Affordable Dream Car: The Lotus Exige Cup 430, The British Supercar Slayer?

This week in my affordable dream car series, what is for many the ultimate Lotus - The Exige Cup 430.
This car is now for sale at Stratton Motor Company: www.strattonmotorcompany.com/...
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[@iamwritingrightnow8217]

minimalistic interior, no overreliance on screens, manual, loud and fast... basically what I want from a sportscar

[@peterthompson9854]

@Skyler Allenson yes, you can intergrate you phone, providing you haven’t deleted the stereo.

[@andycorkhill6883]

@Skyler Allenson Really? Why? Isn't that type of stuff what your Playstation or XBox is for? Not trying to be rude but the point of this car is that it is an anlaog experience - you HAVE to drive it to really enjoy it as opposed to a push button the computer does everything Nissan GTR. I love the current range of Lotus cars precisely because they DON'T have smartphone integration lol.

[@andycorkhill6883]

@Skyler Allenson Please do get a C8. I hope you enjoy it. It's not really what the Lotus 430 Cup is all about and I expect you'd just be disappointed that it did not have the expected number of cup holders, electric seats, whizzy gizmo's etc. It's just not what traditionally Lotus has been about. I think a C8, GTR etc would be perfect for you.

[@LimiitedChans]

@Skyler Allenson You really are missing the point of this car. By miles.

[@iamwritingrightnow8217]

Skyler Allenson I dislike screens on the cars. They start to look old really fast. My father has a facelift 2018 Mercedes S63 AMG coupe. The car looks beautiful however the screens start to get old.

[@bispal]

Just in response to some of the comments below and to echo what james said. You need to put the price into perspective with similar cars. A Lotus is all about the drive and believe me at £85k this car is so much more than a Cayman GT4. As an owner of a 430CUP and a 981 Spyder and a 675LT I can categorically state the Lotus is much more engaging than the Porsche and thats saying something as the Porsche is brilliant. I test drove a new 991.2 GT3 manual and bought my 430CUP in preference to the GT3. You will never drive a more visceral and engaging car than a 430CUP and actually they are still very comfortable. If you see it as something more like an arial atom that you can drive to the track, to the shops and round europe in relative comfort with ac and a boot then its pretty unique. They are also cheap to run, mine has not gone wrong in 18 months and the last service at Lotus was £375. My spyder service is due and its £1460 but every 2 years. There are on 26 x 430CUPs in the uk in rhd. They wont be making many more, they are exceptionally rare and most owners will keep them long term as buying a similar car 2021 onwards will be near impossible. If you can afford one buy one, i would go as far to say they are a bargain compared to the competition and given the rarity, low running costs and minimal depreciation. Great review james thanks 👍

[@Munkey1234567]

BISPAL well said Paul (it’s Al) like you i love mine and won’t ever sell it

[@cliveyboyb5770]

WOW.When you compare it to an Ariel Atom but with all the comforts that's one hell of a statement and one hell of a car

[@5thgearouttahere]

Really informative comment, cheers Bispal What a car!

[@BlatentlyFakeName]

It is peak car tbh. Once I've owned one of these I'm going to retire from cars. I currently have an Elise, so working my way up :P

[@1970boggy]

Just bought a Lotus Elise S today. 2015, Saffron Yellow. 👍🤪

[@harald.370]

Welcome to #teamyellow 👍👍👍

[@Lar308]

Congrats - enjoy.

[@astronmr20]

NOICE

[@czblax6697]

Congrats man!

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Nice one

[@Finkjam]

Having recently purchased a 410 I can confirm the reaction you get while driving one is fantastic. Almost every time I park it up I get someone coming over commenting on it, asking questions etc. I also very rarely have to sit at junctions, people seem very happy to let me out! It's been utterly brilliant to drive, what fantastic things they are.

[@shawnweed265]

Well done! I am jealous. I wish they sold it for the road out here in the States.

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

@@shawnweed265 Any of the "regular" Exiges available in the U.S. are phenomenal.

