to trackdays , round the alps and then drive home. Also available is the 430. Is this just another tuned version which can be achieved in another way or is factory fit the best ?
I suppose it is also worth asking whether these cars are capable of withstanding trackdays or does doing several of these events show a weakness. I appreciate the track is a harsh environment but does the lack of LSD hold it back ? Is the gearbox OK for repeated track use. Does it overheat ?
All these things are playing on my mind and answers would be great before jumping into the LOTUS abyss ............
over to you ........
I have never owned a LOTUS. A Caterham yes , but that does not really count. I came very close to buying a LOTUS Exige a few years ago but was put off the car when it was full of water and still a ton of money. I feel I need a LOTUS as they seem to tick all the right boxes , light weight , lots of power , track focused etc etc
HOWEVER .............
There are many to choose from. I have recently been cynical of the way LOTUS keep bringing out almost monthly a new special edition or some such tweak on a regular car and all it has done is confuse me. I understand the base car is a V6 350 and to that you can add various packs i.e. , sport , track & touring. This has the same engine as all the others but in a standard state of tune.
The Komo-Tec upgrades are available to tune the car but then the 380 has this as standard fit ??
Also , they have now released the 410 which is another leap in performance but otherwise standard offerings inside the cabin.
Not really interested in the CUP cars as I want to use it on the road and drive to trackdays , round the alps and then drive home. Also available is the 430. Is this just another tuned version which can be achieved in another way or is factory fit the best ?
I suppose it is also worth asking whether these cars are capable of withstanding trackdays or does doing several of these events show a weakness. I appreciate the track is a harsh environment but does the lack of LSD hold it back ? Is the gearbox OK for repeated track use. Does it overheat ?
All these things are playing on my mind and answers would be great before jumping into the LOTUS abyss ............
over to you ........
I’m in a very similar position and have been pondering the same thoughts. I haven’t jumped-in yet either, but here are a few thoughts from my research.
The lotus handles well; that’s their USP. From the look, sales pitch and legacy you’d think they were supercar slayers on track but it seems they are not; they are certainly fast and fun, but a super hot hatch, a cayman or a TTRS is just as fast and that’s before we get anywhere near the upper ends of the Porsche range, McLaren and so on which is where the upper end Exiges are taking the fight these days. At that more exalted level the Lotus tech is now too old and out-gunned.
The lotus cars seem to work very well on roads and well on track. If you push them hard on track then the limiting factors seem to be the gearbox (when pushed hard you’re looking at upgrades and/or rebuilds) and heat soak in the engine on supercharged cars. The heat soak is now being addressed, to some extent, by charge cooling in the 430 and 410. There does seem to be some debate as to whether the quotes lotus power numbers are optimistic.
So, a bit of a conundrum. I’m wondering if a tricked-up Honda engines S1 Exige is an option, but they are so bespoke you’re asking for a life of ongoing niggles. The S2 Exige in its later form is interesting and perhaps and OEM sweet spot. The V6 is bigger, more stable but perhaps sacrifices the nimbleness a little without becoming quite the supercar slayer I hoped.
I have a very very fast Caterham and a GT3 right now. I really want to try a lotus but I’m not quite sure it improves on my existing stable other than it’s always nice to try something new.
The lotus handles well; that’s their USP. From the look, sales pitch and legacy you’d think they were supercar slayers on track but it seems they are not; they are certainly fast and fun, but a super hot hatch, a cayman or a TTRS is just as fast and that’s before we get anywhere near the upper ends of the Porsche range, McLaren and so on which is where the upper end Exiges are taking the fight these days. At that more exalted level the Lotus tech is now too old and out-gunned.
The lotus cars seem to work very well on roads and well on track. If you push them hard on track then the limiting factors seem to be the gearbox (when pushed hard you’re looking at upgrades and/or rebuilds) and heat soak in the engine on supercharged cars. The heat soak is now being addressed, to some extent, by charge cooling in the 430 and 410. There does seem to be some debate as to whether the quotes lotus power numbers are optimistic.
