How much money does one have to make a yr to afford an Exige?

[BestInTheWorld]

Alright, so I have read all the replies--thanks

I would never finance a car, so that's definitely out of question.

Would annual ownership +maintenance be less than an avg used Porsche Carrera (2005/06)? That would be my other "maybe" car choice if the Exige breaks the $50,000 mark for average second hand costs (in a year or 2 years from now).

[MTLDean]

Why are you guys talking about the cost of borrowing money, investments, etc?

Can you actually put a price on the visceral INSANITY that a Lotus provides? Is there a substitute for that experience that can be bought, other than some illicit drug binge?

You're all crazy.

[Hextavo]

Originally Posted by Steve B in SD

Well, staring at someone's 16 year old daughter can inadvertently get you into trouble when you least expect it...
best said from an episode of Seinfeld: ".... you don't stare! It's like looking at the Sun, you only glance, then look away!!!!"
.

AHAHAHA This was my exact thought!

To the OP: How old are you?

[shay2nak]

I 100% financed mine. 2 more payments and the car is mines!

[rijowysock]

Originally Posted by BestInTheWorld

Alright, so I have read all the replies--thanks

I would never finance a car, so that's definitely out of question.

Would annual ownership +maintenance be less than an avg used Porsche Carrera (2005/06)? That would be my other "maybe" car choice if the Exige breaks the $50,000 mark for average second hand costs (in a year or 2 years from now).

how can you compare a 997.1 to an exige... as someone who has owned both.. radically different cars.

porsche mait is insane, lotus mait=toyota mait.

only thing problematic on lotus is the clamshells... if anything happens to em=uh oh..

fwiw, i paid 36k for an 05 carrera in 08... so they are not 50k cars... sold my 09 pdk 997.2 for 64k... and thats a radically diff car than 997.1..

btw my 05 had 18k in mait before i bought, i sold and the dealer had to toss 12k into it... little things... and they cost a crapload to fix..

never own a porsche outside warranty, ever. (this coming from guy with 5 new porsches inside 3 years)... the tiniest things cost more than a small car to fix.

[VisualEchos]

Originally Posted by BestInTheWorld

Would annual ownership +maintenance be less than an avg used Porsche Carrera (2005/06)?

Uh, no way to even compare the two, the Lotus (in every other country besides this one), is billed as the affordable exotic, and in fact, was made to be inexpensive, and super inexpensive to maintain (even with the junk Rover engine). With the Toyota powerplant, maintenance is a JOKE.

The Porsche, however, is a bit of a different story...

[lotusforsale]

Originally Posted by VisualEchos

Uh, no way to even compare the two, the Lotus (in every other country besides this one), is billed as the affordable exotic, and in fact, was made to be inexpensive, and super inexpensive to maintain (even with the junk Rover engine). With the Toyota powerplant, maintenance is a JOKE.

The Porsche, however, is a bit of a different story...

Don't know that I agree with this statement. In my last job I got to the UK frequently, and a couple of co-workers there had S1 Elises. They were just IT help desk guys at the company, good middle class folks. They didn't see their cars as exotics at all. To them it was just a sports car they could afford, and saw it in the same light as a 350/370Z, RX8, Boxster...it just happened to be the one they preferred.

And while I can't say they are overly common even there, I saw Elise's with some frequency in London.

[sizzflair]

I financed mine 100%. Good pre-approved APR and a good deal at the time so I jumped on it.

As far as maintenance & upkeep cost, I think they are pretty damn good for an "exotic" car. Gas mileage is better than most cars out there (29mpg!) and as long as you do your own maintenance it's not bad at all. A lot of little things you can go to the toyota dealership and get it cheaper than if you bought the same thing from Lotus. Tires are pretty expensive though since I doubt you want to put a set of All-seasons unless you DD it. Brake pads look brand new since the car is light, you don't use much padding. Insurance is cheap as well through Geico.

The things that are expensive are mods I keep buying haha.

[BestInTheWorld]

Originally Posted by rijowysock

how can you compare a 997.1 to an exige... as someone who has owned both.. radically different cars.

porsche mait is insane, lotus mait=toyota mait.

only thing problematic on lotus is the clamshells... if anything happens to em=uh oh..

fwiw, i paid 36k for an 05 carrera in 08... so they are not 50k cars... sold my 09 pdk 997.2 for 64k... and thats a radically diff car than 997.1..

btw my 05 had 18k in mait before i bought, i sold and the dealer had to toss 12k into it... little things... and they cost a crapload to fix..

never own a porsche outside warranty, ever. (this coming from guy with 5 new porsches inside 3 years)... the tiniest things cost more than a small car to fix.

I can compare, since both are sports cars that are roughly the same price in the second hand market, and both are recognized for quality and bang for the buck for what you pay for.

Why would they cost a crapload to fix? I'm sure an indie shop can fix a Porsche Carrera, since it's not a rare or complicated car to repair (I assume).

As for the clamshell, I assume you mean the rear of the Exige, yes?

[Surge]

When people talk about the clamshell, it's synonymous for the body as a whole; but yes, the front and rear body components are the "clams". And those are the biggest panels.

I've owned a Porsche. They are far more expensive to fix than an Elise/Exige... it's not even comparable.
If the OP thinks the 911 is not a complicated car, he/she should do more research. They are among the most complicated cars on the road -- largely due to the rear engine configuration and what Porsche had to do to make the car safe when driving at the limit.

An "indie shop" still has to buy parts from Porsche, and will still charge you >$100/hr. in labor. Less than a dealer, but still more than a "normal" car. Here's an example: oil change on a Boxster is $500 at the dealer and $250 at an indie shop. For a 911 it will cost more.

Oil change on a Lotus is easy to DIY... Yeah, I guess you could DIY a Porsche oil change, but it's not as easy. And a Toyota engine is VASTLY, I repeat, VASTLY more reliable than anything from Germany... than anything else, period.

[Aedo]

Originally Posted by BestInTheWorld

...
Why would they cost a crapload to fix? I'm sure an indie shop can fix a Porsche Carrera, since it's not a rare or complicated car to repair (I assume).

You are assuming they are cheap... he is trying to tell you they are expensive and is speaking from first hand experience.

A friend just spent $3k for a new steering rack for his 20yr old 911... that was just the parts as he did the work himself.

Originally Posted by BestInTheWorld

As for the clamshell, I assume you mean the rear of the Exige, yes?

The Elise and Exige body comprises of essentially a front and a rear clamshell.. the only other bits are the doors and the sills. If someone damages the front or rear of the car the replacement body part costs around $6k before paint, installation, etc.

[Stig1]

Originally Posted by BestInTheWorld

How much money does one have to make a yr to afford an Exige?

Asking this question publicly on any car forum, provides all the info anyone needs to provide a very simple one word answer.

"more"