[@shawnweed265]

@@LoanwordEggcorn They are...I like the euro ones primarily because they don't have the periscope intake and have the various versions of the V6...but yes, the 4cyl. Exiges are great cars. Pricey, but good.

[@LukeEvans55]

Video: plays lovely exhaust note. Subtitles: [Music] Me: yep seems about right

[@Rb25patrol]

This and a challenge stradale are the 2 best cars I’ve ever heard in person. The 430 is genuinely unbelievable.

[@niftycritter1870]

you should hear my car

[@superfluous9726]

You haven't even heard one with an equal length manifold in titanium with a straight piped titanium system. Oh my god it screams.

[@daveyboy6985]

If I bought one of these, I would never sell it.

[@kenfoo6591]

James, thanks to your channel I just bought an Exige sport 350 70th anniversary edition, in empire green. Can't wait to drive it, now waiting for papers to process.

[@jameswright1864]

What’s it like??

[@englyn1]

You need to buy this car just for the beautiful sound. I wish more of these were around and drove past my house.

[@markdoyle6414]

That manual gearbox change makes that car sound right. I'd have it over the Maclaren any day.

[@mattevans4377]

If this was German, people would be flooding the showrooms. It's a shame most people can't appreciate anything not German.

[@nickthehippy1392]

If it was German bits wouldn't fall off. :)

[@L0RDLUK]

@@nickthehippy1392 True, the engine would blow up on the test drive...

[@paulchen508]

Doesn't have something to do about the country its build. More the brand. If this would be from Ferrari imagine how good it would sell. Wiesmann cars sold so bad that the brand doesn't exist anymore

[@mcwaff8661]

@@nickthehippy1392 are you really talking about reliability germany is well known for having the worse reliability for cars. 😂

[@pete3198]

People worry too much about country of origin. I've owned roughly 10 cars in my life (which is quite a bit given im only 36) and out of all those cars the one that gave me the most grief was a Lexus IS200. That car suffered from a number of annoying problems that resulted poor material/finish quality none of which were especially easy nor cheap to fix. It also was the only car i owned that had mechanical problems that actually put my life in danger (throttle sticking, and a twitchy/unstable rear end - both issues that have been widely reported for that model). On the other hand the most relaible car I ever owned was an Alfa Romeo Giulietta QV. Aside from one fault with an interior door handle (fixed under warranty by the dealer at no cost) the car didn't have a single flault - not evne a squeak or rattle - in the entire time I owned it. It wasn't just freak luck either, as Giuletta's are known for actually being very reliable cars. Quite he irony since Lexus has a rep for building the most reliable and best built cars in the world, while Alfa has a rep for building some of the least reliable and most carelessly assembled. I feel judging the quality/relaibility off cars based on the brand's country of origin is somewhat like judging how dangerous / trustworthy a person is based on their race / religion. Every country has it's gems and every country has it's bad apples - you really need to look at the individual model rather then just making blatant assumptions based on where it's from.

[@m1keyw]

Had my V6 Exige for over 3 years/16K miles and love it. One of these with an extra 80 bhp must be bonkers!

[@ValueInvesting47]

If anyone had the money to buy this car, I think they should consider one cuz this car is the final evolution of Exige for not only this series but also represent for series 1 and 2. I heard and saw the news that Lotus will move from petrol combustion engine to all full electric cars and the final petrol combustion engine( hybrid) they will make is the new Esprit after Evija launch which the design will inspired by Evija and also the car that will the last one use aluminum chassis. After that, all Lotus cars will be electric. Which mean bye2 manual gearbox , petrol engine, cabin that look almost identical for almost 20 years ago and aluminum chassis. So, this car will be ancient, important part of lotus history and rare which mean this car could hold it's price considerably well in the futures after lotus fully moves to all electrics.Also, that Toyota reliability and affordable running cost is a plus.

