alias23
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Posts posted by alias23
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@Bibs there's no UK forum or even EU forum ... The owners club is very FB orientated which isn't the same and to be honest its a little 'old boys club' in how it works imo.
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A pleasure ... it seems common for Lotus owners to move into Mclaren. @Bibs should be setting up a Mclaren forum as there is not one in the UK 😜
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Agree @Day1zero the Lotus gave me seven years plus of zero issues vs the Mclaren which is a bit of a diva! For sure the old saying of Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious I think has moved from Lotus to Mclaren... that said 2.5 years in im finding self warranty is paying itself back on my ownership vs being succumbed to the dealers!
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Reliability
The Lotus was super reliable never ever had an issue. The Mclaren, although you hear horror stories, its been okay. Okay in terms of it not being amazing but no way near horror. Over the last two years, I've replaced the exhaust (£600 second hand) as the OEM developed a crack so I moved to a non valved option.
This was a nice little upgrade, the valveless exhaust option which is actually a USA spec exhaust removes the heavy back box which comes as standard on the UK spec cars. You get a little more noise and crackles by removing the box. At the time the car was under warranty but trying to deal with a warranty replacement was just a pain so I just handled it myself.
I also had a vacuum solenoid die which cost £800 all in to be replaced by V-Engineering (Mclaren independent). Also a cracked windscreen, they crack as the glass is very thin, managed to sort under insurance so just the excess £150.
Recently there's been a discovery that the door hinges do have some weakness and in turn can crack, even though at the time of me discovering mine had been effected and I was outside of warranty, Mclaren as a gesture have resolved the issue which is pretty good news for once!
You will hear the cars have a problem with corrosion of the paint, its something which is a sore point for many owners as its a known issue but one Mclaren seem to want to ignore. IF you discover the issue within the first five years of the new date of the car you're fine, although after this time you're on your own. This is pretty crap as Mclaren won't share paint codes and obviously this causes challenges when trying to get things resolved if you want to do it outside of the main dealers.
I have not extended my warranty as I felt Mclaren just don't use common sense and lots of common issues now excluded so decided to 'self warranty' which gives me options to use my own common sense. For those who have a Mclaren or thinking of moving to Mclaren and also going through the conundrum of extending warranty or not I've written an extended blog here: https://alias23.com/blogs/news/should-i-renew-my-mclaren-extended-warranty
Mclaren Dealers
This could be an essay. Simply put the dealer network is crap, poor service, very little common sense, crazy expensive. For example £800 for an oil service vs an independent which would be £350. McLaren Guildford are decent but have to abide by Mclaren rules so lets say a spring breaks on a dampener, common sense would be replace the spring (£200), but Mclaren make you buy the whole suspension strut (£4.5K). Its just nuts and unfortunately adds to the perception of Mclarens being unreliable etc etc... If you stick with the brain washing of Mclaren dealers then things can get very painfully expensive, however there's some great independents now which do use common sense and can make things more reasonable (if such a term can be used for Mclaren). I've found RE: Performance, XP1, and V-Engineering as being excellent alternatives to the main dealer and if anything more knowledgable!-
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Its been a long time since I posted, but thought it may be of interest to post a little owner review of my experience to date with the 600LT. Conscious of a number of Lotus owners have moved over to Mclaren so hopefully its a worthwhile read and allowed @Bibs 😆
Lotus vs 600LT- The 600LT has a much nicer interior and environment for trips. Better for 'weekend' away trips for sure. Albeit the radio and sat nav is just rubbish although I didn't have these in the Lotus so no real biggie 😆
- I miss the simplicity of the Lotus. Mclarens are full of electronics and sensors which are very sensitive. However the mechanical side of things are very similar to Lotus and easy to work on once you've got over the fear of working on a car which is expensive.
- The seating position on the 600LT is just perfection with the P1 seats. As many know I had many issues getting my position right in the Lotus - Arguably because I'm a little short! The brake pedal is also perfectly aligned for left foot breaking so much so right foot breaking feels weird.
