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Literally, writing it now. Will get back to it!

Hello from Sweden. Went from Elise S2 to Exige Scura to Ferrari 458 to Cup 380. Airbag delete, no stereo, no sound insulation and 4-point harness.

After owning 3 Elise S1s over the last 17 years, I took the plunge recently and sold my beloved Elise Sport 160 (gulp!) in favour of an Exige S Roadster. Two test drives about a month ago at Silverstone sealed it - thanks Aimee and Matthew for putting up with my overly-thorough tendencies - I decided I prefer the clean lines and slightly softer ride of the Roadster to the Coupe, and I'm not ready to give up my roof-off motoring for an Evora just yet.. I picked it up about 10 days ago, and although I haven't put many miles on it yet, it's clear that it's a big step up in terms of performance, quality and creature comforts. I'll miss the S160 - it was a special and iconic car for sure - but hey ho, we all know when the time is right to move on I guess. It's Carbon Grey, with the contrasting Venom Red interior. It was actually one of the Lotus press cars originally when launched, and just the second Roadster off the line, so has benefitted from a decent spec (Premium and Convenience packs, Air Con, Heated Seats, Rear parking sensors, and also the Two-part performance disks) and being a demo, mechanically it been kept tip-top and has wanted for nothing according to the chaps at Hethel I spoke to at length (as part of that thoroughness thing I mentioned......!). Looking forward to sharing my experiences (and experience, eventually) with the Exige V6 owners on here.. Here are a few photos - I'll add some more in the near future when the sun is shining

Another day, another photo... Had a fantastic blast in it yesterday, what a car.... Thanks for all the positive comments - makes it feel even more special

Picked up the Esprit from Sportomotive tonight after it sailing through the MOT with no work needed doing and no advisories! Yahoo! Car serviced for £240! Result!

Very cool interior photo from that Evo review Nerobi - thanks

So I took the Exige out for a test drive on Saturday along with the wife and needless to say after a blast in 2nd gear I was ready to sign on the dotted line! I pick the car up in 2 weeks from Howard's Lotus who I highly recommended. Very honest and knowledgeable chaps with no pressure involved in the sale. I'm already thinking about modding however so have some questions if anyone can help me! It's a stock 2014 Exige in Matte black. Pic attached. 1. I noticed on some YouTube videos that people appear to have shift lights on the speedo? As you don't have much time to check the Speedo I thought it may be useful to get one. Any suggestions on how? 2. What does the car rev to? The Speedo didn't indicate, I think it depicts up to 9k but not where the redline is. 3. What and where can I get harnesses fitted? Any other must have mods people can suggest? I'm intent on attending club events going forwards so hopefully see some of you in person one day ? Dave

Congrats on the new car, enjoy! Mods I've done, listed in order of how much more amazing the car feels to me. 1. 2Bular exhaust, simply the best thing ever for a V6 2. Soft top conversion - adds a whole new dimension to the fun, you also can hear more of mod 1 above. 3. Forged Lotus wheels and new tyres. Never really thought much of the standard P-Zero's and having tried Michelin PS4's I'm glad I changed. Wheel/tyre combo has improved ride comfort, lowered road noise, given better steering feel by reducing tram lining and unwanted 'chatter'. Also increased ability to get the power down, though the rears were down to 3mm. 4. Ticking indicator relay - unless of course you've done mods 1 and 2 above, in which case it's pointless.

Matte black is the best..

Still got the little architectural practice in Cheshire which has just turned 16 years old...... can't believe my partner and I haven't killed each other yet!! We've been doing some really exciting work. We're currently finishing renovating and extending a house built for Henry Royce (CGI below) and we finished a huge new build country house with a display garage for our client's impressive car collection. Also, some of you may remember the horrific fire at Manchester Dogs' Home where nearly 50 poor dogs lost their lives? Well, we were selected to design the new home, which completed last month. I'll never be a millionaire but I'm very selective of the work I take on and have a very easy work life......... but by thunder it's been tough to get here.

http://www.evo.co.uk/lotus/exige/20158/lotus-exige-380-cup-review-leaner-faster-and-harder-than-ever-before

Well, running costs are high of course. But you cannot drive 10 hard laps with the 458 because brake cooling sucks.The Speciale might be a bit better but here in Sweden some have added their own cooling solution for the brakes. Furthermore the stock suspension setting is not optimal either and you have to atleast get some lowering springs to be able to get more tire camber. And of course you have the auto gearbox that might not be perfect but lets you as the driver focus more om steering, gas, brake. Out of the box you should not track it. But for cruising it is perfect, it is a Ferrari after all.

Slightly off topic but I still maintain that, every year when we receive our council tax demand, as part of the analysis of spend, all councils should be compelled to highlight how much they have spent on pension contributions, what % of total spend it represents and what the normal retirement age of their scheme is. Its time politicians and public workers were brought into the real world of company pensions.

Great thread - endless Exige pics.... Here are a few of my recently acquired Roadster. More here:

Welcome in the matt black club ?? You will love the car ... for street use and even the occassional track day its perfect out of the box ... be careful when you start to modify its a dangerous and expensive virus ... there will always be the next thing you want to do no matter how far you have gone already ??

Well I'll be dammed ? Excellent, now to find a soft top!

