Ips (Automatic) V6 Exige - Discuss..

[@ndy]

I'm with you on the V6 Exige Mark - I've had my itch for a while ( I've even put my car up on the PH classifieds!! )

 

Off to Christopher Neil's tomorrow for a play ;-)

 

Could be an expensive week !!!

You'll be handing over the money as soon as you step out of a V6, they are get addictive.

[C1RVY]

Mark/Simon

 

I would try and test both. The Roadster and Coupe have different suspension (the anti roll bars are different) as well as the changes due to "Race Pack" which most Coupes will have, and most Roadsters don't.

 

The effect is that the standard Roadster has a crisper low speed turn-in. The Coupe being tuned to the faster stuff where the aero kicks in.

 

Personally I would also say if anything on a B-Road blast the non race pack Roadster is a tad less unsettled by mid corner bumps, and tramlines a bit less (both are a big step up from the S2 Exige in regards poor road surfaces and crowns / camber IMHO).

 

I'd also argue the front splitter may be a worry (I've already destroyed one front numberplate, and caught the smaller replacement a number of times to the point it is at a jaunty angle.)

 

Ultimately the Coupe is better for track, arguably the Roadster is better for road. The Elephant in the room is a Boxster is a better road car than the Exige for the money. Nowhere near as exclusive, will turn less heads (and trust me spoilers are not needed in this regard), but MUCH more user friendly, with broader used appeal. (My reasoning why the used Roadster is under comparative price pressure)

 

Would I swap my Exige for a Bosxter? Not until you prised the keys from my cold dead fingers, however I've come to the self realisation I am a little bit "fringe" Unfortunately come resale time I need to find another fringe buyer

 

The one saving grace is the Roadster is rarer, so who knows one day in the next few years it might be the one people seek out if they are looking for a special weekend car not a track car. I genuinely think the Roadster fits that bill better.

 

As a 10 year old track car, I think the Exige may struggle as it's lost the ease of spannering and cheap consumables of the 4 cylinder cars

Interesting points Simon, cheers for that.

 

I can feel another learning curve coming on!!

[Simon Mac]

One other thing to look for is cruise control. If you are doing any distance on motorways it's a godsend.

 

Sounds silly, but it was an unexpected upside of the V6.  At 70(ish) on motorways the V6 is actually not that bad, and you can really cover distance without feeling as beaten up compared to the Elise.

 

Part of this is it's revving lower than the 4 cylinder car, and that really helps keep the noise down, + combined with adding cruise control means you can move your legs around and not suffer from cramp and back ache.

 

Of course it's no Evora, but as test drives don't tend to include 100 mile + motorway jaunts It's only after you've lived with the car you notice these sorts of aspects.

 

It really boils down to what you want out of the car.  If like me you want to be able to do an Alps trip once a year, then blast it round on sunny days on your favourite road, without worrying about multi-storey car park ramps,  I don't think you'll go far wrong with the Roadster.

 

If you are only going to take it out for trips round the block in between track days, then the Coupe (especially Cup or CR trim) are probably more suited.