[@seebarry4068]

Then stick a rocket in the back and it’s the gta5 equivalent

[@TerribleUsernameAmirite]

Aw man really? I was low key waiting for the series 4 exige. Shame it isn't happening

[@ValueInvesting47]

@@TerribleUsernameAmirite no, there will be the series 4 but its going to be electric and "techy". Its just going to be revolutionary of a new era of lotus instead of evolution .as I stated above all lotus line up going to be EV,so its kinda like series 1 for EV but its a series 4 for the exige

[@foesfly3047]

This is a very well made video. Great balance of interior and exterior shots to dialogue, chock full of important specs and details. Thanks JayEmm.

[@corystansbury]

Hard to argue with starting with an engine that's been refined for over 30 years.

[@markdiesel6432]

The production value of your videos just keeps getting better and better. A true pleasure to watch

[@sylvandespres7654]

i'm back to your channel after months of listening to supercar youtubers. wheew. what a difference.i now remember why i hooked on your channel.honest review and opinion,true real world test drive........i like how you do things.

[@superdooperoofer8941]

Love the upload timing. I live in Perth Australia and it perfectly coincides with me ordering a takeaway and waiting on delivery.... every week. Perfect.

[@waynosfotos]

I live in Perth Australia too. Own a exige s2 supercharged. Check out the local clublotuswa on FB and insta. We do monthly drive through the hills. And you can check me out on insta for some Lotus content.

[@DoubleDeckerAnton]

I enjoy your passion, knowledge and style of delivery in your videos Jay!

[@Justin225]

Really regret selling my Elise S1, loved that car. Hope to have another Lotus one day. Great review, this is fast becoming one of my favourite car channels! 👍

[@lukethomas5578]

Another fantastic review. You're great at what you do... keep em coming! Thanks. 👏🏼

[@jonjones1553]

Great stuff James! You're going to hit the 100K any moment. Fair play to ya!

[@schunkelperser1794]

Thank you James for providing us with brilliant car stuff like this 🙋‍♂️👌

[@JayEmmOnCars]

My absolute pleasure Jan, glad you enjoy it!

[@C64SX]

I got a test drive in a friends Exige 360 CUP, with the Öhlins suspension package. What a magnificent car it is. And the engine... I finally found that magnificent combination of responsiveness and sound that I've been missing since I sold my Busso V6 Alfa Romeo. Toyota and Lotus have created a wonderful engine.

[@Aliante48]

Great video from James as usual. Having taken delivery of a new 430 Cup I can confirm the driving experience as unique . My only criticism is the delayed throttle response ( sometimes no response ) when blipping the throttle which makes H&T a big disappointment. Not sure whether this is known and more importantly if there is a fix for it. No faults diagnosed. Keep up the great work Jay!!

[@dair919]

Great to see you doing another Lotus review. Please review the 410 too! Great vid

[@ingaz6565]

Its never going to compete with a Ferrari or lambo in a straight line, but put it on a twisty track and its a hard competitor to beat. To use Chris Harris own words "A chassis from the Gods."

[@oldgeezer5861]

Great film Jay. Love the S2000 always lurking in the background.

[@totti10pro]

glad to see a lotus is back on the channel

[@Jackettc]

Great review! I could never justify the price difference from my Exige V6 S, but a set of Nitrons and a new air intake have brought it a lot closer (390bhp) for a tiny percentage of the cost to change ;)

[@ibrahimsher7868]

I completely understand what hes on about with this exige. It's an absolutely fantastic machine

[@subnegro4946]

Sportscar perfection!!!! I hope Lotus never dies.

[@jimmyhallatt]

That souuuunnndddd! Lovely V6 noise! Never knew these had V6's! I thought they would of had the 4 cylinder... Bonus!

[@ryanlewis1650]

Great video Jay! Would love to hear your thaught on Lotus going full ev after their next car?

[@jimknowles5483]

Great video! Another interesting video would be a head to head with a GT4......concerning handling...... Great job! Keep them coming!

[@atomicdave1987]

What an awesome car! I'd love something like this but at 6' 6" there's no way I'd ever fit in one. Sounds amazing though.

[@simonmurfin1910]

I do REALLY like the look, sound and concept of these.....maybe one day!

[@konstantinoskapralos4606]

Being a hard working normal guy, this beast seems like an unreachable goal for me, but one day I will definitely own one. I will text you by then James. Love your reviews & and your passion about Lotus.

