M3 CSL or Exige S?

[Great Pretender]

If you could have either, which would it be and why?

That is all. Ta.

[kambites]

Depends on how many seats I needed.

[Great Pretender]

Two. CSL rear seats are all but redundant.

[edo]

Whilst I loved my Exige, the engine note was a let down.

Was the CSL only available with the ste clunky automated manual?

[kambites]

Great Pretender said:

Two. CSL rear seats are all but redundant.

In that case the Exige. It's a better drivers' car and I don't like the gearbox in the CSL.

[Rawwr]

I'd stake my balls on the CSL holdings its value better. So get the CSL first, bum around in it for a year, sell it, and then buy an Exige S whose value will have dropped through the floor.

[TonyHetherington]

I disagree on the Exige values - they seem to have bottomed out a bit, especially as Lotus keep making more expensive versions.

I had an Exige S on the road - my summary, if you're going to track it, Exige S without doubt. Otherwise you'll rarely properly use the performance on the road (in England), so have to go and do big European trips to enjoy it. It was however an awesome awesome car, but I think my Elise 111S was a better car for the road.

Done a few European trips with a friend in his CSL - he's loved it to bits and it's been really good (other than a cracked alloy wheel), but a big part of the decision will be the gearbox - if you want manual, CSL is out.

[Rawwr]

TonyHetherington said:

I disagree on the Exige values - they seem to have bottomed out a bit, especially as Lotus keep making more expensive versions.

It was a relative statement, really. I'll maintain that a CSL will hold its value significantly better than an Exige over the course of a year. Hell, I'd probably argue you could run a CSL for a year and selling it for the same amount you bought it for so you long as you don't hypermile it.

Considering the gloomy outlook for petrol prices, I'd use that as another reason to get the CSL experience out of the way first, before signing up to the petrol-sipping Lotus thing.

[CraigyMc]

Rawwr said:

I'd stake my balls on the CSL holdings its value better. So get the CSL first, bum around in it for a year, sell it, and then buy an Exige S whose value will have dropped through the floor.

Prices for used S1 Exiges are still about the £20K mark, years after production stopped. Is the Exige S going to be so different?

C

[kambites]

CraigyMc said:

Prices for used S1 Exiges are still about the £20K mark, years after production stopped. Is the Exige S going to be so different?

Yes, because it's been produced in much higher numbers. S2 Exiges will dip into the low teens at some point, I'd imagine.

[CampDavid]

Great Pretender said:

Two. CSL rear seats are all but redundant.

How do you mean? Redundant in terms of your use or in terms of their usability?

The only time they're unusable is on track - there are no grab handles so after two arse out ring laps your rear passenger will need a long sit down.

I love both, however I'll take the Exige. I live a few miles from Jonny Palmer's World of Stag so I'd happily take it there every month and drive it round and round and round until I'd nailed my perfect lap

[Rawwr]

CraigyMc said:

Prices for used S1 Exiges are still about the £20K mark, years after production stopped. Is the Exige S going to be so different?

I reckon so. There weren't many S1 Exiges produced: I can't recall the numbers off the top of my head but it was definitely sub-1000. The S2 is relatively mass-produced and also readily available to the US market. Frankly, it's just not special enough to be anywhere near depreciation-proof.

[Great Pretender]

CampDavid said:

Great Pretender said:

Two. CSL rear seats are all but redundant.

How do you mean? Redundant in terms of your use or in terms of their usability?

The only time they're unusable is on track - there are no grab handles so after two arse out ring laps your rear passenger will need a long sit down.

I love both, however I'll take the Exige. I live a few miles from Jonny Palmer's World of Stag so I'd happily take it there every month and drive it round and round and round until I'd nailed my perfect lap

I mean I don't use them. Only one person has sat in the back since I owned the car.

[Mr Roper]

Based purely on 'getting in and out of' it would be the CSL.

[stew-S160]

CSL over S2 Exige.
S1 Exige over CSL.

[Great Pretender]

stew-S160 said:

CSL over S2 Exige.
S1 Exige over CSL.

Pour quois?

[Rags]

Thinking of selling GP?

[LHD]

A poll?

A bloody poll?

I voted CSL as i can't really fit in an Exige...

[Great Pretender]

Rags said:

Thinking of selling GP?

Possibly. Need sufficient justification to let her go though.

[slipstream 1985]

Rawwr said:

CraigyMc said:

Prices for used S1 Exiges are still about the £20K mark, years after production stopped. Is the Exige S going to be so different?

I reckon so. There weren't many S1 Exiges produced: I can't recall the numbers off the top of my head but it was definitely sub-1000. The S2 is relatively mass-produced and also readily available to the US market. Frankly, it's just not special enough to be anywhere near depreciation-proof.

i was looking at exiges (s2) a year and a half ago, summertime low of the bottom end was 15.5k, now 1 1/2 years on in winter the bottom end is 16.5-17k.