Frimley111R

No. It's a nightmare. Simply finding a spare Saturday to see/drive anything is the one of the many challenges. And I'm torn between a new Emira and a Exige 410, with pros and cons of each. And a used Emira. They are both big amounts of money for a normal guy like me and so it's not just buying a car, it's making a financial decision based in large part on residuals. A used Emira, new Emira and 410 may have quite differing residuals that could vary by £10k plus. I can see a 410 holding its value best but the Emira still having strong residuals. You're guess is as good as mine though. I loved my old 111R S/C but a drive of a V6 Exige (not the best one) left me feeling a bit cold. Instead of light, nimble and fast it felt heavy and not that quick. Although a ride in a 410 was like being shot out of a cannon! I sold my Elise and had an Evora S IPS because at least I used it all year round but it never felt like a 'hoon car', just too lovely to thrash like I stole it. The Elise was the only car I ever came home from work and wanted to go out in immediately but I don't like the styling of the Mk3 Elise, looks a bit soft to me. But, the Elise/Exige is an old chassis/car fundamentally and I wonder if a manual Emira might be the best option now. A bit of a mix between the two. And a better place for the V6. And its a proper car inside. I need to drive one but I need a dealer/seller who is bothered about selling one and so far they have been a bit elusive. First world problems eh? Lol

Cross posted from SELOC (it was my post): This is odd, or maybe I can't get my head around it (PCP with £20k deposit, 4yrs): New Emira £90k £589 p/m Balloon £41k Used Emira £63k £549 p/m Balloon £34k (New one on 0% finance). It seems like a deposit plus similar monthlies gives me a new car that's worth £10k more at the end. That can't be right? And related Exige 410 £65k £555 p/m Balloon £35k However, I think the 410 will hold its value better Maybe.

TBH they all seem to be sitting around! Pretty much any highish value sports car seems unsaleable right now. It also helps that there's no rush on my part.

Just noticed, MrD! Mr (Nice Lotus but Porsches are better) D? 😉 Thanks for the post. The 350s look very good and I've discounted the 430 (not that I was ever in that price bracket) and the 389/390 as these seem like track-focused models. Right now I am looking at either a 350 or the 410. The 410 is gorgeous but I wonder if it's too gorgeous with all that CF. Of course, financially it doesn't make sense but then a sports car doesn't make sense on any rational level anyway! And now I've seen a 410 up close I can't unsee it (I blame Chris from Sporting Bears who took me out in his last week)! Plus with the sad news on SELOC about Batty I'm inclined to remember the phrase 'Have fun, it's later than you think'. Just need to find time to go and look at some of them now....helpfully they are mostly 100 miles+ away 🙄 Quick question - some have switchable exhausts, where you flick a switch and it goes between quite loud to very loud. Is that on specific models only?

I had a ride in a 410 at the weekend and it was nuts! So fast and sounded amazing I am now looking for one. However, at £70k they’re quite pricey! (but should hold their value well so I'd only really be paying for any loan interest). Would one of the similar models offer the same performance/sound etc for a bit less? I can see lots of versions of the Exige but it’s a bit confusing tbh…

Just thinking about it. a £62k car is actually a £77k one with the interest. A new one is 'only' £30k more as it is on 0% interest rates. C8 - I agree with you. If I wasn't a massive Lotus fan and petrolhead I wouldn't even think about a car of this value. I don't get people who don't really care about cars having such expensive ones though. 3-5 year old cars still look new and are a fraction of the cost. Even for me, my BMW 120d M-Sport 2016 is a brilliant daily. I like the new M135i but I am not paying £400+ a month for a car to do essentially the same job, just a bit better! With the Emira I'm just conscious that even quite decently low depreciation may be in the high single thousands. However, prices seem to be barely moving (for most Lotus models too). Buy for £60k, how far can they realistically drop? Who knows but they aren't flying out of showrooms (neither are any similar cars) so numbers will always be limited on the open market which help residuals...

Just did some simple maths on their finance pricing over 4 yrs....£17,000 in interest charges. Jesus!

I've been looking at all sorts of nice 'toys' and none seem to be selling but the bizarre thing is that no-one seems willing to change their prices more than a fraction.

I tested an Exige S a year or so ago at B&C and the gearchange was like a stick in in a bucket. I'm tempted by one again but surely they aren't all that bad, or can be fixed?

I suppose so but these are fairly big numbers when buying at around the £50-£70k level and losing a big chunk in depreciation. That has to be a consideration for me. If I knew that an Emira would only lose a few thousand a year I could take that but, like any car of that value, even small percentages in depreciation amount to a lot in £ terms. The Evora, Exige and Elise CUP 250 all seem to have very strong residuals which make the financial decisions easier, but technically, the Emira is the best (I appreciate they are quite different from the Exige/Elise). Ideal cars are an Exige 410 and Emira but both are around £70k. The Exige will loose less, probably nothing. The Emira looks amazing. First world problems eh?

This thread does get a little distracted it seems, at least the post above is back on track.

I may be in full man-maths mode but I took a look at B&Cs forecourt yesterday and even Mrs 111R got a bit tempted. My Evora S was £45k second hand and lost £1k in two years. Therefore spending big cost me next to nothing, even the insurance was half that of my Elise! Now, the Emira is stunning but....how likely am I to take a hit here? A lightly used one seems sensible and on a PCP (which are all a punchy 9%) is a potential target but I am not sure if an Evora 410 is a better place to put my money, even if I don't really want another one (as much has I loved mine before).

Ah ok, apologies.

Very low priced 410 : https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405029298370?fromSavedAds=true&advertising-location=at_cars&sort=relevance&postcode=gu153tf

Thanks, interesting thread