52 replies to this topic

[Iaing]

Two of my friends are trying to persaude me not to get a vx (and not succeeding i might add) on the grounds its not as good as an Exige, not as quick, they don't make vx's any more blah blah blah. One of them has an S2 exige so I guess is biased. I'm sure the exige is quicker round atrack as its a more hardcore car (imo) but I'm never going to see that so i'm talking about on the road (vx in standard tune)? Anyway on paper the vx is quicker ( i think), but is this true in reality? Iain

[siztenboots]

Price and performance comparison the VXT ( with some carefully selected performance mods ) is better I would say. Cheaper to insure, lower running costs, reliable engine, proper open top motoring and so on...

[NOBLE]

Elise 0-60 .... 5.7s
NA LY 0-60 .... 5.6s
NA 0-60 .... 5.5s
Exige 0-60 .... 5.0s
Elise 111R 0-60 .... 4.9s
VXT 0-60 .... 4.7s
VXR 0-60 .... 4.2s
Exige S 0-60 .... 4.2s
(quoted from Parkers .... cant comment on the accuracy)

Would 4.2 feel amazingly faster than 5.7?

Edited by X8 CJN, 19 January 2007 - 10:09 AM.

[siztenboots]

One of them has an S2 exige so I guess is biased.

Tell your friend he should have got a 111R and SC'ed it

[Joe-Turbo]

so the lightning yellow special edition is 0.1 slower then a normal n/a i always thought all n/a's were 5.7 to 60

[NOBLE]

Its what the site says. But like I said they might be talking shite.

Edited by X8 CJN, 19 January 2007 - 10:13 AM.

[i need nos]

n/a's are the all the same, to be honest even stage 2 tune on a n/a doesnt feel much diffrent to standard so id guess they were still pretty much equal to 60, vxt to 60 doest feel that much quicker but when your in third with foot down u start to appreciate the power diffrence and from there on there is no comparison.. on tack a very similar time as both are very good in diffrent areas, as for on the road i dont think your be upset with a turbo vxs performance, i would have bought one over the n/a but the prices were far to high at the time, now is a good a time as any as most 53 04 plates with low mileage are knocking around the 14.5k mark! with regards to the lotus (exige excluded) do a search on youtube etc for topgear or fithgear and see how the experts compare the 2!

[Ferguson]

Elise 0-60 .... 5.7s
NA LY 0-60 .... 5.6s
NA 0-60 .... 5.5s
Exige 0-60 .... 5.0s
Elise 111R 0-60 .... 4.9s
VXT 0-60 .... 4.7s
VXR 0-60 .... 4.2s
Exige S 0-60 .... 4.2s
(quoted from Parkers .... cant comment on the accuracy)

Would 4.2 feel amazingly faster than 5.7?

Would a boot to the head hurt more than a tap on the shoulder?

Seriously, the better party trick of a boosted motor (especially modified) is the in-gear acceleration. 0-60 times are academic, as you're often traction limited. Having sampled a crazy supercharged Exige (which puts the factory effort to shame) I can say that the big shove in the back in-gear is the real eye-opening experience.

Oh, and don't believe all factory numbers. You won't match them unless you want to seriously abuse your drivetrain.

[JG]

Depends what you call quicker. There is so much more to a car than how 'quick' it is. I have to admit i'm not really one for car pub banter. It usually just pisses me off and i walk away usually shaking my head because the person opposite has got his car 'knowledge' from FHM.

Anyway, coming back to the question.
First of all you have to decide if you can look past the badge. There is no point in you buying a vx if you can’t cope with the 'yes, but its still a Vauxhall' brigade.

From a driving POV IMO the Exige is sharper. Initial turn in is slightly crisper although i prefer the way the VXT's (even better in the vx) steering loads up the more you lean on the chassis. That is very much a personal view though.

Next i would consider the usability of the car. I love the fact the vx’s roof is removable in a couple of seconds if the sun decides to shine. The Exige can have a removable roof, but it looks sh*t with a softop on, breaking its roof line and it looks tottaly daft with the roof off. Again it depends how hardcore you are (coming from someone that has garaged his vx this winter i can't really talk but, ) i take the roof off at every opportunity when I use the car. The vx is also a little more versatile because it also looks great with a hardtop, if you like the mini-racer look.

Talking of looks that’s probably the next point. The Vx looks like an out and out sports car, where the Exige looks like its build for the track. That daft spoiler looks a bit silly but again this is such a subjective matter that you need to decide that for yourself.

