Have you driven both?

 

I've driven every varient of a 997 not including a Cup Car and also the Exige (as we're a Lotus dealer)-

comparing an over priced kit car with a Toyota sourced engine to a purpose built car and OEM sourced power plant is just plain...silly.

 

Nothing in this review leads me to believe the Exige has moved up any further than the 3rd car in one's garage. It still has the incredibly cheap interior (only now it's even more dated) and the huge door jams making it a pain to get in and out of (and I'm only 5'9").

"You don’t buy a GT3 or an Exige to be a daily driver"

- Couldn't disagree more. When I think of a 911 GT3 I think of a car that does everything extremely well. I can take the girlfriend to a fancy restaurant and then go to the nightclub afterward and park VIP. I can tear up the local race course, or just blow through the local park on the weekend all the while knowing I'm driving one of the most reliable automobiles on the road. The GT3 is the perfect second car when coupled with an SUV or Sedan.

The Lotus? With that cheap interior and the door setup I'll have to basically lift the girlfriend into her seat while she's wearing heels and then, once she's inside, convince her why the car cost so much. ...and imagine how great we're going to look struggling to get out of the car in front of the entrance to the club :/

I've driven the older Exige S 240 on the Nurburgring and this just looks like a faster, better looking version of that -- hardly 911 GT3 competition in anything other than performance.

I guess what I'm trying to say is - it looks like another great Lotus but it's no GT3...

 

Stoppie, have you driven THIS Exige? I don't think they've made it to the US yet. Same for the guy above, I've done a lot of miles in the previous Exige and as far as the ride, handling, power delivery, steering, composure and feel go, they're worlds apart.

Honestly I don't see how you can categorically state that it's not better than the GT3 when you haven't driven both.

This is a game changer for Lotus.

I agree the interior is still low rent, as you can read in the text, and yes, sure if you are going to use it as your DD the GT3 would be preferable.

But still £30k more expensive.

In purely subjective terms of the driving experience, in my opinion having driven both, the Exige V6S is a better car than the 997.2 GT3 as a fun fast road car.

 

- Sounds like they've made it a better car on the track. It does not sound like they've made it a better weekend street car in comparison to the GT3.

- Sure I can. Have they changed the issues with getting into and out of the car? No. Have they fixed the cheap interior? No. Have they made it no longer look like a kit car? No. A faster, better handling, better steering version of the Exige I've driven doesn't equal a GT3 beater because they aren't even competition for each other. This looks like a poor-man's alternative to a GT3 cup-car; not competition for any of the GT3 street cars.

- I doubt it. The Evora S is more "cross-shoppable" to a GT3 than this thing.

- The GT3 would be preferable for almost anything. The only thing this might be preferable for is a road course.

- Right. ...and for that 30k you get a Porsche motor instead of a Toyota one and an actual interior.

- That's a whole lot of qualifiers being used by someone who earlier made the statement that the Exige beat the GT3 "hands down."

 

In. My. Opinion.

Those are the three key words here. I would not buy a GT3 as a daily driver, that's certain. Therefore for me, I would choose an Exige V6S over a GT3 because i thought it was a better driver's car.

I don't mind people disagreeing with my opinion, but telling me mine is wrong gets on my nerves a wee bit. It's an opinion - if we all had the same one the world would be a very boring place.

 

Thanks for the great review, I enjoyed the pics - I need to find out when they land on our shores

This Exige isn't going to make it to the US market for now. It might change once/if they are compliant with new safety regulations at a later stage.

 

I've never been a fan of Lotus's designs from the past but my god that car is beautiful. I didn't read the review yet but it sure looks purpose built esp. the interior. Gotta love it. Lotus you may have gained a new fan!

 

i will agree with you about getting in and out. about 8yrs ago when i was only 5 ft 8 my dad n i visited the Porsche dealership; which is right nxt to a lotus dealer. i had to basically fall into the lotus and crawl out of it lol

 

I wouldn't buy a GT3 for a 'daily driver' but I wouldn't even buy this Lotus for a 'weekend driver' -- while the GT3 is practically the perfect second car, the Exige still appears to be a third or even a fourth car in the garage. I haven't driven an Evora yet but it appears to be Lotus's attempt at a 'second car'...

Weren't you doing the same thing by telling others they couldn't have an opinion because they hadn't driven the car

You did a wonderful job explaining why the new Exige is better than the old Exige. On the same hand you've shown that all the reasons myself and many others would never buy one are still clearly there.