Good man
First off the bat - if I was using your cash I'd be throwing mid-twenties at the '07 Exige S 220.
This would leave a few quid for warranty, fresh boots & brakes, plus some choice mods to take her up to 240 horses, including a more vocal exhaust.
Back to the Exige lesson!;
Will & -Neil- have outlined the different power variants & touring/performance packs perfectly.
While it may look like Lotus have took the pee with the endless 'limited editions' it has kept the business afloat, but bottom line is - you do NOT buy a brand new 'limited edition' Lotus & not expect its parts to be rolled out as optional extras within six months.
Something to also keep in mind is that no matter which Exige you have it can always be upgraded to the latest spec as they all share the same platform & most items are essentially 'plug & play'.
All colours other than BRG & Ardent Red are factory cost options - cheers Lotus!
Other Lotus cost options are air-con, harness kits, lightweight wheels, 1-way adjustable suspension, TCS, LSD.
For a mini-exotic running costs are brilliant.
The yearly service is under 250 sheets with the option of brake fluid & coolant changes being an extra 50 bob each.
Being a little 1800cc Toyota unit with a chain-cam we keep long-term service costs down plus the MPG is rather splendid for the performance.
Vehicle Tax is cheap & mine has whizzed through both of its paper tests.
Depreciation is also rather kind once the first couple of years have passed, which should hopefully continue as Lotus may be introducing a Renault V6 to power the next gen Exige along with a price hike...
Another item to consider is your proposed usage, as I intended for mine to be for mainly road use I didn't want the restriction of a harness setup or the limitations of the A048 tyres.
The new Toyo R1-R tyre should offer a best of both Worlds option, I believe a full set weighs in at ~£500.
As I am sure you can appreciate Lotus ownership isn't without its testing times...
Mine suffered from a none firing engine at the OcUK RR10 meet - which fixed itself a week or so later.
I also believe -Neil- has suffered a gear-box problem - fixed after a couple or hours getting his hands dirty.
The downside of the Exige is the engine, while the supercharger adds some mid-range & out-right fire power it doesn't provide a pleasant sound track due to the lack of cylinders. A fruity exhaust & filter helps.
In terms of the brand I'm very proud to be part of the Lotus family.
The fundamentals that Colin Chapman built the company around continue today & the vast majority of the general public are very fond of the badge.
As a massive Formula 1 fan I love that they have returned to the sport with such a successful history behind them second only to Ferrari.
Driving the Exige on the road it has been quite surprising & humbling the attention it receives, always a positive response. Having camera-phones & children point in your direction never gets boring
For my interests at this price the only other cars I would consider are the Caterham R400 & Megane R26.R.
Ultimately my goal is to have a 996 GT3 RS, until then the ownership experience & costs of running my Exige should hopefully fill this gap.
I guess a couple of pictures of mine from a recent trip to Wales & a Car Limits course with my brothers MX5 would add a little colour to this thread!