So far then, to me the vx is still the more appealing and i haven't even got to the main point. You talked about quickness in your post and this may answer it. The engine, nice as the VVTi 190bhp etc, looks on paper, IMO its horrid. Again, owing to the fact that the Exige is designed for the track the engine is too. Fantastic if you can keep it on cam, above 6500 rpm, but anyone with a nuance of mechanical sympathy won't and it really is such hard work to get the best out of it. What it achieves on the track, is its biggest let down on the road. The lack of torque is a problem, and it requires you to forever keep changing gear. Again if you like to work hard, for reward then it might be the car for you. But i find that the vx lump which i have to admit is lazy in comparison to the Toyota one, is also a faithful friend. Able to deliver in most gears at most revs due to a healthy torque curve it allows the driver to concentrate on the things that matter more (Steering feel, distance from the limit, road condition, traffic, etc) and to answer your question in the real world this alone probably makes the vxt the quicker car.

Edited by JamesGray, 19 January 2007 - 10:31 AM.

[LazyDonkey]

VXJON and I have been out on loads of runs with 111R and Exiges up here and on the twisties you'd be surprised how well an NA keeps up, let alone a VXT. The torque of the VX means you're all over the back of the exige coming out of the slow ones. Yes once it comes on cam then it will stretch a wee gap but then you change gear again. In saying that the exige is probably the only car i'd consider choppnig the vx for..............tis a lot of money tho.

[d34no]

If you're purely looking at speed - the following may help. These are times round the Top gear test track by the stig: Lotus Exige 1.26.9 Porsche 911 Carrera S 1.28.9 Vauxhall VX220 turbo 1.31.3 Lotus Elise 1.35.6 I'm not entirely sure how accurate these are ie whether new stig/old stig/ damp/dry/ hot etc.. but give you some idea of speed round a track. The majority of the difference (say 2-3 secs, but better ask someone who has tried this) between the VXT and Exige will be tyres as on the exige they are almost slicks, and the VXT potenza's are road tyres. But you have to remember would you be happy going out in the wet on the road with the exige tyres...? I certainly wouldn't. In my opinion though on the road you can't use all the power of the VXT anyway. From a standing start you'd be breaking the law in under 6 seconds (not that i have done, obviously! )! It all depends on what you want out of the car and all of the above mentioned issues to weigh up.

[paulf-cam]

Anyway on paper the vx is quicker ( i think), but is this true in reality?

Iain

I'd say the VXT would be easily quicker on the road than an S2 exige - its all about the torque. On track its a different matter...

Ta, Paul.

[Ratspants]

Anyway on paper the vx is quicker (I think), but is this true in reality?

Is "quickness" your only deciding factor? Do you mean in terms of lap times, 0-60 or on a B-Road in Wales? Does it actually matter about your absolute time if you're having a great time driving it and enjoying the handling?

I don't like the split-personality "twin cam" style engines and I don't much like turbos either. From a non-quickness perspective, the Exige is better built, better equipped and has a lot more support in terms of parts availability and servicing options.

The only advantage of the VXT is that it's got torque nice and low so that you can drive it however you like. The Lotus is meant to be a sharper drive in standard form than a VX.

My current preferences would be:

Elise S - too new to get one at a good price second hand but the ideal blend of build quality, spec and a decent engine albeit not wildly powerful (a very pure lotus though)

Exige S - Far too expensive even second hand, but i'd have one

My VX NA is super, but not "quick" on paper.

Ben

[Iaing]

One of them has an S2 exige so I guess is biased.

Tell your friend he should have got a 111R and SC'ed it

He had a 135r then chopped it in for an Exige.

Anyway on paper the vx is quicker (I think), but is this true in reality?

Is "quickness" your only deciding factor? Do you mean in terms of lap times, 0-60 or on a B-Road in Wales? Does it actually matter about your absolute time if you're having a great time driving it and enjoying the handling?

No quickness is not my only deciding factor. i like the look of both, but have always had a soft spot for the vx. When I say quick, I mean straight line speed and general fast B road driving. Which is what I will be using it for.

No it doesn't matter.

Iain

[speedyK]

On the road, even an N/A is fast enough – and has a good torquey motor. The comment above about N/As keeping up with a mixed pack of VXes and Lotuses is entirely credible.

You say you want it only for the road. In that case, factors other than speed are more relevant (give that they are all able to keep up).

If you like softtop motoring, then it is possible in all versions (though some disapprove of softtopped Exiges).

The 111R/Exige S2 offer air con and more sophisticated ventilation for when you're not top off. Along with generally better build quality and nicer interior.

The VXT has plenty of torque, the 111R/Exige S2 hardly needs to be put into manic mode on the road and feels perfectly driveable – it certainly isn't weedy.

