C6 Z06 or Lotus Exige S?

[rotaz]

I thinking of either picking up a Z06 or an Exige S strictly a weekend car for spirited driving and road racing events 4-6 times a year. I have a DD so practicality is not an issue.

I know they are really different cars:

Z06 being a monster that's more a comfortable daily driver that has a little more luxary and practicality. Much more power than the Exige S (I think it's too much power for me to handle on the tracks, eek), but it would be nice to have all that.

Exige S, more of a track star go kart that's pretty much meant for one thing. Good gas mileage and should be quite reliable with the toyota motor/tranny. Definately not practical at all.

I was wondering if any of you guys had the privilege to driving both or even owning both cars that can provide feedback on either or.

Ultimately, I want a reliable car overall that can handle road racing events throughout the entire day w/o any overheating issues and the cost of ownership is average. I would consider a GTR, but after doing much research on the maintenance and it's not cheap!

I love the way they both look, Exige looking more exotic.

Cost would be about the same that's not an issue, since I'd be getting a used one.

Any feedback would be awesome!

Thanks

[MisterSkiMask]

I have shopped of a Lotus off and on for a couple of years, I've done the research but don't have first hand experience.

The Lotus will make you a better driver on the track. One thing that ay keep you away from the Lotus is the fact that it is a bit fragile. It doesn't take much to total a Lotus. If you go off track you can do some expensive damage very easily.

I think the 'vette would be more durable, definitely easier to mod, and cheaper to own in the long run.

I would rather track the Lotus, but the Z06 is no joke on the track. I have read about some trans issues (usually on modded cars) and would be more comfortable to go to and from the track.

I know there are some Z06 owners around here hopefully one of them can pipe up.

[quagmire]

Z06. The Lotus is hell to get in and out of. Once in they are a bit fun to drive, but nothing beats the sound of the Small Block V8.

[montreal red]

Originally Posted by quagmire

Z06. The Lotus is hell to get in and out of. Once in they are a bit fun to drive, but nothing beats the sound of the Small Block V8.

+1
i'd go for the power!! plus a z06 can double as a weekend getaway car as well... you wont be able to fit any luggage at all in an exige

[rotaz]

so far the vote is

Z06 (3)
lotus (0)

[NewSong]

[hks786]

Z06 for me, but from the sounds of what you said you should go for the Lotus. Though maybe you should drive both first and see if you can handle the Z06. If you can, then go for that.

[EmPower]

I would go Lotus...nothing against the Z06, but there is something to be said about a small, light car which has a decent motor and A+ dynamics. Case in point, I almost picked up a used Cayman on Friday as a fun little DD, for the times that my 335 is a little much.

[KingOfJericho]

I had a 2006 Exige (pre-S) and while it's an amazing car for the track, it's just not practical for any road-going purposes. Everything rattles, the suspension is rock solid (which I actually loved), and as mentioned before, it's FAR too fragile to have in the real world. I rubbed a guardrail with mine... it would have been $4k to fix on a normal car but the final repair bill was $25,000 on the Exige. Z06 is FAR more usable but you do give up the raw driving that Lotus is famous for.

The Lotus is a great experience but much like a boat or a pick-up truck, it's better to have a friend with one than to own one yourself.

[Hula-Hula]

I say Z06 aswell AWESOME car that 7.0 litre V8 is

[OBI_agent]

I love the Z06(505hp) but if you want something unique, it could be the Lotus. I dont think you will see as many lotus as corvettes.

And on the other hand, I think you should research on how much the maintainance of the Lotus will cost and compare with the Z06. It's just a guess, but I think Zo6 will be cheaper to maintain. Plus the power on the Zo6 is just mesmerizing.

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by OBI_agent

And on the other hand, I think you should research on how much the maintainance of the Lotus will cost and compare with the Z06. It's just a guess, but I think Zo6 will be cheaper to maintain. Plus the power on the Zo6 is just mesmerizing.

