CONFLICT!! WHAT TO DO: 370z or Lotus Exige S

JoeD

The Elise/Exige has never impressed me on the track. Regardless of how much fun they are, they are highly overrated and not as fast as everyone thinks.

It will be fun after about the first week. Then you realize you're driving a tin can. Get the Z.

JonBoy

There are very few people that can drive them to their limit. An instructor in my S2000 (with me in the passenger seat) passed a number of them that were on slicks and we were on street tires. However, the Elise/Exige is MILES faster than an S2000 around a track, given equal drivers.

It's all about who is driving them. With a truly competent driver, they are as quick (stock for stock) as cars with up to double the power (ie, Z06, Porsche 911, Ferrari 360) on tight tracks. They lose out on the straights because their aerodynamics are horrible and they aren't high powered (weight effects are negligible at speeds above 60 or 70 mph and so drag dominates, meaning power is the major requirement for speed).

A properly driven Exige will murder a 350Z/370Z around almost any track. They are beasts. There just aren't many beast masters.

They are not daily drivers for most people. Zero cargo room, loud, harsh, and rough riding. They have virtually no sound deadening and you can hear every pebble and piece of grit you drive over.

Could I DD one? Probably, since I drive under 20 miles a day on good roads. However, it probably wouldn't be that fun since most of it is on 60 mph highways (ie, boring). The Z probably does make a lot more sense to 99% of the population.