LastGT3

I just read that R&T cayman exige test - this months.
My conclusion, the cayman needs power and torque primarily which means displacement.
I think the fixation on weight is reasonably well-placed, but despite its obvious weight disadvantage, an both 10.2 lbs/hp, the cayman was faster..reason, the exisge needs an cayman s motor.

Sorry about the kit-car jibes...since nearly all carss aree "kitted" from many suppliers (eg Brembo), I didn't think it evoke a response but encourage debate on the issue. In any case, The egige doesnt have the motor it needs to do as well as it should with its low weight...so it was 2 sec slower on that test. Give it a reliable 6 and it will do far better.
However, that being said, I do note that its fit/finish for a street car were sub-cayman for abou the same dough. And obviously, if the motor issue/power is addressed, the Exige will not be a bargain next to a CyamanS.

LastGT3

A correction (among many and give me a spellchecker please)
"My conclusion, the EXIGE (not CaymanS) needs more power and torque which means displacement."
Please forgive my coffee induced speed typos - (I need the winter over nowwwww).

MickOpalak

Lotus has addressed this with the Exige S, a supercharged Exige. It provides what the Exige/Elise needs most, low end torque. And it's only $3K more than a standard Exige. The standard Exige does 0-60 in 4.9 seconds, the Exige S in 4.1 seconds and the Cayman in 5.4 seconds (all manufacturer's information).

I think the reason the Cayman was faster because they were timed on Road Atlanta, a power track that benefits high power cars. Put the two on a handling track and I think you'll see different results, for example the Top Gear test track. Exige was faster there in the rain than a Cayman in the dry.

However, that being said, I do note that the Cayman's handling for a street car was sub-Exige for about the same dough. OK, not quite the same dough:
Exige: base price $52K, fully loaded $59K
Cayman: base price $59K, fully loaded $100K+

Doug&Julie

Huh? When my bro bought his, most were "loaded" and around $70k. The car can easily be had for the mid $60s. Still not cheap, of course, but nowhere near $100k.

LastGT3

Agreed...however, how much will the Exige S be here in the USA?
Again, just think that the right car to compare to an exige is an Atom not a Cayman either price, finishings, and weight.
An atom to me is a true light weight - a sportbike with 4 tires - what did TopGear think of that puppy (with the 300 hp RSX motor). Nice.

MickOpalak

Here's what I meant: Go to the official Porsche website, select Build My Porsche, select Cayman S and select every option you can (fully loaded). It comes out quite a bit over $100K.

MickOpalak

Unfortunately, its being offered every where else in the world, but not the US. Everywhere else it's $3K more than a standard Exige.

I think the Elise and Exige fall somewhere between the Atom and the Cayman. I don't think the Exige can be directly compared to the Atom because it has all the weather protection and some luxuries (radio, A/C) that an Atom does not. There really aren't any similiar cars in the Atom's class except maybe the Lotus 7 and Lotus 340R.

Doug&Julie

Ah, yes...well, Porsche caters to those that have the money to spend. But, realistically, a "loaded" Cayman S is around $70k. Nobody in their right mind (even Porsche posers) would load a Cayman S to $100k. The most expensive one at our dealership was $75k. And of that there was only one...

MickOpalak

Well that is the textbook definition of fully loaded.

Does a "loaded" Cayman S include the special paints? The 19" wheels? Tiptronic? PASM? Nice leather interior? Adaptive sport seats? A nice stereo?

Whose to say what's loaded and what's not?

STLPCA

Depends on your priorities. IMHO, the Exige is a superb track car & an awful street car. The Cayman S is a superb street car & a capable track car. Different tools picked by intelligent buyers for different tasks. This thread started wasting bandwidth a while back.

BTW, Mick, is there anything besides the Exige that interests you in the Cayman Forum? Perhaps it's time to expand your focus.

MickOpalak

The C&D article interests me, especially providing a little balance to the focus here. Don't get me wrong, I think the Cayman S is a very nice car, great performance and comfort. Very luxurious. Not without its merits. I would consider one as a daily driver. A great car for someone who wants a fast ride plus luggage room, cruise control, power adjustable, heated seats, an automatic transmission and cup holders. Still, I think it shouldn't be directly compared to the Exige as C&D did, as they are in different market areas.

pstoppani

For me, the Elise and Exige are pure track/weekend toys. I've had my Elise for over a year and have had zero interest in driving it on the street.

The Cayman (and Boxster) are superb sports cars that I find much more hospitable and practical as daily drivers. They also make great track cars. Before I got the Elise I had a 2000 Boxster S which was very fun and quick; I could keep up with a S1 Elise 190 Sport driven by a very capable driver.

Howerever, the Elise is the funner track car for me. It isn't faster, but definitely funner. I also love how nothing ever seems to wear out (tires, brakes, etc) due its light weight. Well, it is funner than the 2000 Boxster S, I don't know yet how it will compare with the Cayman S. So far, joy rides in the country have been very fun in the Cayman...

I actually agree with the kit car comment; when comparing build quality, materials quality and fit and finish, the Elise definitely looks and feels like a high quality kit car compared to either the Cayman or Boxster. You give up quite a bit of these quality aspects to achieve such a low weight.

In the end, I love them both for what they are... two fine toys

MickOpalak

I too have had mine over a year and still use it as an everyday drive. I just love it.

No disagreement there.

It's hard to qualify or quantify 'funner'.

I guess it all comes down to how you define 'kit car'. I always thought that a kit car was one that came unassembled or partially assembled, to be completed by the owner. It sounds like you're talking about fit and finish, not how the vehicle was assembled. I guess if some one poorly assembled a kit car, it would be loose and rattle like hell. On the other hand, if it was done in a high quality manner, it might be rattle free and solid. Or perhaps you're just referencing the type of materials used in assembly. Low weight materials have always felt lighter, thinner and more fragile than heavy ones.

pstoppani

I'm referring to the fit, finish and quality of materials and the durability. This is the first car that I've owned where bolts come loose and fall off, mud flaps fall off, gear lever breaks in your hand while shifting, rattles and buzzes, interior bits come loose because the are simply velcro'd together and the glue lost its grip only after a couple of months, body panels have ripples from the fiber-glass molds, the trunk leaks, etc. And it isn't like I own an exception; a quick search at elisetalk.com will show that these are common aspect of Elise ownership. Of course you don't read about any of this in the reviews...

I love the Elise, but in terms of quality, it is quite below my expectations of a $40K to $50K car. Fortunately, I love it enough as a track toy that I can overlook its low quality aspects.

mooty

he most expensive one at our dealership was $75k.
____________
i saw one in person, non metallic, for 81k.
to each his own, i would pay a premium if pcna allowed me to rip off some of the things that came as standard in my car.