- I miss 6-point harnesses. On track the P1s are very supportive but miss that 6-point 'fixed in' stability so ill be making a solution.
- The crackles and shotgun noises of the 600LT are amazing and the blue flames at night just make you feel like a kid. For sure the Lotus especially the 430s I'd say have a better NA natural sound track. But those crackles and flames make up for it!
- Handling is very similar to the Lotus. Agile and feels good in the hands, although I have had to improve camber to get to this point as OEM does have understeer on track.
- The Lotus with its supercharger had better throttle response, in the LT you do have some turbo lag but once you're used to it you can work with it... once you hit the power band everything just goes nuts! In the future a map and downpipes should help improve the lag.
- I miss my big wing. The LTs wing has to be low to account for the exhaust. I do wish it had a bigger wing lol
- Dampening. This is hard to compare as I'd gone too far with a track setup on the Lotus, however the adaptive suspension is good both on and off track.
- TC on the Mclaren is very very good. Its impressive. On the Lotus I found the TC quite intrusive and I could feel it fighting. On the LT is much smoother it would be nicer if you could adjust the slip angle as that would be super.
Thats initial thoughts, happy to cover reliability, dealers, and costs etc... if folks are interested in further posts.
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Folks CF side sills now in stock a few pics - Quite impressed by the quality given the price.
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Sorry buddy I missed this post! Ping me an email on imran@alias23.com and I'll send over
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Guys I’ll report more over the coming week or so but I’ve got some CF pre preg side sills en route 👍
4x sets to be in stock and available very soon.
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On 04/06/2021 at 13:28, Bulletmagnet said:
Hi if your serious and can leave the car with me for a few days then I could look to make a design. Ping me an email on imran@alias23.com
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Yokohama Advan A052 - These are the fastest tyre I've had on the Exige on track!
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The original V6S splitter is actually quite flexible but it can crack easily if hit at the wrong angle. The Sliplo solution @Jcx referances which I've packaged is not going to stop a direct crack but help to try and prevent the 'scratching' and scraping especially for those splitters which arent flexible such as the carbon fibre ones on the 410/430 setups. More info can be found here: https://alias23.com/collections/exige-s3-v6-all-products/products/lotus-exige-s3-sliplo-front-splitter-guard with recent installs on @Bispal and @RRSSS 430Cups.
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11 hours ago, fjc27 said:
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Indeed, it seems to be urgent to build or find iron rotors... A lot cheaper, at least in the USA : https://soulpp.com/product/mclaren-600lt-720s-girodisc-iron-rotor-conversion/
Girodisc are great if you live in the US but when you try and bring to the U.K. shipping (esp due to the weight) and customs kill the cost benefit for us folks in U.K. and Europe
Im also not too keen on the Girodisc lock in whereby you only have them as the source of discs/parts going forward.
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2 hours ago, fjc27 said:
Do you plan to use it a lot on track ? Is the running cost comparable to a Porsche GT3 on track ? Does it have known issues under hard usage ?
YES - I will be using for track although due to new job and other priorities I won't be doing the same volume of track days as I did in the Lotus. The big costs are tyres and as @Tex has commented brakes.
Theres very little I can do ref tyres, tyre costs will be a lot higher than the Lotus, although slightly cheaper than the Porsche variant.The BIG cost is the brakes with pads costing around £1,300 and discs around £12K. This is a problem, and one in which I feel is stopping more 600LT owners getting on track. So I've already started plans to create a ceramic to iron rotor conversion which should provide owners a wider choice of disc/pad options (vs locked in) and lower cost of ownership.
I've literally just ordered all the parts I've sized for the conversion and hope to realise a solution in the next 8-12 weeks
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5 hours ago, MrD said:
Best macca of the range, only downside is the soundtrack but the car is truly amazing - very well done!