[@3dw3dw]

You know if you get an s2 elise and install a BOE REV400+ Supercharger kit, you're pretty dog gone close. Down on power but only slightly and with much less weight and a fraction of the price all things considered. I'm just saying. I think my Elise is a fair bit faster. 440bhp 390whp 2011lbs. 300 lbs in such a light car is a huge percentage change. My car leads my friend's hellcat up to rev limiter in 6th gear at 170mph. Then he passes me, but if there are curves in the road he never has a prayer. Once he followed me on a winding road. I arrived at a crossroad where we turn. I stopped to wait for him. I crossed a fence and went behind a bush to pee. As I approached my car to continue waiting I heard him squalling tires and thunderously reving in the distance. It was difficult not to gloat as my car cost half what his did and with less than 1/3 the engine displacement. Simply utter domination. Only lost a roll race to an 800whp Nissan GTR. it was expected.

[@SilverScarletSpider]

There is a specific quality that can not be described or named easily with Lotus’s cars. They aren’t just sports cars, no. It’s just not quite that simple. They are everything that Toyota/Honda/Nissan themselves should be building, infused with this British ingenuity that is oftentimes shared with McLaren, Jaguar, and Aston Martin. It’s this very English drive to not only compete with the rest of Europe; but to also embarrass them out on the roads of Italy and Germany with your British car badge. That is what it means to drive a Lotus, a McLaren, a Jaguar, and an Aston Martin.

[@strattonmotorcompany6745]

Once again, awesome video!

[@paul1978g]

I fell for the Mk2 Exige. I got to take a Chrome Orange 2006 example home for the weekend once (Used to work for a Lotus dealership), and it was utterly amazing to drive. Great on fuel if you kept your foot light, but bordering on terrifying when you mashed the accelerator into the mat. OF all the "affordable" sports cars out there, this would be on my wish list for sure.

[@DJNoMask]

Sounds lovely

[@L0RDLUK]

Either this or an Evora 400 are the cars I hope to get at some point in my life. Hopufully soon

[@Fee.1]

What do they cost in the US respectively ?

[@peterthompson9854]

@@Fee.1 you can’t buy them there. You get the Evora, and that’s it

[@graphitedak04]

Peter Thompson. Are US crash regulations the reason you can’t get these in the states?

[@JayEmmOnCars]

The Evora 400 was sold in the USA, the V6 Exiges were not and it was chiefly an airbag issue

[@Ben-sc7gf]

@@Fee.1 I've driven an Evora 400 and you won't be disappointed!

[@daveseemerollin6357]

That shifter is pure art

[@andytims1]

Track day appetite for fuel is pretty well on the Oliver Reed scale - even my Sport 380 is between 7 & 8 mpg, but as James says - they are remarkably kind on tyres & brakes. 2bular QP exhaust on mine to get me on track

[@astronmr20]

Those downshifts sound glorious

[@joelamosun6968]

This engine is gorgeous. One of the best and most reliable engines on the planet. This car will not break down.... period!

[@dagnut]

More great content. Keep it up

[@888johnmac]

Seeing James get in / out of an Elise / Exige , it's a bit like watching a bumble bee fly

[@romywebster7728]

Neither should be possible

[@another3997]

I'd love to see him get in and out of a Caterham 7... whilst the roof is on! I know from experience, that the gymnastics required are interesting to say the least, and quite painful if you get it wrong. 😁

[@Jabber-ig3iw]

Worth every penny just for the sound.

[@KayJblue]

Just watching one of your vids when I saw a new one 21 seconds ago😅

[@TenorCantusFirmus]

Probably my favourite current sportscar.

[@driver46]

Very nice video , I hope I will have chance try one on the track at some point in my life .

[@steffenpedersen6704]

Brilliant review👍🏻😎

[@global_nomad.]

looking forward to your 100k subs special......good going....

[@ludda42]

This car is still in my dream two car garage.

