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Test drove a Cayman S and 911 GTS, then drove the salesmen in my Exige

4K views 22 replies 13 participants last post by  me73 
#1 ·
I never shopped around for other sports cars when I was looking to get an Exige. I pretty much knew I wanted one without even test driving. I liked the concept of a raw driving experience that is associated with the brand. I did sit in an Elise at one point to make sure I would fit, but that was it.

Over the years I've watched a lot of youtube reviews on cars, and Porsche ends up being almost half of what gets reviewed. They seem to get glowing reviews and praise. I thought to myself I must find out what they are going on about.

I got in my Exige and drove across town to the nearest Porsche dealership. I was up front with the salesmen and said I was there to see if any cars on the lot within $100k could pull me away from what the Exige offers. He was very courteous and offered to let me test drive a few cars.

First I got to drive the Cayman S. It was a nice ride, steering was pretty good, only slightly better than my mark 6 GTI. Seats could have been more sporty, felt like a couch. The ride was too smooth for my taste. Power was really lacking in comparison to my supercharged Exige, which surprised me quite a bit considering the number on the sticker is 325hp and my Exige is supposed to be around 260hp. I guess that weight is what really makes the difference.

Next up was a 2012 911 carrera GTS. Seats in this were much better, felt like the car was hugging me rather than sitting on a couch. Power was noticeably more but didn't rip my face off like I thought it would after watching the reviews and hearing the horsepower was rated at 405. Again, the ride felt a little too smooth even in sport mode. The sensation of speed just wasn't there. The speedo climbed rapidly but I had to look at the number to comprehend how fast I was going.

I asking the salesmen if he had time to go for a ride in my car to see if there was anything on the lot within my price that provides a similar experience. About 2 minutes in on some back roads around the dealership this was his reaction: :crazyeyes :coolnana:

After talking he said I would probably have to get into the GT3 RS range to get the same experience. I thanked him for his time and learned that the Exige is an awesome car for the price point :up:

If I ever get something less practical to replace my GTI for daily driving, I would consider a used Porsche for sure.
 
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#2 ·
Great story, and it echoes what I have found. I used to switch cars every year or so, but after 3+ years with the Elise I haven't found anything that makes me want to move on.

Looks like the Carrera GTS weighs about 3100 pounds, so each pony has 7.67 pounds to haul around. At 1940 pounds and 265 hp, that number is 7.32 for my Elise. The weight really makes a difference!
 
#13 ·
Yep, very nice write-up.

Those calculations aren't quite realistic, though. Let's add 220 lbs to each car for an adult driver and partial tank of gas. Now the GTS carries 8.20 lbs/hp and the Elise is at 8.15. The advantage is now a slim 0.6%.

And given that torque is a bigger factor than horsepower in the regime where we most enjoy these cars, I have a feeling the Porsche has more than enough low end torque to erase that statistic. Why is the Lotus more fun then? I think it is the connection to the road, the feeling that the steering is connected right to the pavement. Other cars seem remote and dead by comparison.
 
#3 ·
The only difference, and this is being honest, happens above 120mph when the Eliges hit the wall. Obviously, these are track numbers ut that is where the difference becomes apparent. Thus reason I now prefer my Evora S over my Elise I loved for 8+yrs.
 
#5 ·
Good point. With my current taste in excitement, I am okay with the 120mph wall. I tend to have more fun under that speed. I sat in a GTR for a few laps, the driver got it up to 155mph, but I couldn't tell the difference once we were past 110mph. Although one day my taste may change and I will be on the hunt for a new car.
 
#4 ·
Save yourself the Porsche tax and send the GTI to APR for a tune when you get tired of it. Don't get me wrong, the Porsche's are nice. My wife just picked up a Macan S and as far as SUV's go the thing is pretty fun.

Disclaimer: MKVI Golf R owner.
 
#7 ·
Seats in cayman and 911 are pretty much the same so perhaps the two cars were optioned differently.

Porsches regular lineup is designed to be usable every day. While extremely capable cars, they will never provide the Raw lively feeling of a Lotus.