I was worried about the soundtrack of the exhaust as many said it was quite muted... however I've been quite impressed, maybe its the noise/vibrations that enhance the 'feel', for sure the exhaust is not a complaint for me.... albeit I can see a better design to remove valves from the cat back
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Hi Guys - Sorry for the delay! New job has diverted attention and then had some issues trying to log into accounts etc with new laptop. Anyway seems like the cats out the bag!
What can I say... well its been a journey getting into the position to be able to make the step into a 600LT and feel very very lucky. Initial impressions are best described by Sarah's feedback after she took the car out for a drive on her own, to quote
"Its like the R35 GTR and the Lotus got together on a Friday night, had too much to drink and got carried away with each other and made this!"
For sure the power is on another level and to be honest over the last day or so somewhat daunting its going to take time to build confidence. The build has soo many commonalities with Lotus!
I hope to do a proper video comparison as I think it would be interesting and will keep you all updated. For sure it feels like KungFu Panda V2.0 and im already looking forward and preparing designs for a McLaren product line which can sit alongside the current Lotus catalogue on Alias23.com Thanks to all for your warm support and messages - I truly feel very lucky.
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Hey Guys... After seven years of owning and developing this car from new it’s time for me to move on and seek a new project. So I'm now putting my car up for sale. Conscious everyones going to be asking what I'm looking to upgrade to and at this time you'll just have to wait
For sure @Alias23 continues for all so no worries on that front.
As you’ll know from this build thread the car has wanted for nothing, with over £36,000 of upgrades (exc. Install costs) all detailed below, with a service frequency and breadth which is arguably unnecessary but keeps my OCD at bay and ensures the car is super healthy and strong. The car has been meticulously cared for throughout its life by Dan Webster at HPE Auto and a service listing is available on request.
I’ve not been one for big power numbers, preferring superior handling, weight reduction, and driver tuition, so the car has no engine or exhaust modifications other than the Alias23 intake which adds improved throttle response and addictive induction howl.
Big highlights of the build include the Ohlin TTX suspension as fitted by Lotus Motorsport on the CupR, mechanical LSD which transforms the car both on road and track, genuine OEM 350 shifter upgrade, and the AiM digital dash.
This car literally needs nothing other than a new owner who wants to begin their own journey in developing their own driving skills and get back to enjoying a real driving experience.
It's hard to price a car like this but i'm looking for around £45,000. If anyones interested or has any questions please DM.
**Handling**
Ohlins TTX 2-Way adjustable coilovers (£5,270)
Lotus 400 Upgraded Clutch & Mechanical LSD (£4,500 inc install)
V6 Uprights Spherical Bearing Upgrade (£795)
Spitfire Rear Toe Link Kit (£354)
Komotec KoBra 4 Brake Kit with performance friction discs and pads (£3,330)
Lotus Motorsport Forged Alloys with Yokohama Tyres (£2,700)
Innovative Upgraded Engine Mounts (£500)
**Performance & Other Enhancements**
OEM Lotus 350 Shifter Upgrade (£2,500)
Simply Sports Car Upgraded Shifter Cable Set (£450)
Alias23 Air Intake Kit (£399)
Alias23 Silicone Hose Kit (£120)
Hangar111 Gearbox Oil Cooler (£898)
ProAlloy 60l Fuel Tank (£879)
ProAlloy Ali Uprated Radiator (£718)
**Interior **
AIM MX2E Digital Dash & Laptimer (£1,470)
Alcantara Dash Re-Trim (£1,200)
Seriously Lotus Harness V-Bar (£200)
Schroth 6-Point Harness (£387)
Full Carpet Set (£350)
Carbon Fibre Internal Side Sills (£500)
Carbon Fibre Air Bag Cover (£199)
Inokinetic Heel & Toe Pedal Set (£100)
B+G Quick Release Hub (£143)
Momo Tuner Steering Wheel re-trimmed in Alcantara (£200)
**Exterior**
OEM 430 Cup Rear Wing Brackets with custom Carbon Fibre Komotec Wing (£2,800)
Reverie Carbon Fibre Rear Diffuser (£1,930)