So, a bit of a conundrum. I’m wondering if a tricked-up Honda engines S1 Exige is an option, but they are so bespoke you’re asking for a life of ongoing niggles. The S2 Exige in its later form is interesting and perhaps and OEM sweet spot. The V6 is bigger, more stable but perhaps sacrifices the nimbleness a little without becoming quite the supercar slayer I hoped.
I have a very very fast Caterham and a GT3 right now. I really want to try a lotus but I’m not quite sure it improves on my existing stable other than it’s always nice to try something new.
Far Cough said:
There are many to choose from. I have recently been cynical of the way LOTUS keep bringing out almost monthly a new special edition or some such tweak on a regular car and all it has done is confuse me. I understand the base car is a V6 350 and to that you can add various packs i.e. , sport , track & touring. This has the same engine as all the others but in a standard state of tune.
The Komo-Tec upgrades are available to tune the car but then the 380 has this as standard fit ??
Personally I'd look at the Sport 350 and above. I drove an Exige S CR a few weeks back and having stepped out my Evora 400 (which I believe shares the same mechanism as the Sport 350) it felt a bit long throw and vague by comparison - didn't have any problems actually finding gears. I did struggle when I drove one at Hethel a few years ago, but that was a LHD car and I'd only driven a LHD car once 7 or 8 years prior, and not at those kind of speeds!The Komo-Tec upgrades are available to tune the car but then the 380 has this as standard fit ??
The Komo-Tec upgrades retain the same supercharger I believe, which is perhaps getting pushed a bit near its limits at the higher power levels. SSC do a TVS1900 conversion which Hofmanns sell which is a larger SC.
Visually I think the Sport 380 works much better than the S and Sport 350 - I was never a huge fan of the original rear wing.
Far Cough said:
Also , they have now released the 410 which is another leap in performance but otherwise standard offerings inside the cabin.
Not really interested in the CUP cars as I want to use it on the road and drive to trackdays , round the alps and then drive home. Also available is the 430. Is this just another tuned version which can be achieved in another way or is factory fit the best ?
The 410 and 430 have the Magnusson supercharger with chargecooling as per the Evora 400 and above, so should offer more consistent performance particularly on track - some people have noted reduced performance with sustained heavy use particularly with high ambient temperatures on the non-chargecooled cars.Not really interested in the CUP cars as I want to use it on the road and drive to trackdays , round the alps and then drive home. Also available is the 430. Is this just another tuned version which can be achieved in another way or is factory fit the best ?
The 430 is only available in Cup form, the Sport 410 has been introduced very recently below it as a more road focused version of it. I know I could take my Evora 400 up to around 430 spec with an ECU flash from Komo-tec/Hangar 111, so I don't think there is that much difference otherwise between the engines.
Far Cough said:
I suppose it is also worth asking whether these cars are capable of withstanding trackdays or does doing several of these events show a weakness. I appreciate the track is a harsh environment but does the lack of LSD hold it back ? Is the gearbox OK for repeated track use. Does it overheat ?
Claim is that the ECU isn't necessary on them, although confusingly the Evora 400 upwards, and the 3-Eleven 430 all do get them. Some have fitted LSDs to the Exige V6 models and seem happy - GFWilliams has a Quaife fitted amongst numerous other modifications such as Komo-tec EX430 (I think).Gearbox you hear mixed reports, some have issues when pushed hard on track, others don't. I have heard of various fixes like oil coolers and different mounts, but as I speak as an Evora owner and only road use wouldn't want to say more than that. Did a track day at Silverstone in my S1 Elise last month though and there were some Exige V6s and Evoras which seemed to be going very well.
Far Cough said:
This is why I love PH ...... thanks for all the comment so far. A little bit fragile on track still compared to other cars out there then ?
Most cars will be if that's their primary usage. Even purpose built race cars require regular checks and maintenance.Lighter weight and lower power will generally be easier on the car.
Far Cough said:
This is why I love PH ...... thanks for all the comment so far. A little bit fragile on track still compared to other cars out there then ?
I’ve been spending a lot of time on the SELOC forum as I’ve been thinking about this. It’s very active and a mine of useful information. 
rob999 said:
That looks to be a very good install. Normally aspirated I assume but appears to be a bit tricked up? I raced one of those back in the day in the Silverstone 24hr. We retired with broken drive shaft issues in the middle of the night. If I was after one it would be one of the slightly loony supercharged and chargecooled ones. There’s a £55k one in the classifieds. I do love the S1 - should have picked one up several years ago when they were £15k!
