Any gone 350Sport to 410Sport

[redlancer]

Hi,
 

Seeing if any one has gone from a 350 Sport to a 410 Sport and any real world differences on road or track.  Any common issues with the 410's different to 350.  Seen the odd report of noisy rear suspension.
Test drives as I'm coming from a 350 may not be that usefull as newer car vs old car could be a difference hence after owners thoughts. 

My sport is coming up to 3 years old and owned from new with no mods.
Driving will be mainly road use with the odd track day.  
I've driven a 410 around Hethel but as this was 20 minutes and no like for like comparison hard to fully appreciate.

Thought behind the change is man maths, upgrade, you only live once and warranty etc.
Thought about not changing is i know this car, nothing wrong and all paid for.

Warranty about to run out and as clutch in 350 can be an issue and clutch in 410 is a different one this could be a £2-3k consideration and better future proof. Peace of mind and have seen aftermarket Lotus dealer ones for around £2k for 3years so there is always that option.

Upgrade - on track i've never felt i need more power but better brakes yes, better ability defo and obviously any better handing.  Never had noticable heat soak on supercharger but on a hot day did feel like gearbox needed a cool down a couple of times.
On road - more power yes and no. I do charity events and taking people out extra power for low speed acceleration is nice for the experience.
From what i've read nitron 3 ways look to improve road characteristics so this looks a viable option and better brakes is always good way to go.  These are 2 mods i'd do or think about doing
The carbon fiber stuff doesn't bother me. I can take it or leave it.  Forged wheels, gearbox oil cooler, charge cooler, more power nice additions and possible future mods.

You only live once - the only super car that I'd love is a Mclaren but couldn't afford one and the running costs and even if i could not sure as Exige and Arial Nomad sounds better:). 
Misses can't stand  Porsche and loves the rawness of the Exige so much so she didn't like the Evora 410 either after driving it on track in a back to back drive with the Exige. 
So a 410 ticks the boxes on this aspect.

Man Maths
for arguments sake - 410 new £80k on 50/50 - if anyone knows of better deals ✍️
in 2/3 years time say worth £60k then that's a £20k loss
thinking mine might drop 5K in that time. PX value now £45k
So that's £15k difference in real world.
For £15k i get Warranty/clutch 5k, nitrons 4k, gearbox cooler 1k, brakes £2k.  12k so far.
Wheels, charge cooler, power increase and 3 year newer car for £3k
Downside money in car not bank in 2 years time. Is car going to be that much different.   What are Lotus likely to bring out soon. Although doubt there will be an Exige 420 any time soon

cheers
Graham

 

[Woots]

Wow yours is 45k trade in...? Good going!

Cant advise any further, except you only live once etc

[Akajak]

In the introductions section a guy has gone from 350 to 410; perhaps contact him ?

[Mark030358]

I think your Px value is a tad on the high side tbh...

but great maths

[Jcx]

I went from 350 - 410 after just weeks in the 350.  Truth be told I bought the wrong car for my needs and wants when I bought the 350.  In my opinion the 410 is a different beast.  The power is up a bit and it is noticeable, the handling is night and day, and the sound is other wordly.  I could go on at length but if you buy Absolute Lotus Magazine from issue 10 onwards you can read about my Lotus journey in my regular column. 

Good luck with your decision.  I havent regretted my change for one moment which is rare for me.

[redlancer]

2 hours ago, Jcx said:

I went from 350 - 410 after just weeks in the 350.  Truth be told I bought the wrong car for my needs and wants when I bought the 350.  In my opinion the 410 is a different beast.  The power is up a bit and it is noticeable, the handling is night and day, and the sound is other wordly.  I could go on at length but if you buy Absolute Lotus Magazine from issue 10 onwards you can read about my Lotus journey in my regular column. 

Good luck with your decision.  I havent regretted my change for one moment which is rare for me.

cheers - I can see your story but no 410 as yet?
Think you've confirmed my hopes - need to sort out a deal to match my man maths

 

[Jcx]

3 minutes ago, redlancer said:

cheers - I can see your story but no 410 as yet?
Think you've confirmed my hopes - need to sort out a deal to match my man maths

 

Issue 10 was my first column.  Issues 11 and 12 unfold the story.  Issue 13 is due in around a month i think which features my collection and first service after which i did a 2k mile trip to spain wheere i spent a few days howling around the pyrennees.