[@grahamnutt8958]

I don't have £85k to spend but would certainly like to drive one of these. The reason I wouldn't buy, even if £ wasn't an issue, is the gearbox. The selector works...... when it wants to. Decent honest appraisal. 👍👍

[@timbo8917]

that sounds is awesome..I want one

[@sylvandespres7654]

the exhaust sound is so sweet.looking at the non verbal of the car,it seems to manage the corners in a great precise way.this little thing hooks on the tarmac like a scalpel in the flesh.a very,very valid sport car.the price is however too high for what it is.

[@purplemonstertv]

Great vid. I love lotus cars. As much as I love Lamborghini and Ferrari’s. I’d probably pick a lotus.

[@hariswaranbalamurugan7347]

Awesome car and awesome review

[@jimestall413]

Excellent review.

[@fredericberthou]

The best car of sensations , no Porsche no Ferrari just you and the car , I think visceral car 🤩🤩👌

[@TACADO1]

Me being large did you get in & out ok ? Stunning car & love them but the £80k price tag is very worrying ! So many cars at that price that is a supercar . Nice review 👍

[@jayaychare7318]

Bought an s1 Elise in 2001 for 11k with under 40k on clock and in good condition. Such value for money

[@blowduke]

That sounds lovely ..

[@dougmaverick3287]

I wish these were sold in North America, I'd buy one tomorrow. I'd much rather have the Exige than any Porsche 911 or Cayman. The Exige is way more raw, and you have to get any sports car with a proper manual transmission.

[@dposney]

Really wish we got this car in the US. I know we got the series 2 but the series 3 just looks so mean and that V6 😍. Maybe in 20 more years

[@eze8970]

Thanks J.

[@OurCognitiveSurplus]

This is 100% it for me. What a thing.

[@jackseifert5361]

I’ve been watching your videos lately, I just had to pause real quick ask myself, why the literal fuck am I not subbed to this guy, great content brotha!

[@frankthetank9513]

I’ll have an Exige eventually. Hopefully sooner than later. I’ll start with an Elise. 🙏

[@JDSFLA]

5:20 The Pennings. Now I know exactly where you are! Mid-Suffolk nature preserve. Hello from Sherlock Holmes in Florida. Oh, the Lotus. Yes a fine emotion stirring car, but I prefer the Evora.

[@Convisis]

Full dream car.

[@ThereIsNoSubstitute]

Great content. Thanks.

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Thanks for watching!

[@thegamingguy1]

Bro ur sound clips are straight BUSSIN 💯🔥😩💯🔥😩💯🔥😩 ON GOD 😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤 FRFR NO 🧢©️🅰️🅿️🧢

[@scottcowan6798]

I'm tempted to test drive one.. had a '97 elise S1 which I modified with a JDM spec Type-R engine.. and then 56 plate Exige S.. They always made you happy you were born.. Have had a 991.2 C2S for two years which I love.. but have not had the chance to do a proper road trip yet.. the jury is still out on it.. could be tempted back to Lotus.. My aforementioned Exige S was purchased with 1400 miles on the clock and did 30k over three years with me and only needed the aircon re-gassed apart from normal servicing costs.. most reliable car I've owned to date..

[@sonkekoster3105]

I really like the Exige Cup 430.

[@hectoOut]

this will be my dream car. Toyota reliable engine, low cost maintenance and super car look and sound

[@yeatmc]

I believe it is quite widely thought that the 410 is the sweet spot of the Exige range. BTW mine won't be going on track as I can't be bothered mucking about with the exhaust.

[@AtypicalDriver]

So frustrating that we don't get these in the USA, what a perfect car.

[@marley354]

People need to know lotus actually made f1 what it is today. And aerodynamics they used is amazing and also used in allot of super cars today. Shame their build quality ain't all great but the feel of drive is amazing

[@ConquerDriving]

£110,000!!!!!! Gosh. I love Lotus, I love how they drive but their cars are far too cheap to be £110,000. A Boxster for half the price is worth double in materials, build quality and tech.

[@keledek660]

I'm a out to comment out the same thing, it's colossal price. Thanks for pointing out 8 hours earlier than me.

