Exige Sport 350 Upgrade

[Wilbert Camshaft]

a few weeks ago I gave a summary of my deliberations about wether to buy a new Exige Sport 410 or keep upgrading my 2017 Sport 350. As posted before eventually I decided to do the ladder, last week i picked up my Lotus at KomoTec in Mendig and two days later the wether conditions allowed for a first test drive, which was great!

I abided by my decision for the KomoTec EX 460 Package (Chargecooler, Manifolds, HJS Kat) without the pulley of the supercharger and without increased boost pressure - basically the EX 390 Kit with chargecooler.

The power output is 403 PS and 438 NM - I'am very pleased with that result, because what I intended was my Lotus Exige Sport 350 with the power output of the Sport 410 along with dependable thermic stability.

The expense is almost the same as if I had opted for the unmodified EX 460 Kit which makes sense because the amount of work is the same no matter the power output.

The car feels much more powerful and handles great - at the end of march I'll be back to Italy (Imola and Mugello with the Pistenclub), I look forward the performance on track and I'am curious about the lap times I can achieve then...

Subsequent I post my thoughts from November last year over again just to keep my decision process transparent - maybe it helps evrybody in a comparable consideration process

I repeatedly decided to upgrade my Sport 350 which I bought two years ago new from KomoTec in Mendig and I recommend that step by step approach because that way your driving skills can keep pace with the Lotus...

Initially I assembled to the brand-new car

• Öhlins Suspension Kit Track

• Harness bar and 4 point harness

• Transmission Oilcooler

• Motorsport towing eye

• Forged Wheels

After the first year and an few trackdays I added

• close ratio final drive (highly recommended)

• Drexler LSD

• uprated clutch

• KoBra Brakes

• fuel cell 60 ltr

At the end of this years tarckday season I pondered if I should continue to upgrade my Sport 350 or trade my Sport 350 in for a new Sport 410 and start to upgrade the 410 from the start as well (LSD, close ratio final drive, towing eye, harness bar, fuel cell).

Again I decided to upgrade my Sport 350 because (beside the tempting chargecooled Sport 410 engine...) there's to many things about the 410 I don't like (besides the margin betwenn the 410 price tag and the Sport 350 depreciation...), in detail the

• exhaust noise (to noisy for trackdays)

• carbon tailgate (ugly to my eyes....)

• tail lights (ugly....)

• manifolds (kats) are the same as with the Sport 350

• final drive

• no LSD

• Michelin Cup2 tires

So I recently carried my Exige Sport 350 to Komotec in Mendig, Germany to get the following modifications assembled for the 2019 trackday season

• manifolds and HJS Kat

• watercooled intercooler

• alloy water radiator  (not available for my car)

That's basically the KomoTec Phase EX390 Upgrade with watercooled intercooler because the charge pressure and the pulley will stay unmodified (approximately 410 watercooled HP expected....)

Next year perhaps I will upgrade that setup to the KomoTec Phase EX460 Upgrade for the 2020 trackday season.....

The last time I enyoyed a trackday with the "old" 2018 setup was in October in Mugello, Italy - I improved my laptime from 2:14:95 to 2:13:08 without interim modifications, so the 2nd Lotus season ended perfect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRvBNN1bjU0

To be continued.....

[NANO]

Do you also make changes to the exterior bodywork and technical parts ? (forget whell, brake, nitron / Ohlins, rear wing, carbonskirts, etc.)

[Wilbert Camshaft]

I always carry a spare set of forged wheels with me to track days since a blown rear tire ruined a trackday in Zandvoort last year. Brakes and Öhlins are given above - but I did not apply any changes to the exterioer bodywork.

[Wilbert Camshaft]

Meanwhile I've been to Italy in Imola and Mugello, the weather conditions were perfect (blue sky and up to 24° in Imola, Mugello partial cloudy and 22°) to check the performance of the KomoTec modifications illustrated above.

Conclusion: feels and performs perfect on track, the car is significantly improoved, the power output is unaffected by outside temperature, highly recommended upgrade!!

Considering the money spent fortunately the car did not only feel better but my lap times also improoved significantly on both tracks

• Imola 02:02:42 - last year 02:04:74
• Mugello 02:11:43 - last year 02:13:24

You can find the videos here:

• Imola https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixvG_i9SRPY
• Mugello: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN-ApD-XISE