[Tomsk]

I don't have much experience of the 350, but on my buying journey I test drove a 350 first.  I was coming from a 981 Boxster S at the time, and while the 350 was slightly quicker, slightly better handling etc, it didn't set my world alight.

Then I test drove a 410... and placed an order the same day.  1 year on, it still puts a huge smile on my face every time I pull back the cover and fire her up.

 

[RoflOnMyWaffle]

Just don't forget to get the exhaust override button fitted - with it closed it just doesn't sound right

[Jcx]

1 minute ago, RoflOnMyWaffle said:

Just don't forget to get the exhaust override button fitted - with it closed it just doesn't sound right

Yup. Do it before collection. It’s a must. 

[redlancer]

17 hours ago, redlancer said:

 

17 hours ago, Jcx said:

Issue 10 was my first column.  Issues 11 and 12 unfold the story.  Issue 13 is due in around a month i think which features my collection and first service after which i did a 2k mile trip to spain wheere i spent a few days howling around the pyrennees.

Just found the edition, i'd even read the piece - seems a few people have done this.
Trip sounds great - we did over 3000 miles in an s2 Elise, 8 days, 11 countries for SSAFA,.  Was brilliant.

17 hours ago, Jcx said:

Yup. Do it before collection. It’s a must. 

On my 350 the button is there now and i can overide  - does the 410 not have this as standard?

[Jcx]

39 minutes ago, redlancer said:

Just found the edition, i'd even read the piece - seems a few people have done this.
Trip sounds great - we did over 3000 miles in an s2 Elise, 8 days, 11 countries for SSAFA,.  Was brilliant.

On my 350 the button is there now and i can overide  - does the 410 not have this as standard?

yes the 410 does not come with the override button - or engine protection button or whatever it is called 🙂

most who have had it fitted have reported that it only overrides the default setting but that it doesnt change th exhaust in sport or race modes.  in my case the dealer did it so that it overrides the exhaust in all modes.  i guess not all dealers are made the same.  Mine certainly spent a lot of time understanding the issue before implementing.

[RoflOnMyWaffle]

My start up procedure is simple:

Crank engine untill it starts

Push sport button

Push exhaust button

Push loud pedal once warm

Smile.

I know sport opens the exhaust normally but became a habit from driving without sport mode

[BatMobile]

On the 430 (and I'm guessing its the same for the 410), your dealer can put in a solution that makes it always loud which is what every 430 owner I know has done.

Its a 20 second job to put it back to normal should you need to sneak out or require the quieter tone. 

[Jaffa]

Solution copied from elsewhere.... the sub £5 switchable exhaust manual solution!  

1. Aquarium valve 4/6 mm
2. and if you don’t want to cut the OEM hose, short length of 4mm I.d / 8mm o.d silicon hose.

Aquarium valve is inline between the vacuum reservoir and the exhaust valve red connection hose

Aquarium valve shut equals exhaust open all the time, aquarium valve open gives “normal” open and shut exhaust behaviour.

Any modification is obviously done at your own risk.

 

 

 

 

 

[TerryCTR]

7 hours ago, Jcx said:

yes the 410 does not come with the override button - or engine protection button or whatever it is called 🙂

most who have had it fitted have reported that it only overrides the default setting but that it doesnt change th exhaust in sport or race modes.  in my case the dealer did it so that it overrides the exhaust in all modes.  i guess not all dealers are made the same.  Mine certainly spent a lot of time understanding the issue before implementing.

Which dealer was that and to confirm in each mode are you saying if you open and close the valve as idle you can notice a marked change in exhaust noise level?

 

Edited February 19, 2020 by TerryCTR

[Jcx]

1 hour ago, TerryCTR said:

Which dealer was that and to confirm in each mode are you saying if you open and close the valve as idle you can notice a marked change in exhaust noise level?

 

Stratton Lotus in Norfolk - pretty much next door to Hethel.  And 'yes' the switch controls the sound in all modes at idle.