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Yes unfortunately they boxed themselves into a corner with the pricing

[@Munkey1234567]

I have a friend with a gt4 which is the pinnacle of the boxster range (I know it’s a cayman) and the 430 is better in every conceivable way.

[@mcwaff8661]

Yes while this would completely destory a boxer on the track and also Porsche isnt really the best car to have since you know how shitty the reliability is.

[@wheelspintv6864]

These are so nice to look at and the sound is glorious 👌 just a shame about the price. I know there a weapon but at £85k I personally would go for something that's not so track focused.

[@NoneNone-kp1qc]

The cheaper S version 5 years old is just as for-filling to drive and at a fraction of the price if you dine mind a used car... bullet proof and easy to work on if you know a little about mechanics... between 35k-45 for decent example... there amazing to drive but a weekend only car as there not that comfortable...

[@BlatentlyFakeName]

Lotuses depreciate to a point and then just stay there. My 2006 Elise is worth as much as it was new if you factor in inflation and it's done over 90k miles. Now they are appreciating pretty quickly. The Elise is more comfortable if you want something to use "daily". The ride isn't as harsh and it's less scary in the cold and wet.

[@peterorigenes4358]

I have a 4C, some of the experience is similar...the years of platform development on the lotus show up, all that being done aftermarket for the 4C.

[@enigmatwist6548]

Looks good in orange.

[@feardabrow]

My Dream Car 😍

[@JamesWilson234]

I have an Exige S2 and it turns heads 30 seconds before they even see me ;-)

[@andrewstoffel1170]

Damn, As a bigger lad myself I only watched it to see you get in or out.😂😂

[@paulqueripel3493]

I drove an MK1 Elise at a track day many years ago. I felt like I was posting myself when getting in and had to get out by sliding out ,dragging my legs behind me, while "walking" backwards on my hands. As if I was about to do seated dips.

[@100kmp]

wicked. I want one.

[@syscoord195]

You need to get your hands on the Jannarelly Design-1, absolutely stunning car, but the only reviewers I've seen so far are "influencers"! I'd be interested to know if the engine let's it down!

[@nickchatburn]

Awesome car...

[@TheEarlofK]

Never been a huge fan of Lotus, I'm from an age when Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious was the popular acronym and when they were known for leaving their owners sitting amidst a pile of fibreglass fragments after a motorway shunt, but I can really see the appeal of the Exige; it offers the driving experience with proper protection and without the huge Dealer bills.

[@trackdays7625]

Resonates... I owned two, an Elise R and Evora S, both a complete nightmare. They finally got me to Porsche...

[@andycorkhill6883]

@@trackdays7625 Good job Porsche fixed their EMS issues before you got to them, just watch for the front shocks bursting through the bonnet if you have a GT4! It's funny how people seem to have selective memories and most Lotus issues re engines etc were from 30 years ago, they've been using Toyota units for the past 20 years so pretty damn reliable to be honest,,,

[@rocketing47]

No doubt an exceptional car although not important for most people it does lack a bit of torque, particularly on track. I soon solved that with the KT475 upgrade. Not many GT3RS’s can keep up now

[@legionnairegonk4425]

The Exige IS the best of both worlds - looks stonking, handles better than almost anything else and goes like a rocket pretty much from 350 onwards. Add in good reliability and unique / rarity ownership and what is not to like ( unless you are a creature comfort, practicality, tech, wrapped in leather badge snobbery kind of guy )?

[@EAD_0]

That thing sounds insane. I want one so bad it’s ridiculous

[@ThereIsNoSubstitute]

It would be great if you could put together a comparison between this car and Porsche 718 GT4. They have a lot in common such as mid-engine layout, power output etc. Any findings would be very interesting.

[@rare6499]

I love this car. I don’t care about the price because frankly I couldn’t afford it if they were 20 grand. It’s properly cool.

[@moimoi4725]

Expensive car but worth it. I wish they were sold in the US street legal like they did before 2012. Oh well, I just have to keep enjoying my 2017 Evora 400 manual transmission.

[@christophercatto7184]

great great car!

[@sneakerjoe23]

Wish we could get more Lotus in the US.......also wish I could afford a Lotus lol