New Exige Sport 350

[alias23]

10 hours ago, RedViper said:

If an LSD means that much to you then why not just fit one to current car?

http://www.hangar111.com/shop/lotus-exige-v6-s-gearbox-clutch/618-exige-evora-s-v6-komotec-limited-slip-differential.html

 

 

If it was a simple task I would in an instance, but unfortunately its 30 hours of labour which is somewhat expensive.... Either way next year it will be either LSD or KT430, however if I'm lucky with bonuses then ideally both

9 hours ago, The Pits said:

As far as Imran's point I'd have to try one with a mechanical LSD to judge its value, but I wouldn't want one if the penalty was more understeer. There didn't seem to be any understeer penalty with the Exige 400 but if you're comparing my videos to Gavan Kershaw's legendary car control in the Exige 400 then you need to know that it's not the Exige that's coming up short! Hopefully at least it's clear that the Exige 350 Sport can and will oversteer in a lurid, smokey fashion if anyone so desires. As for being controllable, I can tell you that we didn't spin at any point and also that I think it would have been harder to replicate in any four cylinder Exige. It would have been fun trying though! 

Forgive my ignorance Pits.... The Evora400 would it be relatively safe to say they have a similar chassis to the Exige? Albeit different suspension setup?

As always fair points made, but please don't think I was critiquing your ability or car control, my point was the actual cars ability to control its own rear wheels under oversteer ie. one spinny wheel whilst the other wheel faffs around lol

[alias23]

1 hour ago, JAWS said:

I don't think you're making things up Jonny, I think there was just some confusion as I said. I was told the Press cars with the forged wheels had to use the Komotec versions due to availability issues. Therefore, Motorsport/ride and handling had to do a lot of work on components to counteract the offset so that they were happy with the feel that they were looking for. The production version will obviously be machined to be like this straight out of the box.

Does this mean LMS will be selling of a set of forged Komotec's cheap in the coming months

[Bibs]

 

[RedViper]

When I read the 30 hours comment above I thought that can't be right but a quick Google reveals it is in fact right. 

Agreed then. Offseting the likely £3k bill against a new care might be better idea 

[C8RKH]

But if you did it when the clutch needed changing anyway would not the extra cost be neglible?

[Jack]

12 hours ago, JAWS said:

I don't think you're making things up Jonny, I think there was just some confusion as I said. I was told the Press cars with the forged wheels had to use the Komotec versions due to availability issues. Therefore, Motorsport/ride and handling had to do a lot of work on components to counteract the offset so that they were happy with the feel that they were looking for. The production version will obviously be machined to be like this straight out of the box.

I've been running these wheels on the CupR and they fit fine.  I am running more aggressive geo settings as I'm on slicks.

The wheels are hub-centric  and require no spacers.  Fronts are the same width as stock but with a bit more aggressive offset than stock (20mm vs 26.3) and fit well within the front fender wells; rear wheels have the same offset as tock (35mm) but are 10" instead of 9.5" wide, so they provide ~6mm less back space and stick out towards the fenders by ~6mm as well.  No rubbing front or rear, even with maximum negative camber.

[alias23]

4 hours ago, C8RKH said:

But if you did it when the clutch needed changing anyway would not the extra cost be neglible?

True... Unsure how tough the v6 clutch is but sounds like not too many people have had to change yet so likely I could be waiting a while before mines up for replacement... 

[Neal H]

You could always spend a day at Santa Pod trying to lower your standing quarter mile times. That should lead to a new clutch requirement in next to no time

 

[AndyFoggy]

I think that Lotus doesn't love his fans who buy the cars.
Continue versions with some differences: first Exige S, after Exige CR, then Exige 360 Cup and now Exige Sport 350. All this in a few months. There is no logic, they're crazy.
I'm angry, I don't think I'll buy a more Lotus in the future.

[The Pits]

what would you prefer Lotus did instead Andrea?

 

 

 

[AndyFoggy]

Jonny, I wish there was more logic into models, a substantial differentiation and a name that continues over time.
Porsche has always Carrera, Carrera S, Carrera 4, Carrera 4S, Turbo, Turbo S, GT3, GT3 RS.
What does it mean to call a car before Exige S and Exige 350 Sport later? It makes no sense if in the middle insert a Exige Club Racer, produce an Exige Cup 360, which costs more than the Exige Sport 350 but that has almost the same performance and weight. In a few months will come the new V6 Cup maybe the call Exige 370 Cup?

[Bibs]

4 minutes ago, AndyFoggy said:

Porsche has always Carrera, Carrera S, Carrera 4, Carrera 4S, Turbo, Turbo S, GT3, GT3 RS.

8 variants of 1 car? 

As previously mentioned in this topic, Lotus will now have 'Sport' for lightweight cars, 'Cup' for track focussed and 'Cup R' for race cars. Simple. 

[CTRMint]

I see Andreas view, a rstream of tweaks and 'special editions' doesn't help owners feel comfortable with their product choice long term.  Lotus are producing a luxury good, especially in the Exige.  Each time they do this they confuse the market.  Punters need some reassurance the product has some longevity.  Prodrive did this with Subarus Impreza back in the day, where as other brands such as Ford were far more selective with special editions, such as the limited tweaks to the RS.  They held up far better.

