Question about the Lotus Exige....
Question about the Lotus Exige....
Author
Discussion

darrenporter

Original Poster:

12 posts

267 months

Saturday 7th January 2006
quotequote all
Hello,

Anyone tell me if the Exiges's are convertible?

I didn't think they were, but seen a few pictures where they are?


Thanks..



shangani

3,069 posts

268 months

Saturday 7th January 2006
quotequote all
The exige S2 can be fitted with the softtop from the elise - most of the fittings are already in place. The roof comes off like an elise hardtop. Many dealers are doing the fittings for a softtop when the car is bought. (costs about £600).

However, if the weather is good, you can just unbolt the roof - 5 min off, 10 min to put back on.

rixge

292 posts

256 months

Saturday 7th January 2006
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Be interesting to see a pic with the roof off .....Have seen an S1 go topless but wasn`t impressed.

shangani

3,069 posts

268 months

Saturday 7th January 2006
quotequote all
Looks quite cr*p actually. But who cares - the cars got a darn surfboard bolted on the back anyway - how much worse could it get?

beachbum

2,610 posts

262 months

Saturday 7th January 2006
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Do a search on PH, there have been pictures posted on previous threads. Seem to recall an Orange one

darrenporter

Original Poster:

12 posts

267 months

Saturday 7th January 2006
quotequote all
www.swisscarsightings.com/indepth/pages/indepthlotusexigemkii.html

Here are the pics of the top off.


The car looks amazing, how can anyone say otherwise! Now knowing you have the option of being convertable, it's even better now.

shangani

3,069 posts

268 months

Saturday 7th January 2006
quotequote all
I was just stirring - looks great with the roof off, but not so great with a soft top - looks like an inappropriate addon that doesn't match the car - but anyway, would probably only get used in emergencies.

GTRene

22,720 posts

255 months

Saturday 7th January 2006
quotequote all
I like the lines the most with the roof on!
But its a + to know it can come of! The Lotus dealer around here(40km away) told me that too a few monhts ago...when I was looking to maybe the car I gona get...hope the price will be good anough for me(I'm sadly not to rich) but if they give me anough return for my beemer then maybe it all will work and I drive a Lotus Exige Cup 240 darkgrey maybe in Februari so I can't drive that easy to fast annymore in the beemer
GTRene

gooby

9,269 posts

265 months

Sunday 8th January 2006
quotequote all
Why bother? get a 111R and specify exige wheels and Ohlins 3 ways.

darrenporter

Original Poster:

12 posts

267 months

Sunday 8th January 2006
quotequote all
Why bother, get a 111R with exige wheels? !!!


I guess you haven't driven the Exige then. Then your'll know why.


(The Elise's are wicked also btw)

Have to agree, prefere the top on, looks wise, but can't beat driving with the top off in the summer.

beachbum

2,610 posts

262 months

Sunday 8th January 2006
quotequote all
darrenporter said:
Why bother, get a 111R with exige wheels? !!!


I guess you haven't driven the Exige then. Then your'll know why.


(The Elise's are wicked also btw)

Have to agree, prefere the top on, looks wise, but can't beat driving with the top off in the summer.


The only difference between Elise and Exige, are suspension and wheels/tyres, so order Ohlins and wheels/A048s and you have an Exige matching Elise. Oh you need a front spliter, for those times above 100mph too

gooby

9,269 posts

265 months

Sunday 8th January 2006
quotequote all
darrenporter said:
Why bother, get a 111R with exige wheels? !!!


I guess you haven't driven the Exige then. Then your'll know why.


(The Elise's are wicked also btw)

Have to agree, prefere the top on, looks wise, but can't beat driving with the top off in the summer.



The 111R is exactly the same as the Exige apart from wheels and suspension which are all option tick boxes.

Have driven and if you can tell the difference on a road, then you deserve the Exige

shangani

3,069 posts

268 months

Sunday 8th January 2006
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Also, do you want to be committed to driving a car that will need its tyres replaced every 4-5000 miles at £600-700 a pop. That's £1400 a year in tyres alone. Running bridgestones on the road and 048's on track works out less than a 1/3 of that. Also better wet weather performance - important in the UK.

Exige is a great looking car, handles brilliantly, but the LSS suspension is not great on B-roads and the car is getting too darn heavy. Needs another 100 bhp.

bob_defly

5,931 posts

262 months

Sunday 8th January 2006
quotequote all
The rear tyres last around 9k miles and the fronts over 12k miles, so it's not that bad.

They are also fantastic in the damp/wet, it's just standing water that scares them...

shangani

3,069 posts

268 months

Sunday 8th January 2006
quotequote all
That is astonishing mileage - the general feedback here has been 6000 miles max on the rears and under 4000 if used for trackdays (average around 5K). I take it you were not abusing them? For me the only reason to run a semi-slick is so that I can abuse them - ie track rather than motorway. From a couple of cars I have driven with 048's, I found that the tyres seriously go off when they are near the wear indicators.

bogie

17,100 posts

303 months

Sunday 8th January 2006
quotequote all
9K miles on the rears? !!! do you just do 70mph on the motorway all day? ...I couldnt that out of the std Bridgestones

I would have thought an avg for road use with no track on A048s is around 6K on the rears ....I get about 3K on my car with the occasional track day - I know people who track their cars every weekend who get as low as 1K miles out of the rears

the Exige is a great car...but Imo if you want a convertible..then why not get an Elise?

theres no difference between them other than the bodywork (Exige is heavier) suspension, wheels and tyres....you can add all that to a 111R for £3K and have the best of both worlds

if you want a hard top car for track/road use then sure get an Exige..they look awesome...but IMO I think they look a bit 'odd' with the roof off...........

_topcat

1,938 posts

280 months

Sunday 8th January 2006
quotequote all






Mine without the roof on. looks ok, makes the drive much nicer in the sunshine but only because of more light into the car and you can hear the engine better. for fast road use its nice with the roof on as you re more focused on the road in front.

As for tyres, i have never tracked my car and i have covered 6000 miles and have used two sets of tyres. just had some fresh ones put on, due to drive silverstone at the end of march. could be expensive!!

shangani

3,069 posts

268 months

Sunday 8th January 2006
quotequote all
9K for rears is still really odd - were they the lotus tyres? Was the compound the same?

twinpipe

1,396 posts

260 months

Sunday 8th January 2006
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I got over 10k out of mine!!!!

shangani

3,069 posts

268 months

Sunday 8th January 2006
quotequote all
Yes but knowing you, you were probably running on the metal casing for the last 5000miles!