Thoughts please
Discussion
Hi there,
Im looking for peoples experiences etc, I have owned Caterhams for a number of years and am
about to sell my latest R400, which is a blast on the track and good fun on the road, but Im now wanting
something a bit easier to live with on the road and just an occasional track day.
with a budget of 37K is i was thinking V6 no brainer, but I am being drawn to the S2's 240/260 bhp, love the
look and think it will be a bit more raw for when i do do a track day etc??? not shaw if the running costs are less also.
anyone been through a similar dilemma?
Cheers
Im looking for peoples experiences etc, I have owned Caterhams for a number of years and am
about to sell my latest R400, which is a blast on the track and good fun on the road, but Im now wanting
something a bit easier to live with on the road and just an occasional track day.
with a budget of 37K is i was thinking V6 no brainer, but I am being drawn to the S2's 240/260 bhp, love the
look and think it will be a bit more raw for when i do do a track day etc??? not shaw if the running costs are less also.
anyone been through a similar dilemma?
Cheers
Both have their merits, S2 will be generally cheaper on consumables for trackdays. V6 is a more "mini supercar" package with the engine and packs a massive punch of torque compared to the 2ZZ. Can drive the V6 more lazily and still cover ground rapidly... arguably better as primarily a road car
I had an RGB for just over a year and 13k miles, loved it, I now have a Sport 350 which i;ve had for 7 months and 6k mile... however i'm wanting to go back to an RGB or similar facelift Exige S2.
I'd say drive both and see what you like, my reasons for wanting to change:
Prefer the character of the 2ZZ and supercharger whine (not knocking the V6 is it sounds great in its own way)
As fun as the V6 is, it kind of comes alive at license losing speeds whereas the S2 is alive all the time
I like the compactness and proportions of the S2
Love the V6, it's incredible - the S2 is just my personal preference.
Depends what kind and type of miles you plan to cover on road and frequency of trackdays as to which would be "best" but I think you need to drive both and make a judgement tbh. Of the two, the S2 will be more like your Caterham though, but more civilised.
(I used both of mine as daily drivers and intend to use the next one for the same; motorways, daily commute, trackdays etc)
At 37k I can't see you losing too much on a V6 Exige come resale, might even level off if the new direction of Lotus increases the starting price point. If you do a lot of miles the S2 could take a bit of a hit on value as people get precious about mileage!
I had an RGB for just over a year and 13k miles, loved it, I now have a Sport 350 which i;ve had for 7 months and 6k mile... however i'm wanting to go back to an RGB or similar facelift Exige S2.
I'd say drive both and see what you like, my reasons for wanting to change:
Prefer the character of the 2ZZ and supercharger whine (not knocking the V6 is it sounds great in its own way)
As fun as the V6 is, it kind of comes alive at license losing speeds whereas the S2 is alive all the time
I like the compactness and proportions of the S2
Love the V6, it's incredible - the S2 is just my personal preference.
Depends what kind and type of miles you plan to cover on road and frequency of trackdays as to which would be "best" but I think you need to drive both and make a judgement tbh. Of the two, the S2 will be more like your Caterham though, but more civilised.
(I used both of mine as daily drivers and intend to use the next one for the same; motorways, daily commute, trackdays etc)
At 37k I can't see you losing too much on a V6 Exige come resale, might even level off if the new direction of Lotus increases the starting price point. If you do a lot of miles the S2 could take a bit of a hit on value as people get precious about mileage!
I had one of the 12 Cup260s built for track use only. That was my daily driver. It came with Bilsteins not Ohlines. Once I replaced the Bilsteins with the 46mm, 3-way adjustable Nitrons with 550/750 springs, the ride became more supple. The ride was not nearly as harsh and made a lot better track car too. The light weight, the supercharger, the whole experience is second to none! I've even owned a Ferrari 246 GTS Dino.
The usual response to this sort of Q is, test drive both. They may both be Exiges, but they are significantly different.
If the running costs are important, then the S2 is always the cheaper option, especially if you intend to track them
The driving experience, seems to be that on road the V6 is the better choice, for track the S2, but it really is down to personal choice
If the running costs are important, then the S2 is always the cheaper option, especially if you intend to track them
The driving experience, seems to be that on road the V6 is the better choice, for track the S2, but it really is down to personal choice
I went from an R300 Duratec to an Exige 240 3 years ago now and have loved the Exige ever since. I upgraded to the factory 260 power after a year which made the power a little more usable and 3rd gear is now awesome. I have driven a few 345/350 V6’s and for my taste they miss character and some of the fun of the high revving S2
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