GFWilliams Carbon Fibre Mirrors (£850)
Alias23 Carbon Fibre 430 Cup Side Scoops (£1,000)
Lotus Motorsport CupR Track Front Splitter (£450)
Alias23 Front Splitter Reinforcement Plate (£110)
Alias23 Extended Side Sills (£290)
Lotus Motorsport CupR Canards (£180)
Rear Side Spats (£200)
GRP V2 Rear Lights (£450)
D3003085-D662-4CE0-A82F-6222E77FB130.webp B3AC2DC0-5192-432D-A310-B28C335672A4.webp 2EBF90A3-CA68-42B0-911E-4F85DDC4D283.webp 049F71CA-E405-4E4F-A473-2E3959C1976C.webp 61B15591-75A5-4305-8341-C51D4C845B8B.webp B335E887-2866-499E-A2D1-E6AD4153F0B1.webp 1AB09628-7331-434D-B57C-42C9E9BA385D.webp
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1 hour ago, Mark.A said:
I would also be interested in CF skirts and read canards with a 45 degree weave. They would go nicely with my @alias23 CF side scoops and CF door mirrors. I see within @GFWilliams thread he is starting to make CF parts, maybe Imram and George could do a partnership like they did with the door mirrors?
Hopefully @GFWilliams doesn’t mind me saying this but we have agreed to bring two seperate CF sill options to the market that cater for two different types of buyer and look. I’ll be working on evolving the Alias23 option into a carbon version (arguably a more aggressive track look) whilst George under HellSlow will work on an OEM+ option which will be focused on OCD levels of quality for the purists.
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Now I’m wishing I bought into Burberry last week when I’d pressed to deal but got side tracked on a work call and didn’t complete!
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@GFWilliams a very worth while note "Weave will be 45 degrees out from the middle of the car, but the edges will have carbon which had the weave all the way over the edge to the bottom, meaning it is a no compromise solution. For reference, the OEM ones have a (admittedly neat) join half way through the edge. Other aftermarket ones seem to have given up with the edges... " the edge is the hard bit for sure!
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19 hours ago, geartox said:
thanks for your answer. in your kit do you provide any reenforcement support for the tailgate ?
Not at this time. I may look to make the reinforcement kit if there's enough interest but its quite a lot of work - hence why currently a one off for my car.
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51 minutes ago, geartox said:
You rear wing is not the one proposed on your website which is like the 380, is that correct ? Do you plan to propose your rear wing configuration on your website ? Thanks.
I was intending to go 380 Cup but things got a little carried away with my original plans using 430 uprights.
At this time I hadn’t thought of offering this configuration namely as the cost is rather silly compared to what you can get with the 380 cup option available.
19 hours ago, C7steve said:Your car is looking very good with the new rear spoiler, but have you had to strengthen the tailgate at all around the fixing area or are you mounted on to your chassis?
Steve.
Yes if you look back through the thread I made some internal brackets which have proven very good for extra strength.
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Just found this thread and with shares hitting new lows back in the game of topping up so thought I'd join the conversation. BP is at the lowest its been for a long long time so started to top up. Previously also done well with Lamprell, Fresnillo, and Weir but their still not low enough yet... Always got my eye on Treatt but they seem to remain rock solid at the moment.
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Im booked into this 💪
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I've looked into this in the past.. my recommendation would be to buy the external flange/cover assembly (parts 3, 4, and 5). Then find a decent tuner who can then fit you the cut off and extinguisher.
The cut off and extinguisher are nothing specific or special, a decent tuner can source the right items and fit.
I've driven a friend's Exige 390 and had a revelation... so now I need some help choosing the model
in V6 Exige Chat
Posted
If you're after intoxicating noise just add an intake kit