Hello,

I know I'm asking a biased crowd but I would like your input. I'm looking to add a car to the stable primarily for track use. I have other cars so street use will be minimal. I'm considering a 996 GT3 or a Exige 240S. Based in my current thinking, I want a car that I can drive to the track... Here's my thinking...

I'm primarily a Porsche guy. I have 3 now and prefer them for street cars. I've only tracked one of my P cars and it was fun but I have a hard time trashing a P car...

The GT3 is a great car but it still is pretty heavy. That means that it's going to chew up tires and brakes faster than the Exige imo and maintenance costs are going to be higher.

Love the looks of the Exige and I already own a 996 cab and a 996TT.

The Exige seems to be a great car for track use. I have not tracked the new Exige but owned an S1 Exige for several years and ran the **** out of it. It was a great car to track, the most fun I have had at the track.

The Exige is cheaper, by $15K to $20K. (I'm comparing a 1K mile Exige 240s to a 4K mile 05 996 GT3.

With the Exige, I would just put in belts (5 pt) and go. I might do some suspension upgrades but that's it.

With the GT3 I'd have to add a 1/2 cage and GT3 seats. I might do suspension and gears (3rd - 5th). As is typical with P cars, that's going to be $7K-$10K on top of the purchase price (and that's assuming that I don't put MPSC's on it....)

With the P, I can do club racing. With the Lotus, I'm limited to track days unless the Lotus race series gains momentum in the Midwest or on the east coast (the car would be in Milwaukee).

Thoughts??

Thanks!
Roy

 

roy,

are you the one who ordered a new 04 GT3 in yellow from bluegrass motor in KS? if so, i bought it after you declined it. since then i have had 3 other 996GT3 as well elise and exige (non supercharged). so i am familiar with both platform.

i cannot help you decide if racing or not since you can race p car with pca but not lotus.

the oeverall lap time of the two car you compare will be very similar depending on track, lotus wins in curvy tracks.

you dont need to do suspension on either car, the stock suspension are comparable on both. and i have seen stock GT3 very well driven with OEM suspension, i mean real fast.

regear the GT3 would be nice, but it's no needed (to keep comparison fair with lotus).
you do need 1/2 cage and seat etc, also rear toe links (that's even with lotus rear subframe mod).

it is 1/4 the cost to run the lotus than GT3.

 

Lotus same on track as gt3? Never seen one that's very fast at all really. But great for learning in.

I'd say if you dont like beating up on your GT3 then club racing shoudlnt be an option anyways and for DE's I'd personally get the GT3 (lotus too tight) but can completely understand if you wanted to get the lotus.


I say if you are going to feel more free in the lotus, get that.

 

Tell that to Craig Stanton who ran a 1:27 @ WSIR. Video here: Lotus Exige 1:27 WSIR

 

Not familiar with willow, what are some relative times.

 

well, i am not being totally fair... after thikning about it i am comparing a stock 996gt3 on R888 to a cup 255 on slicks.

but at sears point, i think even a r888 equipped S240 will be very close to a R888 6gt3.

 

Maybe so, I just have never seen a fast one on track so I have no idea of their potential unless there are limited high speed straights. It's obvious that they can turn and handle well.

 

Thanks for everyones comments. I'll post pics when I decide.

Mooty, yep it's me... Nice stable you have going there!!

Roy

 

Fast is relative... I ran 1.42's at Road Atlanta in my S1 Exige...

Thanks
Roy

 

i wish i kept the yellow GT3, oh well.
but either car you get will make you happy.

 

wow...that's fast!

 

The Exige 240 should hang with a 996 GT3, no worries, assuming equivalent drivers. I had an '06 normally aspirated Exige (190hp) and I could keep up some of them, even with reasonably experienced drivers:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SOXI204uSYM

 

TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CARS!!!! LOTUS IS 1950 LBS AND UNDER 300 HP WITH MODS-A CAR YOU HAVE TO CARRY SPEED OUT OF TURNS NOT A HORSE POWER CAR-GT3 ON THE OTHER HAND YOU CAN DRIVE THE TIRES AND BRAKES OFF THE CAR.....IF YOU WANT TO RACE ONE BUY A CUP CAR
THEY ARE 2450 LBS,AND 430 HP AT FLYWHEEL STOCK...AND LOTUS BUY A 255 CUP EXIGE-THEY ARE SET TO RACE ALSO-BIGGER BRAKES AND ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS!!!!! ITS COMES DOWN TO -BUY A RACE CAR TO RACE AND A STREET CAR FOR THE STREET....RAY-CAN HELP LOCATE IF NEEDED....
GT3RAY@HOTMAIL.COM

 

A Cup car runs 1:26. SRT10 ACR: 1:29.33, Superleggera: 1:32.47, GT3 RS: 1:33.14 Road & Track test March 08.

 

1 second slower than a cup car? I imagine this cant be the same caliber of drivers, jeeping up with a GT3 is one thing, a cp car is a different story.

I do imagine a driver as good as he looked could beat mag times fairly easily in just about anything.