Lotus will end up in a situation where it becomes damaging.  I agree the 350 has some nice touches, such as the gear linkage etc, but the timing does look a little desperate and indicates a company trying to invigorate life into the product.  Personally I don't think it needed the changes, I don't think there will be a single purchaser that buys an Exige 350 because of the new changes.  Most of those buying would have bought anyway.   The upshot is therefore previous customers feeling a bit hacked off, and no significant benefits to Lotus.

Personally I would have liked have seen the gear linkage and other styling touches on a new product that real pushed Lotus.

 

 

[AndyFoggy]

16 minutes ago, Bibs said:

8 variants of 1 car? 

As previously mentioned in this topic, Lotus will now have 'Sport' for lightweight cars, 'Cup' for track focussed and 'Cup R' for race cars. Simple. 

No Bibs, was an example to say that for many years Porsche has always these denominations.
Lotus continues to be confused with the names.
I hope that from now and forever we know the "Sport", the "Cup" and "Cup R".

[Bibs]

As far as I'm aware, that's the plan

 

[AndyFoggy]

We hope well. In the meantime I will go disappointment 

[Stubox]

I can see Andys point but once you realise that the 360 Cup is a 50 off and they have made clear now that the walk up is as Bibs intimates then it works.

 

Andy your car looks great and drives fab so don't worry. All manufacturers do the same sort of thing.

 

I mean it's not as if you've just bought a Cup for instance and before you pick it up Lotus wheel out a car nearly as light and considerably cheaper. You'd have to be a right fool to have that happen...... oh hang on

[quantum2000]

Just noticed that the 360 CUP has vanished from the Lotus website, it was there this morning ???

[Trevsked]

I've not seen the spec of the 350 Sport but would wager at the base price it's low and once brought up to something that you would buy and as importantly be able to sell at a later date then it would cost the same as the regular V6.

 

Trevor.

[NedaSay]

2 hours ago, quantum2000 said:

Just noticed that the 360 CUP has vanished from the Lotus website, it was there this morning ???

That could mean that the model has been sold out, it was always going to be a limited edition.

Besides exige S roadster and Club Racer should disappear soon to make way for the Sport 350 roadster and the V6 Cup R will probably also disappear soon to make way for the next incarnation of the Cup model that should have marginally more power than the 360 Cup, 365-370 bhp maybe. Considering the current pace going on in Hethel, it could be out some times next year.   

Edited December 18, 2015 by NedaSay

[Bibs]

2 hours ago, Trevsked said:

I've not seen the spec of the 350 Sport

At the bottom...

http://www.thelotusforums.com/latest-news/lotus-cars-news/driven-exige-sport-350/

[jbs]

16 hours ago, Bibs said:

8 variants of 1 car? 

As previously mentioned in this topic, Lotus will now have 'Sport' for lightweight cars, 'Cup' for track focussed and 'Cup R' for race cars. Simple. 

Oh but you are still missing the Carrera Cabriolet, Carrera S Cabriolet, Carrera 4 Cabriolet, Carrera 4S Cabriolet, Targa 4, Targa 4S, Turbo Cabriolet, Turbo S Cabriolet, Carrera GTS, Carrera 4 GTS and then some special editions (Black edition, 911R,...)

 

Edited December 19, 2015 by jbs

[Trevsked]

15 hours ago, Bibs said:

At the bottom...

http://www.thelotusforums.com/latest-news/lotus-cars-news/driven-exige-sport-350/

Thanks Bibs and looks to me like my assumption was correct. I think its a good way to go marketing the cars with lower price and spec then leaving the customer to choose whatever upgrades they want.

 

Trevor.

[NedaSay]

14 hours ago, jbs said:

Oh but you are still missing the Carrera Cabriolet, Carrera S Cabriolet, Carrera 4 Cabriolet, Carrera 4S Cabriolet, Targa 4, Targa 4S, Turbo Cabriolet, Turbo S Cabriolet, Carrera GTS, Carrera 4 GTS and then some special editions (Black edition, 911R,...)

 

Is that really a problem ? If it is then, the Sport 350 Roadster is on the way. Lotus has been using Club Racer in recent years and Cup Lotus can also use GT for its ultimate version when they are not Cup.  Besides Lotus doesn't need to go head to head with the Porsche brand. The can have and probably keep simplifying things and let the customers figure what they want, They offer Metallic and Signature paintwork on Exige but only offer Metallic on Evora, I guess they are still figuring what the customers want.

In the end the Exige line up could look something like:

• Exige Sport 350 (the new base line)
• Exige Club Racer 350 (sort of a Cup "light" available as a coupe and roadster)
• Exige 360 Cup (or future replacement available as coupe only)

Lotus could also decide to put a 4 cyl in the Exige to go ultralight as the GRFE weighs 163kg naked so probably 175kg with the supercharger ; a 4 cyl would shave another 40 to 70kg.

 

 

[The Pits]

The Club Racer is no more which means there are more Cayman models now than Exige but frankly so what?

I'm not keen on the name 350 Sport but it makes no difference to me what Lotus call them, it's just a decal on the bumper. As long as they drive well, and ideally better each time, they can call them whatever they like.