It may have been more interesting if they had compared the original S1 with a new Elise 1.6 Sport, two cars that share the philosophy. The 250 Cup has more in common with the S1 Exige than the S1 Elise, and much of the criticism aimed at the 250 Cup could be aimed at the original Exige, but the Exige was aimed at a different market to the Elise, just as the 250 Cup is aimed at a different market to the Elise 1.6 Sport.

I don't have personal experience but the kit has been available for a while and I'd say is well tested solution. The clutch seems to struggle when you get over 430bhp but most seem to wait for the clutch to go before upgrading to the Evora 400 unit. I doubt it will be too long until I make the upgrade

Bump - Less than 7 weeks to go! Always a great evening.

New addition last week, though ordered in May! (The Ball Roadmaster GMT, #60/1000) Left to right... - Reserved for a Nautilus one of these days, until then there's a couple of NATO straps that get used once in a blue moon. - Baume et Mercier Capeland S Chronograph - Seagull 1963 Pilot - Ball Roadmaster GMT - Raymond Weil Tradition Square - Citizen ProMaster 1/100 I'm wearing the Ball all of the time now with it being shiny and new, though do generally rotate a fair bit, apart from the Citizen which hasn't had a battery in years. It was my first "real" watch when I was 15, so has sentimental value. It's also been to hell and back, and looks it, sadly. I've just noticed the battery in the Raymond Weil has gone as well... must replace. Everyone needs a reference quartz in the box!

Say Hi to Josler for me.....

Cool job @Composite guru! I sold my Elise last week to a chap who works in aerodynamics for a similar outfit!

Hopefully this is a clue. I work in Composites.

@FF (these are my initials, mate !) : the carbon airbox is such a lovely part that it would be a shame not to fit it ! so you can order a EX390 with the added airbox and the matching tuning software, it will be perfect ...

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/british/progress-report-lotus-elise-s1-vs-elise-cup-250

I think EX370 + EX390 is a sweet spot if you don't want to go chasing the big power / chargecooler. Dave

Looking very nice in the far reaches of the Sainsbury's car park over the weekend Quicksilver Exhaust!

That's me! Doing my usual weekend run and shopping. The passenger seat and footwell can hold a huge amount of stuff - who says an Exige is not a practical car. Best bit of the trip is the blast down the sliproad northbound onto the A3.....

Front and rear suspension on and she's back on her wheels. Trip to the paint shop this week to get the scuttle panel sprayed and then I can get the roll cage back in. Before - After -

Actually I also considered the 570S and the Huracan for a little while before the Cup 380 was released but those cars are similar to the 458. Even if you afford to buy them it doesn't mean owning is affordable. Running costs are high and if you want fun for your money none of them will get near the Lotus.

After living up here for 22 years I have a view on the weather. Generally, May can be a very pleasant month. Usually dryer than normal and the days are starting to stretch with good light all around. June is often quite a wet month up here and not ideal as the "midges" hatch and generally the hungry little bar stewards will flock around anything that looks or smells like human meat. Don't do it. July, warmer than May and June and usually much dryer than June. Still quite a few of the little midgelings chasing after your blood though. So for me, just down to weather and midges, May would be preferred. Also, stay away from the bank holidays and the roads will be quieter as the kids are still in school. The kids in Scotland finish school in early July (2, sometimes 3 weeks before the English break up)so you do get an exodus of locals, meaning even quieter roads, as many Scots shoot off for a 2 week holiday before the English break up. Nothing to do with anything sinister, more to do with the fact that the flights from English airports like Newcastle, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester mean the holidays are much cheaper than going when the english are off too. I used to do this myself and would regularly save £400 - £650 per holiday!

354bhp/tonne in the exige 380 cup vs 378 in the 458 Italia. The lighter weight benefits in the braking and handling department for the Exige, plus the torque of the supercharger means you don't have to have it singing it push on in the Exige as much as the 458. Biggest advantage of the 458 over the Exige is the gearbox and the friendly handling nature which makes it a lot easier to get it dancing than the Exige, which has a bit more bite to it.

Performance to $ is a lot higher in the Exige than it is in a Ferrari. Ferrari must be a lot quicker, unless on micky-mouse circuits. I think to properly track a Ferrari you definitly need deep pockets, but this concerns all modern supercars I guess. Very nice car btw!

Barry, what about number plates?

Thanks Steve .I bought a lot of hoses for the rear .From A place called auto silicon hose.They have all I needed .But they send the wrong sizes.i sent it back .they said they did not receive it ....so it dragged on .then they found it in the returns section .Also used merlin motor sport .Thanks for your advice ....Nice v8 you have there .....Mike

Aww bugger. You beat me. I was going to go: Dana Dana Dana Dana Batman!

My cup holder, but it’s only in an old S1!

Here's a couple of the interior - I've always been a fan of red leather with grey, black or silver. When I saw this car advertised in this colour combination and spec I knew I was on a slippery slope....

I've got a clock on my phone - that's enough for me...... suns either up or down !!

Exactly this. there is no car with a better ride / handling setup and it is no surprise that McLaren and Ferrari used the original Evora as a benchmark for their cars. Nor is it a surprise that Aston Martin wanted Matt Becker for the DB11 https://blog.caranddriver.com/qa-with-matt-becker-ex-lotus-and-current-aston-martin-chassis-whisperer/

In build!!

More pictures from yesterday!