I actually did quite a bit of the maintenance on the Exige on my own. It's a Celica motor so it's nothing exotic to work on although removing the flat panels from the bottom to change the oil was a PITA. It's actually a great car to tinker with and work on.

[rotaz]

Thanks guys for the response, I wanted to get non-biased feedback (E90 forum) first, before I actually went to go test drive so I have some pointers before I go in.

The thought of having to repair the body of a lotus is scaring me away ($4k vs $25k...ouch!)

Thanks for the thoughts!

[MTV]

Z
0
6

[quagmire]

Originally Posted by rotaz

Thanks guys for the response, I wanted to get non-biased feedback (E90 forum) first, before I actually went to go test drive so I have some pointers before I go in.

The thought of having to repair the body of a lotus is scaring me away ($4k vs $25k...ouch!)

Thanks for the thoughts!

Wait, what? You think E90post is unbiased?

If you dig a little, you'll find a lot of members here who will bash anything short of a BMW much less non-German cars. Especially American cars.

[NewSong]

Originally Posted by EmPower

I would go Lotus...nothing against the Z06, but there is something to be said about a small, light car which has a decent motor and A+ dynamics. Case in point, I almost picked up a used Cayman on Friday as a fun little DD, for the times that my 335 is a little much.

The Z06 is a small, light car.

Curb weight = 3132

[NewSong]

Originally Posted by OBI_agent

I love the Z06(505hp) but if you want something unique, it could be the Lotus. I dont think you will see as many lotus as corvettes.

And on the other hand, I think you should research on how much the maintainance of the Lotus will cost and compare with the Z06. It's just a guess, but I think Zo6 will be cheaper to maintain. Plus the power on the Zo6 is just mesmerizing.

Changing the oil of a Z06 cost $60 tops.

When I had my E92, I remember the dealership trying to charge me $350+ for an out of interval service oil change.

[mpower03]

z06 without a doubt

[mpower03]

i would also buy a c6 before an exige s

[TSM330i]

I've owned a Z06 and I would without a doubt choose the Z06 over the Exige S. Yes, the Exige is all that you say it is (but the gas mileage isn't one of the Lotus' strong suites - I got 27mpg in my Z06 going out to Carlisle two years ago).

Stock for stock, the Exige is definitely going to be a more engaging car than the Z06, but it will be far, far behind the Z06 when it comes to track times. There are simple bolt-ons with the Vette that will help with the connection to the car and the road. The stock suspension is completely adjustable from the factory. You can lower the car and change camber a bit. Yes, the car is a live wire when you're in a turn and it feels as if you breath on the gas the back end will bite. It can, you just need to be patient with the throttle and all will be good.

Simply put - the Z06 is a true supercar when it comes to performance, but at a fraction of the cost to maintain.

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by Bryan0102

I sat in a lotus and I figured I might as well be sitting on the pavement. The pedals are straight out. And how tall are you? Im a little over 5'10 and (with the top off) I was looking right at the top of the windshield. Couldnt see shit

Can't believe I forgot about this. Yeah, the seats do not recline and only move forward and back. They also have ZERO lumbar suport. You do look directly at the top of the windshield (I actually removed the sun visors which helped a bit). You can't pull up to the stop line at any lights or you won't be able to see when it turns green.

[OBI_agent]

Originally Posted by rotaz

The thought of having to repair the body of a lotus is scaring me away ($4k vs $25k...ouch!)

Nice decision OP....now that difference is just insane.

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

I actually did quite a bit of the maintenance on the Exige on my own. It's a Celica motor so it's nothing exotic to work on although removing the flat panels from the bottom to change the oil was a PITA. It's actually a great car to tinker with and work on.

Oh yeh....I forgot about the 1.8 litre from corolla or celica....but the op mentioned the body repair could cost serious $$$$....so ZO6 it is

Originally Posted by NewSong

Changing the oil of a Z06 cost $60 tops.

When I had my E92, I remember the dealership trying to charge me $350+ for an out of interval service oil change.

Huh....I thought that happened in GCC countries only. The BMW dealers think that everyone who owns a BMW is a oil producer in their own backyard....!