All things, for road use only, considered, I would suggest, if cash is not a problem, that you can get the best of all worlds by buying a 111R and getting the Bemani S/C if you find you lust for more torque/in-gear acceleration.

Hth

[theotherhalf]

I can't comment on the VXT, but as for handling on road the VX (which is supposed to be the better of the two Vxls) is not as good as the Exige, for me the VX doesn't feel as planted. Yes you can change wheels, shocks etc. But you end up paying through the nose for insurance. We pay less to insure the Exige than the VX, probably down to the fact people keep stacking VXs
Yes the VXT has more torque, but the Exige is quiet quick enough for the road for normal driving even without using the higher end of the rev range. Lotus can lower the change over point to 5300 if you like as well. For me I'm fitting the Forced Fed turbo, but that's only probably because I miss my Turbo Esprit
The Exige is certainly built better, something that Lotus openly admit is down to Vxls input.
I suspect in most case's it will come down to money, only you can decide whether the Exige is worth the extra money for what you want to use the car for.........

If you're purely looking at speed - the following may help. These are times round the Top gear test track by the stig:


Lotus Exige 1.26.9

Porsche 911 Carrera S 1.28.9

Vauxhall VX220 turbo 1.31.3

Lotus Elise 1.35.6

I'm not entirely sure how accurate these are ie whether new stig/old stig/ damp/dry/ hot etc.. but give you some idea of speed round a track. The majority of the difference (say 2-3 secs, but better ask someone who has tried this) between the VXT and Exige will be tyres as on the exige they are almost slicks, and the VXT potenza's are road tyres. But you have to remember would you be happy going out in the wet on the road with the exige tyres...? I certainly wouldn't.

Exige time was in the wet!
I have driven through floods in the Exige, I wouldn't think twice about using it in the wet.

[TurboTomato]

VXJON and I have been out on loads of runs with 111R and Exiges up here and on the twisties you'd be surprised how well an NA keeps up, let alone a VXT.

The torque of the VX means you're all over the back of the exige coming out of the slow ones. Yes once it comes on cam then it will stretch a wee gap but then you change gear again.

In saying that the exige is probably the only car i'd consider choppnig the vx for..............tis a lot of money tho.

Spot on

The Exige is lovely and no doubt handles better than a VXT and when on cam there's very little in it. If you're not on cam however the VXT would be noticeably quicker due to the low down torque (that was one of the things I noticed when I test drove the VXT I bought) and in the real world, that's where you're more likely to be. A stage 1 VXT would pull away comfortably.

All this is purely in a straight line though, through the twisties an Exige should make the difference with better tyres, suspension etc. It's the usual horses-for-courses really - depends how you like your power delivery, high and revvy or low down and grunty.

From what I hear an Exige S is the real deal and properly quick, but it comes at a price - I noticed that one of the ltd editions they are doing at the moment is £43k with some options on it

[JG]

VXJON and I have been out on loads of runs with 111R and Exiges up here and on the twisties you'd be surprised how well an NA keeps up, let alone a VXT.

The torque of the VX means you're all over the back of the exige coming out of the slow ones. Yes once it comes on cam then it will stretch a wee gap but then you change gear again.

In saying that the exige is probably the only car i'd consider choppnig the vx for..............tis a lot of money tho.

Spot on

The Exige is lovely and no doubt handles better than a VXT and when on cam there's very little in it. If you're not on cam however the VXT would be noticeably quicker due to the low down torque (that was one of the things I noticed when I test drove the VXT I bought) and in the real world, that's where you're more likely to be. A stage 1 VXT would pull away comfortably.

All this is purely in a straight line though, through the twisties an Exige should make the difference with better tyres, suspension etc. It's the usual horses-for-courses really - depends how you like your power delivery, high and revvy or low down and grunty.

From what I hear an Exige S is the real deal and properly quick, but it comes at a price - I noticed that one of the ltd editions they are doing at the moment is £43k with some options on it

Are you two just sumarising what i said?

[chuno]

Have fond memories of overtaking a yellow S2 exige at Anglesey last october in my NA on road tyres (at least 3 or 4 times ). Would have been more if the little bugger would have let me past when he should , probably didn't like the idea of being overtaken by a Vauxhall. . People may think i'm talking BS, but IMO there isn't the huge difference between even an NA VX and a non sc exige that people think. OK, it is faster, but not £15k or so faster if outright speed is your main concern.

[pcmanning]

Hmm - as has been said before on this site, the difference between these machines is probably far less than the difference in driver ability. Suggest that VX NA/Tubby with driver training would be better value than Exige without? Paul