Thorburn said:
Most cars will be if that's their primary usage. Even purpose built race cars require regular checks and maintenance.
Lighter weight and lower power will generally be easier on the car.
Appreciate that. I too have come from a GT3 which is a great car for soaking up trackwork and then being able to drive home. Just want an alternative that is not going to cause any issues in normal / trackday use other than consumables.Lighter weight and lower power will generally be easier on the car.
jimmyslr said:
That looks to be a very good install. Normally aspirated I assume but appears to be a bit tricked up? I raced one of those back in the day in the Silverstone 24hr. We retired with broken drive shaft issues in the middle of the night.
If I was after one it would be one of the slightly loony supercharged and chargecooled ones. There’s a £55k one in the classifieds. I do love the S1 - should have picked one up several years ago when they were £15k!
Saw that one in the classifieds. Great to see such a comprehensive list of mods done to it but that in itself kinda has me running away as its all way beyond me and if it needed a little fettling I would not know where to start.If I was after one it would be one of the slightly loony supercharged and chargecooled ones. There’s a £55k one in the classifieds. I do love the S1 - should have picked one up several years ago when they were £15k!
Driveshaft CV joints were a common issue on the Honda converted cars IIRC? Dunno if the was ever solved?
Less of an issue on Toyota cars converted to Honda as less extreme driveshaft angles from what I read, but less common to see them converted as higher price for the base car and conversion more expensive as kits were designed for the K-series?
Less of an issue on Toyota cars converted to Honda as less extreme driveshaft angles from what I read, but less common to see them converted as higher price for the base car and conversion more expensive as kits were designed for the K-series?
jimmyslr said:
I’m in a very similar position and have been pondering the same thoughts. I haven’t jumped-in yet either, but here are a few thoughts from my research.
The lotus handles well; that’s their USP. From the look, sales pitch and legacy you’d think they were supercar slayers on track but it seems they are not; they are certainly fast and fun, but a super hot hatch, a cayman or a TTRS is just as fast and that’s before we get anywhere near the upper ends of the Porsche range, McLaren and so on which is where the upper end Exiges are taking the fight these days. At that more exalted level the Lotus tech is now too old and out-gunned.
The lotus cars seem to work very well on roads and well on track. If you push them hard on track then the limiting factors seem to be the gearbox (when pushed hard you’re looking at upgrades and/or rebuilds) and heat soak in the engine on supercharged cars. The heat soak is now being addressed, to some extent, by charge cooling in the 430 and 410. There does seem to be some debate as to whether the quotes lotus power numbers are optimistic.
So, a bit of a conundrum. I’m wondering if a tricked-up Honda engines S1 Exige is an option, but they are so bespoke you’re asking for a life of ongoing niggles. The S2 Exige in its later form is interesting and perhaps and OEM sweet spot. The V6 is bigger, more stable but perhaps sacrifices the nimbleness a little without becoming quite the supercar slayer I hoped.
I have a very very fast Caterham and a GT3 right now. I really want to try a lotus but I’m not quite sure it improves on my existing stable other than it’s always nice to try something new.
I sprint a V6 Cup with a komo tec 430 kit. Had it 2 years, hated how it handled on track when i first got it, under steered from corner entry to exit which was reflected in the lap times which were disappointing. Great on the road and such an event that I persevered with it. Beginning of the year I had the front camber increased and some harder springs put in (yes i know, didn’t make sense to me either, although I now have a theory). It now handles much better and i can get back on the power much earlier, though I’ve maybe gone too far the other way, as I now get mid corner oversteer. Have entered 4 sprints this year and set 3 new class records. Generally the fastest road car on treads, was beaten last time out by a 991 turbo S by 8/10 sec on anglesey international. I am 4 sec a lap faster than I was last year. In 12 years of sprinting and circuit racing I’ve never made a setup change that made that amount of difference which I think shows how poorly for track it is set up out of the factory. Sort the setup, which cost me about £300 and they fly. Some video of my better laps linked below, they have some telemetry showing lateral g so you can judge yourself. April laps are on Pirelli trofeo R, May lap on avon zzr. The lotus handles well; that’s their USP. From the look, sales pitch and legacy you’d think they were supercar slayers on track but it seems they are not; they are certainly fast and fun, but a super hot hatch, a cayman or a TTRS is just as fast and that’s before we get anywhere near the upper ends of the Porsche range, McLaren and so on which is where the upper end Exiges are taking the fight these days. At that more exalted level the Lotus tech is now too old and out-gunned.
