First Impression 2009 Exige 260

[dnovo]

Traded my 07 Elise for an 09 Exige 260. The former was essentially stock except for a stage II exhaust and six point harnesses. The 260 has an HK exhaust as well as six point harnesses. After wringing out the Exige on our very nice, winding, deserted and empty roads here in extreme SE WI, my impression of the new car and the contrast to its half brother are as follow:

The first difference that wacks you in the face, almost literally if you aren't well belted in, is the brakes. The first time I touched the pedal at the stop sign near my house I damn near went through the windshield. Strong as a moose, but sensitive! On the road, and once you learn a gentle touch, the combination of APs up front and Brembos in the rear are superb. The Elise had great stoppers, but the 260 is in an other world. Can't wait to get it on the track.

Next, once I was rolling along and even at relatively mild speed, the engine differences became just as distinctive as the brakes. The Elise needed to be reved to move out with authority. The Exige's extra torque -- and it is a huge difference in real world driving -- and its extra power shows up very quickly. When I got out into the back roads, and push the Exige, there was simply no comparison. The Elise was a bit sluggish until you 'crossed over' to the second cam. It loved to rev. The Exige pulls hard from much lower rpm, although 1st still feels a bit flat. Once you are up up into 2d, the Exige pulls strong from about 4000 up and will hustle through corners short shifting between 4 and 6000. Push it up higher, and it simply explodes. Lovely power response and real world grunt out the wazoo!!!!

Handling? The Elise was superb but the Exige has all the right 'extra bits' to move it up, once again, to another, higher plane. I could pick my line through corners and the Exige responded perfectly. A car that responds with you and allows you to drive like the proverbial scalpel. Again, I can't wait to get it on the track.

Final thoughts are that the seats are incredibly comfortable and would be well worth the price of an upgrade in another Elise/Exige. Also, the extra price for the 260 vs 240 is, IMHO, worth it if you can afford to do it. All the bits and pieces, including the Accusump, the seats, etc are well worth the price of admission. I had tried a 240 and while differences between the 240 and 260 are not as clearly felt as between them and the Elise (and as I have never tried an Elise SC I can't opine there) once drive both you will have no trouble deciding which to buy.

Oh, one last observation. My 07 Elise had a tiny, minimalist cup holder that slid out from under the dash. The Exige deleted this bit of extra and unnecessary weight. So THATS where the extra performance came from!!! Silly of me not to notice right away.

Dave

[durden]

thanks for sharing your experience, and congratulations.

[kestrel74]

Good review.... I'm Jealous ! Update this after you track it for a while !

[Imolas54]

we need photos

[shay2nak]

what color S260 did you get?

[dnovo]

Aspen White

[twaszak1]

hey Dave. Gad your enjoying it. I look forward to meeting you on Friday!!


If you need anything my e-mail is twaszak@foxvalleymotorcars.com
or you can pm me here.

T.J.

[dnovo]

Originally Posted by twaszak1

hey Dave. Gad your enjoying it. I look forward to meeting you on Friday!!


If you need anything my e-mail is twaszak@foxvalleymotorcars.com
or you can pm me here.

T.J.

No, everything is fine. I must say that I was very impressed with the way you set up the car. It arrived with zero needing to be adjusted, repaired, and no 'punch list' at all. As your sales manager will tell you, I am very fussy about how a car or motorcycle is to be pdi'd and checked before delivery. The Exige was ready to roll -- and to rock and roll -- just as it rolled off the delivery truck. I am looking forward to a long and happy relationship with you and Fox Valley. See 'ya Friday for the battery tender and the power adapters. Dave

[rsch]

I'm not very confortable with brakes, fronts are too aggressive even when
cold and low/medium speed. The pedal is oversenitive and heel/toe tricky too. I think to change to blue Pagids.
Also we made a dampers set up on scales, total weight with a nearly full
fuel tank was 896,5 kilos.

[dnovo]

I was able to adjust to the front brakes after the first few uses and I recall that similarly 'aggressive' front brakes on my track cars in the past normally break in -- along with their user -- fairly soon. I have had feedback via pms from other owners who confirm this presumption.

I have no problem with the pedal arrangements, other than wearing driving shoes/moccasins gives my big feet more ease of movement than the protruding soles on street shoes. In fact, given the confines of an inherently tight footwell the Exige seems better suited for heel and toe shifting than several other performance cars with much more generous proportions.

Dave

[spectre]

I will admit when I first got the s240 the brakes were touchy but over time they do brake in and are easier to modulate. They are fantastic brakes period...I would not change them. Also, my pedals are also perfect especially compared to earlier 05 cars.

[dnovo]

By the way, 896.5 kilograms = 1 976.44418 pounds Given the weight of the gasoline in the tank, it seems that Lotus is more than accurate on published weights for the 260, if not even a bit pessimistic. Given the way most other mfgs tend to understate vehicle weights, this is quite nice to hear. Dave

[rsch]

The pedal box is fine, It's the pad compound that's too aggressive perhaps.
A bit more of break in should help though.
We adjusted a bit clicks for bump and rebound, removed front shims to
increasing front camber adjusted springs to balance corner weight, leaving ride height untouched.

[dnovo]

Nice setup. Dave

[EricH]

Originally Posted by rsch

fronts are too aggressive even when
cold and low/medium speed.

When are your brakes cold at the track?

I find they do bite hard/sudden when cold, however at the track when hot they are a dream. I guess to each their own but I love them.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by dnovo

... it seems that Lotus is more than accurate on published weights for the 260, if not even a bit pessimistic.

Mine was also, 2077lbs right on the money... actually 2070 but perhaps I had 1 gallon too much fuel.

[opeche]

Very nice, received the S260 in late August and was barely able to get the break in interval completed before the snow hit the ground. Much like yourself previously had an 06 Elise, the S260 is very impressive in comparison. Yes brakes are the wakeup call. Glad to see your comments.