Ski trip with Exige?
Discussion
On my next ski trip I've decided to make a road trip of it, since I haven't been getting enough driving in recently due to business and I reckon it'd be a laugh to take the Exige to Switzerland.
I'm going to Verbier as usual. I've been before by car but that was in a supercharged 993 which I didn't really have to think about in terms of reliability or it making it there.
Now the Exige has been perfectly reliable since I bought it, and has proven its ability in ice and snow last Feb with the heavy snow we had (did 400 miles in it, including a journey through the Blackdown Hills in Somerset where all the other cars needed a Landy with a winch to pull them up one hill). But would anyone recommend against trying this?
I'll obviously ensure I've got full Europe breakdown insurance but at no point has my Exige acted as if it was going to break down, unlike earlier Lotuses I've owned. Has anyone driven to a ski resort in a modern Elise / Exige and is there anything I really need to think about? It'll be garaged indoors when at the resort - I'll probably start it up every day to ensure the battery is OK and the car doesn't freeze up too much.
It wasn't a problem last time round because I had an air-cooled car... no water coolant to potentially freeze.
As far as I'm aware, all I'll need is a Swiss motorway sticker and proper tyres, which are going on this weekend anyway. Anything else I need to think about?
I'm going to Verbier as usual. I've been before by car but that was in a supercharged 993 which I didn't really have to think about in terms of reliability or it making it there.
Now the Exige has been perfectly reliable since I bought it, and has proven its ability in ice and snow last Feb with the heavy snow we had (did 400 miles in it, including a journey through the Blackdown Hills in Somerset where all the other cars needed a Landy with a winch to pull them up one hill). But would anyone recommend against trying this?
I'll obviously ensure I've got full Europe breakdown insurance but at no point has my Exige acted as if it was going to break down, unlike earlier Lotuses I've owned. Has anyone driven to a ski resort in a modern Elise / Exige and is there anything I really need to think about? It'll be garaged indoors when at the resort - I'll probably start it up every day to ensure the battery is OK and the car doesn't freeze up too much.
It wasn't a problem last time round because I had an air-cooled car... no water coolant to potentially freeze.
As far as I'm aware, all I'll need is a Swiss motorway sticker and proper tyres, which are going on this weekend anyway. Anything else I need to think about?
As mentioned, technically snow chains are compulsory although I don't believe the Elise/Exige can fit them - you would probably be unlucky but the Swiss Police are fairly strict on the rules so if there was heavy snow and you blocked the road because you didn't have chains.....
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/snow...
Ignoring the legal side, I'm sure Winter tyres and AA breakdown would be fine along with all the gubbins like spare bulbs, floresant jacket etc - best check on the AA website for a list.
Edit: driven to plenty of ski resorts in France/Switzerland out of season - a Lotus is the ideal tool for a Euro-trip, just get good breakdown cover in case... You'll have loads of fun driving an Exige in Switzerland although note the strict Police enforcement of speed limits....
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/snow...
Ignoring the legal side, I'm sure Winter tyres and AA breakdown would be fine along with all the gubbins like spare bulbs, floresant jacket etc - best check on the AA website for a list.
Edit: driven to plenty of ski resorts in France/Switzerland out of season - a Lotus is the ideal tool for a Euro-trip, just get good breakdown cover in case... You'll have loads of fun driving an Exige in Switzerland although note the strict Police enforcement of speed limits....
Edited by dom180 on Thursday 19th November 21:53
Chains won't fit, but I've driven the Exige on its current winter tyres on ice and packed snow and it did brilliantly. The only problem I suppose would be snow deeper than the front spoiler - in that case I doubt chains would help either...
But I'm talking about the motorways down to Martigny and then the main road up to Verbier - it's usually clear and the couple of times I've been on it when it's been covered with snow, it's been icy with less than an inch of packed snow. Impossible conditions for normal tyres but no problem in the Exige with Snowsports.
As to the police and the 'strict speed limits' - every time I've driven in Switzerland it seemed that everyone was going much faster than me
Perhaps it's the crazy Valais, and the police are different in the rest of the country? I never feel like I'm having to hold back too much. Then again I haven't been over in the Exige yet, and a bright yellow Lotus is going to stick out like a sore thumb...