The lotus cars seem to work very well on roads and well on track. If you push them hard on track then the limiting factors seem to be the gearbox (when pushed hard you’re looking at upgrades and/or rebuilds) and heat soak in the engine on supercharged cars. The heat soak is now being addressed, to some extent, by charge cooling in the 430 and 410. There does seem to be some debate as to whether the quotes lotus power numbers are optimistic.
So, a bit of a conundrum. I’m wondering if a tricked-up Honda engines S1 Exige is an option, but they are so bespoke you’re asking for a life of ongoing niggles. The S2 Exige in its later form is interesting and perhaps and OEM sweet spot. The V6 is bigger, more stable but perhaps sacrifices the nimbleness a little without becoming quite the supercar slayer I hoped.
I have a very very fast Caterham and a GT3 right now. I really want to try a lotus but I’m not quite sure it improves on my existing stable other than it’s always nice to try something new.
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCHK4jnCdYQ-A-i1c1MH...
Results here, quite a lot of Porsche’s competing including a new boxster s:
http://www.timeteamtiming.co.uk/.cm4all/iproc.php/...
I thing the V6 exige has had a lot of unfair criticism, partly self inflicted by lotus because of overly safe setup. Please don’t believe it’s not a fast car or that a boxster or cayman is faster.
Just for a bit of comparison - I was at a Spa track day last year in my 997 GT3 and there were a few V6 Exiges including a black Komotec'd 430 (I assume, going from its German '430' number plate) and it absolutely flew. I don't know what suspension mods it might have had but combined with the extra grunt I think it was comfortably faster than what any standard 997 GT3/RS could throw at it.
What I would add is that whether you get a Lotus or not (or for a bit of window shopping in advance), Lotus-on-Track do the best track days I've been on so if you have a 2 seater sports car and do track days, join them and it will also give you a chance to blag some rides in well driven V6 Exiges (I really ought to blag a ride myself
).
What I would add is that whether you get a Lotus or not (or for a bit of window shopping in advance), Lotus-on-Track do the best track days I've been on so if you have a 2 seater sports car and do track days, join them and it will also give you a chance to blag some rides in well driven V6 Exiges (I really ought to blag a ride myself
).I agree with those that have said the 350 is the one to go for. Sprinted against one last year before I made the geometry and spring changes and only beat it by a 1/10 of a sec. The 350 was standard and on an ordinary michelin tyre, driven to the track and back, which is what I do too. Think this shows the later ones are better and come with a better setup out of the factory. Although don't dismiss the earlier cars if you're on a budget, at low £40K for a 4 year old car it's an absolute bargain that can me made as quick as a 350 with some geometry faffing that's well documented.
I'm not worried about gearbox issues, mines fine after 4 years with 430bhp, this is the old style mechanism. Saw that someone posted they had a refresh recently but they had the box out to fit an LSD so made sense to refresh it at the same time. Cost I recall was about £2-3K so not a complete disaster.
Annual service at my Lotus dealer is £350, set of Avons, which I expect to last a year is £900, pads are £130. In summary it's a car you drive too and from track, baz round faster than everything except race cars and some very expensive road cars and can also use for road trips, if this is what you're after i don't know what's better at the price point. I've thought about selling mine, particularly last year, but I honestly don't know what I would replace it with? 15 year old GT3?
I'm not worried about gearbox issues, mines fine after 4 years with 430bhp, this is the old style mechanism. Saw that someone posted they had a refresh recently but they had the box out to fit an LSD so made sense to refresh it at the same time. Cost I recall was about £2-3K so not a complete disaster.