You'd have to go to a GT series car as your salesperson explained. Even then, those cars aren't quite as raw. But capable and fast as heck. And more of a drivers car than 99% of everything else on the market.

Lastly, consumables for tracking are way way higher on a Porsche. This is something I have investigated while waiting for my GT4. Keeping the Lotus come hell or high water though.
 
#10 ·
My Exige has always been supercharged so I can't say what acceleration was like NA, but I do love the loud whine it makes while blasting through gears :D I think I topped out around 125/130 on the straight. My car has a taller 6th so it didn't seem worth shifting past 5th at that point.

 
#11 ·
I've driven a 997 GT3, GT3RS, and 991 GT3. All incredibly fast and capable. Fantastic engines that are still bolted to a chassis that isn't entertaining when not going all-out. You have to step up to the RS to get close to the raw mechanical feel of an Elige, and it doesn't quite get there. On the street, the Porsches are still bored with the action where the Lotus is alive.
 
#16 ·
Interesting thread.
I've owned a combination of DD Golf GTI (MK 5/6) & Lotus (from S1 Elise to Cup 260) for the past 5 yrs+ ... and can't seem to find a better combo for what I really use the cars for.

I have 2 children & we like our Mountain biking / beach fun, so any thing less practical than a 5 door GTi would be tricky. But the GTi is a very nice DD, not more. Its not driver rewarding enough to step-up to a Golf R or even a more expensive 'normal car'. Like all DDs, in reality, most of the time you're just mooching about, so a 400 BHP XYZ is a bit of a waste.

The Lotus' are purely for fun, popping round town for no particular reason, mountain drives, track day. Cost of purchase / running is knockout compared to other performance cars, yet they give so much back to the driver, even at slower speeds.

Ive driven a few GT3's & even came close to buying a one.. the new GT4 appeals too. But as they can't be used as a DD for me, it would just be an occasional use toy at X 3 to 4 the cost of the Lotus. Mmmm... like I stated at the start, the GTi / Lotus is a great combo :wave:
 
#22 ·
I agree with your preference for manual steering (my 73 911 has the best I've tried), but I wanted to correct you about Porsche's electric power steering. It is not steer-by-wire. It absolutely has a mechanical steering rack connected to the steering wheel. It's just that the power assist is provided by an electric motor rather than hydraulic assist. Yes, it is more numb than the best hydraulic (and far better than some hydraulic setups), but it has not lost a true mechanical connection (which is scary and probably will happen in the future).
 
#20 ·
I just went to see the 1st GT4 being sold on the open market. Being flipped for +30% over list. Just some minor trim options ticked, in white, so almost stock. Being sold for the owner by a smaller dealer, so no OPC atmosphere / welcome to sway emotions.

I was really exited about this car at launch... but in the flesh it didn't really excite me much. Don't know if its the white colour (domestic appliance!) or that fact it didn't look so different from a normal Cayman. No doubt the engineering will be top notch, will drive super on both road & track and will survive either without worry....

For sure its a great car, but I couldn't seem me nipping into the garage late night for another look, or getting up early for a drive... there just wasn't that heart tug. It didn't get my juices flowing, even after the second visit with my 8 year old son, just to make sure. I was in the process of selling my mini Lotus collection to get one & had even convinced the wife.... but now I'm really not convinced!
 
#21 ·
I think your assessment is spot on.

I bought a new Cayman last year and got the bug for something new this year. I spent a couple weeks looking at various Caymans & 911s. I almost pulled the trigger on a 991 S, but just wasn't sure about it (felt big compared to the Cayman).

I ended up snagging an Exige S last week. When it was delivered and I finally had a chance to drive it, I was blown away. After switching back to the Cayman, the Porsche felt quite slow (obviously, base Cayman), soft and not near as nimble. I expected a difference, but not to that degree.

I've only been in a GT3 as a passenger, but to get anything near the Exige experience, there is no doubt you'd need to step up to a GT3 or GT3 RS (maybe a GT4?) I'm sure the non-GT 911s are still quicker around a track and are certainly more amenable DDs, but they certainly don't offer the fun factor.
 
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