But I'm talking about the motorways down to Martigny and then the main road up to Verbier - it's usually clear and the couple of times I've been on it when it's been covered with snow, it's been icy with less than an inch of packed snow. Impossible conditions for normal tyres but no problem in the Exige with Snowsports.
As to the police and the 'strict speed limits' - every time I've driven in Switzerland it seemed that everyone was going much faster than me
Perhaps it's the crazy Valais, and the police are different in the rest of the country? I never feel like I'm having to hold back too much. Then again I haven't been over in the Exige yet, and a bright yellow Lotus is going to stick out like a sore thumb...dom180 said:
btw, at Martigny, since you're in an Exige it's worth taking a brief detour up/down the col de la Forclaz towards Trient - it's usually open in the Winter and is a fun drive - not the best pass but they'll all be shut....
I've just read this post out to my girlfriend and she's groaned 'oh no' 
I really cannot see the point in doing this for a number of reasons, not least the fact that if you are in resort and it properly dumps you've got innumerable possibilities to damage the car or get it stuck, no matter how good the tyres are.
Where are you planning on storing your ski gear (ski's aside which could probably go on the roof if you could find a suitable rack?
Where are you planning on storing your ski gear (ski's aside which could probably go on the roof if you could find a suitable rack?
S Works said:
I really cannot see the point in doing this for a number of reasons, not least the fact that if you are in resort and it properly dumps you've got innumerable possibilities to damage the car or get it stuck, no matter how good the tyres are.
Where are you planning on storing your ski gear (ski's aside which could probably go on the roof if you could find a suitable rack?
Firstly it'll be sitting in a nice warm garage when we get there. I'll probably start it up every other day to make sure it's OK. But it's really just a question of getting there, bunging it in the garage, and then leaving back on the main roads. It won't be sitting outside to get covered in tonnes of snow and it melting / refreezing and trashing the roof seals, etc. I've driven there before when the roads were sheet ice (completely unheard of, according to locals - the roads are *always* cleared but this was a one-off, allegedly) - this was in a supercharged 993 on the same winter tyres and it was dicey but just about OK. Same problems for everyone - some boy racer in an old 3 series tried to overtake about 5 cars up the ice-covered hill and fishtailed about 8 times before coming to the next hairpin, he was either incredibly lucky or had awesome car control (local Valais nutter).Where are you planning on storing your ski gear (ski's aside which could probably go on the roof if you could find a suitable rack?
Secondly, I can never be arsed to buy skis. I usually use Salomon 3Vs but it's handy to swap to something else if there's loads of powder / fancy some serious speed / want to piss about in the snowpark (though my age is starting to tell there...
) So I always hire them. The question that hasn't been answered is whether I can get two pairs of boots into the back of the Exige easily enough. We normally travel air / train / taxi so take a big backpack, a boot bag and our poles each - unpacked it'd easily fit into the Exige - as long as the boots are OK. We've only one pair of boots each - no touring kit etc.The other alternative is to drive the Growler down - but that would cost literally twice as much in fuel, and it's wearing the wrong tyres. A full set of winters for that thing would cost another £7-800 and then with 420 lb ft at the rear wheels and all the weight at the front, it'd be bloody hairy even with winter tyres. It's a drift monster in the summer on dry roads - I *really* don't fancy driving it on snow. I'm not Yvan bloody Muller.
The 'point of it' is to have some fun... it was a laugh when I took the Porker there a few years back, and hell, you don't see many Lotuses up there and certainly not bright yellow ones
I've seen a few Ferraris in the resort when it's sunny and dry - not sure what the hell they were doing but certainly not travelling over from the UK...You must travel very light if you're contemplating this.
Even if I left my snowboard, boots, bindings and helmet at home, and the doris did the same with her ski bumpff, I reckon I'd struggle to get a weeks worth of gear in an Exige (unless Mrs Cyberface is happy with baggage all over here in P2).
Your car mate, and your trip. Personally I'd rather be on a scheduled flight with a beer in hand
and save the mountain roads for a summer roadtrip.
Even if I left my snowboard, boots, bindings and helmet at home, and the doris did the same with her ski bumpff, I reckon I'd struggle to get a weeks worth of gear in an Exige (unless Mrs Cyberface is happy with baggage all over here in P2).
