[_JD_]

The silver S1 Exige shares the cover w/ a Mugen(?) S2000 and the article is about the best track cars. There is'nt much content on the Exige specifically, although they said it's their choice of the 20 or so cars that they would take home if they could. FYI.

 

[meat]

It's good to have both.....

:clap:

 

[nj1266]

The silver S1 Exige shares the cover w/ a Mugen(?) S2000 and the article is about the best track cars. There is'nt much content on the Exige specifically, although they said it's their choice of the 20 or so cars that they would take home if they could. FYI.

That Lotus Exige turned a slower lap time than my friend's turbo Sentra SE-R. The Turbo Sentra lapped the course in 1:59.3 while the Exige lapped the course in 2:03.2. The turbo Sentra puts 255 whp and weighs around 2200 lbs.

http://buckfang.com/pages/cars.html

more on the time attack event

http://buckfang.com/pages/ta_report.html

I was very surprised to see a Sentra go faster around Buttonwillow than a Lotus Exige. It seems that the Exige is either running a Honda B18C engine or a KA20 engine. It is putting 247 whp with the KA20 engine.

http://www.prototyperacing.com/dynok20b.htm

 

[jdw5155]

I could be wrong on this but...

Um, your friend's Sentra appears to be a purpose prepped race car that isn't road legal anymore. Apples and oranges (unless the Exige in question is prepped too, I didn't read the article referenced).

That said, it's pretty impressive that a road legal, straight from the factory Exige can come within 2.9 seconds of a dedicated tuned race car.

Jim

 

[nj1266]

Re: I could be wrong on this but...

Um, your friend's Sentra appears to be a purpose prepped race car that isn't road legal anymore. Apples and oranges (unless the Exige in question is prepped too, I didn't read the article referenced).

That said, it's pretty impressive that a road legal, straight from the factory Exige can come within 2.9 seconds of a dedicated tuned race car.

Jim

You are wrong. The Exige is not street legal. It was in the RWD unlimited class and it had a KA20 Honda engine making 247 whp. Last time I checked the S1 Exige had a 190 CRANK hp Rover engine. The car does not even have its stock engine anymore. The links above tell you about the engine in the Exige. Please click on the link and read it.

The Exige got its ass handed to it by a Sentra. The Sentra had a stock engine with a turbo added to it. It is the same engine that I run on my race car. We buy them for $300 a pop from SOKO, a JDM engine importer. The engine is BONE stock. I know this Sentra very well, it far from sophisticated. The suspension is single adjustable shortened Koni. The suspension on my race car is more sophisticated than the suspension on that Sentra.

The Exige is probably more than THREE times as expensive as this Sentra, has a better hp/weight ratio and a better suspension geometry (double wishbone). The prototype racing web site does not mention the suspension the Exige was running, but I bet you it is far and away better than that of the Sentra.

Give credit where it is due. The Exige got owned by a Sentra and so did many other cars. The Sentra took fifth overall, not bad at all for running a used JDM stock engine with a turbo and a single adjustable shortened strut.

 

[Derek]

Re: Re: I could be wrong on this but...

You are wrong. The Exige is not street legal. It was in the RWD unlimited class and it had a KA20 Honda engine making 247 whp. Last time I checked the S1 Exige had a 190 CRANK hp Rover engine. The car does not even have its stock engine anymore. The links above tell you about the engine in the Exige. Please click on the link and read it.

The Exige got its ass handed to it by a Sentra. The Sentra had a stock engine with a turbo added to it. It is the same engine that I run on my race car. We buy them for $300 a pop from SOKO, a JDM engine importer. The engine is BONE stock. I know this Sentra very well, it far from sophisticated. The suspension is single adjustable shortened Koni. The suspension on my race car is more sophisticated than the suspension on that Sentra.

The Exige is probably more than THREE times as expensive as this Sentra, has a better hp/weight ratio and a better suspension geometry (double wishbone). The prototype racing web site does not mention the suspension the Exige was running, but I bet you it is far and away better than that of the Sentra.

Give credit where it is due. The Exige got owned by a Sentra and so did many other cars. The Sentra took fifth overall, not bad at all for running a used JDM stock engine with a turbo and a single adjustable shortened strut.

Doesn't mean a thing. Different driver can have far different results in the same car. Perhaps the Exige drive lacked skill or perhaps your friend has more skill. I've seen superior cars driven ineffectively many times. This may be relevant to the people involved but it speaks little of the cars only the drivers.

 

[NevB]

Re: Re: I could be wrong on this but...

Give credit where it is due.

I don't understand why you think we should be impressed with the Sentra when you don't even seem impressed ...

The engine is BONE stock. I know this Sentra very well, it far from sophisticated. The suspension is single adjustable shortened Koni. The suspension on my race car is more sophisticated than the suspension on that Sentra. [/B]

seems to me that perhaps the Sentra driver is an ace, or perhaps the Exige driver is a hack ?

 

[nj1266]

Re: Re: Re: I could be wrong on this but...

I don't understand why you think we should be impressed with the Sentra when you don't even seem impressed ...

I am very impressed, but I was surprised. There is a difference between being impressed and being surprised. I am surprised that the Exige got its ass kicked and impressed by the Sentra that kicked its ass.

seems to me that perhaps the Sentra driver is an ace, or perhaps the Exige driver is a hack ?

