[1FSTREX]

Hey guys,

I currently own a 2005 STI and am in the process of parting it out getting ready to sell it so i can purchase my first Lotus. I have been researching the Elise and the Exige and saw on the Exige portion of this website that the 2006 is considered a "special" year. I looked around and couldnt find out why, could lotus owners shed some light on this: why are the 2006 Exige considered more desired then other years?

Thanks

Will

 

[serpent]

I dont think 06 models are more desired..:shrug:...but it could be because the 06 exiges arent sc'd.


welcome :wave:

 

[Guest]

Yes, it's the only year for non-supercharged Exiges in the US

 

[RoadDad]

They are not "more special" unless you desire an Exige without a supercharger. What you see here on the forum is the owners of the '06 NA Exige attempting to console themselves for having bought a NA Exige only to have the Exige S (supercharged) come out in 2007. -poke-

 

[1FSTREX]

I dont think 06 models are more desired..:shrug:...but it could be because the 06 exiges arent sc'd.


welcome :wave:

Thanks, i cant wait to become a part of the community, been a part of the subaru community for about 6 years now and am sad to leave but excited to join the lotus community.

Thanks, Yeah i thought it might be because the 06s arnt supercharged but i wasnt sure. I just saw the registry under the exige section and it said they were the most exclusive.

Here is a picture of my old subaru:

 

[MikeinAlexandria]

That is probably the shiniest Subaru I have ever seen!

 

[1FSTREX]

That is probably the shiniest Subaru I have ever seen!

Thanks thats actually before i put my coilovers on, had them on for a week before i took them off to sell them to buy my to be lotus! Never got any pictures of it with the coilovers on it.

 

[LordZ]

Because the 06 Exige is NA and ~10k less than an 07 or 08. Then for 6k you can add a VF kit and put down more power than an 09 S260.

 

[1FSTREX]

Because the 06 Exige is NA and ~10k less than an 07 or 08. Then for 6k you can add a VF kit and put down more power than an 09 S260.

Got it! The VF kit, is it covered under warranty? I have been thinking about buying a Elise or now a Exige 06 and putting a supercharger on it because its a hell of a lot cheaper then buying it already supercharged and you will get better power. But i would like to try and not void the warranty if i can.

 

[Gizmo3000]

Got it! The VF kit, is it covered under warranty? I have been thinking about buying a Elise or now a Exige 06 and putting a supercharger on it because its a hell of a lot cheaper then buying it already supercharged and you will get better power. But i would like to try and not void the warranty if i can.

only way to not void warranty (and not worry about smog certification, if you're in California or another state that enforces it), is to get the Factory Supercharger.

do your homework before pulling the plug.

 

[LordZ]

06's are out of warranty this year anyway. That is why the price has dropped more since when I bought mine.

You can barely do anything without Lotus USA voiding the warranty. The trick to that is finding a good dealer.

 

[1FSTREX]

Yeah sounds just like my Subaru, finally found a dealership that was okay with a certain brand mods so it was nice. I live in a smaller town in CA and the local dealership is actaully a volvo with lotus on the side. So i think they will be cool with it, already talked to them and they seem pretty chill as long as they do the work on the mods.

Yeah i will have to worry about smog cert. as i am in CA, dealt with that problem with my subi. Maybe i will have to just stick with the stock supercharger, or just stick with the NA models.

I have been researching a lot, dont plan on pulling the plug for at least another month, took me almost a year to buy my STI haha. Thanks for being so helpful and accepting, some subi sites are pretty harsh to new comers.

 

[imoz]

Thanks, Yeah i thought it might be because the 06s arnt supercharged but i wasnt sure. I just saw the registry under the exige section and it said they were the most exclusive.

Hehehe. I got a little chuckle out of this thread. I started that thread. I think I should chime in and clarify... I started that thread kind of tongue-in-cheek. There is a thread with a registry of the 07 supercharged Exiges that kept popping up when I was browsing the Exige forum, and the guy who started it was very adamant that ONLY the new Exiges could participate, as if they were more "special" in some way.

So I started that thread just to poke fun at what I thought was kind of a stupid attempt to make the 07 owners feel more important. -poke- The part about it being the "most exclusive" was a bit of a joke. Kind of like the "chrome orange mafia" etc.

There's nothing particularly more special about the 06 other than that it was the first model year that was brought into the US. They also are a bit rarer as only a few hundred were brought over. In the end I don't think it makes a damn bit of difference, as I don't think any Lotus has ever been particularly collectible.

One thing to think about as you consider one of these. Each model year Lotus makes incremental improvements based on what they learn from the previous years. For instance, the center hard top bracket that first appeared on the Sport Elise I believe, and then found its way into later models. Little things like that.

 

[LordZ]

So what are you wanting to purchase the car for anyway?

For me I just liked the way it looked and how bare bones they were. Was expecting on doing 2-3 track events a year and other than that daily drive it.

First couple of months I did just that. Then I made the mistake of taking it to the track... Now driving it on the street just doesn't seem as fun any more and I'm actually considering selling it to get a track only 211 instead.

If you have any questions shoot me a PM or just ask on the boards, someone will likely answer honestly. Most of us will be the first to tell you the car isn't for just anyone.

 

[1FSTREX]

imoz - I had a feeling that you were poking fun at the other thread but i wasnt sure and wanted to ask because i was curious. Thanks for clearing the air.

LordZ - Thank you for offering to help, god knows i will have answers, after 6 years in the subi community i still have questions about that, there is always more to learn.

Well the subi was supposed to be a DD then it became a track monster, and yes i know how you feel about driving on the track and then driving on the street...just isnt the same. Well it ends up that i used my STI more for DD and have put a lot of miles on the car. Its just getting to the point where it is losing way too much value and things are going to break and have to be replaced for a lot of money. I have a different DD now, a nice little car that gets 30+ MPG. So i decided it would be nice to get a fun sports car that i couldn't have before. I have always loved Lotus', even when i bought my STI but i didnt get a Lotus because i needed 4 doors. Well now that i am in a different point in my life i feel a Lotus would be fine. I love how they are so different and more so you dont see them anywhere. Yeah Ferrari's and Lambos are supposedly"exotic" but honestly you see them everywhere. Plus you cant beat a car that has only 200 HP and will run circles around cars with twice as much. This wont be a DD but more so a fun weekend car and a track car. Not too much on the track as i simply dont have the time but i guess i am simply in love with the lotus.

 

[serpent]

^ good enough of a reason for you get a lotus :up:

 

[RENDERMAN]

Because the '06 was the first year built...

 

[1FSTREX]

^ good enough of a reason for you get a lotus :up:

Hah thanks, i thought so. i am excited to own one too because i have not seen a single one in my town except at the local dealership.

 

[m.barnes]

glad someone else asked this. Saved me asking it lol. Being in england i didnt know the difference either.

 

[LordZ]

^ good enough of a reason for you get a lotus :up:

Yup! As long as you know it's nothing like any other car out there. Plenty of threads out there about what people hate about them. Funny thing is, that list is what I love about it.