Annual service at my Lotus dealer is £350, set of Avons, which I expect to last a year is £900, pads are £130. In summary it's a car you drive too and from track, baz round faster than everything except race cars and some very expensive road cars and can also use for road trips, if this is what you're after i don't know what's better at the price point. I've thought about selling mine, particularly last year, but I honestly don't know what I would replace it with? 15 year old GT3?
2bars said:
I agree with those that have said the 350 is the one to go for. Sprinted against one last year before I made the geometry and spring changes and only beat it by a 1/10 of a sec. The 350 was standard and on an ordinary michelin tyre, driven to the track and back, which is what I do too. Think this shows the later ones are better and come with a better setup out of the factory. Although don't dismiss the earlier cars if you're on a budget, at low £40K for a 4 year old car it's an absolute bargain that can me made as quick as a 350 with some geometry faffing that's well documented.
I'm not worried about gearbox issues, mines fine after 4 years with 430bhp, this is the old style mechanism. Saw that someone posted they had a refresh recently but they had the box out to fit an LSD so made sense to refresh it at the same time. Cost I recall was about £2-3K so not a complete disaster.
Annual service at my Lotus dealer is £350, set of Avons, which I expect to last a year is £900, pads are £130. In summary it's a car you drive too and from track, baz round faster than everything except race cars and some very expensive road cars and can also use for road trips, if this is what you're after i don't know what's better at the price point. I've thought about selling mine, particularly last year, but I honestly don't know what I would replace it with? 15 year old GT3?
Great post with all the info I`m after really . Thanks.I'm not worried about gearbox issues, mines fine after 4 years with 430bhp, this is the old style mechanism. Saw that someone posted they had a refresh recently but they had the box out to fit an LSD so made sense to refresh it at the same time. Cost I recall was about £2-3K so not a complete disaster.
Annual service at my Lotus dealer is £350, set of Avons, which I expect to last a year is £900, pads are £130. In summary it's a car you drive too and from track, baz round faster than everything except race cars and some very expensive road cars and can also use for road trips, if this is what you're after i don't know what's better at the price point. I've thought about selling mine, particularly last year, but I honestly don't know what I would replace it with? 15 year old GT3?
What is the difference between an Exige "S" and the 350 model then ? Just a newer version without any factory fit komotec goodies ?
Far Cough said:
Great post with all the info I`m after really . Thanks.
What is the difference between an Exige "S" and the 350 model then ? Just a newer version without any factory fit komotec goodies ?
They saved some weight compared to the V6S, the 350 is close to the weight of my V6 Cup. They also improved the gearchange mechanism to the open gate version, which is nice. Drive train and suspension is the same, although the 350 comes with different geo settings compared to the V6S, easy enough to copy though. That's it, Komo-tec is all aftermarket. I'd always want a cup car over the 350 as I'm happy to live with the compromises, and need the Cup extras. Otherwise I would recommend the 350 over the V6 but would not rule out the V6S if that's what your budget stretches to. Whatever you choose it will be brilliant, and can be developed into something as fast as the latest models if that's what you want. Nothing like it at the price and age.What is the difference between an Exige "S" and the 350 model then ? Just a newer version without any factory fit komotec goodies ?
2bars said:
They saved some weight compared to the V6S, the 350 is close to the weight of my V6 Cup. They also improved the gearchange mechanism to the open gate version, which is nice. Drive train and suspension is the same, although the 350 comes with different geo settings compared to the V6S, easy enough to copy though. That's it, Komo-tec is all aftermarket. I'd always want a cup car over the 350 as I'm happy to live with the compromises, and need the Cup extras. Otherwise I would recommend the 350 over the V6 but would not rule out the V6S if that's what your budget stretches to. Whatever you choose it will be brilliant, and can be developed into something as fast as the latest models if that's what you want. Nothing like it at the price and age.
Marvellous..... having a flick through the classifieds. I`ve not ruled out a cup car. Targa Florio have a 460 ( presumably komotec) car. Not sure if that will be fragile on track compared to a lesser powered model with sorted suspension
Good luck, I saw that 460 in the classifieds, that will be a fast car! Don't worry about fragility between models, they are all fundamentally the same. I needed the cup car because of stuff like the electrical cut off, FIA Roll bar and baffled sump. oh, and the carbon seats, I definitely needed the carbon seats 
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