If you read the full article in SCC, you will understand what the competition was about. Briefly, the best tuners and drivers in the US take on the champion of time trials in Japan. You will not bring a hack to an event like this and risk being embarrassed.

I am all for being loyal to the Elise/Exige, but what you guys are doing is pure denial.

 

[NevB]

Re: Re: Re: Re: I could be wrong on this but...

I am all for being loyal to the Elise/Exige, but what you guys are doing is pure denial.

nope, not denial ...

but I am genuinely interested to know if you have some insight into those lap times, ie, why was the Sentra was so much faster than the Exige?

 

[zvezdah1]

So NJ,
Buy a Sentra?
Chris

 

[meat]

That Sentra is far from stock after looking at the specs. The Prototype Exige is pretty stock aside from the motor. This car is street legal everywhere else in the world except North America.

The biggest problem with a stock Exige is that the stock suspension is not up to heavy track use. One of the reasons the S2 Exige is faster is because of the much stiffer springs. The stock springs on the S1 are something like 180lb spring rates - just not up to the task.

Anyone can make any car into a track monster. There is always a faster car and usually much of it can be attributed to the driver.

Track layout is also important to the Exige - long straights are the enemy (with the Rover lump).

I've had lots of "slower" cars pass me at the track - driver skill is everything.

 

[huggy bear]

So NJ,
Buy a Sentra?
Chris

He already has...
1998 SE-R, Race Car, 152 hp, 132 ft-lb of torque
2002 Tundra V8, 207 hp, 275 ft-lb of torque
1999 Sentra SE-L, semi-modded daily commuter

 

[eliseowner2b]

I think what he wants to hear is, "Im getting my Lotus deposit back and going right down to Nissan to get a Sentra." Not gonna happen in this lifetime.

 

[nj1266]

That Sentra is far from stock after looking at the specs. The Prototype Exige is pretty stock aside from the motor. This car is street legal everywhere else in the world except North America.

The biggest problem with a stock Exige is that the stock suspension is not up to heavy track use. One of the reasons the S2 Exige is faster is because of the much stiffer springs. The stock springs on the S1 are something like 180lb spring rates - just not up to the task.

Anyone can make any car into a track monster. There is always a faster car and usually much of it can be attributed to the driver.

Track layout is also important to the Exige - long straights are the enemy (with the Rover lump).

I've had lots of "slower" cars pass me at the track - driver skill is everything.

You are speculating that the suspension on the Exige is stock. YOU DO NOT KNOW THAT. The SCC article does not tell us the suspension specs on the Exige, nor does the prototype web site.

Please show me a link that says that this particular Exige has a stock suspension. I tried searching for the suspension specs on that Exige and came up empty. The best info I came up with was this:

http://www.prototyperacing.com/k20kit.htm

The link mostly talks about the KA20 engine and how the Exige walked a Porshce at Cal Speedway. I bet you they will not mention that the Exige's ass was kicked by a Sentra that cost a 1/3 of what the Exige cost.

The car DID NOT have a rover engine. It had a Honda KA20 engine that puts down 247 whp. The car weighs a mere 1653 lbs much less than the 2200 lbs Sentra.

Keep repeating the mantra that driver skill is everything. This was a shootout of the best of the best. You do not show up to gun fight with a swiss army pocket knife. Do you really think the owners of the Exige wanted to be embarassed by a Sentra? So they went out and hired a crappy driver, because they really wanted to lose

 

[nj1266]

I think what he wants to hear is, "Im getting my Lotus deposit back and going right down to Nissan to get a Sentra." Not gonna happen in this lifetime.

No I do not...I just want you guys to stop making excuses for the Exige. Just give props to the Sentra.

 

[zvezdah1]

So, I'll rephrase it,
nj, get your deposit back, save a pile and happy motoring on the sentra boards

btw, NJ, you've made me see the light, anyone want my #1 red elise hitting the port friday, I'm all over a sentra now,preferrably with $20 k worth of mods, so then I'll have a $5k car with $20k worth of mods..

Chris, who could really care less about mine is bigger than yours comparisons

 

[nj1266]

So NJ,
Buy a Sentra?
Chris

I have TWO. One is the race car. It will be featured in the next issue of Grassroots Motorsports.

 

[ivan1]

I wouldn't be seen dead in a sentra

 

[nj1266]

So, I'll rephrase it,
nj, get your deposit back, save a pile and happy motoring on the sentra boards

btw, NJ, you've made me see the light, anyone want my #1 red elise hitting the port friday, I'm all over a sentra now,preferrably with $20 k worth of mods, so then I'll have a $5k car with $20k worth of mods..

Chris, who could really care less about mine is bigger than yours comparisons

Whatever....I like the way you guys twist the argument away from its origin. You will not acknowledge that your vaunted dream car got its ass handed to it by a Sentra. The Elise is the best car EVAR

 

[zvezdah1]

so NJ, I'll have an elise, won't be featured in a magazine (unless someone offers), won't be the fastest guy out their, BUT, I will look damn fine behind the wheel of that red elise!!

Chris
lamenting that he is sentra less but will ease the pain with his new elise!