[BfranklynV6]

On 18/02/2020 at 10:25, Jcx said:

I went from 350 - 410 after just weeks in the 350.  Truth be told I bought the wrong car for my needs and wants when I bought the 350.  In my opinion the 410 is a different beast.  The power is up a bit and it is noticeable, the handling is night and day, and the sound is other wordly.  I could go on at length but if you buy Absolute Lotus Magazine from issue 10 onwards you can read about my Lotus journey in my regular column. 

Good luck with your decision.  I havent regretted my change for one moment which is rare for me.

Are you able to briefly detail what the handling differences are? Why is it night and day?

Ive spent a while now toying with the idea of spending some of my hard earned, non-plentiful funds on some nitrons for my V6s. Still can’t decide. 

[Jcx]

Happy to try:  I have the 3-way nitrons which provide much opportunity for mnute adjustments to the way the car responds to the road and to to driver inputs. 

From the factory the settings were a little firm, beautifully direct, but a tad too hard for my liking on GB B-roads.  So through trial and error i set my car up to float over the road surface's imperfections while retaining almost all of the immediacy in the steering. 

The result is a car that is beautifully predictable with continent-crossing comfort for 10-hour days in the saddle.  It is both more predictable and more comfortable than the 350 while riding lower and looking way better without the high front ride height.  Nothing about the 350 suspension was adjustable aside from geo.

Does that help?

I have read in many pleaces that the 410 shares the 430 Cup chassis albeit with different damper adjustments.  I dont know if my car, with adjustments dialled in is now more or less Cup but i know its perfect for the roads i drive and for my needs.

[BfranklynV6]

That is really helpful thanks. So I could essentially get most of the way there by adding some 2-ways to my V6s.

[Jcx]

9 minutes ago, BfranklynV6 said:

That is really helpful thanks. So I could essentially get most of the way there by adding some 2-ways to my V6s.

I dont know about 2-ways - I dont know which two settings the two-way adjusts.  I dont think they are much cheaper so why not go with three-way?

[Mr Fish]

I had a spate of Porsches and got a new 718 Spyder... didn't gell and got rid for a 410.... Love it and yes I have the override button works in all modes.. fitted by Silverstone. I think it doesn't sometimes work in race and sport at lower revs dependant on software version..

Great car, so far fitted better lights, stereo speakers and need a harness bar..

I'm debating a 2ubular back box but to be hoenst it sounds really good.

 

[Jcx]

Very interesting. What does the 410 give you that the Spyder didn’t or did you just flip the Spyder for a profit?

i too came from a number of 911s and can’t believe just how much more fun the 410 is. 

Oh, how did you upgrade your lights?

[Bandit]

On 19/02/2020 at 14:03, Jaffa said:

Solution copied from elsewhere.... the sub £5 switchable exhaust manual solution!  

1. Aquarium valve 4/6 mm
2. and if you don’t want to cut the OEM hose, short length of 4mm I.d / 8mm o.d silicon hose.

Aquarium valve is inline between the vacuum reservoir and the exhaust valve red connection hose

Aquarium valve shut equals exhaust open all the time, aquarium valve open gives “normal” open and shut exhaust behaviour.

Any modification is obviously done at your own risk.

 

 

 

 

 

I tried this mod and sadly it didn’t work for me, exhaust kept going back to quiet mode so I’ve ordered the override switch from Lotus.

[Jaffa]

Not sure why it didn’t work.
The exhaust control  valve is held closed I.e in quiet mode, by a vacuum. Therefore if you just disconnect the pipe from the vacuum solenoid valve  that runs down to the exhaust valve then the exhaust valve will never close and the exhaust will be loud all the time. Because you don’t really  want dirt being sucked in then the vacuum solenoid  should be capped and the “loose” pipe for completeness.

As far as retrofitting the button is concerned, assuming the required connection points  are in the original 410 wiring loom, my understating is that the opening of the exhaust valve is directly controlled from the ECU, and hence since it was never intended to work with an override button, the standard 410 ECU mapping will need to be tweaked/reprogrammed in order to enable the required functionality. Though since I personally haven’t had this done I might be talking BS!

Some Lotus dealers appear willing to do this button modification  whereas others wont, either way for me it’s a question where would you stand on warranty with Lotus should the engine go pop., though the same could be said for this less intrusive “aquarium” method.  At the end of the day you take a chance.