Has anyone here made the move from a 350z to a Lotus Exige? I'm really interested in this car right now, and I'm not sure whether to go FI and enjoy crazy power, or get a lotus and enjoy nimble, light driving feel and exotic looks.

 

If i can afford one... i would get one

 

What would you use the Lotus for? The Elise/Exige are extremely painful if you're thinking about using them as daily drivers.

 

I would only consider the exige, the elise is slow as hell

 

You actually driven one for more than a day? I'm 6' 3" and 200 Lbs. and I wasn't uncomfortable.

 

The Lotus is a $60,000 car. A comparison with the 350Z is silly.

 

it looks nice ... but no thanks for everyday use.

 

dats y i said if i could lol

 

I've driven one, but no, not for more than a day. From the experience, however, I can't imagine the car being a very good daily driver. Spartan interior and amenities, loud, and not terribly comfortable. Obviously, none of these really matter on the track where the car is meant to shine.

 

Haha i don't understand why everyone's getting all heated and assuming i'm gonna use it as a daily driver. My plan is to FI the Z, or get the exige S and a daily driver honda accord.

I'm not looking for people to call me out on wanting a lotus. I'm looking for OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE THE SWITCH.

 

you mean exige s right? but anways DD'ing these cars is a kick in the ****, especially when its raining andyou get to "crawl" out of one lol ALSO no one sees these little street legal go carts so BE CAREFUL, drive like your driving a motorcycle....but ya if its for DD'ing i would say no IMO though, i love the cars, but buy like a civic or something with it

 

A girl I met while I was at a bar drives a Lotus Exige. She actually let me drive her Lotus. That car was definitely fun to drive. The money I spent on going FI with my Z compared to a Lotus Exige... I pick my Z hands down. I could afford to do the switch and even if I could have made that choice before I spent all my $ on my Z.. I would still have gone with the Z. That's my opinion.

 

The lotus does look sooooo goood!!!

 

I can imagine parking the car and as soon as i get out "how much that car cost? over 100,000!" lol

 

I've driven an elise, it was by no means "slow" it was definitely faster than my Z, i love the bare bones race car aspect about it. I would trade in a heartbeat.

But then again i've never been in a boosted z

 

hahaha yeah - thanks for your opinion, vegas350. I agree about FI costs on a lotus - BIG $$$ compared to Z parts. Last I checked, the only reliable supercharger kit for the exige/elise costs $17,000 alone.

BUT i would be going for a 2007 exige S that is already a bit faster, but not by much.

I was hoping someone who had actually made the switch would answer, because I honestly don't know whether the light weight, brilliant handling and the looks of the lotus would compensate for its lack of power. I do know that I would NEVER buy an elise though.

 

Geeze they look tiny. I've gone against one at the strip, no *****, extreme lack of torque.

 

I thought about the Lotus, but I took a chance on the new LS3 Corvettes.

 

I just bought my Z, but if I had the choice, the lotus would be at the top of my list. If you want performance, the lotus is what you are looking for. I dont know what you use your Z for, but if you are going to the track or even auto-x, the exige beats anything out there. This car's purpose is solely performance, it is balanced perfectly, you dont need a lot of power to go fast around the track. That is a true driver's car. Thats the reason why Im leaving power mods for my Z last, if I do any.

Look at it this way, theres people out there that will pass your Z on the track driving a stock miata, it really isnt about power.

Also keep in mind that you would have to learn how to drive mid engine, which in my opinion is SO MUCH more challenging and rewarding. The Z is an AWSOME car, but the lotus is on a totally different level.

Good Luck.