Your car mate, and your trip. Personally I'd rather be on a scheduled flight with a beer in hand
and save the mountain roads for a summer roadtrip.S Works said:
You must travel very light if you're contemplating this.
Even if I left my snowboard, boots, bindings and helmet at home, and the doris did the same with her ski bumpff, I reckon I'd struggle to get a weeks worth of gear in an Exige (unless Mrs Cyberface is happy with baggage all over here in P2).
Your car mate, and your trip. Personally I'd rather be on a scheduled flight with a beer in hand and save the mountain roads for a summer roadtrip.
We do travel light. However your points are perfectly valid... we'll see if we can get our usual load into the car before we decide... there's enough room in the MG for 4 people and ski gear but the fuel consumption and the handling are scary. I've just got really pissed off with air travel, it may be fast once you're in the air but it's getting in the air... so many of my friends on ski trips have had their gear lost (thankfully neither myself nor Mrs CF have yet), and given that all we take is what we can fit into a backpack and a boot bag (neither of us snowboard...) I thought it'd fit in an Exige easily enough.Even if I left my snowboard, boots, bindings and helmet at home, and the doris did the same with her ski bumpff, I reckon I'd struggle to get a weeks worth of gear in an Exige (unless Mrs Cyberface is happy with baggage all over here in P2).
Your car mate, and your trip. Personally I'd rather be on a scheduled flight with a beer in hand
and save the mountain roads for a summer roadtrip.Will definitely be considering a summer trip to the mountains though. Got to be done
Having thought about this more, I reckon you might just be able to do it, but only if Mrs Cy is OK with a bit of luggage in the pax footwell.
One pair of boots could possibly go behind the seats, or if not, you could easily squash your jackets, trousers, socks and thermals into long squishy bags and slap them behind there.
Two pairs of boots in the boot are do-able I reckon (depending on how big your feet are), but again you'd have to squash lots of stuff into gaps. Top tip, stuff your boots with your ski socks. Takes up the same amount of total space, but you can get more stuff in. Then you can put all your apres ski stuff in another bunch of carrier bags and squash them flat, taking a holdall folded flat on top for when you want to unpack and carry it all at the other end.
The space in the pax footwell if not occupied should be good for a midsize rucksack without being too intrusive. Assuming you'll both only take one pair of shoes in addition to the boots, you're probably convincing me that this is do-able in reasonable comfort.
My only other reservation (apart from the driving up mountain passes in an Exige, despite the tyres, thing) would be that you'd need to check the front air intakes regularly when you get above the snow line. Even if the roads are cleared the profile of the nose is such that you might end up getting it clogged up with crap, especially if you're running on roads at some point where you end up with ruts and a ridge in the middle. I recall a run back from the South Coast of Kent to Tun Wells in snow in my old S160 where I forgot about this and it started overheating badly because airflow wasn't getting through to the rad... but you probably know that already.
One pair of boots could possibly go behind the seats, or if not, you could easily squash your jackets, trousers, socks and thermals into long squishy bags and slap them behind there.
Two pairs of boots in the boot are do-able I reckon (depending on how big your feet are), but again you'd have to squash lots of stuff into gaps. Top tip, stuff your boots with your ski socks. Takes up the same amount of total space, but you can get more stuff in. Then you can put all your apres ski stuff in another bunch of carrier bags and squash them flat, taking a holdall folded flat on top for when you want to unpack and carry it all at the other end.
The space in the pax footwell if not occupied should be good for a midsize rucksack without being too intrusive. Assuming you'll both only take one pair of shoes in addition to the boots, you're probably convincing me that this is do-able in reasonable comfort.
My only other reservation (apart from the driving up mountain passes in an Exige, despite the tyres, thing) would be that you'd need to check the front air intakes regularly when you get above the snow line. Even if the roads are cleared the profile of the nose is such that you might end up getting it clogged up with crap, especially if you're running on roads at some point where you end up with ruts and a ridge in the middle. I recall a run back from the South Coast of Kent to Tun Wells in snow in my old S160 where I forgot about this and it started overheating badly because airflow wasn't getting through to the rad... but you probably know that already.
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